There is no way to predict when they will come. The one thing that is certain, is that they will come.
They come quickly and silently. Those close to the diseased know that one moment their loved ones are there, and then they are gone. Sometimes it happens at night when the world is asleep, sometimes it happens in the middle of the day.
In Blaine Anderson's case, it was at night. 4:23 am to be exact. Nobody woke up when they slipped into the house, his room. The only thing left to show that they were there was the mark left on the bedroom door. The very same mark that made Mrs. Anderson seek the comfort of her husband for the first time in years.
The first thing Blaine knew was that he was not in his bed. He opened his eyes and the bright florescent lights and the white walls were not the best thing to wake up to. The second thing he knew was that his back really fucking hurt. As he rolled over onto his stomach, he realized he wasn't alone in the room. A woman stood by the door, holding a tray with food. She looked to be around the same age as his parents, her bright eyes shone despite the dark circles, and a smile made he face light up.
"Hello, my name is Lizzie. Here's some food, you must be starving." She said cheerfully. Blaine studied her carefully. She expected him to take food from a complete stranger, when he had no where he was and what was happening?
"They found me, didn't they?" He spoke. It came out as more of a scared whisper, and he hated himself for being such a coward. Lizzie set down the tray on the table next to the bed, and he spied mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed vegetables, and something that vaguely looked like meatloaf on a plate. Besides the plate was a small package and a container of some sort of pills. He just looked at Lizzie as she sat down on a chair in the corner, wanting answers.
"Obviously, if you're here," she said dryly. Blaine just raised an eyebrow. She chuckled to herself. "Oh, sorry, sometimes my sarcasm runs faster than my brain. It's been a curse. But go on, eat! Don't worry about being poisoned, I've been here almost 9 years and haven't been poisoned once!" She gave a warm smile to Blaine. He cautiously grabbed the fork and lifted some food to his mouth. If this is the last thing he eats, then it might be alright, because it smells delicious. Taking a bite made him realize that he was extremely hungry and began to devour every last bit of food on the plate. "Thought so." Lizzie commented. Soon, everything on the plate was gone.
"Now let's see, I guess I should try to answer your questions. Yes, they took you and yes, this is pretty much a prison. They do treat us well though. I'm here to guide you, they assign one of us older folk that's been here awhile to the new comers. In the package is some pictures and little trinkets from your previous life that they provided, makes it feel a little like home. Start taking the pills soon, trust me. Growing wings just might be worse than giving childbirth-"
Blaine choked on the water he was taking a drink of. "What?"
Two small, white, feathery wings unfurled from behind Lizzie's back. "Just a small side effect from the disease. Although it's not really a disease, but they still aren't sure what it is really. It's better to just accept the reality than to try to justify it. They don't tell us much, if anything at all. All we do know is that we're waiting."
"Waiting for what?" Blaine asked as he grabbed the package and began to examine it.
"No one knows. Those packages are a lifesaver. The things they provided are one of the only things that can keep me sane. I've seen what happens to those who had nothing much before this, they let the disease take over, and then they had to be, um, taken care of. One thing you should know, Blaine, is to never let the disease take over. When they start teaching you, put everything you have into learning how to control it. Remember your family, friends, you must have some since you got a package. There is still hope that you will see them again someday. You seem like a nice kid, I would hate to see you be overtaken by this, thing, that has destroyed so many people. Be strong Blaine."
"Courage." He whispered and smiled slightly to himself. Blaine began to open the package while Lizzie was talking. Inside were pictures. Pictures of him and Kurt, a small wallet size of his parents and sisters, a group picture of the warblers from the yearbook, and lastly a photo taken from McKinley, he assumed from the lockers, and Kurt, Rachel, and Mercedes stood around Kurt's locker, and the word stood out from the collage inside the locker door.
"Perfect," Lizzie smiled. "The thing that is keeping me going, is the thought that maybe, someday, I will be able to see my son and husband again." She pulled out a picture out of the pocket and stared adoringly at it. "This picture has brought me out of many dark places. I have other pictures in my room, of my wedding day, the day after my son was born, my parents, but this one is extra special since it was taken the day before they took me." She handed Blaine the worn picture and he glanced down at it, and his mouth fell open in shock. He knew these people.
"You're Kurt's mother." He gasped. Now that he really looked at Lizzie, he could see it, and he wonders why he couldn't before. They look exactly the same. He took a closer look at the picture. A mini Kurt sat at a tiny table with Burt on the other side. From what he remembers Kurt telling him, this was one of their many attempts at a tea party. Blaine smiled to himself, even then, Kurt had a flawless taste in fashion.
"You know my baby, my Kurt?" Tears were quickly filling her eyes.
Blaine nodded. "Yes, he's my-he's my boyfriend." A swell of joy filled him every time he said that. It still seemed surreal, especially now, with his not-so-dead mother sitting close to him. "Here," he said holding out his pictures, "you might like these." She took the pictures and started paging through them. Her eyes began to shine with tears and happiness.
"He's gorgeous." She breathed. Blaine silently nodded. "What are the chances of this happening?" Lizzie grabbed his hands. "Tell me everything." So they talked. Blaine told her of how he and Kurt met, and all the events after. He recalled what Kurt had told him about his life before they met. The bullying, glee club, Dalton, nothing is left out.
"He is one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met. Although sometimes, he can be such a little bitch." Blaine sighed. He didn't realize he started crying while he was talking. "But I still love him, despite his faults."
Lizzie was crying too. "I'm so glad he found someone like you Blaine, someone who would love him no matter what." She smiled at him, "I just wish I could have been there for him. He's been through way to much for being just a kid still."
"He' strong, and brave, much more than I ever w-augh!" Pain seared through Blaine's back. Lizzie handed the pills and the glass of water to him.
"Take these, trust me. It numbs the senses for awhile. Though it does not completely block the pain, you do not want to feel the full effects of bones rearranging themselves and skin ripping to make room for growing wings."
"So that's what happens with the disease, people grow wings?" Blaine said as he took the pills. He felt for any sign of these things that are apparently growing in his back. He could feel two lumps, throbbing beneath his touch, between his shoulder blades. Lizzie shook her head and explained all she knew about the disease while she took Blaine on a tour of the facilities. First came the black eyes, and then they took you, which is what everybody knows about. Then, the wings grow. Lizzie describes the process as the worst pain she has ever endured, times a hundred, and that's with the medicine. It takes weeks for the wings to fully develop, and months to heal. The bones in the back had to realign themselves and then the skin was ripped apart when the wings had to come out. Then, the last major part of the disease comes when it is completely developed in the body, the gaining of an ability, or power as some put it. ("So it's sort of like Heroes, but with wings?", "I have absolutely no clue what that is.") She warned however, that this is what can destroy a person. A person can become obsessed with the power, it completely overtakes the body and mind, slowly consuming every last bit of humanity left. They walked out into a yard, even though it was still indoors, there were trees, grass, and various small gardens spread throughout.
"So, what's your power?" Blaine asked. Everything was just so hard to take in. So many questions, but he knew Lizzie didn't have the answers, she said everything she knew. She just bent down over one of the little gardens with some daisy's growing.
"I swear I planted more flowers," she sighed. She waved her hand over the garden and pulled up. Her wings unfurled again and fluttered and strained. Her eyes turned into black, but had a slight sparkle. She smirked as she looked up at Blaine. Before their eyes, new flowers were instantly growing and blooming. "I can grow things. Nothing big, but it helps with my hobby. Most of the plants in here were grown by me."
Something then caught Blaine's eye. "Hey, what does that door lead to?" It was a door, just a normal door, but unlike the rest in this place, it had some sort of lock on it. Lizzie quickly got up and hurried them back to the exit.
"Someplace you never want to be. That is where the lost ones go." She took Blaine's arm with hers, "C'mon, I'll help you decorate your room."