ASYLUM

Strength

They can't afford electricity for all of the cells, so it is generally very dark. We receive one gallon sized bucket filled with leaked water from the pipes once a week, to fulfill our daily hygenic needs. I have the distinct memory of being excited every Monday, looking at my green plastic bucket, just waiting for water. Red pills in the morning for nutrition. Blue pills in the afternoon to keep our bodies going, and yellow pills to save us from ourselves. At least that is what the Professor says. After taking yellow pills, we wait, with what I think is the feeling of nervousness, to be taken out of our cells for testing. I still remember my first day. The woman, who I believe gave birth to me, had told me that I was going to going to get superpowers and be able to fight off the evil doers, and my 5 year old face looked up at her with pure astonishment. Then the professor came and brought me to my cell. I looked towards my mother in confusion, but all I saw was her back, as she walked away.
Number 365
It's time. The same woman from every day before, unlocks my cell. I stand and walk behind her as she leads me to the lab room. I enter the room and the Professor beckons me to the table.
365, it has been about 20 years now
He says cooly, with that ever so reassuring smile,
Your IQ levels have gone completely off the charts, your physical health is 5x that of the average human, and your life span has increased by more than 80%
Your mother would have been proud.
My mother? Yes...I was strong enough to defeat all the evil villains now. Right?
Now let's work to make you even stronger than before
The Professor proceeded to peel away the skin at my limbs, until there was bare muscle, and went on with the daily routine of injections and whatnot. Next, my scalp would be removed so he could continue to enlarge my frontal lobe. It's like I was a toy, the Professor's toy, that he could assemble and reassemble to his heart's desire, until he was content with the finished result.
365?
I don't believe I've ever been called anything but that
Did I have a name before? Bri-- what was it mother had called me.
What were those last words...
365, Listen when spoken to
No, I had done it
I had angered the Professor
When one does not abide by the set rules, it is only natural that they be punished. But it must be to such an extent, the they never forget, and take care not to perform the same mistake.
The Professor takes a capsule of Acid and carefully drops its slowly into my eye.
I scream.
Hush child, I do this out of care. You need to be strong
I keep screaming.
You have to learn
You have to be stronger
Stronger than before
It feels as though millions of tiny needles were being stabbed into my iris. The capillaries in my eyes were slowly dizzolving, so the blood just spewed everywhere.
My entire vision went red.
Everything was red.
Then slowly fading into complete darkness.
365 your eyes will return in less than a month. Until then, you be a good child.
Yes. My eyes will now regenerate stronger than before.
Stronger.
If only mother could see me now.