Writing Prompts I Found

1: Ten Years

My name is Pagos Cristalle.

I'm ten years old and it's been 10 years since I've seen my parents. I remember my birth perfectly. The cold, open air hit me hard and I screamed to clear the fluid from my lungs. Blood and other gunk from my mother was wiped from my body and I was set on something warm. My vision was blurry and everything was too loud and bright.

I assumed the warmth I was laying on was my mother, who ran her hand over my head affectionately and pressed her lips against my cheeks. Everything was fine until I was suddenly lifted from my mother's hold. I immediately began to wail, not liking the unfamiliar touch of these strangers. That was the last time I saw my mother.

Even if it's been a long time, I still remember her. My vision was a tad bit blurry, but I saw her face. I looked exactly like her. Red curls and emerald green eyes. I can't wait to see her again.

I was taken to a small community far, far away. I was raised by many people since diapers, being surrounded by children in the same situation as me. They raised me to be the "perfect" child. They taught me how to speak respectfully to adults the moment I was able to speak words. They taught me limits of where I should and should not go the moment I was able to use my legs. If I didn't do exactly what they said, I was beaten. Beaten with slapping hands and punching fists that would leave bruises. With loud belts and stingy sticks that would leave painful welts. But that's how I lived. They beat the obedience into me before I could even learn what disobedience was.

But that wasn't all they did. There were doctors. Once every week, we were sepreated by age and gender. And we were each brought into a small room with a doctor. They wore masks so I couldn't tell their genders or ages. As the adults had taught me, I was silent unless the doctors spoke to me first. They normally didn't.

They laid me on a small table and would injecting me with things. Syringes filled with different color liquids. Some only stung for a moment before not having any effect. Some burned so bad, I could feel it travelling in my veins. Some made me violently sick for days. Some seemed to have no effect for days before making me sick out of the blue. But I lived my life normally, thinking the experiments were normal.

"Everyone in this room has completed their courses," an old, bearded man with wrinkly caramel colored skin paced in front of us. It was all the ten year olds, genders mixed. I stood silently in the line, arms folded behind my back with my back straight and head up. Posture. Another thing burned into my brain. "I want to congratulate you all. Tomorrow you will be returned to the families you were born to and allowed to live your lives as you please. Our only reason of bringing you here was in hopes that you'll live long and healthy lives surrounded by loved ones. But once you leave here, your choices are out of our control. Make us proud."

"Yes sir," we all answered in unison.

I couldn't help but grin like an idiot as we were led back to the little cabins each of us lived in since infancy. I couldn't wait to go see my home.

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The next day, we were given a single suitcase to pack the little things we had. It truly wasn't anything. Just papers that recorded accomplishments and such. Even my birth certificate. I placed it all in my suitcase and followed the adult that came to collect me. I was immediately led to the clinic, feeling my arms ache from the memories of needles injecting my veins with nonsense. I held back a groan before letting myself be led into the clinic.

"I cannot believe we are going home today!" One young female sat in the waiting room with me and the others, her suitcase underneath her chair. "I cannot wait! I missed my mother and father so much!"

A doctor walked out and called my name. Well, they called "Cristalle, P" but that was like my name. It's what most adults called the children. I stood, leaving my suitcase and walking into the room. I immediately climbed onto the table, laying back without being told. I rolled my sleeves up, leaving my arms open for the doctor to do whichever they wished. The doctor fussed around at a table for a moment before approaching with a syringe. The liquid this time was an icy blue with white specks floating in it.

The doctor took my right arm, injecting the liquid into a vein near my shoulder. It didn't hurt that bad. It stung before I felt the liquid suddenly turn cold. I felt the chill travel from my shoulder, up my neck and into my head. I shivered, glad it didn't make me sick immediately, but worried what my parents would think of me if my first night home included me throwing up and passing out with a high fever.

Before I could leave, I felt another syringe getting pushed into my left wrist. I yelped my arm ripping away on its own. The doctor glared at me over the mask, making me shiver.

"I-I apologize, doctor. I d-did not mean to disobey. Please forgive m-me," I forced out, still cradling my wrist to my chest in fear. I didn't want to return home with a bruise thanks to my own stupidity.

The doctor took my wrist again and injected me with the rest of the liquid. The liquid was completely clear. A good portion of it had spilled on the table, escaping from the syringe when I pulled my hand away, but they didn't pay it any mind so neither did I. The liquid this time made me slightly dizzy and tired. The doctor then dismissed me and I walked out of the room, swaying a bit as another adult led me out of the clinic already holding my suitcase. From that point on, I don't really remember much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up on a bus filled with several other children my age. An adult shook my shoulder to wake me fully, telling me I had arrived to my home. I stood up, taking my luggage and eagerly waving goodbye to the other children. Some smiled and waved back. Others seemed asleep still, or at least partly asleep. I left the bus, looking over and seeing the house. It wasn't all that great. It was small and seemingly rundown, but I didn't mind. My parents lived in that house. I couldn't wait to see them.

The adult led me to the house, knocking on the door. There was slight arguing before the door did open. The adult stood in front of me, preventing me from seeing who had answered. They shared soft words before the adult took my arm and led me inside. The house smelled bad. The furniture was old and stained. The floor was stained too. So were some of the walls. Other parts had paint peeling off. Other than that, it wasn't all that bad. I looked up, seeing an adult female smiling at me. Excitement bubbled in my chest, but once I met eyes with her, that excitement melted.

"Who.. Who are you..?"

A firm blow hit the back of my head, sending me stumbling. I reached my arms up, protecting the spot the adult who led me here had hit and letting a small pained whimper escape. I had spoken out of turn. I opened my mouth to apologize before the adult female who lived in the house reached and pulled me closer to her.

"Don't worry about it sir, really! He hasn't done anything wrong, he's just a child.."

I looked up at her, frowning. Who was this woman? And why was she defending me? The adult just huffed and turned, leaving the house completely. The adult female then turned and kneeled in front of me with a smile.

"Hello Quinn! You've grown so much," she reached and cupped my cheek, but I pulled away a bit. "Welcome home, little one.."

At that, I pushed her hand away completely.

"You aren't my mother," I blurted out, fear boiling in my chest. "Who are you? Where's my real mother?! Why am I here?!"

The woman flinched back a little bit before reaching again. "Quinn-"

"That's not my name!" For once in my life, I yelled. I couldn't help it. I was afriad and confused. Who was this woman?! Why was she calling me "Quinn"?! The adults must have left me at the wrong house.. "This is a mistake! I want my real parents!"

"But.. We are your real parents," she responded weakly, gesturing to a door across the room. Apperently her partner was in a different room. "Quinn dear-"

"No!" I cried, pushing my suitcase away and backing away from her. "No! Stop calling me Quinn! My name is Pagos! And you are not my mother!"

As if triggered by my anger, I waved my arm at the woman to keep her away and a sudden burst of frost flew out. The woman threw herself to the ground, the frost covering the wall behind her. I froze, staring at the wall in horror as the frost slowly began to melt. I stared at my hands in pure terror before turning and pressing my hand against the wall behind me. Ice spread out across the wall from underneath my palm. I ripped my hand away with a soft gasp. Was this.. because of what the doctor injected me with..?!

What the heck is going on?!