One Hundred & Thirty-Six Scars
Beginning
Four-Years-Old
“It’s father’s day tomorrow, so I want all of you to draw a pretty picture of something that reminds you of your dad. Anything at all. It can be what he does for work, what he makes you feel like. Anything. I want to see all your pretty pictures.”
Hmmm, I thought to myself, I wanted to love my daddy. I wanted to know what he’d done for fun. I wanted him to make me happy and cheerful. I’ve seen what other daddies do for their children, but mine didn’t do that. He didn’t throw me into the air then catch me as I came down. He didn’t carry me on his shoulders while taking me out for ice-cream. I thought over what my daddy does and how it made me feel. Taking hold of the black crayon, I began to draw…
“Meadow,” my teacher gasped, her hand slowly moving up to her mouth. She kneeled down beside me, pointing to the picture while still making sure no other children could see it.
“Meadow, honey, what is this that you have drawn here?”
My mouth froze at the look that was pulled over her face. I wanted to tell her what it was, but I was confused. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. She asked me to draw a picture of something that reminds me of my father, so I did.
“Did I do it wrong?” I asked my teacher, tears welling behind my sockets.
She squeezed my shoulders, forcing a smile to come out. “No honey, you didn’t do anything wrong.” I relaxed instantly. I didn’t want to do wrong, I wanted to do good. She stood from her position, the picture falling from her fingers, revealing a dark shadow-like figure covering a single bed.
Beginning
Fourteen Years-Old
Three years later
Running wasn’t my favorite thing to do, and considering the size of me, I always tried my hardest to stay away from it. But in this case, I had no other way. With my legs heavy and my chest tight, I looked back as the sound of gunshots rang out and pierced through my ears.
“He’s over here! Follow that trail!” one of the sergeants yelled from far behind me. I turned my head back in front of me, carrying on my run. Jumping over the large logs of fallen trees, I dropped behind a boulder that was sitting under a tree, attempting to gather my breath. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I thought over my options. I can’t go back there. I could never go back there. I should… I told Jada to come but she didn’t listen. She wanted to stay, promising me she wouldn’t say a word. But how do the guards know I’m out? I stood from where I was sitting, placing one foot in front of the other preparing myself to jolt forward.
“Don’t fucking move,” Sergeant Major Kurr’s low, commanding voice rumbled from behind me. I didn’t have to look to know there was also a gun aimed at my back. I’m fucked. That’s it! This was my seventh escape attempt and I’d been caught—again. I knew what was to come. I knew what they were going to do with me when I went back and I’d rather die. Squaring my shoulders while keeping my attention fixed on the large tree in front of me, I kept my eyes trained on the bark that was peeling off it, revealing the glossy white wood underneath.
“Fuck. You,” I replied snarkily with a curled lip.
A single gunshot rang out at the exact moment a sharp, heavy sting collided into my leg, causing me to drop to the ground in agony. I was hoping they would at least shoot me in the head, getting it over with faster.
“Pick him up!” Kurr demanded, aiming his Heckler & Koch FABARM FP6 into my face with a smirk.
Tsking, he knelt down beside me. “Agent 316, what are we going to do with you this time?”
My eyes squeezed shut as tears pricked from the side of them. No, no, please. I don’t want to go back there. “Just kill me!” I screamed from the dirt and blood covered ground. “Fucking kill me!” I roared one last time. A steel capped military boot was lifted over my face as the bottom stomped down and connected with my cheek with a crack, knocking me out cold.
I don’t fear death. Oh no, I welcomed it. After living in this world all my life, being engineered for an undercover operation like The Army that was branched off by our government, I had no choice but to run and maybe one day, I’d make it out alive.
“Beast? Beast wake up!” The urgency of Jada’s tone shocked my system awake like a bucket of ice cold water.
“Jada? What happened?” I said, pulling myself up with my elbows, but the deep throbbing of my head prove it be best I stayed down. “Fuck, what?” I rubbed my hand over my head, eyes creased. “They didn’t kill me?”
Jada shook her head. “No, you need to stay there, don’t move. You broke another commandment, Beast. You’re in danger, and you’ve put me in danger. Please, just lay back down.” I closed my eyes, pushing out all thoughts of Jada in danger. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, looking away from her. “I’m fucking sorry, but I needed to leave.”
Four-Years-Old
“It’s father’s day tomorrow, so I want all of you to draw a pretty picture of something that reminds you of your dad. Anything at all. It can be what he does for work, what he makes you feel like. Anything. I want to see all your pretty pictures.”
Hmmm, I thought to myself, I wanted to love my daddy. I wanted to know what he’d done for fun. I wanted him to make me happy and cheerful. I’ve seen what other daddies do for their children, but mine didn’t do that. He didn’t throw me into the air then catch me as I came down. He didn’t carry me on his shoulders while taking me out for ice-cream. I thought over what my daddy does and how it made me feel. Taking hold of the black crayon, I began to draw…
“Meadow,” my teacher gasped, her hand slowly moving up to her mouth. She kneeled down beside me, pointing to the picture while still making sure no other children could see it.
“Meadow, honey, what is this that you have drawn here?”
My mouth froze at the look that was pulled over her face. I wanted to tell her what it was, but I was confused. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. She asked me to draw a picture of something that reminds me of my father, so I did.
“Did I do it wrong?” I asked my teacher, tears welling behind my sockets.
She squeezed my shoulders, forcing a smile to come out. “No honey, you didn’t do anything wrong.” I relaxed instantly. I didn’t want to do wrong, I wanted to do good. She stood from her position, the picture falling from her fingers, revealing a dark shadow-like figure covering a single bed.
Beginning
Fourteen Years-Old
Three years later
Running wasn’t my favorite thing to do, and considering the size of me, I always tried my hardest to stay away from it. But in this case, I had no other way. With my legs heavy and my chest tight, I looked back as the sound of gunshots rang out and pierced through my ears.
“He’s over here! Follow that trail!” one of the sergeants yelled from far behind me. I turned my head back in front of me, carrying on my run. Jumping over the large logs of fallen trees, I dropped behind a boulder that was sitting under a tree, attempting to gather my breath. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I thought over my options. I can’t go back there. I could never go back there. I should… I told Jada to come but she didn’t listen. She wanted to stay, promising me she wouldn’t say a word. But how do the guards know I’m out? I stood from where I was sitting, placing one foot in front of the other preparing myself to jolt forward.
“Don’t fucking move,” Sergeant Major Kurr’s low, commanding voice rumbled from behind me. I didn’t have to look to know there was also a gun aimed at my back. I’m fucked. That’s it! This was my seventh escape attempt and I’d been caught—again. I knew what was to come. I knew what they were going to do with me when I went back and I’d rather die. Squaring my shoulders while keeping my attention fixed on the large tree in front of me, I kept my eyes trained on the bark that was peeling off it, revealing the glossy white wood underneath.
“Fuck. You,” I replied snarkily with a curled lip.
A single gunshot rang out at the exact moment a sharp, heavy sting collided into my leg, causing me to drop to the ground in agony. I was hoping they would at least shoot me in the head, getting it over with faster.
“Pick him up!” Kurr demanded, aiming his Heckler & Koch FABARM FP6 into my face with a smirk.
Tsking, he knelt down beside me. “Agent 316, what are we going to do with you this time?”
My eyes squeezed shut as tears pricked from the side of them. No, no, please. I don’t want to go back there. “Just kill me!” I screamed from the dirt and blood covered ground. “Fucking kill me!” I roared one last time. A steel capped military boot was lifted over my face as the bottom stomped down and connected with my cheek with a crack, knocking me out cold.
I don’t fear death. Oh no, I welcomed it. After living in this world all my life, being engineered for an undercover operation like The Army that was branched off by our government, I had no choice but to run and maybe one day, I’d make it out alive.
“Beast? Beast wake up!” The urgency of Jada’s tone shocked my system awake like a bucket of ice cold water.
“Jada? What happened?” I said, pulling myself up with my elbows, but the deep throbbing of my head prove it be best I stayed down. “Fuck, what?” I rubbed my hand over my head, eyes creased. “They didn’t kill me?”
Jada shook her head. “No, you need to stay there, don’t move. You broke another commandment, Beast. You’re in danger, and you’ve put me in danger. Please, just lay back down.” I closed my eyes, pushing out all thoughts of Jada in danger. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, looking away from her. “I’m fucking sorry, but I needed to leave.”