Raven Flight

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I'm not that Smart

When I awoke, my mind was whirling much more than usual. I couldn't figure out where I was, and I had an unusual sense of fear coursing through my body. What was especially strange was the fear was natural; It wasn't caused by some freak-show with strange abilities, and it wasn't caused by my mind fighting some new drug or chemical. I was actually scared, which was a strange and terrifying new experience for me. My breathing quickened, and my palms started to sweat as my eyes darted back and forth through the darkness behind my eye lids. I lost my wary control and fought with my fear for the ability to power my own bodily functions. The moment of complete panic ended and I calmed myself slowly, rolling my neck on my shoulders and breathing deep to get the fresh, oxygen-filled, adrenalin-less blood flowing through my loosening muscles. Just in case of any emergency, I went over all the things I could do to keep myself awake and aware of my surroundings. Dig my fingernails into my palm, bite my lip, pinch myself (an oldie but a goodie, and not just for bad dreams), things like that that sent fresh bursts of pain to clear my mind when I couldn't get myself under control on my own. But first, I thought, I need to find out where I am, and where the enemy is. It was my immediate reaction, as it would be to any intelligent person in these situations, or even any person who isn't totally stupid. This is what I almost always did in times of trouble, when I had to prepare myself to do things that were hidden to my eyes. It had quite a few days since I had been introduced by the welcoming committee, though I wasn't exactly how long, maybe a little longer than a week, and I was still on the defensive for anything that was unusual.

I slowly opened my eyes and examined my surroundings. It seemed like I was in a coffin-like box, except standing vertically above ground, and the space was nearly claustrophobic. Since I couldn't see, I had no clue where the enemy was so I resorted quickly to my sharply adapted listening (really comes in handy when you're spying on the orphanage teachers or on other children). Outside it was unusually quiet, as if I was the only living being in both the space I was currently accommodating as well as the surrounding area, and I wondered when they would show up to let me acknowledge their presence, or to know I wasn't being abandoned. Minutes and hours went by with nothing to do but stand in that isolated box, and listen to my own breathing, devoid of any light other than the colors swirling behind my eyelids. Are they trying to break me with boredom? I wondered, after what seemed like an infinity of never-ending black expanse of emptiness. I didn't know, but if they were, they were failing more than they could have known. They might have been trying to leave me to myself, as some people go crazy from having no company devoid of oneself, but I decided that if they really had known me better, they would have never even tried. I could stand being alone with only my thoughts to entertain me for months at a time, if not years, depending on how much imagination was stored in the compact space of my skull, and how far into space I would be able to let it free to roam. I gave a small grin, but composed the chuckle before it escaped. They would kill me of hunger and thirst before they would of boredom, that was for sure.

I wondered if that was their plan, to leave me without food or water until I could stand it no longer, and I either died, ridding them of an enemy, or went insane and begged them for nourishment, at which that point they would then know my breaking point of physical and mental strength. Even if they did leave me, I would probably, and hopefully, be able to seep the extra sustenance out of others like I did energy.

Left peacefully with my mind so long, I began to wander through my thoughts aimlessly while still staying alert to my ever-present and ever-silent surroundings. I realized I had always called the people who had captured me “the enemy”. That I knew of, they hadn't even made themselves a cool, easy-to-remember name like most good comic-book villains did, and if they already had, they didn't use it freely enough to where I would have realized what they were addressing. After thinking on it awhile, I came to a name that fit them perfectly: TOM. It covered both their unexplained, childlike idiocy that would not have fit a well-made name, and at the same time showed exactly what they did to be evil. TOM, quite cleverly, stood for Taking Others' Minds, and gave me something at least to call them until they faced the issue themselves. Personally, once I had thought on it, I really liked it, whether that was just my personality at the time, or whether that was the sleep-deprivation and hunger talking to itself.