A Mentor's Hand (文豪ストレイドッグス)

13

'Hiii! How are you??' A little girl asked. On her was the label 002. I opened my eyes, slowly taking in the bright lights. I was on a small table, a pitiful blanket covering me.

I sat up, swaying from dizziness. Why was I dizzy? I looked at the girl, still blinking her in.

'Um... hi?'

'What's your name?' 002 asked, curiosity plain in her almost white eyes.

'I dunno.' I said, as thinking was too hard at the moment. The other girl leaned forward, tapping my own badge, labeling me as 003.

A tall person in a white robe opened our door, and I realized we were in a very enclosed space, with nothing but two beds and a separate room for the toilet. The tall person didn't come in all the way.

Instead, they kicked a box in, and left.

I got off my bed, 002 helping me as we approached the box. In it were some sandwiches, which we shared whilst talking.

Mostly we talked about nothing. I don't remember anything, and neither did she. After a while, we just ended up staring at the boxes, left to our own thoughts (not that I had many).

After a while, I pulled out my fingers.

'1... 2... 3...'

002 lifted her head, tilting it in confusion.

'One comes before two and three,' I said proudly.

'So where's one?'

That stumped me.

After awhile of more silent thinking between us, we got tired and fell asleep. A few hours, (or maybe even minutes) passed by, and our door banged open.

I jumped, surprised. There was another person in a white robe. Why was everything white? A person in a black robe entered the room. why was that person in black?

The black one called out for 002. They left with her; I exchanged glances with 002 before. She looked... a little daunted.

I slept three more times before 002 came back. When I was awake, I paced the room until my legs and mind went numb from such a boring activity. When she returned, I literally jumped.

I ran over to hug her. I knocked her down. Before I could open my eyes, the one in black dragged me back across the room, and shoved me to the floor. I gasped for air, the feeling of being crushed was terrifying.

Someone shouted, and the one in black got off me. I pushed away, coughing, trying to grab my breath. I could barely see. The tall people left, though. Again, it was just me and 002.

002 didn't wake up for awhile. She looked physically tired. She looked drained. After awhile, I thought she would never wake up.

More people in white entered the room; three of them. One of them was holding a case. They opened it, revealing a small needle.

They injected her, and left. I heard them mutter about 001.

I was ashamed. The entire time, although it only lasted a few moments, I hid in the corner, mortal terror seizing my body in almost spasms. I never feel like this.

002 screamed. It was so sudden. She gasped, and I ran over, crying. She blinked. She smiled. She looked at me. Everything was alright.

---

Much later, we were still alright.

'3?'

'Ay?'

'I don't like calling you 3.'

'Well then we should decided names.'

They paused, thinking hard.

'I like Mai,' 003 said. 'It suits you.'

'Then you're Kiyo.' They pondered the names. They liked the names. They were named.

Mai still went away with the adults, and still came back tired. However, she would never tell Kiyo why. She couldn't, she said. She didn't remember. Both of them ended up treating her time away like mere blips, but Kiyo felt like a thousand years would pass when Mai wasn't by her side.

One day, when the adults came into the room, Mai stood up from where we had been tapping objects (everything was making different sounds, and it was fun). But they didn't call out for Mai.

'003'

They called for me.

---

I was led down a hall, tripping as I struggled to keep up with their fast pace and look at my surroundings. I failed at both. We came to one of possibly a thousand doors, and entered it.

The room was white, just like how our room was. There was a chair in the middle of it, draped in a cloth.

I was ordered onto the chair. The adults went over to a metal table, and opened the only box on it (there was also a bag, but Kiyo couldn't see what was in it).

In the box were several needles. 'Do we give them all at once?' The adult in white asked.

'Might as well.'

Meanwhile, Kiyo was squirming in her chair, fighting back her fear. The needles. Yes, she was scared of them. What would they do to her?

Turns out she wouldn't get to find out. The one in black covered her face with a mask, which was attached to a tank.

In moments, Kiyo blacked out.

---

'Kiyo? Kiyo?'

'Kiyo can you hear me?'

'Kiyo?'

'Please!'

The world is empty. My image of Mai... why does she look so dead? Why did I never notice it? How could I have been too stupid to realized...

I stole Mai's ability. How did I never realize it? I played all the time with her, how did I never notice how her movements slowed? How was I so stupidly oblivious.

'Kiyo! The sky, look at it!'

I open my eyes. The sun... is so bright. I'm covered in pain. Mai's image is covered in blood.

'Mai,' I whisper. Mai is right in front of me, struggling to sit up. She smiles, like she always does.

A loud bang.

Mai isn't smiling anymore. I can't see her. Why can't I feel anything? Where's Mai??

Shouting. Dragging. Nothing.

The next time I wake up, I can't remember anything again. Why does this keep happening? Why am I dragged alone through this hell?

Next chapter drops on the 5th!