A/N: From the madness of my mind.

Captivity and Silence

A thing I've often heard, "Not even fame of others can protect you."

Two of the same create them. Two different ones created me.

Captivity, hunger and silence these are all that kept me company these past few days? Perhaps? I don't know how long it has been. I am bound to the wall in the room. Two of my best friends are also here. We have been here for a few days. One of my friends finally spoke to me, I didn't see who. It doesn't matter. My friend wants to know my story. I will gladly tell my friend my tale.

Why doesn't my friend try to free me? I don't know I'm just glad after days of silent treatment, my friend finally decided to talk. My friend wants to know why I came to this place. Why does my friend ask that? My friend knows why, it was to find her.

I remember the start of this school year. It was when I met her. She was just like the others but different. The first of them that wanted to be my friend. I finally have a new friend one that is different from all the others. She was one of them and that was okay. It was the first one who ever cared. The first one who cared to show me kindness.

She came over to my house a few times. Her very presence made my other friends sleep but that was okay because she was there. I don't know why, I preferred her over my other friends.

I ask my friend, "Why? Why do you care? You were asleep whenever she came over." My friend doesn't respond to my question.

I do hear another, "Joy: what made you happy?" I respond to my friend's request.

Happiness, something that my parents, you and she gave. You ignored me the past few days. I don't know why you did that. You were part of the happiness in my life. I don't understand your recent actions. I do recall a few events though, maybe you wanted to hear about them?

I attended a lavish party. A party but for whom? What was the occasion? We all wore black for some reason. All of them were sad but I was happy. None of the usual glares of disdain or hatred was felt. It was a marvelous day! One of the best days of my life.

I ask my friend another question, "Are you jealous? Jealous of me?" My friend doesn't move and hasn't reacted. Which friend is asking the question? It doesn't matter. I hear a simple request, 'more'.

Another happy event in my life that marked a difference. You were there too you know. Both of you set out on the journey with me. To find my friend, we had to go on the bus. No one tried to stop me. This time, it was remarkably different. No one looked at me with hate or scorn. They were laughing it was a joyous celebration for all of them. I don't know why, I didn't mind. It was nice.

My friend didn't ask for this, but I felt like it feels important all the same. So, recounted it just the same. I remember my previous experience. My friends weren't there at that time. None of them were. I knew the public transit system. It wasn't different from school really, I was with my parents then when they took me on these rides. Their glares and looks of disapproval came just the same. They glanced at my parents with wonder and respect. My parents try to reassure me, they buy me a new friend afterwards. It makes me feel happy. Every friend isjust like me.

I hear a single word, "School."

Despite what I have told my friend, my friend still wants to know about school. Very well. School returns to the same location. The building seemed different. Most of them had returned, along with the hatred and scorn. She was still missing. The one that showed me kindness. I missed my friend whenever I spoke her name my parents got evasive. They didn't give a direct answer. That was okay. I have plenty of friends that live in my room. I talk to them instead.

You weren't the first. You were simply one of the two that chose to come here with me on this journey. You want to know about my first friend? Why don't you just set me free? Alright, I'll tell you about the first friend. It's just as well the lights give out.

It brings me back memories of when I received my first friend. I sneak into my parents' room one night. They were watching television. I remember the sound of blood as the victims lost their limbs. One by one they lined up for execution. I remember the screams well enough.

I woke up in my room. I received a friend that looks just like me. It was the only one that was somewhat similar to me. It was someone that can relate to me. It talked to me, it also started living in my room and never left.

That friend never left. It stayed in my room. Every time I was sad I would receive another friend. Friends kept on accumulating in my room. They are also two different ones also made them. The first ever to be created. They are rather fun to play with, we went on many adventures together. It was rather strange, they rarely seem to want to leave my room. My parents always bring my friends back to my room if they do leave. They chose not to follow me throughout my daily life. They seem to want to live in my room alone. My friends, I would confide to them my problems and everything.

My friend goes silent, for now. It reminds me of the other times my friends went silent. I already told my friend about how my friend sleeps whenever she came over. But there was another occasion.

After another attempt to find my friend, my parents bring me to a doctor. They give me pills. For what? I wasn't sick. I'm not sure what the pills do but I do recall after eating them my friends are always sleeping. I don't like them. One of my friends is still missing, and the other friends I know are just asleep and uncaring.

All, I have left in my life is school. No one there likes me at all. My friend from school is still missing and my friends in my room are always asleep. I don't know why they wouldn't wake up. It reminds me of the times she was here. Only, these times she wasn't. It's different. Without them encouraging me, I stopped trying to find my friend. I don't have the courage.

I hear another desire, another request, another word, "Parents."

I ask, "What haven't I told you about them? What don't you know? You know I hate them, now right?"

A vague reply, "Past." I try to answer my friend's vague request. It lives in my room, it should know!

They brought me to a doctor. Why? I wasn't sick. The doctor was just listening to what I had to say. He too told me my friend went to a better place but never where. Just a vague answer of a better place is all I hear. My parents take me here many times. I don't know why. I don't want to talk to this animal. He was a bit different he was one of them but didn't act towards me with outright hostility.

After one of these sessions, I did overhear the words, friends and help. A few days later, I overheard a word, nocturnal. My friend must be in the nocturnal district. It must be what the doctor wanted, I must help my friend. She needs me.

I know what I must do. I asked my friends in my room if they would like to help. They were delighted and for the first time, they left my room. I took two of the most eager ones. I put them in my backpack and took a map.

My parents cared more about poisonous flowers than my friend it seems. If they didn't want to help, I will do it on my own. I didn't pack money. It is too late to turn back.

My parents stopped my first attempt to find my friend. They locked me in my room. It's okay, I have more friends that live in my room. I don't understand why they were so angry though. I kept trying to find my friend over and over. They bring my back to my room each time.

I also remember the day, I was able to set off on this journey.

Father didn't return from work. Mother is sad and just cries. All my questions to her were met with incoherent sobs. I am confused of what to do. I go to my room for guidance. My friends are awake again. They encourage me, I should search for my friend. I sensed opportunity. Like always, I set out with two of my friends in my backpack as well as a map. This time, they didn't stop me. I am finally able to search for my friend.

On that day, I didn't eat a pill either.

I feel like I'm forgetting something, something important. I ask, "Why did my friend go missing?"

After a while, it finally replies, "Fire."

Yes, fire. The day she went missing and everything strange followed suit. It was before the lavish party I attended.

One day, there was a fire at school. She never arrived home. Her guardian didn't seem overly concerned. Her guardian was laughing, laughing about it all. My parents usually deal with these types of matters. That day they didn't care.

The next day, school resumes just the same although it was going to a different one. I'm not sure why there's a sudden change. My friend wasn't there.

Another request, "Afterwards."

As weeks pass it was different. I longed for a friend, a friend that could would leave my room and follow and be with me outside of it. I kept inquiring about where my friend went to my parents. They said to a better location. A location they never revealed to me.

I hear another word, "Capture."

I reply, "You want to know about the capture? You were there you know." I don't know what it wants anymore. They still haven't moved or set me free.

At last, I arrive at the nocturnal district. I asked the first nearby animal that was alone for directions. He was one of them. He leads me to a garbage can. We both go inside. It leads to a rather spacious room. I ask him if he knew where my friend was. I gave my description of my friend as best as I could. He assures me he does. He binds me to a wall and tells me he will be back with my friend. The room is well lit and I could see my friends clearly. He is very helpful. I will soon be reunited with my friend. I feel such joy and relief.

I don't know how long I have been bound to a wall. He hasn't come back at all. Not to worry though, I do have friends in my backpack. I tell them to free me. They do not react, they don't react at all. I begin to ask them, to plead with them of why they wouldn't free me. For the very first time, these friends of mine ignored me. They just stay in my backpack unmoving.

I know they can see me but why don't they move? bound to a wall and unable to break free. My friends don't even help.

How long has it been? I don't know. I don't know why my friends don't try to save me. They don't respond to my pleas. They do nothing, nothing at all. I know they haven't left. I can make out a vague outline of where they are. Their heads are still clearly seen poking out of my backpack.

Why don't they protect me? Why don't they help? What of all the pleasant adventures we've had in my room? Don't they count for anything? This was the first time they've decided to help me outside of my room. The very first time.

I curse at my friends, I curse at them. I want a reaction, something, anything. Even hate or disapproval would be better than endless silence. Would my parents come to save me like they used to? They did buy me all the friends in my room.

More time passes, I think my friends are sick. There must be something wrong with them, they haven't moved, they haven't moved at all. I haven't even heard a sound.

I don't know how much time has passed. I felt the pangs of hunger. My friends still haven't moved. To pass the time, I began to note the mundane features of the room. I think I can count five hundred bricks. Speaking of numbers, what comes after five hundred? I don't know. I was never good at it. On another note, two hundred was a very special number to my mother. I never knew why though.

Endless silence and uncaring friends is what I have to keep me company. They don't care for me anymore. They haven't moved at all, didn't even leave. They don't care because they haven't moved. I can't think of a reason of why they wouldn't try to free me. It would be so easy. They don't even care enough to try to get me food. I am starving. That helpful animal never returned, I think they are all the same. All of them. They do not care, only she was different, the one I sent out to find.

Hunger is my only constant companion. Despair is an enemy. Hate is a friend. Yes, focus upon those to forget despair. This is how it must be. I try to threaten my friends again, telling how others that remained in my room will hate them for what they have done. They shouldn't ignore me, they never have before until recently.

I came to hate everyone. No one showed me kindness except for her and my parents. I came to hate my parents because they left me here. They didn't save me unlike before. I hated my friends they still haven't moved and they don't seem to care about me at all. My other friends haven't bothered to find me either. They must be one and all the same. Where was she? The one I set out to find.

It took a few more days, before my friend started to talk.

The room fades away finally. I see a verdant grass hill. Everyone here was one of them. I see some of my classmates as well. They were the ones who never returned to school. Some I don't recognize. Others, I recall when I snooped around my parent's room. I remember them well. It's what my parents look at frequently for their work. It doesn't matter, they don't matter at all. I have finally found her, the one that cared. The one that I was looking for. My other friends didn't matter to me, not anymore. They aren't here anyways.

She is here for me and that is all I need.

A/N: I wrote this story then jumbled all the paragraphs and added conversation. Completely intentional that I gave no one names.

Comments? Reactions? Thoughts?

Canon characters are present but left intentionally untagged and left intentionally unnamed.

There is a story I wanted to tell but I'm curious about the one you actually read.

I also kept the mostly chronological version of events version if this is too confusing.

One-shot can probably expand more upon it if there's interest.