Prison of Experiments

Chapter 1: Relocation

The woods are so different feeling around now. They always used to blow in the breeze, with not a care in the world, or anything causing them trouble or distress. But now that it's getting closer to the end of summer, they're not enjoying their time as much. I mean, in the summertime, the plants die a lot of the time anyways. But it's still sad. It's sad that I will most likely not be able to take all my plants in my room, and my parents aren't really fond of plants. So they're just gonna go to die. Which is also sad. Might as well give them a good watering when I go back inside.

The creeks' noises of the water gently lapping against the sides of the bank, even though the bank is just made out of mud, is somehow peaceful. The thought of the water just gently going past rocks, but not disturbing the algae that clings to them. The fish that swim with the current, that are tinier than my own finger.

I hear construction going on outside the outskirts of the woods that I'm surrounded by. Of course they're about to start tearing down the woods to make room for more neighborhoods and housing, because apparently we're not overpopulated enough. I don't think people properly understand the concept of trees generating carbon dioxide for us to use to breathe?

As I hear the crumble of rubble and dirt, as well as a thump every so often of a tree falling over, I breathe in deeply. It makes a calming burn attract to my nose, as the smell of fresh leaves, and clean but natural water fills the air. The smell of water is often overlooked, but when overwhelmed with many different smells, it's a palette cleanser.

This is my last time I'll ever get to be here. Happily.

I usually like to sit out here, in the woods, by the creek, because it gives me a sense of calm that nothing else gives me. Some people at my old school always tease me for not having any friends. But it's not even my fault. There's not a lot that I have in common with the people at my school, and my friends were always against their kids having friends. Especially me. So I didn't want to encourage anyone to be my friend when I would most likely never be able to hang out with them.

So anytime I want to be calm, or I couldn't process my emotions under stressful circumstances, I just go here. It really does help. I'm hoping the school campus has something similar, since my parents have mentioned bits and pieces about the campus being surprisingly huge. It seems like a warehouse facility, or an old asylum of sorts on the outside, but somehow it's a school on the inside. I'm not sure, but I don't have any say in the matter. Because it's a school that they don't need money for.

I'm not sure why they don't need money to fund running the school, but it is basically like a boarding school. My science teacher asked me what it's going to be like, and that's what I described it as. And since it's a boarding school, you stay there for the whole year except for during holidays. At least that's what I think that's how that works. But knowing me and my family, I'm staying there during holidays too. So I had to strategize what I want to have in my dorm room and what I could fit. Because I was never able to scope out the dorms, so I just have to take a guess.

All of my personal items are packed up in my room. My room looks barren without the posters and plants hanging on the wall, and the fairy lights strung up on my bed posts. The butterflies from when I was a kid still hang from the ceiling, my parents never wanted to remove them, so they had me keep them. But thank fuck I'm not taking them with me.

I feel my leg start to go static, like the static on a TV screen when you lose signal, so I shake it a little. Have I really been sitting here for that long? Nothing happens when I shake and wiggle it around, all I feel is the static. I use my wrists and palms to let myself stand up on the bridge I was perched on, and force myself to stand on my feet. My leg still feels a bit static-filled, so I start leaning on the bridge's railings, looking over the edge and into the water. My reflection stares back at me, as I see my tied up dark brown, nearly jet black, hair out of my face, showing my jawline and most of my face.