Two Worlds Apart

Chapter 10: Sun

Chapter 10: Sun

Shizuka looked between the two boys nervously. She gazed at her friend Jeremy for a moment before turning her head back to Franken. He was staring intensely into Jeremy's blue green eyes. A moment later Franken scoffed and stuck his hand out.

"Franken Stein. My father is in charge of this facility. Perhaps you've met him." Franken said in a formal manner, purposely sticking his hand out in a way so Jeremy could clearly see his monitoring bracelet. By this time everyone in the facility knew what the bracelets were for.

Jeremy grabbed Franken's hand after a hard swallow. "Jeremy Santini, pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Shizu's is a friend of mine." Franken gave Jeremy a one over and scoffed once more.

"Likewise," the boy said. Franken grabbed Shizuka's shoulder and motioned towards the cafeteria door.

"Let's get our meal now, I'd prefer to have a private meal with you if possible." Franken stated, not really leaving the conversation open for Shizuka to argue. However, Shizuka just nodded and waved to Jeremy and Tomo who had popped up behind him.

"I'll catch you two later," she said with a smile.

Franken and Shizuka walked up to the cafeteria counter to get their trays. The lady at the counter stared at them for a moment with a grim expression. Her eyes lingered on the arm Franken had cast upon Shizuka's shoulder. For on the wrist of the arm was his bracelet that announced to everyone that he was a dangerous boy. This lady was new to the complex and didn't know in detail who the inhabitants were. She didn't know that Franken was Francis's son, or that Shizuka was protected by Francis. What she did know though, was that Shizuka wasn't like the other cursed children of her category. She knew that Shizuka was kind, and that she felt emotion.

The woman's steely eyes only flickered away when Shizuka mentioned how good the food looked today.

"Franken, the food's been so good lately because Lady Caroline's been helping with the recipes," the silver haired girl said happily. She was eager to remove Caroline's attention from Franken's bracelet. Franken cast his eyes to the girl's smiling face and then to Caroline, giving her a smirk.

"Thanks for making this girl happy," he said casually. He smirked as the two of them took their trays and walked away.

They walked to the courtyard under the massive dead tree that stood near the electrified fence that kept the crazed "children" inside. Franken's detention bracelet buzzed and stung on his wrist, warning him that he's gone too far outside of his boundaries. He ignored this though, pretending that nothing was happening. He looked up at the girl as she sat her tray down, giving her a pretentious smile. His smile was that of one who wanted to cast his false affections onto another. As the girl sat he took her hand in his.

"Let's go out," he said, almost demandingly so. The girl faltered as she looked back at the boy's face, his eyes showing no hints as to what he was thinking.

"Sure," she said, replying in a manner that displayed the happiness bubbling up inside her. However, deep down the feeling of fear was also boiling up. Franken was acting strangely.

Franken stared at the girl's blushing face for just a moment before staring up into the blinding sun. His golden green eyes shined in amber brilliance as the sun penetrated them. Making them appear almost translucent. His mind was racing with images of the one he truly harbored feelings for. His heart raced with an intensity he hadn't felt in such a long while and the aching was pure bliss. The pain penetrated and stung every corner of his mind. For a moment he let his eyes close and he could clearly see the boy; silky red hair, slightly blushed equally red cheeks, which had been burnt by the summer sun.

"Hakase! Hakase!" He could hear the boy's voice vividly burning and echoing through his mind. And for an instance the boys lengthy body could be felt smacking straight into Franken's. It was the kind of memory that stung so badly that it felt good and Franken was intoxicated with it.

Spirit's face as he ran around the little silver haired boy was hilarious to Franken, as he reimagined that moment. Spirit peered down at Franken whose lips were slightly upturned into a smirk.

"Why would you just stop like that?! Jeez!" The redheaded child shouted. He was always like that; loud and obnoxious, but smiling at every moment. Suddenly, the redhead reached out his hand and took the other boy's in his. Spirit's burning skin felt refreshingly warm on his own; he loved that feeling.

However, within just a moment his vision was shattered as hot fingers turned icy. He opened his eyes to see green ones staring back at him rather than blue. Shizuka held his hand in hers as she peered at him in concern.

"What's wrong, Franken?" She asked when he finally was aware of his actual surroundings.

Franken simply shrugged, taking his hand away from the girl and scooping up a bit of his pasta. The food had smelled amazing but every bite he took tasted the same. The pasta, the chicken, the watermelon; all of it the same. It took only a moment for Franken to realize that he could no longer taste the difference between the food. He took a drink of his tea; nothing. He tasted nothing. He didn't panic though, nor did he mention this to Shizuka. He simply continued eating. His world had just become a little more bleak. Without Spirit in his life it was a meaningless struggle to continue living.

He couldn't die though, because he was being monitored twenty-four seven. At least now he had a means to and end. He had Shizuka and he could use her to create illusions of the one he truly loved. Just as her rosy cheeks elicited his memory of that hot summer day, he'd keep using her until he could get nothing more from her. If he could do that at least he could still see his sun. And when she was no longer useful, he'd simply toss her aside. That was how Franken now felt.