Running • Iggy

Colours

The first thing I recognized when I opened my eyes was the all too familiar feeling of cold metal seeping through the thin rags the School had provided each subject for the 11 years I had been imprisoned there. The cold was all over my back and wings, grabbing whatever skin its evil claws could find. The steel restraints they had put in place held me to the metal table, with no hope of ripping the restraints off as I had with the velcro ones they used for me the first time.

A screen was placed above my head where I lay, showing my small childish body in real-time. They had just under my ribcage and my hips pinned down, my stomach completely bare with pen lines showing where they'd be cutting me open. Tears started to burn the back of my eyes before they had even done anything. I recognized this memory, I must've been 7 or 8, my sharp emerald green eyes wide and childlike, visible from that screen. I knew they were going to make me watch my own dissection, it wasn't anything new.

"Subject 1230 is awake." A gruff voice said from my left, but I couldn't turn my head to look at the horrible whitecoat. "We can start the procedure." He stated, and panic set in. Wait. Wait, wait wait wait no, please... I thought, well, my child-self thought. Then we were saying it. "Please no!" The voice came out shaky and scared, not like my own.

"Please, please wait... don't...! Please don't do this, not again... " I started crying, trying to pull against the restraints, not being able to budge an inch. The whitecoat ignored me, grabbing a knife and settling over my stomach. When the knife made contact with my patterned skin, I screamed in a mix of fear and pain, watching as it slowly tore open my skin.

I snapped awake, someone's hands pressed firmly to my shoulders. The first thing I noticed was that I was shaking, tears wet against my cheeks. Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew it had been a dream, but I was freaking out. I pulled back, away from the hands, breathing harshly. My eyes were wide, everything around me blurring into color. I don't like it when things get blurry.

The hands grabbed me again, this time tugging me close to wherever they were coming from. "Hey.. Hey, Hey, it's okay." A soft, soothing voice came from what felt like everywhere, quiet. "It's a dream, I promise you're safe." The voice told me in a calm voice, but the hands seemed trembly, not as much as me. I suddenly recognized the voice as Iggy, my eyes finally focusing enough to see him. I shuddered out a quiet sob, looking around. Everyone was still asleep, by some miracle. I must've screamed at some point, my throat aching.

"I... Iggy?" My voice sounded small, shaking like there was an earthquake. "Yes. It's me, you're safe. We're in the cave. God, come here.." He pulled me onto his lap, he was sitting up against the stone wall. He sat me so I was sitting on his lap facing him and pulled me against him, hugging me. I was shivering, the usual after-effects of my stupid dreams. I buried my face into where his neck and shoulder met, still crying. "You started crying, and you were talking in your sleep." Iggy murmured. I took a shaky, shallow breath, trying to ground myself. "'m sorry for wak... waking you. " I stammered over small sobs.

"Don't be ridiculous." He chided, running a hand through my hair. "Hey, you're safe. Focus on your breathing, okay? You're hyperventilating." He informed me. I nodded, not moving my head from where it rested on his shoulder. "They... Woke?" I murmured, closing my eyes tighter. "You didn't wake them, for skittish bird kids they're heavy sleepers." He grinned, his voice was heavy from the sleep I may have woken him from.

I slowed my breathing, taking in the faint vanilla-like scent he had ever since we were little, a scent I was familiar with. When my heart rate slowly climbed down to its usual fast, steady beat, I reluctantly moved my head from Iggy's warm neck and sat back, still sitting on top of his lap. He tilted his head to the side slightly, like a puppy, making his once again curly, strawberry blonde hair flop to the side. "Let's make a deal." He started, careful to control his volume. "We tell each other everything. No matter what. We don't have to tell the others, just between us okay? No more secrets like that. Sure, you can keep things like special birthday parties to yourself or something, but other than that, no secrets." he smiled, making my stomach twist. That's not a good idea. I thought reflexively. Can't lie about feelings that way. "Alright." my body seemed to have a mind of its own, agreeing even though I didn't want it to.