The Story of Six (SELF-PUBLISHED) | ✔

Part One.

“Even more, I have never meant to love him. One thing I truly knew, knew it in the pit of my stomach, in the center of my bones, knew it from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, knew it deep in my chest, was how love gave someone the power to break you—broken beyond repair”– Bella [New Moon]

When I was growing up, I tried to imagine what it’s like to be in love. I always wondered how it feels to have those fluttery butterflies swarming in your stomach, to dream about a happy future together with your partner, to experience first kiss and to be just an ordinary teenage girl. But in my case, maybe that was a bit too much to even ask.

I am Six, and yes, I am not your ordinary teenage girl. Even my name suggests that I am not normal. I’ll be happy to explain why I am named that way, but sadly I have no recollection of my past self, my parents, or the reason why I am kept in this prison-like room.

I’m not the only one though; there are ten of us. Teenagers like me are being locked up in rooms and being studied by doctors. During the entire day, they keep examining our bodies— from every cell to every tendon, to the very core of our own existences. And by night, we were tormented by the pain, spent hours of fighting the urge to scream, unable to sleep and driven mad by the experiences that this kind of life had brought us.

Yes, this is perhaps what you call a living hell.

“Hey Six, eat this and get some rest. Your result will be out tomorrow. Don’t worry, if the medicine works out well, you’re going back to your family,” one of the doctors named Alex said while giving me food and pain killers.

Well, I wonder about that. He already said that to me thrice, no, maybe even more than that. ‘If the medicine works out well’, what kind of medicine is he talking about anyway? Is it the one that they’re injecting us? That is medicine? It only gave us unbearable pain, how can they even call that medicine?

“Don’t eat that food. Don’t even touch it. Alex put something in there. Trust me”

“Who’s there?” I took a glimpse around me but no one else is around.

“My name is One. I’m in the room next to you. You’re the girl with those scarlet eyes, right? The one that they named Six?”

“Why do you know that? Are you one of the ten?”

“Yes.” He said and I sighed deeply. This is the first time that someone from the ten talked to me. In fact, it’s the first time that someone other than the doctors talked to me. “I’m the first one actually, that’s why my name was One. You’re the sixth person to be brought here that’s why you’re Six. Funny, right?” he seemed to have a very soft voice for a guy. I walk towards the wall where One's voice came from.

 “Why are we here? Why are they doing this to us?” I rested my left ear against the cold, hard wall. “Why aren’t we with our families?” a tiny drop of fluid fell from my eyes. I hurriedly wiped it off with the back of my hand and waited for a reply.

“That’s because we are not like the others. We’re far from normal. You know that too, right? We don’t have any families. It’s like we’re test subjects in this place, a specimen for their project. It’s the same with the other ten.”

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?!” I yelled with frustration. “I’m sick of this place! Can’t we go home? I want to leave this place. I want to see my family. I don’t even remember my real name anymore. Why am I here anyway? Is it because of my eyes? Just because I have these red eyes and the others don’t? Is that even enough reason to torment us? That’s way too crazy!”

“You might be right. But listen Six, we were born like this, no.. they made us like this. The memories of a happy family that you have, it isn’t yours. They implanted those inside your head. They’re just illusions, they were never true”

“But— but that’s impossible! They can’t possibly do that. It’s insane!”

“We all feel the same way”

“AH!” I was taken aback when I saw a guy sitting next to me. My heart pounded from the shock. I might as well be grateful that my weak body prevented me to jump out at him and knock him off. It’s just that his presence scared the hell out of me. I mean, he was just in the next room talking to me, isn’t he? Why is he suddenly here?! And he looks way different than a human being— well, I’m not one to talk though. But his difference is in a whole lot level than mine. His hair is pure silver and he has a very pale complexion. The vivid tint of gold in his iris and pupil is surprisingly mesmerizing— I was caught off guard I can’t even look away.

This person is utterly the embodiment of the word 'gorgeous'.