A Life Without Color

Chapter 2

The scent of bleach and chemicals assaulted me as soon as I opened my eyes. The world that surrounded me was blissfully silent.

My body was blissfully numb, like the horror of the last few hours hadn't even happened. Only someone who has experienced true agony can fully appreciate the euphoria that is a pain-free body.

My position appeared to have changed since the last time I was awake. Instead of lying on the floor, I was in a sitting position. My cheek was aching as it rested against something hard and smooth, like the surface of a desk.

A wave of exhaustion crashed over me as I started to lift my head in order to survey the area. Groaning in frustration, I dropped my head back into my arms and let the flood of lightheadedness pass over me before trying again.

Ok, focus. The only way to figure out what's happening is to survey the situation. Therefore...

Using every ounce of my willpower, I managed to wrench my head up from the desk and frantically look around the room. Sweat began to run down my back, causing my shirt to turn slightly damp, as I processed the reality of the situation.

Don't jump to conclusions. It's possible that whatever is happening is completely unrelated to that man.

I was fully aware that my mental pleading was completely in vain. Realistically, I was just trying to cling to the last vestiges of hope that I had.

However...

At first glance, it looked like I was sitting in a regular classroom. There were twelve shabby looking desks in the center of the room, lined up in two rows of six. I was the only one sitting in the front row. Standing in front of me, was a typical teacher's podium and whiteboard. There was a wall clock in the upper right corner that read 10:00 am. The only thing that stood out was the unusual color scheme.

The walls, the ceiling, the desks, and even the clothes that had appeared on my back. Nothing had been spared from being incorporated into the theme. Everywhere I looked, everything within eyesight was as white as the icy frost that was growing in my heart.

Well, almost everything. The handcuffs that connected my arms and legs to my seat were the typical silver. The rough metal scraped against my wrist as I yanked my left arm up with as much force as I could muster in my currently weakened state. My ill-advised attempt to free myself only garnered more pain as the cuffs tightened, now actively biting into my skin, causing small drops of blood to appear on the surface. It was just like That Man to try and punish me for even thinking about escaping.

I could just barely make out the sound of multiple people moaning behind me. It seemed like the others were finally starting to wake up. That's right - sitting in the row behind me were several of my classmates. All of them were chained up like circus animals, existing only for the amusement of others.

What an interesting selection of people to end up here with me. Horikita, Yosuke, Kei, Sudou, Ike, and Kouenji had all been selected to participate in whatever fucked up punishment I was about to recieve for daring to seek freedom. I'd love to know the criteria that resulted in some of these people ending up here.

Horikita's long black hair was strewn all over her desk. Her eyelids were drooping as she attempted to push past her exhaustion and sit up. Looking utterly defeated, she raised her shaking hand and slapped it down hard on her cheek. That seemed to have the effect she'd been hoping for, as she was able to yank her head up into her waiting hands.

Ike and Sudo weren't even trying. Despite having found themselves in an unfamiliar environment with no explanation, both of them had immediately let their heads fall back down into their arms and closed their eyes. Ike was even letting out some light snores.