See Me

#11 Friend or Foe?

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     They're watching me.
     At least 50 pairs of glossy eye watch me. It's everywhere I look; the grinning face of a doll. I sit hunched in the middle of a room filled with dolls. They all face me with fake smiles and empty eyes. One of them falls off it's shelf, landing on the floor right next to me. I jump and pull my knees tighter to my body. My face is wet with tears. Why do they all stare? I cant take this any longer! I've been here for days, with no one but the dolls. I don't want them here.
     Grabbing the doll next to me, I viscously tear out it's eyes. Than I pull off it's head. I'm not sure how many pieces I tore all the dolls into. I don't know when the knife appeared in my hand, or when my vision turned red and fragmented. I just know all the doll parts that littered the ground. After a while, I stopped moving. I laid on the large pile of stuffing, unable to move. I've become my own enemy. 

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Stuffing 18 adult males in the same room, some being basically children, went pretty much how one would imagine it to be. Complete anarchy. I'm honestly surprised that the neighbors didn't call the front desk about us. Seto wanted us all to lay low for the rest of the day. He says that it's better to move at night. What wasn't mentioned is what he said about knowing my mother. Seto wouldn't tell me when I asked. I'm not sure what to think about that. I don't even remember my mother very well with all that's happened in between. The rest of my shadows are also uncomfortable with the subject. Most of them never met her. Would a mother love her son and thirteen copies? Would a loving mother hand her child over to the white room? I'll try not to think about it.

     Sleeping in shifts wasn't a big issue, either. The 14 of us were already used to it. Adam was out like a rock. Seto seemed to want to take a shift, but quickly found it unnecessary with so many of us. I don't think Jason slept much at all. I feel really bad with dragging them into all of this. I'm not sure where they'll be by the end. They have a right to freak out...... or to hate me. I wonder, whatever happed to Mitch and Jerome? They're plane was suppose to land just a few hours after Adam's. Would they be looking for me, too?

     "If you fidget one more time, I'll  tie you up with Brine's cloak!", Demon saps, his voice lowered. It's about an hour until sunset, and we're the only three awake, somehow. I sit on the floor and listen to the two bicker. Everyone else is clonked out wherever there's room.

     "But it's soooooo boring", Beatlox groans, laying on his back next to me. Demon growls at his complaint. I just sigh, my deep brooding session interrupted. Beat repositions himself on the floor and makes Demon grit his teeth.

     "Ok, new plan", he hisses, turning to me, "Go take him out on a walk, or something! I'm sure there's someplace around here with public WiFi". Beat immediately perks up at the idea, trying to drag me out the door.

"But Seto said-", I start, but Demon interrupts me.

     "If you don't take Beatlox out to do something now, imagine how he's going to me in the car", he sighs and adverts his eyes before continuing, "I know how important this is, and I don't want to mess it up. Just go somewhere public with lots of people". There's the hidden angle. Demon always seems to have better reasons for his words than his name suggests. Beat pays no mind to the conversation, finally getting me up off the floor.

     "Ok..... we'll be back before dark. Look after everyone for me". Demon nods and motions us away. It probably is better to get some fresh air. We're suppose to drive seven straight hours in one vehicle. Mostly all my shadows will have to ride in the trunk, or we could take turns. I'll probably be back there for the entire ride.

     The small motel was built right next to the city's downtown area. When I got captured, we were taken to a place only a few hours from home. Seto drove to this town in about five hours in the opposite direction. I've actually never been here before. You don't travel very much with a large group of invisible children to look after. Beatlox sticks close to my side as we step out of the small hotel. It's kinda weird to be out and about like this. The few people that are still out have no idea what's going on. No white room for them. But at the same time, I'm grateful for it.

     "Hey, Deadlox?", Beat asks me. His voice is more somber than I've ever heard it. I can't respond out loud with the few people around. Instead, I slightly turn my head in acknowledgment. Beat's fiddling with his phone as we keep walking.

     Do..... Do you think I'm annoying?", he mumbles. My eyes widen at that. I take a quick look around before grabbing his arm and ducking into an ally. Beat turns around to face me, his expression guarded.

     "Why would you even think that?", I ask him in confusion.

     'Well um, everything is getting so serious and, um, I'm not-", Beat starts stuttering, but I stop him.

     'You're not annoying, Beat. In fact, who knows if Seto would of been able to rescue us without you putting out the power? There would of been way more trucks after us if they could've used the spotlights! You saved us, and in the most Beatlox way possible". Beat's neon blue eyes seem to get brighter at my words, his face lighting up.

     "Thank you", he smiles.

     We're interrupted by heavy boot steps. Beat jumps and moves beside me while I whirl around to face the intruder. The man stands with his back facing the ally entrance. The end behind us is just a brick wall. The man is dressed in some kind of military uniform, wearing strange goggles over his eyes and a mask covering his face. He can see Beatlox. And he's pointing a gun straight at me. My body locks in place, and I freeze like an idiot. I'm starring down the barrel of the gun at point blank range. The  man doesn't say a word, his body tense and finger on the gun's trigger. The only solution I can think of is trying to buy myself some more time to think of a better plan.

     "Hey.... how's your day going?", I nervously laugh, my voice sounding strained. The man doesn't react, still staring at me with the gun up. Damn, this was a terrible idea. Classic horror movie mistake; you should never split up. "Not m-much of a talker?", I stutter after a moment of silence. Beat seems to catch on to my stalling.

     "You wouldn't happen to have a hotspot I could use, would you?", he asks, looking absolutely sincere. The man still doesn't move.

     "Well, I'm Ty. Nice to meet you", I croak. The only thing that stands between me and a bullet is one pull of a trigger. And it's not only my life, but all my Shadow's lives, too. It's the near death experiences like these that really make you cling to life. I have the horrible memories from the white room, but staring death in the face really makes me think of them as something precious. Beat whimpers from behind me and grabs onto the bottom of my shirt. I don't blame him. I'm about crapping myself as well.

     No one moves or speaks for almost a full minute. Then, something strange happens. The masked man starts to shake. His grip is still tight on the gun and trigger, but his arm slightly shakes. He suddenly stumbles back and drops the gun. I also jump back and almost step on Beat. The stranger seems to be hyperventilating. He claws at his mask and goggles, tearing them off. He faces away from us with his hands tangled in his hair. I know they were just aiming a gun at my face, but I can't help it. I'm protective of people; I care too much. Beat squeaks and tries to pull me back when I move towards the man. I pull myself away and kneel down where the man has crouched. They flinch at my nearness.

     "Hey.... are you alright", I hesitantly ask him. His breath hitches, stumbling over his reply.

     "I-I almost killed y-you. I was gonna do it", he says in shock and horror at himself. That's when he finally turns to look at me, eyes red with tears.

     "Mitch?"