The Disappearance of Tommy

First Sign of Life

He lived in a cage, it was designed to detain a lion. Instead of a lion a small boy saw his cage as his home. His cage was in the center of a large white room, the walls, ceiling, and floor all looked like soft cushion. Almost like pillows. He had never been able to leave the cage and if he tried he would be punished.

The cage had black bars that locked up the small boy along with a blanket, a food tray, and a water dish. He was treated as a wild beast, every day sometimes the boy would be asleep or not, a person dressed in armour would enter the room and open the cage ever so slightly to slip him his next meal. He never talked to anyone, he wasn't allowed to have toys, friends, books, anything at all. Except one time in particular, three men would enter the room every few days and hold him down. They would inject him with a needle and wait for him to go unconscious, and that is where a story starts.

"6208? Can you hear me? Nod if you can hear me." The boy opened his eyes to see himself strapped to a table again. He wasn't taught to read or write, but he had learned over the years that if someone asked you a question you have to nod your head each time.

"Good."

The man in armour had his face hidden and turned around to consult other people behind him. The boy struggled in the hands and slammed his head against the table repeatedly.

"Hurry! Hurry! Play the record!"

A different person placed his hand under the boys head and shoved a rag in the boys mouth.

"Don't bite your tongue..."

"What did you do?!" Another man shouted and grabbed the boys arms to hold him down.

"Here!" Another man passed the only who held him down a cloth covered in ammonia. He then covered the boys mouth and nose with it. 6208's eyelids slowly closed shut and his restless squirming slowed.

"He's stabilizing..." They scribbled on their sheets of paper while looking up at the ekg and back at their clip boards.

"He should be fine, document that the supplement to the original medication has to be taken in smaller doses." Beside the one who talked, they nodded and finished writing.

"Take him back to his room."

"Right away, sir."

The patient woke up where he always wakes up, back at his home. The cage. Except a new object was in the cage along with him. It was a red box wrapped around with a bright green bow. He crept up the box slowly and hesitantly tugged at the green ribbon. A tag attached to the box dropped to the floor and made the boy back up.

"6208.." A man said outside the cage, his hands were behind his back and he carried a disappointed tone in his speech.

"It's a gift...go on. Open it."

He did as instructed and loosened the bow, he kept looking up at the man and back at the box for reassurance, but he never got any. He carefully grabbed the lid of the box and slowly lifted it upwards.

"So? 6208?"

Inside the box was a stuffed animal, or a creature?It's legs were long and it's arms were short, it was a light brown with creamy coloured splotches of white. It also had short horns coming out from the top of its head and ears that were poking outwards.

"They're called cows...in honour of our new tests having a break through we decided to give you a little celebration surprise." He squatted down and reached his hand between the bars. 6208 squeezed the the cow in his arms and backed away.

"The specific breed is called the Zebu Cow...that's why they have those kinda short horns." The man retracted his hand and gave a small nod.

"You can call it whatever you like."

"Also...I figure I would uh- do something since it is your birthday."

He watched the man reach into his pocket and take out a ring loaded with different keys. He flipped through them and found a black key, he unlocked the cage and slowly opened the door.

He reached his hand inside and cage and whispered.

"Take my hand." 6208 scooted up to the man and gave him his small hand. The man smiled and helped him out of the cage,

"Don't let go. Stay close okay?"

They started to walk towards the door when the man froze again.

"You've been here a long time, but there's things you have to know. What they do to you is wrong...I know it is. I just need you to trust me- I will help you get out of here."

The two started walking down the hall, it was a dull colour. A dark grey and the floors were a light grey, the whole thing was simply boring. They came to two white doors, alongside one was a button. The man pressed it and walked inside with the child.

"What do you think your- the child is supposed to be unconscious according to parodical." Someone grabbed the man's arm and whispered to him sternly.

"What- what is that thing he's holding?" Another pointed at the small stuffed animal the boy has been holding tightly to his chest.

"In honour of the break through we've made...I've asked the headquarters if a gift was in order from his cooperation."

"He is not a child! He is a not even a person! He should not be treated as one." The man snatched the toy from the child's hands and walked over and threw it away.

"Now...I expect you to follow your orders and help the patient to the table."

"Yes...sir."

The man acted more harshly towards the patient now and shoved him to the table in the center of the room. He practically tossed him up and onto the table, he was frowning while he strapped down his legs and his arms.

"Okay...begin with 5 units."

The men circled the room searching for anything and everything they need to safely do as they were told. One injected the serum into his arm and the other held the boy down. They all practically dragged him off the table and threw him to the ground. One grabbed 6208 from under his arm and lead him out of the room as if he were a criminal.

He was placed in his cage once more and left alone with the loud clang of a door shutting. The night the lights went out had to of been the worst night of this boys life.