The Time Watchers (TW#1)

Friday

Man, I thought as I opened my eyes, I... feel... like... crap... What--? What happened last night? I looked around my room, tugging on my straitjacket. All I can remember is Mr. Playtime slashing me, and then being shocked so bad I--I blacked out. Oh! And that bastard, Eric. What did he say? Something about... I remembered, and I began to thrash. Sadly, they would chain me down to the bed so I couldn't escape. "No! Don't hurt my Time Watchers! Their mine! NO! DON'T HURT THEM! THEY'RE INNOCENT!"

Soon, people filed into my room and gave me a drug, forcing it down my throat. Everything went wonkey, and I lost conscience quickly.

* * *

"Here's some breakfast, Daniel." Said a sugar coated voice.

Oh, great, not you. I growled in my brain, hating the person who stood next to me. Her name was Iris, and she was absolutely annoying. When I was a kid, she would hug me and pinch my cheeks and all that jazz. But, because of my autism, I didn't like physical contact. And I still don't. She would also whistle all the time, and it hurts like crazy! I would tell her to stop, but she wouldn't, and I would basically blow a fuse. That's one of the reasons why people here think I'm mentally unstable and dangerous. Well, I am mentally unstable, but not as much as they think I am.

"Come on, Dan. Don't you remember me?" Iris asked as she held a spoon with mush out to me.

I jerked my head away, glaring at the wall. I knew what was in that bubbly gross gunk they fed to me. There were drugs to make me cooperate more mixed inside of the food. They would sprinkle it in like salt. It tasted like salt, too, but like an exotic salt. Kind of like that pink salt you would buy for high price. You know that salt? They don't think that I know what is in that gunk. Then again, they don't really study autism(even though they know I have it), so they don't know I have a heightened sense of taste and stuff.

"Come on, Dan, it's just some breakfast. Don't be stubborn." Iris waved the spoon in my face. "Here comes the airplane, Daniel. Open wide."

They still treat me like a little kid. I'm not a little kid! I jerked my head away even more.

"Come on, Dan." Iris made an airplane noise. "If you don't eat, you won't come out of your jacket today. I don't think you want to be in that jacket, do you?"

"Iris, I'm not a little kid." I muttered. "Don't treat me like a little k--" I almost gagged as Iris shoved the mush in my mouth.

"There we go! See? That wasn't so bad. Now, here comes another airplane."

Gosh, no. I was about to spit the food in her face at an exact 90° angle, but Iris shoved some more food in my mouth. As soon as I tasted the drug, I felt like obeying. My brain was beginning to turn on me, but my body continued to refuse. Have you ever been in that state? If so, you would know how weird, messed up, and crazy it is.

"There. Doesn't that taste good?"

I shook my head.

"No? Why not? You've had it all your life."

I shook my head again as my brain told my body to swallow.

"Well, you're eating it, so I'm just gonna keep feeding you until it's all gone."

And that's what she did, making me gag the entire time she fed me. When she was done, I felt relief as she left. Now, to get out of here. I thought with the very last rebellion in me.

No, we have to stay here. Said the drug.

I'm not staying here. And there's no 'we'. I spat back.

But we'll get in trouble if we leave.

Again, no 'we'. And I don't care if I get in trouble or not. I have to save my Time Watchers! Their my kids! If I don't leave, they'll be the ones in trouble!

But we must stay... Daniel, we must stay...

No... I'm not staying... I'm not... staying... I'm... not... staying... I... must... stay... No! I can't stay! I need to get out of here! Now!

Stay, Friday... Stay...

I remembered the way the children would walk past me in my house, saying in their sweet little voices, "Hi, Professor Friday!" And I would always answer back. "Hey, Razzy McTazzy!" , "Hi there, Connor.", "What's up, Madie?", "Read any good books lately, Charitie?", "Write anything new, Evelyn?"... "Hello, Amelia."... That was the one thing that kept me going. I needed to keep my Time Watchers safe from everyone.

I continued to refuse the idea of staying, thrashing wildly in my tight jacket. The drug wore off slowly, right in time for the next disgusting platter of mush. This time, I kept my mouth shut at all costs, even if it did mean kicking Iris and getting shocked to a drastic level. As long as my kids are safe...

* * *

"So, have you made up your mind, Mr. Friday?" Eric asked as he shut the door behind him.

I remained mute, tugging on the straitjacket again.

"If you don't talk, we'll zap you and find the Time Watchers anyway."

"I'm not going to let you hurt my kids..." I hissed.

"So you'll make a Time Watch for us?"

"I didn't say that..."

"Well, then. We'll be sure to give the kids special treatment."

"NO! WAIT!"

"No need to shout, Friday."

"... If... If I make a watch... you can't hurt the kids..."

Eric smirked. "Yes. I can't hurt the kids."

I tried to make my face look like it was in despair, because I knew something he did not. "Okay... I'll make you a watch..."

"Very good, Friday." Eric smirked again. "We'll give you the tools you ask for. You will start your work in the morning."

"Yes, sir..." I said sadly. Man, my acting skills are fantastic!

Eric turned and left, then said something to someone in the hall. It was so quiet, I had to strain my ears to hear.

"Scatter the kids, then get them one by one. If Friday tries anything, torture the Time Watchers." Eric said slyly.

"WHAT?! NO! ERIC YOU BASTARD, WE MADE A DEAL!!!"

"It's just a bit of encouragement, Dan." Eric said, opening the door again. "We'll take care of the kids. Don't worry."

"BUT YOU SAID YOU WON'T HURT THEM!"

"I did, but I didn't say I wouldn't go after them, now did I?"

* * *