Labs where boring.
All you really did was eat, sleep, be poked and prodded, experimented on- wasn't there a law against Human Experimentation, something to do with ethics and rights? - sit in a cramped cage, or be thrown in the Gladiator fields, which I was also quite certain was illegal. If not for Red, I would have gone insane from utter boredom by now. As it was our deal to keep each other sane, worked rather well- though sometimes I'm certain the rouge was quite annoyed with me, like the time I decided to sing 99 bottles of beer on the wall and This is a song that Never Ends to drown out the screams from another room. Other times, I think he was happy to have me around if only to have something to hold onto besides his tail.
No, I did not misspeak or stutter. Red had a rather nice, fluffy tail with fur as dark as his hair- though it was another thing I wouldn't ask him about- I wondered if he was born with it or did he gain it here? Either way didn't matter, in the beginning Red clung to it for comfort when it wasn't wrapped around his waist. Though over time I fount my arm replacing it when the younger decided I was going to stay alive long enough to get to know and he wanted physical contact to ensure himself so.
It was strange really and I probably shouldn't have allowed it. In my mind I knew this child would one day become a Monster, I knew he would become my worst enemy. Yet in that moment, I didn't care as all I could see was a child...
Oh well, what's done is done and no one can chance it now. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. A part of me was disappointed Dylan hadn't showed up yet, but I knew he would. He just needed some more time. Finally a year passed, Red thought I was deluding myself most days but I knew the old man would come eventually.
Until finally came the day of the Fire.
It was a day like every other in the beginning. I'm not sure where the fire originated from but it was probably one of the men who was opening every cage in the building that called their-selves Mice. The building was in a panic more or less, both scientist and those they once kept in cages rushing about- though some chose to stay, neither having the strength or the will to escape while refusing when they where offered aid from others. The fire seemed to be everywhere as some part of the building collapsed in on itself.
It was in this mess that I last say Red.
I would like to say I lost him in the panic but I didn't.
I remember dragging him around by his wrist, my grip probably bruising it, as we rushed after the mice. I figured it anyone knew how to get out of here it would be them and the man we where follow- Alexi- always seemed to stop for no reason when we fell behind.
So why not?
We had been so close, then there was the noise above us. It took me a moment to recognize the sound as wood- flaming wood at that- giving in upon itself. I could recall pushing Red ahead of me- watching him stumble and fall to the floor- before a loud crack filled the air.
Have you ever been crushed by a flaming support beam in a building burning down around you?
Probably not, unless you're a firefighter. Just so you know and don't attempt it some day:
It hurts. I'm pretty sure I broke some bones, maybe a couple ribs and who knows what else. For a moment, I'm pretty sure I blacked out there though I could distantly recall hearing Red's voice followed by another informing him 'it was too late' and that they 'needed to leave now or they'd suffer a similar fate'.
Shame I wasn't actually dead.
I think I've might of hit my head going down as I never quite figured out how that ended before the whole world faded to black. I think I stirred maybe once or twice as I could recall hearing a familiar voice calling my name and then the weight on my back seeming to vanished before I felt arm pick me up.
After that nothing.
To be honest, I'm unsure how long I slept as time had no true meaning in the lab but when I woke it was in a nice warm bed with my father attempting to break my hand with how tight he was squeezing it and a soft steady beep filling the silence of the room.
For a moment I had wondered if I had image it all, if it had all been some strange fever dream. Then I tried to sit up...
Worst idea yet.
As it turned out the labs had been real instead of some fever dream and when the beam fell on my back not only did I break sever bones but the fire had started to devour my back as well. If my Father hadn't been attempting a subtle break in at the time of the fire, well...
I would be dead.
As it was the older man must of had the devil's luck for on his way out he took the same path we had followed Alexi down and in turn stumbled across a nasty surprise he could have done without.
I wasn't complaining though it left me with a nasty truth to ponder over myself.
Before all this, I had only thought of the world as a cartoon. A child's show where no one dead and no one was truly hurt. The fact I was both hurt and could have died if not for Lady Luck's intervention wasn't lost on me.
Nor was the fact this was no longer a cartoon but a life, my life and if I wished to live to see the storyline I was going to have to take it serious.
On the bright side, Alice has seemingly disappeared into thin air and judging from the look in my Fath- Dylan's eyes when I asked I doubt anyone will see her anytime soon.
