Thomas was the first to take watch, making sure the evil things wouldn't catch us. My brain ached for released, craving the relaxed feeling of sleep. Most of all, when I was under the rubble protecting us, my thoughts were stolen by him.
Gally in all senses. I wrapped my arms around myself, simulating his touch, though it wasn't close to the same. I imagined his smell, his breath in the crevice of my neck, his chest against my back, his lips, how he'd grumble in his sleep.
I wished he was here, beside me. He was always the best company I had ever kept. As much as I wanted to strangle him one moment, laugh a little, and kiss him the next. I loved him like he was still with me. I wondered what he'd say. I wondered how he'd protect me.
"I miss you." I whispered, reclining back to lay down. The stiff concrete turning into the soft bed in the treehouse.
"I know." Is what he'd say if he were here. If he was alive. If he could breathe. My eyes opened to dull reality. I wish I could live in fantasy land with him forever.
Where are you Gally? Where'd you go?
Y/n's Dream Sequence:
"What?" An elbow poked into me, an Ava Paige sat next to me at a lunch table. "What's wrong now y/n? You asked to see the subjects and here you are. What more could you want?"
I was sandwiched between her and Thomas, Teresa sat on the other side of him. More official scientists ate with us, keeping their professionalism even in their break.
We were on a floor higher than the subjects, staring down at them through a glass panel that spanned from across the wall. Except it seemed like the kids were the ones gawking up at us.
I took it from their behavior and Ava's language that it had been the first time they'd seen me sitting up with the scientists. Some of the young teens tilted their heads up at me, some gave the smallest smiles, others sneered.
I did a double take when I saw him. There he was, sitting at a table next to a redhead who'd lost his hyperactivity. Victor and Paul, two peas in a pod. Paul glared up at me, half a smirk slapped on his face. I took the hint and kept looking around.
My body froze up when I caught sight of Gally. It always tripped me up when I saw him in my dreams, or I guess they were old memories. He stared back, locking our eyes together. His friend smacked his arm, breaking his fixed look.
"I want to go down there." I uttered, gripping onto my chair.
"Please Bunny, they'd tear you apart limb from limb." Ava chuckled, sipping on her soda. "Did you see what one of the boys did to that guard last week?"
"What happened to him?"
"The man had scratches all along his arms, it was difficult to look at. He'll probably have scars for the rest of his life."
"Not him." I flitted my eyes across the cafeteria. "The subject."
"We sent him away." She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "It's a shame, we could have used the subject for experimentation, but that's what the board agreed on."
"What does sent away mean? Where else would the kid go?"
"Subject." Ava corrected, leering at me. Her brows arching suspiciously.
"Right," I mumbled, eyes glued to the other kids. "Subject. He was just a subject."
"That's it." She cooed, combing through my scalp soothingly. A smile curling her lips up. "Alright Bunny, head on down then. It's your choice if you'd like to go." Perking up at her words, my eyes went wide with excitement. "Go on." I obliged, standing up from my chair.
"Hey," Teresa reached over to squeeze my hand. "Be careful, okay." Her smile dimpled into her cheeks that colored themselves a pretty pink.
"I will be."
"Promise?" She raised a brow, entangling our pinkies together. I smiled back, shaking our pinkie promise to make it official.
"Promise."
"Alright then." Teresa shook her head in approval, letting me go. I slipped out of the room, trembling with exhilaration.
Fixing my hair and smoothing my clothes, I took the journey down the cold cement steps. The bland walls in the stairwell ached for decoration. Trailing my fingers along the walls, I found myself in front of the industrial door.
I would see them, all of them. Not just in passing or glimpses, but for real. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, walking through the entry.
The cafeteria lulled to low whispers and giggles when I made my way in. Maybe I could talk with them, maybe they'd like me, maybe we could be friends.
Ambling through the rows in between tables, I nervously waved at a table with girls. A young Alf smirked back, looking me up and down. Her hair was longer in the past, she must've cut it herself in the maze. Kitty was seated next to her, nudging her in the ribs, giggling when I approached them.
"Hi, I'm y/n." Silence responded. Just ogling, with the girl's mouths parted slightly. "Do you mind if I sit for a bit?" Nothing. "Uh- Is it alright if I-"
One girl meowed at me, then another, and another. They hissed and laughed at my reaction, which I bet was priceless. Heat surfaced on my face. I took the hint and pissed off. They didn't like me very much, they didn't need to spell it out.
Rushing past them, I didn't stop till they were out of my hearing, finding myself next to a table. A very familiar boy was right by me, Gally even sat by him.
I relaxed involuntarily. As annoying as he'd been to me in the past. My younger self took comfort in his presence.
"Victor." I set my hand on his shoulder, thinking it would catch his attention. His back tensed up, shrugging me off. What? What was that? Why was he acting like this? "Victor?"
"What?" He muttered shortly, swiveling around to see me. "What does the Princess want?"
"What? What are you talking about? What's wrong with you?" Questions flew from my brain, voicing them with my lips.
"Stop asking questions Princess. You're gonna make my ears bleed." He took hold of my hand, his freckled one in mine. Victor yanked me forward, causing me to topple onto him. "If you wanted to me to fuck you, you could just say so." His friends cackled at his actions, joining in as they guffawed.
He was putting on a show. Paul had already gotten to him. Victor was maturing into who he was when I first met him, a narcissistic asshole.
"Stop." I tried pushing him away, the other boys snickered at me as I struggled. "What are you doing?!"
"Nah Vic," Paul pushed my hair back, gripping his fingers into my face. He jerked my chin toward him so he could get a good look at me. "She's not even pretty enough to pity fuck." His eyes lit up as I squirmed around. My pulse quickened, feeling trapped. I wished desperately, that he'd just let me go. "Uglier than shit really. Look at her." He faced me toward the other boy's, putting me on display. "Would you even kiss her?"
"Definitely not."
"Eh, she's alright."
"Stop. Just please fucking get off of me!" Tears sprouted in the corners of my eyes as I fought to free myself, jabbing elbows and scratching anything I could. "Stop!" Looking up for Ava, she stared back down. She wasn't going to help me. This was a lesson. I shouldn't have gone and now I was going to pay for it.
"She said please, should I let her go?" Paul mocked, jolting me around. Other boys jeered him on, encouraging him. I pushed and shoved and scratched, but his hands refused to release their hold.
"Can you shut the fuck up?" A voice halted Paul's movement. A perpetually pissed off Gally sat close by. He was gripping a pencil and a pad of paper, scowling at us.
"Why do you care?" Paul taunted, shoving me toward Gally. "Does Gally have a crush on the Princess?"
"No." Gally snapped, his brows furrowing. "But I can't concentrate with you yapping your big fat trap." He stood up, leaning toward us as he held his pencil over Paul. "So shut the fuck up before I jam this in your eye."
I took Paul's distraction to my advantage, snatching up the fork on his plate. With one swooping motion, I drove the cutlery into his thigh.
"OH FUCK YOU!" Paul jumped back from me, holding back his gags while he caught sight of the fork sticking out of his flesh. Removing myself from the table, I gazed at Victor one last time. My heart was broken over what they'd done to him.
He found my stare too, a shameful look fell on his face. Wistfulness and regret present in his eyes.
I looked around the room, disgusted eyes stared back. I shouldn't have gone down. I made a mistake. I was cursed to be alone, forever.
________________________
"I shouldn't have gone down! I shouldn't have gone down! I shouldn't have gone down!" I wept, tangled in Ava's arms. "I'm sorry!"
"I know." She shushed, smoothing my hair back while she held me on my bed. "It's not your fault." Ava rocked me back and forth, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "They're monsters, all of them."
"They hate me." I choked on my tears, crammed full with regret. "I just wanted to be their friend and now they hate me."
"People always hate what's good. You are good."
"Wicked is good." I mumbled through a pounding head. "Wicked is good."
"It's important that you remember this y/n, as much as it hurts you." Ava stood from the bed, waltzing over to the door. "It's important that you remember that all there is, is you and me. That's all who you can trust." She lingered at the door's handle, pausing before saying. "Just you and me Bunny."
Then she was gone.
After she left, I wiped my tears, relishing in self hatred. Trudging over to the mirror, I saw my face staring back at me. Eyes red and nose sniffly, I brought my hand up to the mirror, pressing my skin against the cold surface.
"I am ugly." Aching to not exist, be erased from history, I said. "I'm a fricking freak." Nudging my head on the mirror, I avoided my reflection, unable to bear seeing myself any longer.
Woosh
A slip of paper slid under my door. Curiosity fought my sunken state, winning in the end. I dragged myself over to the door, kneeling over the paper.
Unfolding it, I dropped it mid process. My face looked back at me as it had in my reflection. Someone had drawn me to scary detail. Their handwriting was printed neatly on the top.
I don't think you're ugly-Anonymous (not that dipshit Victor though)
P.S. I like the way you sit, you're easy to draw