Chapter 4
I gasp as I woke up, looking around the room. The first thing I see is a sky blue-tiled wall with a white floor that almost shining. The only light that comes from this room is the sun that seeped through the small window with thick bars. I get up and the pain on my scalp began to hurt again. But the pain in my chest is more painful than my head. I looked down on my chest and found the long tube that linked on my chest- no. It was stuck inside my chest. The button-up that I was wearing was unbuttoned exposing my front and the tube. Around the tube, there are cut bandages that glued on my skin. The memory from earlier hunt my memory and I quickly raised my hands to my eyes. My hands were turned back to normal except for the few black veins that were very visible in my skin. My heart was back and my vision too, it was not blinking in red anymore. Everything in me feels alright. There wasn't even any evidence that my experience earlier happened except the veins.
I gently touched my chest and the tube, feeling the area. It didn't hurt. But I can feel the string that looped around the area and my skin slightly stung. I hissed as the one red blinked in my vision. If I hurt, that red vision will come but if I was okay...
I can hear voices from outside the door- outside from this place. Does it feel like I'm in an orphanage or class? The voices I hear from outside are really loud and everyone sounds so normal? I slowly pushed myself off the bed, careful not to touch my chest. I buttoned up my cloth, leaving the one on my chest and up to the collar.
My eyes landed on the long tube. I wonder where this tube leads to?
I carefully stepped away from the bed, my hand leading the way, keeping me balanced. I walked to the window but its too high to my reach. I walked back to my bed and step on top of it. From here, I can finally see the outside. All I can see was teenagers playing outside while others were strolling and talking to their friends. Everything looks so normal outside.
I stepped down from the bed and headed to the slightly open door. I peeped outside to see sky blue-tiled walls with doors on them. I step out from the room, picking up the rest of this tube so this won't tangle and making it hard for me to turn this back the way it used to be. I walked into the hallway, looping the tube and slung it on my shoulder.
That's what I did along the way until I reach the white door. This door doesn't have a handle. I pushed the door open and my eyes widen once I see the teenagers walking around like they were in class. They wore nothing but white. The girl wearing a white Jo dress and Beth pinafore with pair of knee-high black booths. A large black ribbon is placed on their sternum. The boys wore silky white slacks and a tucked-in, button-up shirt with matching shoes and a necktie. Just the same shirt I was wearing right now. All of them were frantically walking in the massive hall while holding books and they even have bags. They look so pale but weren't thin at all. Tubes were linked behind their heads and those tubes were linked to another someone's tube and that tubes were stuck on their chests themselves. So the edge of their tubes in them? The kids with tubes stuck in their chests don't have any choice but to follow.
Other teenagers were reading books and seemingly taking notes of something. I can see the huge sculpture in the middle of this massive hall. The sculpture of a woman with her head an alien and many tubes were stuck in her head and to her chest. She's holding the globe and it says that. The Life of Cycle.
"Hey! Be careful can you!" I heard the guy near me said.
I looked beside me and see two guys fighting about the tubes in their bodies that were linked together.
"Why are so slow?! I need to pee if you know!" The guy with glasses said.
"I know! But can you at least slow down?"
"No!"
I watched them as they walked past me. The guy who the tubes stuck in his chest is struggling to keep his pace up.
I glance at my tube again and wonder, who is the edge of this tube?
I began to walk again. I don't know where I am but it seems like I was in school? Because this looks like a school hallway but yet I know I'm the ward right? School-ward?
I shook my head and follow the trail. I found myself going to the cafeteria. I peeped inside and saw the other teenagers were eating their lunch. I step inside and follow the trail again until the trail stopped on the guy who back facing me. He's obviously, eating with someone else?
I can see my tube that is linked to his head. Why his back seems familiar. I approached him and was about to tap his shoulder when someone tapped my shoulder instead. I froze and looked over to my shoulder to see that same guy who have the chipmunk face. He smiled at me and I noticed the edge of his tube behind his head is linked to the fairy-look-like guy with wolf hair. He looks shy and only looks down on his shoes. His fingers were tiny that adore his appearance and freckles scattered across his face just like mine. We have the same hair color- but his hair was all white compared to mine. Aside from that, he's an Asian but his eyes are blue and glistening on the sunlight that comes through the windows.
"You remember me right? I'm Han Jihae." He introduced, pointing himself. "And this is Lee Fin." He points the guy behind him. "He's extremely shy and barely spoke to anyone so it's hard to communicate with him."
I nodded. "I'm Lee Sunie." I introduced myself too and he beamed. The guy behind him shot his head up to look at me. His adorable eyes stared right back at me.
"Lee Sunie...you're my life?" He unknowingly asked and I frowned. I'm his life?
Jihae nudges him before looking at me again. "Sorry for that. You see, Fin doesn't know that you're one of the newcomers."
"What is this place?" I asked and Jihae's smile turn flat. He looked around and just in a split second, he looked scared. Why do they suddenly turn pale? Is this place is very scary? Everything is here is weird. The atmosphere, the kids, the tubes, and even the food they eat. It's not food but more like toothpaste. Wait, it's toothpaste. Why are they eating toothpaste?
I noticed the guy beside me moved and when I turned to look at him he was already walking away. Wait, he's the edge of my tube!
I was about to chase him but Jihae held my arm.
"This place is a ward." He said and I looked at him. "That's the normal people see but when you look at it closely...it's an orphanage, a school."
I don't know what to think. I don't know and it feels weird to know that this isn't a ward but an orphanage and a school. "Why are we have this thing in our body?" I asked and points to the tube.
He walked closer to me and buttoned up the unfinished buttons until they reach my sternum. "Sister Arnika dislike dirty. Once she sees you like that, she will punish you. Where's your tie?" He asked while fixing my collar.
I shrugged. He nodded and pulled out another tie and looped it around my collar- fixing it. "Father Chil likes net. Everything in here is all clean. He dislikes dirty- well, all of them though." He said and tapped my tie after finishing fixing it. "You see they eating? They eating toothpaste because once you eat something that smells good, the smell of toothpaste will steam out of your skin and you'll be smelt good."
"How can you not starve not eating anything aside from the toothpaste?" I asked in worry. His smile went wider.
"That father slash doctor slash professor injecting something so that we won't starve and become thin."
"This place is sick," I mumbled and looked around the cafeteria. This atmosphere feels like I'm just in the school cafeteria with students all around me eating normally like they weren't in a bad situation at all.
"Anyway...how old are you? I'm sixteen and Fin is fifteen." I heard him say and I looked down at him. They look younger than me.
"I'm fourteen," I answered. He nodded after knowing my age and smiled again. He look so cute with his chipmunk cheeks but he wasn't fat. His body is just right like mine; thin.
Jihae opened his mouth to speak again but the bell suddenly ring. The kids around us began standing up and heading to exit in hurry with their partner beside or behind them- I mean their tubes partner.
"Oh, class is going to start. Where's your co-life?" Jihae asked. I didn't respond. I stared at the exit with troubled eyes. I don't know what to do. What co-life?
"Co-life?" I asked, my voice is low and almost muted.
Jihae nodded. "Yes, the half of your life- co-life. If he wasn't on your side Sister Arnika will punish you. But we just hope it wasn't sister Arnika but her sister- mother Monika."
My eyes move to the tube and I hurriedly run to where this tube edges. I hear him calling me, warning me to not run in the halls but I didn't mind. I just need to find him before the class start. I frantically followed the tubing trail until it stop at the door. I looked up to check what room is this and see the drawing, it's a boys' bathroom. I slowly pushed the door open and finally, I found my partner. He's standing in front of the sink and staring at the tube behind his head. I stared him in the face and my heart skip a beat after knowing that it was Hyunsung. He's my partner, my co-life just like Jihae said.
"Hyunsung!" I called and run close to him. He flinched and with a shocked face, he looked at me.
He also run to me and I found myself caged in his arms. I softly pulled away but did not even dare to break the hug. He's hugging my waist while I'm hugging his torso. He's two-inch taller than me.
I stared at his face and I can see relief, joy, and worry in his eyes. I stared into his eyes. Just like Jihae, his eyes were dark without nothing can see through them. But I can see a little light-violet in the middle of his eyes and around its orbs. I move my face close to look into his eyes better, taking the details in my head.
Right, I can see a little light in the middle and around his iris' orbs. I noticed his head move a little to the point I can feel his warm breath brushing my lips and nose. It smelt like toothpaste.
I pulled myself away from him. I'm too fascinated by the beauty of his iris that I didn't notice that I'm one inch away from him.
"I'm shocked to know that you're my life's half," I said and he nodded.
"Same here. I didn't except it." He said and smiled before taking the looped tubes that hang on my shoulder. He slings it on his shoulder instead. "Ever since I came here they already explained to me about the rules and regulations of this orphanage?"
"So, what is it?"
Hyunsung is about to open his mouth when the door swung open and out of came Jihae with Fin behind him, both panting frantically. Jihae marched towards me and grab my arm. He pulled me away from Hyunsung.
"What are you taking so long? It's time for class!" He hissed and began dragging me outside. Hyunsung quickly held my hand and we walked faster along with the hallway hand in hand.
I let Jihae drag me along the way since he's the one knowing about going in and out of this place. I looked around the hallway, all I can see is sky-blue tiled walls and white shining floors. I wonder which area we are in right now. Soon after we reach the double door that is painted in blue color. Jihae pushed it open and I'm shocked to see a school corridor with blue lockers on each side. On the edge is a wall with a cross hanging on it. The floor is the same- shining white. We continue to walk and I can see classrooms with no one being there. Where are the kids going?
We turned to the left corridor and it's bright in here but from our left side, I can see the outside- it's snowing but I can't tell which place are we because all I can see is another school building.
"Where're the other kids?" I asked Jihae.
"In separate classrooms? This school is far from your imagination. This school is massive that you need a map so you can't be lost. Thankfully I have a nice memory and Fin always carrying his map with him." He answered and smiled at me.
I felt Hyunsung squeeze my hand. I looked at him and caught him staring at me. I form a smile and ruffled his hair. He looks younger than me but it seems that he is the same age as Jihae and Fin.
I looked back ahead of the corridor. We turned to the right and then straight ahead until we reached the dark classroom. Jihae pushed the door and we were greeted by another few kids. Maybe more than five kids.
Fin suddenly runs to the guy next to the front. Jihae stayed beside me since the tube is long enough to reach the front row. That guy and Fin hugged each other and soon Fin began sniffling. I noticed the guy wearing the thick specs were looking at us while holding the hardbound book and another book on his table.
"That's Lee Minhee, Fin's older brother. He's already eighteen." Jihae whispered and pulled me to take a seat beside him. I heard Hyunsung groan quietly.
He took a seat on my right side which is beside the window while Jihae is on my left side. I looked around the room. I saw four pictures hung on the wall. They all look like a father and sisters from the church. In front of us was a whiteboard and behind us was a locker. Everything looks so normal except that only board, teacher's table, six lockers and six tables with chairs. Those four objects are the only thing in this huge classroom. Jihae won't stop talking to me and I assume that he's more talkative than Jinki. The thought about my friends came to my mind and realized that they were captured too!
I gasp and stood up abruptly causing the chair to push backward. Jihae stopped talking and everyone was looking at me in question. My whole body began trembling and hold my hands. Junghwan, his brother, and Homin, Jinki is also here somewhere.
I can feel my eyes watered and the burning pain arising behind my eyelids again as the red color starts blinking in my vision again.
They are somewhere in this place. Where are they? How can I find them? Which place are they? What...I held my head in panic. I don't know what's going on but I feel like my memory is sucking away from unknown pain.
"He's having a panic attack!" I heard someone say. I can feel my heartbeat races and noticed Hyunsung suddenly groan, squeezing his eyes tight while his both hands were pressed hard against his temple.
"Hey, look at me. Sunie, look at me."
Someone held my face and I saw Jihae staring at me.
"I don't know why are you suddenly acting this way but try to compose yourself alright?" He said softly and his words is somewhat relaxing. "Breath with me okay?"
He took deep breathes and I can't help but follow him. Soon, the burning pain slowly faded away, my heart slowly calmed down and my breathing slowed down. I blinked the tears away but they only rolled down my face. He wipe it right away and smiled at me.
"How's your feeling?" He asked softly.
I took another deep breath before answering him. "Fine," I whispered and he nodded. He tapped my cheeks.
I turned to Hyunsung and caught him docking his head in his arms on the table. I can hear his smooth sniffles. I sat down and move my chair close to him. I brushed his hair and he flinched from my touch.
He slowly looked up and locked his eyes on mine.
"I'm sorry I can't help you earlier. I'm in pain too." He apologized with tears in his eyes. He looks adorable. I chuckled and pinched his cheeks.
"It's okay. Jihae is here to get my back." I said and pointed to Jihae who smiled at us back.
"But I want to help you too. We should help each other since our life is one."
"We have our own lives," I said but he shook his head.
"You won't understand." He mumbled enough for me to hear. I want to ask him more questions about the topic but he immediately looked out of the window as if avoiding me.
I sigh and tapped his shoulder. I move back the chair back to the table and looked back up at the pictures that hung on the wall. I still think about my friends. I know they were captured too but I don't have any idea which area are they in. Even I want to ask these people I know they don't know. I'll just find them myself. If I worry myself more again, maybe that same scenario will happen again and I don't want to repeat the same mistake when I woke up in that white room. And I almost forgot that this school looks so old-fashioned like in 80's school. I can feel the vibes that we're in the year 1980.
"What are we studying here?" Hyunsung asked.
"We're studying medicine. Like, how to experiment with people, how to grill people and how to kill people. I don't know what are they planning for us." Jihae answered.
Fin walked to our row and took the seat beside Jihae. The door swung open and the woman wearing the amy blouse and skirt in white and green forest. Her hair was curly and was tied up on her head letting the rest of it hang behind her head to her nape. Round glasses resting on her nose. She's holding a book and an old projector.
They quickly stood up once she walked in. I and Hyunsung do the same and greeted her.
"Good morning my pretty sons." She said with an inhumanly wide smile. She signs us to sit down. "So! There's a new pretty sons in my class. It's Lee Sunie, fourteen, and Hwang Hyunsung sixteen. Hi, I'm sister Arnika your new mother, and see the photos above me?" She points out those weird pictures that hung on the wall.
"It's your new father, Chil. Your auntie, mother Monika. Uncle, uncle Lance. Grandparents, grandma Feng, and grandpa Lu. We are your new parents."
What?