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(How could i be so blind?) A question she kept asking herself over and over again.
She stood there on the roof overlooking the city.
it’s a bright artificial light no longer providing her warmth as the wind cut through her bandages and medical gown as well as scraping against her face and shoulders, burning the scared flesh.
It wasn’t right what they did. Her research was is meant to help people… people like her brother…
It felt like a slap to the face after all of those years of hard work, all that sacrifice her family had made to give her a chance to enter this city of dreams, only for her to soon see what was behind that thin veil of hope and promise.
The sound of metal bending brought her back to reality, the weathervane she clung to was now being crushed by her own strength. Her… hands… appears to be much stronger now that they have been replaced with the prototype of her research, whoever did the procedure must’ve been part of her team.
The idea of one of her closest colleagues performing this procedure after that ‘accident’ made her skin crawl I had caused her fingers to click as they balled up into a fist
(I can’t stay any longer, but I can at least make sure my mistakes won’t hurt anyone else) she thought quickly climbing off the roof before traveling through the alley ways avoiding the main roads in fear of being spotted. She eventually lifted and all the black travelers jacket for my junkie she came across passed out by a trashcan. The material was putrid and dirty but it completely covered her figure as well as her face so she couldn’t complain before sneaking back to her apartment looking more or less conspicuous.
After climbing a few flights of stairs getting into her rooms were child’s play, Remembering where she kept the key to carefully unlocked the door to creep inside.
To no surprise she already found the place was looted,furniture flipped over drawers flipped over with their contents spilled all the cross the floor. (I hope the thieves you paid blackmail you for this) she thought collecting a fire poker before making her way to her room before digging it into the wall by sure bad tearing away at the loose wooden planks revealing a large undisturbed trunk
“There goes my deposit” she grumbled softly in a weak effort to try and make herself laugh… it didn’t work. After opening up the chest she gave a breath of relief to find its contents exactly how she left it
inside she found her research paperwork neatly stacked in the corner just underneath A soft pastel yellow mask displaying an apathetic face right back at her, as well as her grandfather‘s crossbow, which took the form of a wooden sparrow with its mouth open for where the bolt would poke out.
She quickly made her way back into the living room after acquiring all the items from the trunk and after tossing her paperwork into the fireplace she held up a match ready to ignite it then froze (if you do this you end up destroying seven years of your life) she thought hesitating for a moment before closing her eye I had to striking the match, eventually she looked down in the fireplace seeing her life work being reduced to nothing but ash. She knew there was no going back now
Leaving the fire to burn she slowly walked out of her apartment not bothering locking it at this point as she slowly made her way down the stairs and out the front door without any interruption.
Once she made it to the city limits she looked back at the city, for a brief moment she remembered the first time she was ever allowed to step inside the walls surrounding it, as odd as it sounded she felt like a princess walking into a castle. Now all she felt was the cold sting of regret and shame.
(Maybe it would be better if I started a new completely… yes… my new life requires the new name) she thought taking out the mask to examine it once more and she spotted a small engraving carved into the forehead behind the mask
“My name is… River”