Learn to Live (Vigilante)

There is no more trust

"I'm proud of you."

For the first time in my life, I heard him say that. For the first time, I felt something like pride.

I bowed my head and waited for Master to give me instructions.

He came over and ruffled my hair, "What beautiful eyes you have." He lifted my chin. I've learned never to look at him in the eyes. So when he lifted my chin I looked to the left.

He ran his thumb across my cheek holding my face.

Without notice, the chain in his hand disappeared reappearing by my bed on the ground. My head was still in his hand but slowly my neck was being reeled in the other direction to my bed. I moved backwards to loosen the tension. His hand fell as I was dragged into my corner.

There was a new smell in the room that was driving me crazy. It was definitely food. I tried to hide it I couldn't help up sniff the air. The smell was driving me insane.

"I see you noticed. I got you a treat, for your good behavior." Master pulled out a red yellow fruit from his pocket. "This is called a Mango." He threw it at me. I caught it, "I would have given you meat, but I thought wiser about it. You are a bird after all."

The mention of meat-filled my head. It overcame the smell of the fruit in my mind. Luckily the sweet smell of this new fruit, mango, was extremely appealing. I looked at him with begging eyes and he nodded permitting me to eat it.

I bite into the red-yellow skin. Underneath was golden yellow. The texture was stringy and it got stuck in my teeth. I ate it all. I bite as hard as I could into the thin in the middle. That was disgusting. It was hard and it didn't break. I ended up eating around it. It was disappointing that half of the fruit was, as I figured out, the seed. I ate it clean.

I tried my best not to make a mess, but I had juice over my hands and mouth. I looked up and saw my Master looking at me. His eye's where filled with amusement.

This has been a great day. I even got a mango.

Master was happy too. When he was happy everything was better. The animals were nice to me. It's been a great day.

I looked up at him I made eye contact for a split second then looked away.

"Oh, I get it. You want another one?" His voice changed to smug, "Well if you do as well as you did today. I'll give you another one tomorrow."

I was so happy. For the first time, I had a mango today. I might have one tomorrow.

The next day. I tried my hardest. I thought about the Mango all day. I thought about it when I fought against his beast-men. When I watched them eat in front of me.

I thought about it when one of the beast-men tripped me. I fell to the ground. My mask skidded off. The beast-man looked away as fast as possible. Everyone else in the room shut their eyes before they saw anything. Master came up to me and activated the pain. My collar showed red as pain coursed through me. The beast-man beside me wreathed in pain. I sat there trying not to make a sound. My mask was placed over my face.

I thought about that Mango the whole time. Not the one I didn't get, the only one I ever got. It was one of the best things I have ever eaten. I never saw that beast-man again. After that day all the other beast-men feared me. One of our kind saw my face and they never came back.

~~~

"He's crying in his sleep."

I woke up but stayed still. There were people multiple people in the room. I felt a cold hand on my forehead.

"RG he is burning."

"That is normal, it just means he is healing."

"I wonder what he's dreaming about?" It was the same voice that said I was crying.