BLINDSIDED

CHAPTER 1 "Reassurance."

"Get them you idiots! Don't let them escape!" a voice echoed on top of a soft blur of a siren, and several directful chirps. My mother held me tightly against her chest, as we quickly skidded away from the large confinement of our room. It was me, my mother, and 3 other taffies. The door had been jammed while a scientist tried to come in, and we decided to run for it. We were desperate for an escape. I could hear my mother huff heavily, and the tongues of my species that spoke, chirping from a few other taffies her age. We turned a corner, suddenly one of my fellow taffies gasps, screeching, as a scientist leaps on top of them. They've caught up to us, as we're all equally matched. My mother kept running, widespread panic growing larger on her face. I'm a bit worried too, my small heart beating heavily against hers. Another taffy yelps, as they're taken down by a tranquilizer. I hear my mother's breath sharply wheezing, but she's determined to get to the vent just several feet ahead of her. Another taffy down. It's just me and my mother now. "Shoot her god damn it!" a hoarse voice hollars, it sends chills under my skin. "Mom! They're going to get you!" I blurt out, worriedly. She growls. Her legs tremble as she continues to sprint, but I can tell she's overworked, as i can hear her painful heaving. A soft whiz flys through the air and then a slick! My mother falls to the floor, and I'm thrown out of her arms. I land roughly onto the white tiled floor, a cold feeling explodes on my left side. "Run Mint! Run to the vent!" I stumble upwards, and scrambled to her. I tug on her arm, but she struggles to get up herself. "No! Mint! Run! Please! I'll be okay Mint!"

A scientist walks up to us, grabbing my mother by the wrappers. She cries in pain. I step back, and gasp at his incoming colleague. I look at my mother with fear perched in my eyes, as she chokes. "Go! Go!" I turn tail and dash away. I stumble at first, but I end up picking up pace. My tiny legs carry me towards the vent. I hear the cock of the tranquilizer gun, but i'm still focused on the vent. I feel something sharp pierce my back, and I fall onto the floor. I was just merely inches from freedom. The injection quickly blacks me out, as they'd given me an adult dosage. As i fade from consciousness, everything quickly turns to a white blur, a groggy feeling forming in my head. A soft ringing flows through my hearing, as do soft click clacking of yellow boots as he approaches me. Suddenly, everything turns completely black.

I hear the faint rustle of metal, and scientific tools. I opened my eyes, but flinch at the bright lights that illuminate the room. My muscles ache, a pouding pain pulsating through my head. "Mmm...m-mooom..?" I softly groan out. It feels like I'm tied up to a wall, my ankles and wrists cuffed in iron bracelets. After a few seconds of silence, I hear someone approach me, giggling quietly. "You're a fast one, aren't cha?" Flask. I jerk up, terror in my eyes. The familiar voice made my heart drop. It felt like a terrible honor to come face to face with such evil. "I-i..uhm.." I quivered. The tube slowly positioned himself better, his sharp eyes sneering at me with a toothy grin. "Haha..well, you seem more than ready to get worked on! Your first won't be all that too harsh sweetie!" I let out a little gasp. "Nonono! Please! I don't want you to hurt me!" I try to wiggle free, but it's completely useless. He swiftly walks back to a tray and grabs a white spray bottle. He trots over, and smiles. "You might wanna hold still darling." The chains on me grow tighter, as i see a lab worker by a control panel holding down a button. Flask holds my eyelids open, spraying the fluid into both eyes. He backs up, as the pain begins to settle in. My eyes begin to water, an incredibly painful burning sensation filling them up. I scream, trying to wiggle free. I've dealt with cuts and bruises, but this was much worse. My heavy sobbing drowns out my painful screams, I gulp for air, trying to catch my breath. The entire time, Flask just watched. Well, he stood in front of me. I couldn't bare to look up to his gaze. I was already in enough pain. A few minutes pass by, and the pain suddenly, but softly subsides.

"See, now that wasn't that bad..now was it?" He cocks his head with a crooked smile. Another worker approaches us, and then turns to me. They held a long needle, filled with some liquid substance. I was too weak and exhausted to care, as they jabbed the needle into my side. I whimpered, a couple left over tears slipping out as I held my eyes shut.

The chains were then removed, and I sulked onto the floor. I gently rubbed my wrists, my head started to feel woozy. I stopped rubbing my bruised wrists, and fell back into sleep.

I open my numb eyes a little, and it looks as if i'm in a dark room. I was laying on the floor, a bit of light glittered through a small window just on the other side of the small, spacious room. I laid completely still, I couldn't bare sitting up. I felt incredibly weak, my ankles and wrists still aching. I close my eyes, letting out a soft sigh.

"H-huh? Hello?" I hear a small, faded voice. It came out in the corner of the room. They sounded just as of a taffy, so I managed to pick myself up. I grunted, pushing myself upwards with my hands, pain nibbling at my wrists. I sit up, looking across the room. Squinting, I noticed a small friend all curled up in that little corner, their wrappers similar to mine, but one was completely torn off. They were a delicate orange, a white circle covering up most of their face. Tangerine. I guessed. I crawled a bit closer, and quickly noticed something odd about them. When I did, my heart dropped. Their eyes were..pale, and had awful claw marks dug into them. I came closer, with a bit more sympathy. "Are you alright?" I purred, but they seemed to follow my voice more than me. "N-no..i can't..see." they whispered. I sat down in front of them. "Well, i'm not here to hurt you..im Green PepperMint Taffy, but you can call me Mint." I let out a soft smile. "Im..Tangerine Taffy..my mom used to call me Tangy." I perked up. "That's a nice nickname! Tangy.." They chuckled. "I like yours too..Mint." I giggled as well. "How'd you get in here?" Tangy asked. "Oh, well..everything seems like a sleepy blur..they kept putting me on tranquilizers.." I purr. "Yeah, they did that with me on my first trial. I'm assuming this is your first?" Tangy cocked his head. "Mhm.."
I'd nod. "This is my second. I can't really remember my first. They say you never remember your first after your second or third trial." He'd trail along. "I remember my second..very well..and..i don't like it.." Tangy shifted uncomfortably. "Hey, hey! You don't have to share if it makes you upset." I chirp appraisingly. "Oh, thank you.." Tangy relaxed himself. "Tomorrow we're supposed to go outside. They have a large area set up for us to roam around and enjoy nature. Most use it to communicate with other taffies, but I haven't spoken to anyone. After each trial they let us chill for a couple of weeks or days. They put us in our cells at night, or after a trial. After a trial we're usually kept in for about 24 hours." I'd nod along to his voice, humming every sentence. "It's a great opportunity to escape, but some have tried, no one as ever escaped the facility." Tangy sulked sadly up against the wall. "Hm.." I looked to my side, and then back to him. "We'll escape." I perked up. "H-huh?" Tangy's voice hitched. "I'll help you, I'll help you get around, I'll be your new pair of eyes." I happily chirped. "Really!?" Tangy abrupted eagerly. "Oh! Oh! Thank you so much Mint!" He stood up, stretching out his arms. He went in for a hug, but completely missed.

"H-huh?" He pondered. "Ah, come here. Follow my voice." I chirped. He slowly walked towards me. I stuck out my left hand, as it glided across his right side, and he then melted into me. I used my right arm to curl around his soft fragile body, and pulled him down with me. We embraced for quite some time. "Are you really going to get us out of here, Mint?"

I opened my eyes, looking at his torn wrapper. "Rest assured. I'll do my best." I closed my eyes back again. Tangy hummed. He let his arms glide away, but he still perched himself close to me. "First thing tomorrow, they'll open the door..and.." Tangy sleepily yawned. "Shh..get some rest.." I rubbed the top of his head. "You can tell me the rest all tomorrow, you're tuckered out, i'm tuckered out.." I sighed peacefully. I softly pushed him off a little, and curled up next to him. "Sweet dreams." I purred. "Goodnight..Mint.." He'd purr softly. Tangy rested his hand on my mine, softly exhaling.

Rest assured, rest assured Tangy.