Corruption

Screaming

Prologue

Two people sat in a room. One, calm and collected, watching the person on the other side of the cold metal table with deep interest. The other, barely hanging onto sanity while their mind fought against them, their bodies never stilling for more than a moment.

The first adjusted his stark white coat, smoothing all of the wrinkles out of the cuffs. He patiently waited for the other to speak again, knowing he couldn't push them. With their fragile state of mind, you needed patience.

The scientist watched the other with a thoughtful look, wondering how they could once be strong and powerful, but now reduced to a drooling, screaming mess of a person. Their jumper loosely hung on their thin frame, barely hanging on twig like shoulders. It wasn't their fault they were that thin, they can't eat without it coming right back up.

"It's all wrong." The patient mumbled to themselves, hollow eyes swiveling around the room, not allowing their mind to process what they saw before they jumped again.

"It wasn't supposed to end like this." They said again, voice hoarse from the constant screaming at night. Fingers twitching constantly, never pausing to rest.

"What-" The doctor really tried to communicate with them, but that's like asking him to hold an angry cat. The patient jerked and fought against their restraints as if they were a caged animal.

"IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS! IT WASN'T! I-I PROMISE!" They interrupted with a guttural screamed, limbs struggling against their bonds. Their raw skin continuing to rub against the fabric roughly. The action elicited more pain, droning out the constant voices in their corrupted mind.

"How was it supposed to end?" The doctor pulled up his clipboard and gave the weak human a calm look. Keeping his emotions in check so his own feelings wouldn't affect the person in front of his still self.

"NOT LIKE THIS!" They panicked, tongue continually licking their chapped lips like it was a drug they needed to satisfy their unquenchable hunger. "Never like this. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS! PLEASE BELIEVE ME! I-I PROMISE!"

Their body convulsed, bottom lip stuck between their two rows of terribly sharp teeth. The episode went on for a few minutes, blood soon running down their chin from biting so hard. Cracked, sharp fingernails scratched at the armrest, deep grooves cut through the leather and now scratching at the metal. It took a little longer for them to calm themselves, body going as calm as it could be.

"Both sides were supposed to survive. BOTH! NONE OF THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO H-HAPPEN!" Tears streamed down their face like rivulets, wetting their collar with little drops.

"What did happen? We know that you remember everything." He asked, lacing his fingers together in front of him. The patient stilled for a few moments and glared at the table with a hatred no one should hold.

"I remember everything." They hissed to themselves. Unwanted memories climbing to the surface and dancing in their vision. All of the death and destruction, heartbreak and pain, the continuous loss. Tears full of broken promises and hollow words fell down their cheeks.

"Tell us about it. We can't help you if we don't know the whole story." The man gave a small sigh and pulled a trinket out of his pocket, showing the twisted person in front of them what he held.

They froze, eyes wide in pain and loathing. "Where did you get that? Did your organization 'find it' like last time? TELL ME!"

"You should stop shouting, it's bad for your health. Your throat is already injured enough." The man poured the other a cup of water and slid it across the table with a small screech. It was simply a sign of good will, knowing they couldn't take the cup and drain the sweet liquid to flow over their parch throat.

The reaction was violent, as they flinched at the awful sound. "We meant well, this wasn't supposed to be the end. THE END WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER! WE WOULD ALL LIVE AND SPEND THE REST OF OUR LIVES TOGETHER!" They screeched like a barn owl on steroids.

"WE WERE JUST CHILDREN!"

The dark haired man held his hands up in surrender, showing he meant no ill will. The second person flinched at the show of open palms, more memories surfacing like piranhas. 

"How was it supposed to end, what went wrong?" He pushed, watching their rapid eye movement with a knowing look.

"Not like this. THEY'RE ALL DEAD! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BLOODY LIVE! THAT'S HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE! I SHOULD BE LAYING RIGHT ALONG WITH THEM SIX FEET UNDER!" They weeped with undeniable sorrow. Cries that made anyone's own hearts throb for the shattered shell of a human being.

"My f-family! BUT YOU KEPT ME ALIVE! W-Why?" They choked on each word, stomach churning from their mind attacking itself with requite. Their body wanted to purge themselves of all of the horrors, but you couldn't wipe the mind.

"We needed you. The battlefield was sodden with bodies, only one still alive. You. We needed to know what happened to prevent such things to in the future. It's crucial you remember." The scientist's clipped voice informed like he was diagnosing them.

"But I never wanted t-this. IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO END LIKE THIS!" They screamed until their throats closed up and forbade them from screaming again.

"Tell me the story, then we can put you down."

"Okay."

"Where does it start?

"We were just children."