Creative Writing

SKINS (original)

Skins.

I used to have skin once.

It peeled, and grew bumps, and hair and oozed pus...

But at least I had skin of my own.

The day I was picked out of the crowd was a weird one,

Everybody looked at me with mixes of fear and happiness,

I was taken away and given a lollipop,

I was 10, then...

But my parents were proud.

I was hoping that someone would yell out "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!!!",

But no one had the balls,

And my parents were deteriorating, so they were out of the question,

And because I was allergic to the anaesthetics,

I felt it all. The pain was tremendously excruciating.

You see, in my world, compatible children have to "donate".

Because a lethal skin disease broke out, some year "back when"...I don't know.

The children are skinned, cleaned, and their skin is replaced with a special material that acts like skin,

The nutrients needed from the pre-pubescent/pubescent skins are then collected and distributed.

Now, I stare into a mirror.

I watch the blood flow through my veins, muscles moving my jaw side to side,

It took me years to get used to,

But the pills help.

I don't remember what real skin feels like.

It's been 20 years...my parents died shortly after I donated.

The artificial skin feels tight, like it might burst if I breathe.

Nobody needs the skins anymore,

Doc's found a better, artificial way.

I snickered, shoving a pill down my throat.

I watched it move down my oesophagus,

A small lump in a fleshy elevator,

I'm testing out my new skin suit today,

To see what it feels like.

To really FEEL.

It will hurt.

But not for as long as I've been hurting.

You know when you see someone through a window, and you knock and they don't hear nor see you?

Well it's sorta like that for me...

Except the glass is thinner than silk, but tougher than diamond,

And I can't feel through the material,

But I feel everything on the inside.

I can feel my stomach acid digest the sandwich I ate 30 minutes ago,

I can feel my heart contract and pump blood through my veins,

I can feel my diaphragm and lungs expand and shrink with each breath.

I just want to feel on the outside for once.

Skins....