Broken City

Awakening

And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

~Luke 24:38

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The first hour of awakening was panic attack after panic attack. And then came the questioning, why me? Why me? I was panicking: What am I? Where am I? Who am I?

The last thought that ran through my name was, why me? Then I fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.

~

I opened my eyes. I felt at home. There were voices drifting into my ears from beyond my four walls. Then I got up, only realising when I got to the door that I wasn't chained to the bed and turning the rusty doorknob was confirmation that I was not a prisoner here.

With the sound of the door squeaking, the voices that were, for a second amplified, were at once silent. Three faces weighed down with age and fatigue turned to face me.

I was seventeen years old and had been going to the gym since I was fourteen. But I wasn't naturally big so I was at a disadvantage. I could take the lady out in the middle easily enough, but the man standing on her right was at least four inches taller than me and had muscles that were the size of my head. I had no chance.

They were still staring at me when I broke my gaze from his massive arms. He had a smirk on his face that told me he knew exactly what I was thinking. The man on the woman's left was the complete opposite of MuscleMan, his clothes hung off his lanky body in tatters and his claw-like fingers were bent at absurd angles. I saw his raven eyes give me a quick glance before turning his attention back to the woman.

The woman spoke up first. "Ben, We know this must look weird and dodgy to you, but trust me, okay?" How did she know my name?"We don't want to hurt you." But you will if you have to, I thought silently to myself.

"Why don't you sit down?" Said the woman. MuscleMan stepped to the right, revealing and white plastic chair. I didn't really want to leave myself vulnerable by relaxing, but if they wanted to hurt me, I suppose they would have done it by now. As I approached the chair, I caught MuscleMan's eye, slate grey, and impassive and ultimately, dead cold. Sometimes I wish I had that power - something I could use now. I have never felt so useless in my seventeen years of life.

"My name is Vivinae and I was just like you once. Scared, alone - in the same situation as you. I didn't know anyone or where I was. Then I was told the whole story, and I want to reassure you now that we are not the enemy.' I can feel MuscleMan's chalk eyes narrow in the corner of my eye, sizing me up like a beanstalk.

The man was still lost in thought by the woman's side, I decided to name him Chopsticks after his long bony claws.

Chopsticks looked at MuscleMan and grunted something under his breath before walking away with Vivinae in tow.

Alone with MuscleMan, the silence seemed to draw on for eternity until he mumbled something about meeting the others and turning in his heels in the opposite direction to Vivinae, the only person who had shown me I could trust her. Who are these people I'm about to meet? Why are we all here? There was only one thing I was certain of at that point. MuscleMan was not the person to go to for answers.