𝙴𝚕𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚊𝚗 ~ 𝙴𝚕𝚖𝚊𝚡

《𝟸𝟻》

August 26,1985
2:00 PM

Hawkins National Laboratory

The scribbling sound of the EEG machine could be heard across the entire room. 012 was sat at a table, a bowl filled with cotton placed in front of him as Dr. Brenner stood on the other side of the desk, his eyes deep and emotionless as they'd always been. The boy felt as though the man's eyes saw right into his soul and back as he kept staring at the bowl, trying to set some of the cotton aflame. After a while of trying, he started feeling the back of his head hurting slightly. It wasn't the kind of pain when you hit yourself or anything. Just slight pinching as if someone was pulling on his hair that he did not have anymore since it had been all shaven off not long after he arrived. He felt caged and scared of the unknown place. There was so many new people around him and he couldn't really concentrate on his task as much as he tried to. There was this nervous knot in his stomach that was telling him to do what he's asked but it just didn't work and it was frustrating him because he knew that if something doesn't happen, there will be concequences. The room was so quiet and Papa with the other scientists were all lookng at him, impatiently waiting for something to happen and 012's head was hurting more and more. He didn't want to do this. He was sitting on the spot for more than 20 minutes now and being a four year old child, he would prefer spending his time doing something else. So he decided to stop, turning his head to the side and then looking up at Dr. Brenner, who seemed more than disappointed. The man clenched his jaw and sighed, turning to the scientists behind him with a nod. His building-fear-of-failure methods seemed to work on his last former subject and he was willing to continue them if they bring the same results too. One of the scientists nodded and walked to the table, grabbing 012 under his armpits and picking him up. The boy didn't know what was happening and looked at the only person in the room that was familiar to him. But Dr. Brenner didn't do anything, just standing in the room and watching as the scientist carried him out of the room. That made 012's anxiety rise as he started trying to get out of the unknown scientist's grasp but the man was stronger and didn't let him down. The boy's chin started to wobble slightly, his head turning in the direction of where the man was going with him. It was a dark hall with large, open door. Once the man walked close to it, he set the boy down on the cold tiles and pushed him into the dark room with one hand. The room was empty with almost metallic looking walls that made the corners seem darker. 012 immediately knew that he didn't want to be here and turned around, rushing out but before he could do so, the scientist reached for the door and shut it in his face, making a loud bang that scared the boy more sound across the room. Since that moment, the bang was the last sound that 012 heard except for his ragged breath and his bare feet tapping against the cold tiles. It was cold in there, especially since all he was wearing was a hospita gown, and the only thing he could do to keep some heat inside his tiny body was to crouch into a corner. He tried to not take notice of all the tricks his mind was trying to play on him and buried his face between his knees to stop his child imagination from spreading.

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The bell rang, the last period of El's first school day over. She walked out of the math class, the numbers that seemed to confuse everyone else somehow strangely making sense to her. However, she rather stayed silent most of the time. Now, she saw a familiar redhead making her way towards her with a smile and quickened her pace to be wrapped in a brief hug.

~ "First day of school successfully accomplished? Check." Max said, feeling proud as El started following her to the exit.

~ "Yeah, I guess. How was Science?" The brunette asked.

~ "Mhm...not bad. The teacher was boring though. I kinda miss Mr. Clarke." The girl shrugged, rounding the corner and exiting the school with El.