Chapter Text
How am I, a prisoner, now flying amongst the birds, as if I were as free as them? They glide with such joy and ease, though I, soar with fear of falling, fear of being trapped again. Are birds scared to fall down the ground? Or are they confident enough to carry their own weight?
I loathe my wings. My brother and I both do. Our wings make us seem special, but on the day they started growing, I was banished from my own home. My parents were terrified of their own daughter. They thought of me as a demon. The "child of Satan”, they called me. Fucking Catholics.
They threw me out, and these people in white with blank face masks took me in. Well, kidnapped me, more so. But if I’m to be honest, I do like it here more than my old home. At least here they aren’t disgusted in me. They look at me in astonishment and some sort of devotion, as if I’m the daughter of God, not the Devil, as my parents say. They do painful experiments to me, sure, but I myself also do want to know why I am like this. Why I’m not like the other kids, why I have this abnormality, or if any other things could show up as I age. Alex, my brother with similar wings as mine, makes me feel better about myself. He taught me how to take care of them. He even asked for pink acid dye with glitter to make them look shiny and prettier instead of plain white. However, the pink faded a day after, so it was kind of useless. He didn’t change the color of his wings, he says that simplicity is beauty, or maybe he’s just boring.
I have two other brothers, Ash and Don, both who are extremely odd, extremely clingy, but also excessively quarrel with each other. It really is too much sometimes. I remember once, I saw Don tending to the garden outside; one of the hobbies he started as it calms him down. Ash joined me and we started giggling while we watched him water his plants. Don was singing while doing so. Grinning wildly, Ash whispers, “What if, I go over there, act foolish, walk all over his beloved flowers, so we can see if he’s actually, really, truly calm?”. I rolled my eyes at him. I knew if I said no, he’d still do it since he’s already sweating and shaking with excitement.
I couldn’t watch him do his stupid little prank, but I knew it was done by the time I heard an explosion outside. Every staff was rushing to tame the fire Don has spread all throughout his garden. I still couldn’t go out as I was genuinely terrified of him when he gets pissed off. I can imagine his face just fuming with rage. They didn’t speak to each other for a week, and Ash slept in front of Don’s bedroom door every night after he gets tired of singing (yes, singing) his apologies.
Alex and I talked to Don about this issue as Ash’s voice was fucking up all our sleep schedules. Don agreed and accepted his apology, and they’re back to their playful selves again. Ash teleporting everywhere Don is, as if he was Don's tail, and Don trying not to get annoyed. Maybe the true calming exercise he needs is already following him.
I still don’t know the powers I have, same with Alex. We have wings, that's for sure, but they’re doing more tests on me than him, which makes me curious. I hope I have more than these stupid wings. I hope I’m more powerful than I think I am.
“Katie.. are you there?”
Alex knocks as his voice quivers. I run towards my door anxiously, beads of sweat falling on my forehead every step. With a serious, worried face, he says, “They’re calling us. You and me.” His eyes seem to be asking,
“What are they planning to do to us?”
I follow through long cold hallways in silence, passing Don and Ash’s bedrooms, my thoughts running faster than ever. Why was Alex the first one called? Why did they inform him? Was he more important than I was? I felt uneasy and sick to my stomach thinking that someone was more special than I was, no matter how much I loved my brother. That should be the least of my worries now, but I couldn’t care less about what they wanted to do to me. I just wanted to know I am more than this. More than Alex, more than Ash’s teleportation powers, Don’s flames. I need to be more than this. I know I am. My anger fills my entire body with heat, my footsteps louder than before, which made Alex look back at me for a split second, concern in his eyes. I looked straight at the back of his head with annoyance and a glare that made my own eyes water with pain.
"They’re here.”
That all familiar voice never fails to send chills down my spine. Still standing behind Alex, we halt in front of a metal door with God knows how many bolts they’re unlocking in there. The door finally opens and two of the Federation guards in full body yellow latex suits and gas masks yank both of us by the arms. They start to grip our wrists with full force. A metallic clink shuffles behind the guard in front of me, and next thing I know, Alex and I were both handcuffed. We knew too well that resisting against these people would make everything worse, but Alex’s wings start to stiffen and shiver out of anger.
"Bring them here," the same voice commands. We walk into an incredibly warm room surrounded with bedrock and glass windows with pale green tints. Watching behind those windows was him. Cucurucho. He stares at us with his cold eyes devoid of color. And I see his fucked up grinning mouth again that mocked each and every one of us suffering under the palm of his hand. Standing beside him was a guy about our age in a white coat, his hair in dreads with green ends, and he looks at me and Alex, in what seems to be some sort of intrigue, with a hint of perversion. He’s weird to me, I don’t like him.
The heat was strong, and an odd putrid scent played around this place which made me feel sick. The scientist with green hair played around with buttons in front of him, and a sudden loud clanking of metal behind this very room caused me to jump. The space we were in began to widen, revealing another room, where large capsule shaped glass are stationed.
Alex and I look back at Cucurucho. He leans in the microphone and says, “Please step forward and enter one incubator. Each of you has one with your name on it.”
What the fuck?
The scientist guy is smiling like a fucking madman. Alex starts to wriggle in his handcuffs, he runs toward the window and is stopped by the guards. “You can’t fucking make me do this! Why do they all have protective equipment but me and Katie don’t?! What is this sick fucking joke? We’re not your fucking toys!” He emphasizes that last sentence looking at the mad scientist. He stared back and started laughing, which angered Alex more. Alex spat on the glass until he was finally pulled away by the guards and into the incubator.
I followed the instructions, without hesitation. I wanted to prove that I was better than Alex, and I also wanted to get this over with. I peered inside the glass chamber, which revealed tiles underneath made of hot neon green material. With no restraint, I stepped inside and even closed my own door. I feel Alex’s eyes on me, but I ignore him. Cucurucho and I stared at each other the entire time, eyes neither blinking nor pulling away. I can feel that he’s proud of me.
Alex started getting inside his own chamber, cursing while he does. Suddenly, a hissing sound followed by a piercing scream from his direction startled me. I still didn’t look towards him while his scream continued, growing louder and louder as he loses his voice little by little.
“Multi, start.” Cucurucho signals at the scientist. Fumes started pooling out of the small tubes around our chambers. I can feel the heat of the gas enveloping my body, but I also feel eternal. I can smell its disgusting scent but I ignore it. Alex’s voice ringed through my ears despite the glass separating us. “Please stop this now! Please! Please help! Stop! Let me out!” These phrases were repeated over and over and over, until dead silence followed. Fuck.
My head started spinning and the bright light above me was fused out. My eyes began to blur, and I can see faint rainbows. The scientist and the guards started running towards us, their shouts and stomps muffled. I can feel my body getting heavier, and heavier until my legs are unable to carry my own weight. I wanted to stay strong. Cucurucho has to be proud of me. I continued to try to stare at him, as he did the same. The guards opened my door, and carried me away from the room. I can’t force my eyelids to open anymore, and my ears continued to ring, nonstop. I can feel my body placed to a bed, then a sharp object started to pierce my skin, which made me fall to a deep sleep.