origin of the tree

Chapitre 1 into the wild

#1164

My mind is foggy, the drugs barely letting me think. Im disoriented but not scared, i'm in my room, like always. The table is just as cold, the vent just as loud.

My eyes are open, but i cant see. It must still be early.

After a while i hear a click, blinding light make its way into my eyes, making me blink. Many peapole are in my room now. I ear them talking, as if i was not even here.

Unable to move my head due to the restraints, i look around. From the corner of my eye i see my father, writing on a notepad. When he sees me staring, he smiles and walks to stand next to me.

Even if he is not my real father, i call him that in my mind. He's the only one here that sees me like a human being, so i gees he qualifies.

I can see my reflection in his glassy eyes, they look dead, like he lost his soul a long time ago.

''Awake i see, sleep well?'' he asks.

I don't say a thing, i never do, but i do blink at him slowly.

''Good, today we'll transfer you to the playground''

At that i frown, i've been here since before father was born, but i've never herd of a playground. Must be new.

''Don't worry, i know you'll love it.''

I trust him, so i relax and wait for the new drugs to kick in.

Then my mind is foggy again, my eyes get covered by a cloath. We are moving now, i can feel the table's wheels vibrate in my bones. We took an unfamiliar path, i memorised every turn we took, updating my mental map. I may never have seen the corridors or elevators but I know every corner of this building by heart. The drugs start to wear off, my mind is getting clearer and clearer by the second. I don't let it show however, i would not want the others to realise the dose is incufitient.

Then something strange happens.

They leave me in a new place. I can hear strange beeps hight above me, the air feel light, like nothing i've smelled before. Im not worried, father said not to worry so i'm not.

And then my restraints open.

My restraints never opens... is this a trick ? A trap? A glitch ? i stay still for 30 mins. When nothing appends, i start to move, my sore muccles happy to stretch after so many years on that table. For the first time in what fells like decades, i'm free. And as my bare feet touches the ground the cloath falls off my eyes.

And it's so bright.

I freeze again, my eyes adjusting to the brightness of the room. And it's... butyfull. The ground is actually dirt! The beeps i hear are actually birds chirping in trees! Actual trees! I haven seen those in forever!

My heart starts pumping, felling the blood trought my entire body flow faster than ever : its envigorating! My brain relaces adrenaline, witch i did not know it could still do, but i don't care. Im... outside...

the trees, the dirt, the birds! I look up to see the blue sky...

And its there! The light i fell is the sun!

And i start running, i think i've been for a while now, i just run, because i can, because i CAN!

But then, then...

i see a wall... another gray whall... matching those of my room...

i run in every direction, but always find a whall... i keep running hopping to find endless trees but always find gray walls.

The sun is down now, i climb a tree to rest, its a fake one, the bark is made of plastic.

I calm down and think, the adrenaline is gone and my mind completly clear.

Where am i? The playground.

What is the playground? A fake forest.

Why am i here? Probably for somme tests.

What will the tests be? Unknown

Can i use my powers?...

On that tougt i stop my questioning. I stand on the branch, closing my eyes. I can sense my body shifting, shrinking, changing, until i open my eyes again. I look down at my feet, to realise with glee they are claws. I lift my arms up to fell two big wings extend. Ready to fly, i smash down my wings and fly up in my falcon form, i can fell the wind in my feathers, i feel free again, theres still hope! I fly up as hight as i can. And crash into glass instead of freedom.

Im still in a cage i see.

Disapointed i return to the tree, i notice no bird on my way. As i look closely i see small speakers in the fake whoods. They made me think i was free. Make me belive i was in the wild.

Maybe thats the test, maybe they want to know what i would do in the wild. To study me like i'm some strange and dangerous beast. I say that but... thats what i am... i've been here for... so long... so long i cant remember why...

My mind is clear but i know the drugs they gave me do more than just make me sleep. They mess whit my brain, whit my memories. But they havent given me anything since i got here...

They must belive my brain is too damage to have anything else but primal instincts by now. Not that i've ever tried to prove them the contrary.

...

I don't sleep, not tonight at least. But i stay in the tree in my falcon form, unmoving. It fells right to be like this.

And as time passes, my mind gets better and better. I focus all of my being on my mind and eventually... I start to remember things... the drugs don't allow me to remember anything, but right now, they are wearing off and i have all the time in the world to remember.

My eyes are closed and i can see peapole surounding me. They are covered in grey clouds. I know who they are, they are the others. The humans in lab coats. But it's not the same ones i usually see. Father is not even here, so it must be a very old memory.

Maybe they're the ones from when i got kidnapped.

Wait, i was kidnapped? Why? But before i can see, the faces disapear and the clouds too.

For a moment everything is white, then, i'm in a house, the walls are brown and theres a nice fireplace radiating heat. It's so familiar. Maybe it was my house? I had a house?

I turn around, and theres someone. It's a man, he is taller than me, i cant see his face but i know he is smiling. I like that smile. He's holding something in his arm. No, someone.

A baby...

is that... my baby?

The walls fade to grey, the man says something but i cant hear him.

The baby is crying. The man yells and so do I. We run. We hide. The walls are red. The man is gone and the baby is silent, he's not there anymore. Where is the baby? Where is my baby? Where is he?! WHERE ARE THEY?! Im in a dark room. I fight, i yell. So much pain.

...

I wake up, startled.

I know i did not fall asleep. These were memories, not nightmares. Im back in my human form, sweating bullets and gasping for air. My face is wet with tears. My mind is foggy again, confused by what i saw.

Who were they, who am i?

All i can feel is confusion, and hate. Clutching the branch in my hands to ground myself to this place, i continue to cry in silence. I cant think anymore, i just suffer.

The sun rises, and i'm calm again. My eye are focused and my mind clear. I don't move for hours, waiting for the right moment. I hear a noise and i know i'm not alone anymore. I hear their steps. The others are here.

I cant let them drug me again, or il'l forget them. I have to remember, i have to find them.

They are closing in now, would it be yesterday i would have letted them take me, but now i have a goal. And i will kill every single one of them if i have to.

Maybe i am a beast.