Expriment 00X

Chapter 5

Papers fly everywhere. The boys look at me wide eyed, and I have the same expression on my face "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what happened." I say too quietly for them to hear and my hands shake. Am I afraid of myself? I decide I should probably clean a little. I didn't notice I was still crying till a tear hit a piece of paper, then I snap. I pull my legs close to my chest and cry my heart out. Was I always like this? I felt like I was strong since I never cried in my cage. I feel people on each side of me with arms wrapped around me. "It's okay Payton" I hear a whisper in my ear, I can't tell who it is "is that my name?" I feel arms loosen around me. I feel cold now. I look to see who it is, it's Brady, anger fills me up again, and I frown at him, and he slowly backs away but the further he gets the more I want him back. I can't lose one of my only friends I put my hand on his, and he stops, my frown turns into a pout, and I start crying again, I don't know what about. I rub my eye's with the heel of my hands, so they don't see. Brady moves closer. He wraps his arms around me again. Somehow we end up pulling my mattress off my bed, and we pull the thin foam cover off my mattress because there's only enough room for two people to sleep on the mattress. So we fold the foam in half, and I offered to sleep on it since I was used to sleeping on the floor, but, the boys refused. I try to pull the extra blanket from out from the top of my closet. Dang, why do I have to be short. Ryker comes behind me and pulls it off, then pats my head, I feel small around them. He tosses Brady that blanket since it's smaller since Ryker and I need the coverage. Yes, somehow Ryker and I are on the bed. I go to the closet and change into silky purple pj's, both the boys stare "W-What?" I finally manage to get out. I try to cover myself more with my hands. I feel my cheeks warm up with embarrassment. "Oh, nothing" Ryker finally says as they both lay down. I walk over and switch the light off and try to walk back to the bed, but I slip on some papers and go tumbling down. I try to catch myself but fail, and I walloped my forehead on my concrete floor, I clench my fists and kick around on the floor "Are you okay? That sounded like it hurt."

"Mhm" I know if I opened my mouth a scream of pain would come out. I hear springs move. Now I know it was Ryker. I listen to his footsteps come closer to my body. He effortlessly lifts me into the air, and I feel the comfort of the mattress below me, and he covers me up. I hear my curtains open and see a hallway light come on, a few minutes later the light turns off, and I listen to the sound of the curtains opening, then someone slips into bed with me. I feel wetness press against my forehead "Sorry this was the best I could do, the kitchen is kind of far away, and it's hard to see" I stop him by putting his hand on my forehead to hold the cold paper towel. I wince a little at the pressure of his hand touching my bruise "If it hurts why do you put my hand there?"

"I don't want to hold it all night, duh."

"So you're going to make me hold it?" I nod. He smiles and laughs a little which makes me smile and laugh but trying to keep quiet, so we don't wake Brady "Was I always such a cry baby?"

"So you believe us?" He asks

"I'm not sure yet. Just answer my question please" He sighs

"You acted tough around other people, but, around us two you would cry when you got home if somebody said something mean and we would always be there for you." He rubs his thumb in a circular motion around my bruise. It was calming "I used to do this when you were upset" I don't do anything "Have any more questions?" He asks as his thumb keeps going in circles "How long have we known each other?" He nods like it was a real good question "Since we were born really. Our parents were friends in high school through college, and so on we mainly grew up together." Removing the wet paper towel, I ask my next question.

"How did I end up in here?"

"That's enough questions" He answers right away "It's been a long day let's sleep" He puts his hand down from my forehead. Lucky I didn't get the night vision from my animal side. I wake up to a horn I sit up right away and look around "Good morning 00X" I hear an older man's voice. I rub my eyes to see more clearly I look up to see a man slicked back hair and a small beard. He's tapping his foot "You come with me, it's back to the cage with you. You're not allowed to have people spend the night you're an 'it' nothing more"

"Dad-" Brady says but his father gives him a death glare "I want nothing from you. it's an 'it' can't you see she is nothing more than that now!" His father snaps. He is a terrifying man, but I won't let him talk to Brady like that. "it was my fault, I forced them to stay." My eyes dart into his, but, his are like fire that burn into me, my skin crawls. I'm challenging someone I probably shouldn't. "Are you challenging me girl?" he takes a step forward, but I don't move it makes me look more of a threat "Yes," I say before the boys can stop me. The man backhand slaps me. My face turns the way he hit me and my hair covers my face "Clean this mess up!" Then he leaves just like that. I'm stunned I've never been hit before. besides getting beat up by robot things, but that's a different story. I moved my hand up to my cheek and winced at the pain, I feel tears threaten to pour out, but I hold them back. I turn and look at the boys who already started to clean my room "Guys" oh no tears, luckily only one slips out "Thanks for the help, but I can do it." They just leave without a word. I try and pick my mattress up, but I fall onto the foam mattress now I'm crushed. I try to push it off, but I'm to weak "Knock knock" a young boy, younger than me looks down at the helpless self I am right now. "Do you need help?" I nod. He must heel sorry for me. He may be younger than me, but he's taller and stronger than me. "How old am I?" I'm not sure, if I don't remember my past, I just want to make sure "Oh, you're talking finally. What number are you" I blink trying to remember. The only name that's going through my head is my real name, Payton. He shakes his head like he's disappointed that I can't remember. He finally pushes the mattress off and lends me a hand and pulls me up "Thanks" he nods. He fixes my bed since he thinks I'm incapable of doing it. I snap my fingers. "00X That's my number!" He smiles a turns to leave, he opens my curtain, and there's a cart with needles, medicine and all kinds of stuff. "You're 15." I frown "What's wrong?" he grabs a needle with blue liquid in it "I'm too young for any of this to happen" He carefully puts the blue liquid in the surgeon, and I carefully watch his every move. "Oh, I'm sorry" He must be one of those robots, seriously I've never heard anyone talk with no emotion like this boy. I shrug and smile. He walks closer with the needle, and I feel like everything slows down. I can hear the echo of his steps. "I promise it won't hurt" his voice snaps me out of my trance. "You sure?" he puts his hand on my shoulder and nods "Okay I need you to tilt your head to the side and move your hair" I do as I'm told, I don't want to get in trouble. He takes the needle and sticks it in my neck, it doesn't hurt but it feels weird "So how old are you?" I ask before he puts the blue liquid in my throat "I'm 13" he pulls the needle away, I nod. "Now just a warning, the blue liquid will leave a scar" he says as his finger taps his neck. I walk to the mirror almost slipping on paper since I didn't fully clean my room. I put my hand on the wall next to my mirror to stop me from falling. I look at myself; I touch the other fur at the tip of my ears, then my hand slowly moves down to the bruise on my forehead, my fingers move down brush right under my left eye "I wonder what color my eyes were before?" I put my right hand on the bruise on my right cheek, I look down at my new scar, it starts in the middle of my neck and down to my collar bone. Too many imperfections for my liking. "Well breakfast is ready if you want some." he walks closer and pulls something out of his pocket "Here's a map of the place in case you ever get lost. Oh, and I circle the number around your room, so you know which one is yours, good luck and have a nice day" he waves and walks down to the next room with his cart "Yeah you too!" I yell. He turns and waves one more time before disappearing.