Halcyon (DISCONTINUED)

4

Someone's moved into the cell next to mine. 

I already know their fate when I see that The Takers have forced them to stay shifted into their wolf form. Mover wolf.

The Mover wolves are forced to pull extremely heavy objects a few hours a day for discipline. I can't help feel sorry for him, I never personally had to be a Mover wolf because I was taught at a young age discipline by higher ups

Along the walls of the cells is brick but there's a small window-like hole with bars over it so I can see the newcomer. A male werewolf.

He seems panicked - from the outside world? - so I tell him my name and talk a little bit. 

He ends up growling at me and suddenly there fear pounding through me and I retreat into the far corner of my cell. Too many memories...  Too many - Make it stop - 

I force myself to sleep. 

He's gone when I wake up. 

The were next me is gone a lot. When he comes back, he's exhausted and can barely keep his eyes open to eat. 

He eventually shifts back into his human form and I slip a ratty blanket into his cell through the window. 

"Thanks," he says, tying it around his waist. He's very thin. He pauses to look at me. "Um, my name's Tony." 

I don't say anything. I don't think I need to. 

After a while, he says hesitantly, "Hal-sea-on, right?" 

I nod. "Correct, Tony." 

Tears are glistening in his eyes and I look at him closer. "Are you hurt?" 

Tony glances at me then looks down. "No." He wipes at his eyes. 

"Why are you crying?" 

He laughs, but it doesn't sound legit. "Why wouldn't I be?" He snaps. "I'm stuck in this hell-hole and my mate is probably worried sick right now looking for me and - and they force me to pull this - this train - I'm sore and so tired and I miss Stephan so much -" 

Tony breaks down into sobs. I ignore them. He's not used to this? "What's it like?" 

Tony glares at me through his tears. "What is what like?" 

"Having a mate," I say, "and the outside world. Do you not have torture rooms? Or Takers that take you away from your mother?" I'm confused. Is the world not like how it is in here? 

Tony is staring at me. "What - no. No. What the hell are even 'Takers'?" 

"The Takers are the ones that take babies and children away from their mother's, like me." I pause. "They're not werewolves - they smell funny." I make a face. "They hurt me." My hands rub the discolored skin on my legs."They hurt a lot of werewolves. They do... weird things. Things I don't understand." 

Tony's voice is soft when he asks, "Like what?" 

"Like..." I stop to think for a moment. "Like attaching these gross wings to my back and pushing me off the roof." 

Tony gasps and I feel my legs. The bones in my legs are poking against the bluish-purple bruised skin. I know they healed wrong. "I think my legs aren't going to heal." 

I can hear shuffling in the other cell and Tony's face appears in the window. "Let me see." 

I maneuver myself so Tony can see my legs. "I can't walk." 

"Oh my God," Tony wheezes. "Jesus Christ - you need help right away!" 

"They gave me pain killers," I tell him, gently stretching my aching legs out. 

"No, you need to push the bones back into place! What - did they just make it stop bleeding? What the hell!" 

I echo, "Push the bones back in..." I rip off a piece of my shirt and shove it in my mouth so I can bite down on it. 

"Whoa - whoa! H-hey buddy, don't go doing anything rash just yet-" 

I count down from three then shove down, hard. I scream as fire shoots up my leg. There's a crack as the bone is shoved back into my leg. The pain is violent at first then it nearly mellows out but still throbs angrily. I lean back, panting and sweating profusely. 

Tony looks at me, his mouth open. "U-um, are you okay?" 

I shake my head. "No." The fabric is wet my in mouth and my jaw aches. "But it has to be done, right?" 

I glance at him. He nods. "Uh, yeah. Yeah." 

I take a deep breath then do the same to the other leg. I scream then cry.

Tony instructs me to wrap both of my legs to help for little support - and to avoid further damage. "It would be better if you had some sort of support, like a stick or something." 

"When they let us out, we can grab sticks then." Tony nods. 

The sound of footsteps makes us both fall silent. A Taker tosses in two pieces of bread for us then throws in canned stuff and water bottles then walks away. 

Tony picks it up. "Ew! Dog food! Is this some sort of joke?!" 

I crack open my can and scoop out the brown, gooey food with my bread, shoving it into my mouth. "What do you mean?" 

"This is dog food! Humans or werewolves aren't supposed to eat this shit!" Tony raises his hand to throw the can but I stick mine through the window. 

"I'll eat it!" My stomach growls eagerly. Tony looks at me like I've grown another head but hands it to me anyways. I scoop it out with the rest of my bread then pop it into my mouth, chewing hungrily. "Food is food," I tell him, unscrewing the lid on my bottle. I gulp it down eagerly. 

"Yeah, but that's just plain disgusting," he tells me, groaning. "So, where do you go to the bathroom?" 

I'm confused. "Bathroom?" What's a 'bathroom'?

He sighs. "Pee. Where do you go to pee?" 

"Oh, there should be a bucket by your bed." 

Tony curses. "I'll just hold it." 

I shrug. 

A buzzer goes off and our cages are opened. Tony looks at me. "You can't walk, can you?" The other weres are already filing out into the prison yard. 

"Go on without me," I tell him, "and get some sticks!" 

He smiles briefly at me before jumping into the line, and I can't help but smile back. 

That's the first time I've seen him smile. 

Comment! Much love!

-Ally