Lucid Memories

Chapter 12

1st Person POV

I was there again.

I watched other prisoners from my cell. These large ones were used to keep civilians in a bunch before separating them into different blocks in terms of ability, race, age, gender and more that I couldn't understand.

I eyed the next group of hostages, chained, being relocated to another area. The little girl was crying and asking where her parents were going. The parents tried to grabbed her hands and say that everything was alright. Yeah right. It'll be more believable if they didn't taser the couple until they were unconscious while having their own child watch it all happen.

I was alone too. No one in my cell knew me or anything, nor that I knew them. But there were all kinds of people. Couples, singles, people who did illicit drugs and those who looked homeless, others were just a mix of those and a mix of others that I didn't know how to describe. But I guess I could label them all as Broken.

Unsure where they were residing at after an aftermath of war between countries or even just kidnapped and blackmailing it, they just woke up and found themselves here. Of course it would be scary. Of course I'm scared too. But that's what the guards want. I won't give it to them that easily.

I watched a guard—a masked man with a spear in his hands walk pass as I release my hands off the bars and inch myself towards the wall. The man scoff in annoyance. Any longer, he'll have the authority to punished me. Something he was hired to do probably. The look in his eyes told me exactly it. Looking down on me.

"Excuse me!" I heard a voice shout behind me. I turn to face it to see 2 kids standing there. One of them was pushing the other to probably start the conversation up while the other stood in front of him, almost arrogantly. "What's your name?"

"[Surname] [Name]... you?" I heard my voice was parched, almost unable to make out what I even said. The boys eyed me strangely before the one who was hiding stood out first. His amber iris caught my attention from the beginning.

"Chuuya" He says in a whisper-like tone. Soon the other boy, the one with the warm smile introduced himself. "Hello [Name], I'm Dazai. The two of us are brothers!"

I deadpanned. Was it possible to meet someone as similar to another person you knew and not recognize them? I almost wanted to laugh at this joke of a story plot. Really now? I just nodded before turning my attention to the jail bars. The guard was watching us.

"You're lucky you arrive with your brother... I don't have anyone"

"Then how about you join our family?"

I didn't need to look behind to know their expressions—more like I didn't want to. I'm afraid I'd cry if I do. I don't want to reopen my heart to know if they get chosen next to move out that I'd suffer like the rest in this hell hole. "But we're not blood related and why do you care?"

The response was quick. "Because no one should be alone, no one should take the burden of others and no one should focus yourself to act normal when things aren't normal."

I didn't know what to say to this. What would've said if I didn't get mauled by the two into a hug that forced us on the ground. I'm not sure...

—

I sat on the ground with the two as the guard showed up with our meals. As he crank open the door, one of the prisoners ran for the door. I wasn't sure what he was doing—maybe had enough of this place—but everyone there thought he was a fool. A straight-forward path like that was absolutely going to get himself killed. So what was he thinking—if he was anyways.

As predicted, he was speared by the guards. Blood gushed out of his wounds as he stumble backwards. He landed in front of the biggest group there with around 40 people. They would mainly take food from the parents and homeless of the cell, leaving the singles and kids out of it for now. This has been happening for the past 7 months of so.

In that time, I've grew more closer to Dazai and Chuuya—the twins—and became a family here. It was fun. With literally nothing, we got by pretty well. Managing to steal little pieces of rocks and trash and using them as toys in our dream world. Dazai would be the first person who'd climb this mountain that didn't exist, Chuuya would be a model for this magazine for fashion and gossip and I'd be a police officer in those action films I watched in the past with my parents.

It's a little lonely every once in a while, reminiscing about my family and my house but I have Dazai and Chuuya to thank me for stopping myself from going crazy a long time ago.

I even learn a few of the guards' names. The nicer ones—that I didn't think would exist—are Kin and Yuki. They are amazing and kind to most of the cells they are stationed in. The others are complete opposites: Yamato and Honda. Most of the times, they are rude and silent, giving everything the look. However, if you catch them on a rare occasion, they aren't so bad.

Today was Honda and Kin's turn to roll in and deliver the meals for our cells. We can't have long conversations with them—almost any in general—but it's possible to sneak in a word or two before getting punished that is.

I watched as Kin smiled towards us. "Prisoner 3684225, 5790326 and 7543296 come here and get your platters!"

Almost like clockwork, the 3 of us stood up and walked to the cart. I stood there as the man smiled and handed the plate to me.

"Here you go [Name]-chan"

"Thank you Kin-san"

Thanks to the guards too—I guess. They are different from I initially expected. Almost making me somewhat glad that it was worth the sacrifice of 27 people to kill off two of the guards that were previously stationed here. They are annoying anyways.

I dug into my plate of watery rice and chopped up vegetables— that were the size of a finger and ate in peace. I move to my drink—a small cup of water—and widen my eyes.

Inside there was a piece of candy. My eyes glittered a little and smiled. It was the same as the one on the doctors' desk when our cell—and all the others—had to drop by every week to make sure any one of us was not sick.

As I look up, I saw Kin wink towards me. I hid my grin as I watched a slice of carrot fly by my vision. It landed in my cup of water as I stared at it... It also came from the two boys that were fighting because they didn't like carrots and it was suppose to be Dazai's turn to eat their share but there seems to be some rebellion among our golden rule.

I sighed and dragged one of them away—Dazai—and gave him the look—which I learnt from the guards—to him. I smiled as he shivered in fear. "You better eat those carrots..."