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You hummed to yourself pretending to make the toy airplane fly. It must be nice to be able to fly. Maybe if you could fly, you could leave this horrible place and see something cool! The sterile walls of the room you spent most of your time in was boring. You wanted to go out. You overheard the researchers talking sometimes. Talking about things like pink flowers that shed their petals in the cool breeze. Of clear blue skies.
You don’t remember much of the outside world. All you could remember was the day your life changed. You just remembered a deep sharp pain in your chest and an even worse pain when you saw your parents’ lifeless eyes. After that everything went blank.
Lost in your thoughts, you don’t notice that the airplane had slipped out of your fingers. You let out of delighted gasp and you got to your feet to try and catch it but each time you got close it would swoop away from your grasp.
You gave a frustrated cry and heard someone giggle. Furious you looked towards the source of that laughter and saw a slightly older boy with short black hair and ridiculously purple eyes that shone with mirth. “Who are you? How did you get in here?” you demanded but the boy didn’t stop laughing.
“What’s so funny.” you fumed as you stormed towards him. The airplane did a loop before it fell into his outstretched hand and he handed it to you.
“You pip-squeak.” he said with a grin as you snatched the toy out of his hands. “I’m not a-a pip-squeak!” you squealed.
“You look and sound like one to me.” he teased in return.
“Am not!”
“Am too!”
“Am not!” you yelled infuriated before you took off with the toy in hand to your favourite corner of your room.
You fidgeted with the propeller on the front of the toy and the boy followed you watching you play with curiosity in his eyes.
“What’s that?” he asked. “It’s an airplane.”
“What’s that?” he asked again.
“It’s a thing that can fly.” you said crossly, annoyed that he was invading your personal space and asking stupid questions.
“I can make things fly.” he said as he thought about it. That caught your attention. “Really? Can you make me fly?” You asked excitedly.
He studied you for a moment before he shook his head. “No, I can only make small things fly.”
“Oh.” You said feeling disappointed. “But I’ve been practicing so maybe I can make you fly soon!” He said quickly when he noticed your reaction.
“How come you can make things fly?” You asked inquisitively. “It’s my Evol. I can manipulate gravity.” he explained as he took the toy out of your hands to demonstrate. You didn’t notice it earlier but there is a subtle shift in the air and sure enough the airplane took off floating around the room as if powered by an actual engine. You watched it fly around in wonder and when the boy made it do a couple loops before landing it on your shoulder, you clapped excitedly as you reached over to pick it up before it could fall off.
“You’re so cool! You must be the coolest person in this entire world!” You exclaimed and he blushed at your overzealous compliments. He cleared his throat for a moment before asking, “What’s your Evol?”
You fell a little sullen before you replied. “It’s not as cool as yours. I can’t really do anything by myself. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
“They don’t really care about my Evol anyway. They care more about-“ you cut yourself off not wanting to talk about it. He looked at you expectantly before he seemed to understand. “It’s okay, pip-squeak. You don’t have to talk about it.” he said sympathetically as he ruffled your hair. You stuck your tongue out at him and pushed his hand away.
“My name is not pip-squeak.” you grumbled and he only giggled in response. “Alright, what’s your name then?”
You hesitated for a moment. No one ever called you by your name. It was one of the precious few things you remembered from your life before and you clung on to it like a lifeline. You looked at him and felt a sense of warmth that reminded you of home. Your real home. You decided to tell him your name. He repeated your name thoughtfully. “It’s a cute name but I think you suit pip-squeak more so I’m just going to stick with that.”
You pouted in response. “What’s your name then?” His eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected the question and shook his head after a while. “I don’t know it.” he admitted quietly. “You don’t know your name?” you asked in surprise and he shook his head sadly. He looked like a kicked puppy and you couldn’t help but feel bad for him. You reminded you of one of your neighbours’s dogs. “Caleb.” You said and he lifted his head to look at you curiously.
“You look like a Caleb.” you said with a satisfied nod. “Caleb.” he repeated, testing the name. “I like it. I’ll be Caleb and you’ll be pip-squeak.” he said with a mischievous grin causing you to chase him around your room furiously.
The next time you met Caleb again you were brimming with excitement as you laid on your bed, throwing your airplane toy in the air making it airborne for a couple seconds at a time. You didn’t question why or how he snuck into your room again. You just grinned at him causing him to blink in surprise as you caught the airplane and set it aside.
“What’s got you smiling like that pip-squeak?” he asked curiously as you sat on your knees on the bed and turned to face him. “I did something today Caleb! I have an Evol!” you exclaimed and Caleb looked just as excited as you. “Really?”
“I can use my Evol to make other people’s Evol stronger!” you exclaimed as you recalled how you had helped the researcher blow up a wine glass.
“Wow! Do you think it’ll work with my Evol?” Caleb asked enthusiastically which made your eyes light up.
“Ooh maybe! Do you think we could try it?”
“Sure! What should I do?”
You paused as you thought about something that you wanted to experience for a long time. “Do you think you could make me fly?” you said in a hushed whisper as his eyes widened.
“Do you think I could do that?” he asked as you nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, I’ll try.” he said before he stepped back a little and stretched out his hand. You could feel that shift in the air again as his face scrunched up in concentration but it wasn’t enough.
“Oh right!” you said as you reached forward and touched him over his heart a little nervously. You only managed to resonate once and you weren’t sure if you could do it again. He flinched momentarily which you understood because you hated being touched in this place. Nothing good came out of it but you smiled at him and after a couple moments he relaxed.
To your surprise, a golden glow surely but slowly began to shine from where your hand was pressed against him and you could feel your legs start to lift up from the bed. It felt different than when you tried it with the researcher. It felt easy as if it was natural.
You let out a peal of laughter as you began to rise up. It was a strange feeling but it only added to the exhilaration. “Caleb! Look! I’m flying!” You cried as Caleb watched in amazement looking just as thrilled as you were.
The resonance must not have been strong enough to last for too long as the next thing you knew, you was falling back on the bed. You screamed and landed on the bed with a thump and Caleb immediately reached for you calling your name with worry in his voice.
“Hey! Are you okay?” he asked as he helped you up but you were all smiles as you threw your arms around him. “That was amazing!” You exclaimed and he froze for a moment before his arms hesitantly wrapped around me.
“Do you think we could do that again? I think maybe the resonance just wasn’t strong enough. Maybe if I practiced you can make me fly all over the room. Do you think you could come by again and we could try it again?” you babbled. Caleb’s shoulder shook with laughter. “Sure, pip-squeak.” he said as he hugged you tighter.
Caleb came by a few times after and each time it grew easier and easier to resonate with him. It felt like you could do it in your sleep.
Sometimes you would talk for a while before you did your flying sessions. You would trade stories about the scary people dressed in masks and white coats. You told him about your favourite. One of the older doctors was kind to you sometimes. She would sneak in little treats like candy or a book. The toy airplane was from her after one of your particularly brutal sessions that left you bed ridden for weeks. She was nice to Caleb too but he was more cautious of her for reasons you didn’t quite understand.
The two of you laid on your bed after another exhilarating session of time as you threw the toy airplane in the air idly. You could feel Caleb’s eyes watching the toy longingly.
“How does it feel like to fly?” he asked and you caught the toy before pausing to think about it. “It feels like nice. Like the days when they don’t bring me to the labs. It feels like being free.”
Caleb was quiet for a moment. “That sounds nice. I wish I could fly.”
“Maybe you could!”
“No, my Evol doesn’t work so well on myself.” he said as he shook his head. “Maybe you could if you had this!” you said as you thrusted your toy in his hand. He frowned in confusion. “A toy?”
You laughed and shook your head. “No! If you had an airplane.”
“An airplane. How would it work?” he said breathlessly. You shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know pilots sit inside of this they can fly anywhere they want.” you said as you pointed at the front of the toy.
“Wow! I want to be a pilot.” he exclaimed as he turned the toy airplane around in his hands. You bit your lip as you watched him. You felt a little bad that he could help you fly but you couldn’t help him.
“Keep it.” you found yourself saying. He shook his head and tried to pass it back to you. “No, I can’t take this. I know how important it is to you.”
But you refused it and pushed it back to him. “You helped me to fly so you should get something in return.”
He tried to refuse it but you were much more stubborn than he was. “Just take it Caleb. Before I get mad.” you snapped and he let out a lighthearted laugh before finally accepting it. “Okay, okay.”
He hesitated for a moment before he hugged you. “Thank you.” You felt your heart flutter. You realised you felt something you haven’t felt since you arrived at the lab. Happy. You thought that maybe being stuck here wasn’t so bad. As long as you had Caleb.
You should have known that it was too good to be true as you laid on your bed. Your body felt like it was on fire. And your heart? It felt like a thousand knives were stabbing into it again and again.
“Pip-squeak?” You heard Caleb call out but you were in no mood to entertain him. “Go away.” You said before tried your best to turn over your side so you wouldn’t have to see the look on his face but it hurt so much you gave up.
He touched your hand and you flinched causing him to pull away immediately. “Did they take you into the lab again?” he asked quietly as you nodded. Tears welling up in your eyes.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked and you shook your head. “Should I go?” he asked and you shook your head again. “Can I sit next to you?” you hesitated before you nodded your head, dizzy with pain. You could still remember the sharp point of the needle jabbed straight into your heart through your chest and then the slow pain that grew throughout your body.
The man was relentless that day frustrated with something.
We were quiet for a moment, your breathing low and laboured.
Caleb came by once a day to see you but you could feel yourself grow weaker and weaker. The pain never let up. He would try his best to cheer you up and distract you from the pain. Telling you random facts he must have picked up from the book the one nice lady gave. Dr. Josephine, you learned her name was.
“Did you know that there are birds that explode in flames before being born again? They’re called Phoenixes and they have bright orange feathers.” Caleb said as he laid down next to you.
You didn’t say anything. You could feel the last of your strength slipping away and you didn’t want to waste it. All you could do was hold his hand as you tried to focus on his concerned purple eyes.
He gritted his teeth as he noticed that you were barely holding on. “Why aren’t they doing anything! Why are they just leaving you here alone!”
“Ca-leb.” you finally managed to whisper. You watched as his pained purple eyes started to get watery before he pulled you into a fierce hug. To your surprise you felt some of the pain start to subside as you used what little strength you had to wrap your arms around him in return.
You could feel your shoulder grow wet as he pressed his face into your neck. “Please, don’t leave me.”
You could feel your vision start to get blurry with your own tears as you huddled as close as you could. “Sorry.” you murmured.
“Please, I’ll protect you. I won’t let them take you away again. Just don’t leave me. Please.” he mumbled again and again. You didn’t have the energy to talk anymore so you leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips so he would stop.
He only cried harder as he held you tighter until you closed your eyes.
You felt bored as you laid on your bed. There was nothing to do here. All you could remember was an explosion. Monsters. Blood and fire. Your parent’s hands ice cold. Then you woke up here.
Some strange people in masks, checked up on you methodically. They must be doctors but this hospital felt odd. There were no other patients and your room had no windows.
You were begging for something to break up your boredom when suddenly your door bursts open and in came a blur of black hair that suddenly came towards you, calling your name.
“You’re alive!” he exclaimed. He wrapped his arms around you and you pushed him away confused by his reaction. He looked hurt by your reaction which only confused you further.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Caleb.” he said introducing himself to you again and again. Sometimes, you were more hostile and suspicious having just returned from another painful session. Others you were more curious but accepting. No matter what, he always came back. Not that you ever remembered any of it.
“Caleb, do you ever wonder if we would ever get out of here one day?” you asked him one day as you watched him play with his toy airplane with his gravity Evol.
The airplane zoomed around and you imagined what it would be like to be in one of them. To be so close to the cloud you could almost kiss it.
He looked at you sadly for a moment. He did that sometimes and you never knew why. You chalked it up to just a quirk of his. You often felt sad here too. The only time you ever felt that lightness in your heart was when Caleb was here with you. “Yes, we- I mean I have a plan.” he said and you perked up intrigued.
You felt cold. You tried to move your arms in an attempt to warm yourself up but you realised that you couldn’t move an inch. You looked down and to where your hands were and you saw where you were being strapped down to the table you were lying on. You looked up and saw the room filled with strange high tech equipment.
You should struggle but instead you felt a sense of grim acceptance as if you were used to this happening. A man dressed in a white coat and surgical mask enters the room. You felt your blood run ice cold and as if your survival instincts had finally kicked in you started to struggle.
“Caleb!” you called out. Where was he? “Who?”the man asked in confusion before realisation seemed to hit him. “Oh, X-02 isn’t here now.” he said with false sympathy.
“But don’t worry, I’ll have them bring him in. I’ll even let him watch. A little reward for your misguided escape attempt yesterday.” he offered with a nod as you shook your head vigorously.
“No, no. Please don’t. It’s not his fault, it’s mine.” you pleaded, you couldn’t bear the thought of Caleb seeing this again. You could feel hot tears pouring down your face and the man paused.
“Hey, don’t cry. I can’t bear to see my favourite girl cry. I thought you would want to see your little friend again.” he said as he wiped the tears from your face in a deceptively kind manner. You wished you could bite him.
“After the events of yesterday, X-02 is too unstable now to be of any use.” Dr. Josephine said and you felt a mixture of relief and concern for Caleb. The man made a disappointed sound and shrugged. “Maybe next time then.” he said as he put his gloves on. “Be good and cooperate, okay?” he said as he grabbed a syringe. You felt it pierce your thigh.
You laid on your bed blankly. It hurts even more than usual. The man seemed to take special pleasure in making you scream as he tried to push your Evol to the limits. Harsher than usual. Furious that you had tried to get away with Caleb. The injection worked even better than the last one but it also hurt much more and each time you failed to resonate with him, he would get angrier and resorted to more and more severe methods of breaking you until you were compliant enough.
It felt like it went on for days until he was finally satisfied. Dismissing you. You couldn’t walk at that point so Dr. Josephine had to put you on a wheelchair and brought back to your room. “I’ll get you out tonight.” she told you in a hushed whisper under her breath as she carried you to your bed.
You just stared at her blankly until she left the room. That night, she burst into the room with Caleb following behind her.
His eyes widened in shock as he saw you. He immediately hugged you, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as if the stave off the pain he felt when he saw you like that.
“We’re getting out, pip-squeak. I won’t let anything happen to you again.” he said fiercely.
What happened after was a blur as you could hardly keep a clear enough mind to take note of your surroundings.
You were carried hurriedly into a nondescript car and felt someone hold your hand.
“Hang on, don’t die on me again!” Caleb cried as he gripped your hand. Josephine stepped on the accelerator in the dead of the night causing the car to lurch forward.
“I’m sorry.” you said in a pained whisper, your head pressed on his shoulder. “Please hurry!” Caleb yelled at Dr. Josephine who pressed harder on the accelerator in response.
You hunched over on the seat, gripping your chest as your heart felt like someone had grabbed a hold of it and squeezed. “Stay with me. Please.” Caleb begged.
You could sense Dr. Josephine’s worried glance over her shoulder as she tried to push the car to its limits.
“It hurts.” you moaned as you clutched your chest harder, trying to stop the pain eating you up from the inside. Caleb looked just as pained as you did before resignation and understanding seemed to hit him. “It’s okay. Just let go. Just close your eyes. It’ll all be over soon.”
He brought you to his chest and you felt a soft and gentle kiss on the top of your head. “When you wake up all of this will go away. I’ll see you again soon.” he murmured as you finally closed your eyes.
Your heart pounded as you woke up. You could still see your parents bloodied on the floor. You could feel that piercing pain in your chest that felt much too physical to just be due to the heartbreak of knowing you were going to be alone in the world. You heard a loud ringing in your ear from being so close to the explosion.
You suddenly felt someone’s arms wrapped around you. “You’re back. You’re safe.” the voice murmured into your ear as they tightened their arms around you. The ringing disappeared immediately. “Who are you? Where am I?” you asked feeling scared and overwhelmed by the outpouring of emotion from this strange boy you’ve never met.
He stiffened immediately and pulled back. You were stunned to see his violet eyes look watery and he tried to subtly wipe at his eyes turning his head away from you. When he turned back to face you, he had a bright smile on his face with no trace of the sadness you saw earlier. You only felt more mystified as you stared at him.
“Sorry about.” he said sheepishly as he held his hand out. “I’m Caleb.”
“Where am I?” you asked as you clutched the blankets not taking his hand, still shocked and confused by his actions. He dropped his hand with a look of understanding.
“You’re at the shelter. You were rescued from the la- that Chronorift explosion.” Caleb explained. Rescued. You felt a hint of hope. Maybe they were rescued too. “And my parents?” you asked eagerly and you felt your heart drop as Caleb face fell and he shook his head. Right, of course they were gone. You knew it before you even asked but you still foolishly thought a miracle might have happened.
“I want to see them.” You said as you made to get out of bed but you were stopped by the same pain in your chest, you cried out in pain and clutched at where it hurt most. “You shouldn’t move too much.” Caleb said hurriedly as he pushed you back on the bed as gently as he could. “No, I have to see them.” You insisted as you tried to get up. “You can’t.” he insisted but there was no stopping you.
“Please, I know they’re dead. I just need to see them for one last time.” you pleaded as you tried to push him away. He shook his head, looking heart broken. “You can’t.” He said again and you started to lose your patience. “Why not!” you snapped and you could tell that Caleb was starting to get panicked, his eyes widened as he looked towards the door where a kindly looking older woman entered.
“You’ve been in a coma, my dear.” she said as she approached. You froze immediately.
“What?”
“After the Chronorift explosion, you were gravely injured. It’s been years since the incident and you only just woke up.” she explained. You fell back on the bed and looked to Caleb.
“Is that true?” you asked him. You didn’t know why but you trusted him. He hesitated for a moment before he nodded. “And who are you?” you asked the lady who smiled. “I’m Josephine but you can call me Grandma.”
“Grandma?” you asked bewildered. “That’s right, my dear. I’m adopting you.” she said as she sat on your bed. If you weren’t so distraught at all the news since you’ve woken up you would have noticed the way Caleb eyed ‘Grandma’ with an air of wariness.
“I’m taking you home today.” she said and you didn’t know why but you leaned away and grabbed Caleb’s arm. “What about him?” you blurted out. Caleb laughed and took your hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry, pip-squeak. I’m coming with you. From this day on, I’ll be your brother. I will always be here to protect you.”
The warmth from his hand seeped into yours and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. He smiled at you and you could feel your heart lighten. For the first time since waking up, you felt a sense of relief. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad as long as you had Caleb.