ODE TO SLEEP

「009. brainwashed」

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"IF you're gonna sit in that tree and just watch, you might as well grab a bag of popcorn and enjoy the show. This will take a while."

Marshall looked up into the oak tree where I resided. My back rested against the trunk, one of my knees pulled to my chest, the other dangling over the edge. My gaze was set on where he had been in the field, practicing by himself. Without his shirt, I could see the plethora of bandages and scars on his body. I felt guilty about the braces on his wrists and on his leg.

"Just get down here, kid," He sighed after a minute.

I dropped down onto the ground, sinking into a crouch. I folded my arms over my knees and rested my chin there. Marshall searched for my gaze behind the slanted gaps in the mask. He never found it.

"Why are you watching me?" He asked.

"To make sure you can still move," I mumbled.

"You feel guilty or something?" He scoffed. He laughed a little, but it faded a second later. "What they said about it. It's true, isn't it?"

"I don't remember hurting you," I said quietly.

Marshall twisted his wrist in his hand. "Don't worry about it. I get it. Soldiers get fucked up in the field, and they get their heads fucked up with them. Not their fault. It's not your fault."

He glanced down at me when I didn't say anything. He let out a sigh and sunk into a crouch. I was worried about his leg, but he showed no symptoms of pain or discomfort. He slowly extended his hand out, cautiously placing it on my shoulder. I didn't act to remove it.

"You're a kid, Isaiah. Leo told me about you. I don't care what Maddox says about you and your crazy spells. Leo was the one who was right. You're just a scared kid who's being led by a bad example."

I stared at him, processing his words. A scared kid being led by a bad example. Was he talking about Maddox?

"Leo..." I mumbled. "What did he tell you?"

"L/n," He said. "That's your last name isn't it?"

"I think," I whispered. "It's the only thing I remember."

"Well, does the name Isamu ring a bell?"

"I won't let him hurt you, Isamu."

I felt my eyes go wide. My breath hitched in my throat, and I felt my body go rigid.

"Isamu, could you please pick your toys up? We don't want Daddy to trip over them, right?"

I felt Marshall squeeze my shoulder, silently reminding me to breathe. I exhaled shakily.

"Isamu, I love you."

Marshall moved to my side, his hand on my back as I fell back. I stared at him with wide eyes, my breathing shaky and uneven.

"H-How did y-you—"

"There are not many people with that name and with that case. I know what happened to you, Isamu."

"Y-You have to tell me," I stumbled over my words. "I-I have to f-find my M-Mom an-and—"

"Listen to me carefully," Marshall grabbed both of my arms. "You and I are going to keep acting like we hate each other, understand? You're gonna befriend Emerson. Maddox will send you out with me and her. We'll do a few missions, and he'll keep sending us out because we work so well together. We'll go out, and we're never gonna come back. I'm gonna get you out of this goddamn concentration camp and get you where you can fucking think on your own. I'll get you back to your mom. Just trust me and listen to everything I fucking tell you, got it?"