FLAWED

Chapter 1

James had been living inside the facility for over a three years now he was almost 15.

"Wake up kid you have visitors coming today" the guard spoke to him with a blank tone that held no sign of actual interest whatsoever

James was used to the visitors, they came every year. Most of the visitors that came to see him were students that often visited as part of a "fieldtrip" to study the world's last flawed.

He hated having to stare at people his own age peering at him with disgust and often tossing things at him. Most citizens were kind and lived in harmony, amongst eachother. But when they saw him they did nothing kind instead they tossed things at him and screamed but he no longer payed any attention because he was used to it

He got up and walked around his cell that looked more like a giant glass cube which was transparent from every angle possible. He was only allowed privacy when using the toilet and shower, otherwise his life was for all to see. He actually preferred the way the walls were see-through, although the rows of cells next to him were empty he liked knowing he wasn't locked in a dark hole in the middle of nowhere.

The facility was like the prisons they used to have in the old days, however unlike the solid concrete walls the structure of the cells was made of a transparent material that allowed sunlight in. The exterior of the building however was made out of solid steal as to prevent curious bystanders from peering in and restricting anyone from getting out.

On visitation day they placed James on a small platform securing his hands and feet with chains against a pilar. He wasn't the only exhibit in the facility, however, he was the only live prisoner they had under custody. Most of the others had been discharged and kept refrigerated as an exhibit.

"Let's go, don't waste my time kid" a guard placed handcuffs around his hands and feet securing him on the platform he was going to spend the next couple of hours standing on.

He stood still, he had learned not to pull on the chains, the one time he did it made his wrist bleed until he couldn't feel them. They didn't treat him immediately or at all actually that day they merely waited until visiting hours were over to toss him away inside his cold cell. He lost all nerve endings on his hands and wrists after that. It made him a great fighter however, since he physically couldn't feel pain on his hands anymore. But he knew it was best not to do it again, he just got lucky the first time.

Slowly the people started coming, one group after the other, surrounding him and taking pictures like he was some kind of rare animal.

The adults weren't so bad they looked at him with disgust but continued along, it was the kids his own age he abhorred to the very bone. They kicked and screamed vile things at him not with any anger but with the understanding he was the outcast and the freak and he deserved to be treated as such. Emotions or not people followed what society portrayed as "normal" and shamed those who weren't.

James looked up to see the children with sneers on their faces but that didn't catch his attention as much as the food they were holding did, he saw the popcorn and ice cream, smelled the cotton candy and the melting caramel on the apples. It made his mouth water but he tried hard to ignore the intense hunger pain in his stomach. A couple of boys stood around him staring him down, shoving food into their mouths not really caring about the way it fell on the ground being wasted.

After all how could they appreciate food when they have all they could ever need at their disposal thought James

"Is it true that you can produce actual tears flawed?" The kid towered oved him and walked around him like a predator hunting a small sheep

"Well is it?" A fist hit his ribcage making him cry out, it felt like his bones were nothing but a couple of twigs that could easily break. They didn't feed him much, why waste good food on a flawed right?

He was able to stand up slowly but he flinched as a ball of spit hit his right eye, he felt the sticky substance running down his face but couldn't wipe it away since his hands were tied behind him.

The continuous insults began and so were the punches from the crowd of children, through the sea of kids he saw a small thin boy staring at him not taking part in any of it, simply staring while holding a bag of candy on his hands. The boy's bright blue eyes matched the color of the sky outside that he rarely saw nowadays, his hair was a red-ish tone with messy strands that fell over his eyes making him appear almost kind. The boy quickly followed his stare to the bag of candy in his hand and James looked away ashamed to be caught staring and caught longing for some food.

He soon forgot his embarrassment.

One of the kids produced a lighter out of his pockets and lit it. It was a souvenir sold in the gift shop but dangerous nonetheless especially in the hands of a child who knew security wasn't going to be around until the visiting was over.

"Tell us when to stop"

*******

James was on the floor, hands swollen and partly burned. The kids had heated his handcuffs making them as hot as an iron being pressed on skin, he eventually gave in and cried not to make them stop but because he was genuinely hurt

The cure didn't necessarily extract your emotions making you a robot, it just made you stable. Never too happy, never too sad. It took away sadness, anxiety but it also took guilt making inhuman behaviors justifiable in the eyes of those who were cured. They didn't have guilt to drive them to compassion on someone like James.

He leaned against the pillar and let the tears roll down his cheek now that he was alone

"Hey don't cry" he turned to find himself face to face with the red haired kid from earlier

James was unsure if he should feel afraid but the small boy promptly produced a small bag from his coat before James could ask any questions and extended the bag to him

"My name is Michael. M-Michael Lester, Want some candy?"