Circuts

Chapter One

   This world is full of mystery. Everything that lives, dies. Time passes in the outside world, but for us, it never moves. My siblings and I, have been forced to live our entire lives inside of glass cases. There are four of us, my sisters and my two brothers. 

   We were never truly alone, as we had each other. We share a mental and physical bond, allowing us to feel each others pain and emotions. Sometimes, we can read each others thoughts, allowing us to communicate mentally.

  The people in the white coats gave us our daily injection, and all I knew of it was it kept us alive and healthy. "How are the subjects?" A gruff voice asked from somewhere outside these cases. "They are still slumbering sir, but we noticed an increase of brain activity with them." Someone responded, and the man let out a familiar deep sound from his throat as he had on previous visits.  

  He was in charge of the project, of us. He was questioning a way to get a reaction from us, and though I may not have been able to see, I knew from experience this monster resorted to pain. When he wanted something, or didn't understand something, he used pain to get his way. He usually directed it at me, but I knew the other three could feel it. 

   Whatever made him direct the pain at me, whatever he saw in me that made him do this, I never could understand. My body was becoming numb to the pain, as he was using it so often. The only bad thing is that my body was becoming numb to touch, and feeling as well... It was becoming difficult to feel anything, as I was used to only being harmed. 

  I felt the pain wash over my body, as it felt more as though my arm or leg had fallen asleep. "Sir, I do  not believe it is wise to harm the subjects." A man spoke nervously, before a growl was heard throughout the room, as well as glass shattering. "Clean that up!"

  Clothing slid across itself, and pieces of glass hit against one another. My hands I had clutched to my chest clenched into fists, as did my teeth. I wasn't expecting him to intensify it. The feeling of something prodding the edge of my conscious mind distracted me from the pain for a moment. Realizing  it was my younger siblings, I strengthened my protective walls. As the eldest, it was my duty to protect them. And if that meant taking all the pain for myself, then so be it.

   I curled tighter into myself, as it became worse. I could sense my siblings distress from not being able to help. They wanted to share my pain, but I refused to let that happen. I couldn't stand the thought of them getting hurt.

   Steadily, the pain eased until it ceased to exist. I relaxed, only for my body to jerk in shock as it came back, tenfold.  I fought with myself to keep from screaming. I thought from doing it so many times, I could keep my side of the bond closed, but it was beginning to slip.

  I could feel the others discomfort, and although I said I would never hurt another person, I was going to murder this man when we got free. Anger and determination fueled me to keep the bond closed, and I forced myself to relax. I heard the man laugh. "See that? It does feel!" My face scrunched at his words. It wasn't the first he'd called me, us, that. So many times, and I still wasn't used to it. We were human beings too. Of course we could feel, of course we weren't brainless machines. We had feelings, we knew emotions, right from wrong, good and bad. We knew it, we understood it all. 

   And yet, he still only saw us as objects. That's all any of them saw us as. It is all they  ever will. It'd been said so many times, it seemed so convincing now. That if I hadn't known better, I would have believed it. There were several times I had to remind my siblings none of what they said was true, that we were human and deserved more than this.

  The man exhaled and went silent for a moment. "See to it they get an extra injection today, they will need it for tomorrow." And with that, his footsteps echoed through the room as he left.