✘ : 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 | 𝐥. 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 : ➞

01

𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠, 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨.
𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙩.

—

MY WHOLE LIFE, I've been shackled inside a room.

I have never seen the outside world of Pandora; I was told it was dangerous, and that I never should step foot onto the earth of this planet.

I didn't want to disappoint Norm and Max, so I obeyed, no matter how much curiosity enveloped me.

I didn't understand why my brother, Spider, was allowed outside, but not me. Why should he get to go outside while I am rotting away inside this room?

I groan, my back falling against the counter. I turn toward Max, who is giving me an irritated look considering I am disrupting his work.

"Can I please go outside?" I pout, sitting up on my elbows. Max instantly drops his pen, his hands rubbing his eyes in irritation.

"Esmeray, we've been over this-"

"Yes, I'm know, I'm special and I'm different than Spider, blah, blah, blah, but why?" I sigh a frustrated breath, jumping off the counter and resting against his chair instead.

"You can't be seen," he says, "and it's dangerous out there, you never know-"

"I've studied this planet all my life," I counter. He spins in his chair, "I'm aware of the dangers, and I know how to counter them."

He gives me a look.

"Can't I just go outside? Just once, and I'll never ask agai-"

Max opens his mouth to speak, but someone beats him to it. "The answer is no." Norm says as he walks over, placing his hands on his hips, "you know the rules. You're not going out, and that's final."

I inhale, flexing my jaw. "Why does Spider get to go outside but not me? It's not fair!"

"He is older," Max says, "and The People know him." He leans forward in his chair, fixing his glasses, "if you were simply to appear after all these years, they could kill you, or worse."

"There's something worse than being killed?" I deadpan, crossing my arms before I scoffed, pushing off of the chair. "I'd rather be dead than be in here another day, anyway."

"You don't mean that." Max said quietly. I turned to him, and his eyes had changed from irritation to a sort of hurt. I feel my heart twinge, but I frown, turning my back to him.

"I do."

—

I hadn't left my room since my interaction with Norm and Max a few hours ago. By now, I felt bad for my choice of words, but I had too much pride to go out and apologize.

I sigh, throwing my pen onto my desk. I obviously didn't mean what I said, it was just a spur of the moment thing, but I couldn't bring myself to apologize.

I lean back in my chair, running a hand through my hair. Max had told me to start journaling; another useless hobby to try and abide my time stuck in this lab.

With a sigh, I lean forward, picking my pen back up. I had been staring at the blank paper for nearly an hour now. What even is there to write about?

Biting my lip, I bring the tip of the pen to the paper, trying to form words in my head, but they didn't come to me.

Angered, I threw my pen across the room, groaning in frustration. I've mastered just about every skill or hobby I can learn in here, but journaling refused to let me catch it in my grasp and add it to my collection of hobbies.

I stare at the empty paper dimly lit by my lamp. I frown. Maybe I should go apologize to Max.

I don't turn off my small radio as I push off my cushioned chair, making my way toward my door.

Resting my hand upon my doorknob, I inhale, and push it open.

"Hey, Max, can we talk?" I say without looking up, rubbing the back of my neck. Silence followed, so I finally look up.

And I freeze.

My breath catches in my throat.

Spider and his friends are back.