The Story of Six (SELF-PUBLISHED) | ✔

Part Two.

“Hello Six, I’m One. Due to some circumstances, I’m your neighbor next door. Is that okay?” he smiled at me. How can he even smile in this kind of situation? “Sorry for barging in here by the way.”

I looked at the door but it was still locked. If he’d crashed against the wall then I would probably heard it, but I heard nothing. “H-How did you— Wha—“

I quickly looked away when I realized that my eyes was glued on him for quite a while now.

“That’s a pretty good reaction you got there. But I told you, right? We’re not normal. The people in this place were not doctors. They’re scientists. And— how can you keep sitting in this cold floor?” He asked while looking at me in a manner between amusement and disbelief. “Here, let me help you,” he stood up and reached his hand for me.  But the moment that I tried to get up, my whole body fell flat on the floor. Damn those drugs. It’s taking its sickening effect in my whole system.

“Looks like they went too far on giving you those drugs,” he wrapped his hands around me, carried me to my bed and put a blanket on me. “Here, take this pain killer and go to sleep.”

I felt kindness wrapping my little existence. I closed my eyes and hot fluid quickly ran down my cheeks. I’m tired— so tired of this life.

During that moment, I realize that happiness is really a fragile thing. And I think that the happiness and fragility that this man is giving me is too overwhelming that I can’t even hold back these tears.

“Don’t show them your tears, Six.” I felt a hand wiping the hot tears from my face. “That’s the only thing that you don’t have to show them. Keep it. Hold it back no matter what. Show them that you’re tough, that you’re strong enough to get through this,” I smiled from his words. They were soft, almost a whisper, but there’s a certain ring to it and they’re like music to my ears.

“How can you endure all this?” I asked him. My eyes still closed. My breathing ragged. “You came here before me but how can you smile?” I opened my eyes and looked at him. I met him a few seconds ago and I’m here chatting with him like I've known him for years.

“Maybe because I’ve gotten used to this somehow. Well I’m not really sure myself,” he said as he sat beside my bed. “But it’s better than crying, isn’t it?”

“You’re a strange one,” I said as he rests his hand in my forehead. This is the first time that I felt something like this, the warmth of another person. And it’s intoxicating, like it’s poisoning the deepest pit of my soul, bit by bit.  I might actually die from this— from this happiness.