Painless

A Day Without Pain

Chapter 1

I waded my way through the sea of people, bumping into shoulders as I went. Most people threw me dirty looks, and moved away from me, not wanting to touch the 'freak experiment'. I was treated as some sort of disease ridden dog, avoided or kicked away. I couldn't hide from these foul treatments either. Even if my head is down and my face is shadowed by my hood, they know. Sometimes I feel as if there's a sign above me with big bold letters reading "experiment" and a bright flashing arrow pointing straight down at me.

I felt something bump into my lower leg, bringing me out of my thoughts. I glance down, seeing a small boy had run into me. He looked up, opening his mouth to apologize but paused. He stood awe stricken after catching sight of my eyes. I rarely ever get a look like that. I felt warmth creep into my chest, causing me to smile. I went to ruffle his hair, but a call of what sounded like a crow mating with a hyena halted my actions.

"Get away from my son you freakish mistake!" A woman screeched, marching up to me. I winced, preparing for a life without hearing. She pushed people out of her way, creating a path for her onslaught. Her tight bun had a few strands that flew from her face, whipping into her hate filled eyes. She snatched the kid away from me, her long, manicured nails digging into his wrist as she dragged him a few feet away. The woman bent down to her son and said firmly, "Stay away from that... that thing... he is nothing but a monster." She sent me a glare filled with pure contempt, and yanked her son away.

With the last few moments that I was in his eyesight, the boy stared at me, then up at his mom, mulling over her words. He scrunched up his eyebrows, surely wondering why his mother would say such things about the purple-eyed teenager. His gaze settled back on me one last time, and my heart clenched. There, on the small child's face, was an expression of disgust. Disgust that was placed there by his mother's words. His glare held my sober gaze, before the ocean of bodies swallowed him into the crowd.

That's how this cycle of hate goes for me. One person implants their hatred into someone else, and then it gets passed on and on. I doubt anyone really knows why they hate me. Sure, maybe I wasn't necessarily born, and maybe I had no sense of physical pain, and I had glowing purple eyes, and...

Maybe there are some valid reasons for their hatred. I'm nothing but an experiment after all. If I can't feel physical pain, they probably think that emotional pain escapes me too. It can't be easy to relate to me either, I miss out on one of the most raw human experiences.

I guess I can understand why people hate me. Sometimes even I tend to feel a little hate towards myself. It's kinda hard when it feels like the whole world is against me, and I don't have anyone to turn to. All I have are my thoughts, and even they can be jerks too.

I run a hand through my hair and sigh, letting out all my pitiful thoughts in a long exhale. I need to stop with my bouts of depression, others probably have it worse than me. Some completely normal people are treated worse than I. Some people are kicked out of their homes simply for being themselves. I mean, how crazy is that?

I square up my shoulders, nudging my way back into the crowd of people. Today doesn't seem to be the public's avoiding day for me, they seem to be in more of a abusing mood. Honestly, I prefer being avoided, I can get places faster. Abuse days are the worst, I can never seem to catch a break. Some people will take the name to an extreme and quite literally beat the crap out of me. Most though tend to just kinda shove me around.

I've always wondered how the entire town settled on the type of day it will be. Everyone will treat me the same everywhere I go. Maybe it has something to do with the weather and trajectory of the sun and moon, or something. It's possible the entire town of Granhawk gets an email telling people how to treat me, and to what extent the treatment will be taken to. I've had days of avoidance where people simply wouldn't look me in the eye, and other days where a cashier would take the customer after me in the checkout line without sparing me a glance.