Perfectly Scarred

The Knight and the Déjà Vu

3 updates for today. Please read between the lines and if it's not too much kindly leave me a comment as well. It will help me boost my motivation, Promise💙
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"Hey!" I hear the man calls angrily. I keep my head down. It can't be directed at me; I have done nothing wrong.

I study the cotton pads, antiseptic, md bandages and focus on the branding; the swirl of the writing; the happy little cotton characters on the packet, with arms and legs and smiling faces.

Everything has been given a soul in advertising. Yet the soul is being taken from people. Humanizing objects, dehumanizing people.

"I said, hey!" He yells again.

My hearbeat speeds up. This does not sound good. Slowly, I look up.

He's staring at me. As are others. I wonder why the woman in cash register has slowed down. Why can't she just hurry up so I can get out of here? But I look to get seat and realize she's gone. She is standing away from us. Just as everybody else is doing.

Everyone is moving away. A woman on my left remains, and so does a man on the right. They are taller than me- I barely reach up to their shoulders-but as I look at them, I understand immediately what the problem is.

The flash of red on their armbands is like warning light right in my face. They are Failures. Both of them. As am I. Three of us stand together. This is not allowed.

My first reaction is to step away. I have recognized the problem, and now I know that solution. If I step away, then there will be only two. But that is a bad move.

"Stop! Stay right where you are!" The man shouting at me is a policeman.

I step back into line.

"Don't move, Roseanne" the woman on my right says gently. "It will be okay"

"You know me?"

"We all know you" the man says and they both smile.

"Don't talk" the policeman yells again.

"We've got a wild one." The man on my left mutters to us both.

"Back away from the desk, the three of you" he says, panicking. "I need to see you" He is getting himself worked up over nothing. He is young. He is alone. He is making a stupid mistake.

Despite the fact that we are a Failure, an I am in the mide of them, I feel somehow safe between the two of them. I feel protected. They are young, probably on their late twenties, and they are well built. Strong. One has an F on her temple and the man I can't see; it could be his chest, hand, foot or tongue. Perhaps their age and strength are what panics the police officer the most. They look like they could do some damage.

They remind me of Lalisa. Strong. Brave. Big Hands.

I have never stood between two Failures, and now I know why we're not allowed. It gives us strength. Security in numbers. They don't want us to feel safe. They don't want us to have power.

"We were just standing in a line" I finally say, annoyed by the crowd that has gathered to watch this. I feel like an animal in a zoo. I need to get back to Granddad, who is waiting for me in the car, bleeding.

"I'm buying cotton balls." I lift the package up to the police officer. "Nothing dangerous is happening here"

A few people snigger at my joke.

The police officer's face reddens. "There are three of you standing together. This is against the law."

"It's not a law," I say, and the two Failure beside me look at me in surprise.