Taste of Freedom - [TXT FF]

EPISODE 1

It was dark.

In the large room filled with nothing except rusty old cages containing animals, not a single noise was heard beside the water dripping down from the ceiling, creating puddles at every corner.

Until a loud slam interrupted the silence.

"GET UP ALL OF YOU SCUMBAGS! HURRY WE HAVE AN EARLY SHOW!" a man barked.

At the sound of his rough, emotionless voice, the animals of Cirque Animalier slowly began to wake up. The weariness in their bones from yesterday hadn't drifted away, especially because having no room to stretch made it all the more difficult.

Having little to no sleep on top of hard, grueling work is a recipe for disaster the next day.

The keepers, who 'tend' their performers, went to every iron cage and unlocked their gates. With the help of chains and ropes, they pulled the animals out one by one.

In the far end corner was the largest cage, imprisoning the five crossovers who were surprisingly much taller and bigger than all the wild cats and animals caged beside them.

Soobin was the first one to shift out of his sleep. After blinking his icy blue orbs for a minute, looking at their surroundings with a bored gaze, he slowly sat up. He quietly tapped Beomgyu and Hueningkai, who were still fast asleep, on their shoulders.

"Guys, you have to wake up," he whispered.

Beomgyu groaned softly and opened his round, slightly green-golden eyes.

"I know I know. Here comes another day of suffering."

Soobin smiled weakly.

Then they both heard a soft, sleepy voice talking.

"Where are Yeonjun hyung and Taehyun?" Hueningkai asked.

The older two sighed.

"They didn't come back to our cage last night; they probably were chained up instead," Beomgyu explained.

"Oh yeah-"

At that moment, one of the keepers barged their cage door open.

"GET OUT!" he yelled.

As if we have a choice, Beomgyu glared.

Ropes were thrown around Beomgyu and Soobin, and the henchmen yanked them out, nearly tearing their neck and shoulder skin because of the rough texture.

"See you later Hueningkai," Soobin monotonously said.

Since Hueningkai (to their relief) is not sixteen yet, he does not have to participate in dangerous activities that could lead to death. However, this did not exclude him from the circus' schemes: after all, he will have to be put in the bulletproof case later on.

The two other crossovers were being dragged across the gravel path, soon bringing them to the wider, chained up area.

Here is when Beomgyu spotted Taehyun.

The younger red haired boy was woken up forcefully by one of the guards. He saw one of them poke him in the ribs with a sharp spear.

Taehyun snarled and lashed out at the guard, only to be smacked in the head.

Beomgyu averted his eyes down, not wanting to see his brother-like friend being beat up, although he knew just how impossible it was.

Soobin also saw Yeonjun nearby.

The oldest of the group was already awake, probably the one with the 'most' energy, but the guards were also piercing his lean body with a rod.

Yeonjun only glared back, but even that couldn't intimidate the keepers; after all, how much can he do when he is chained up like that?