At this rate, How much longer do you think we have left until we’re dead.” He asked.
“That’s a really fucked up question to ask.” She screeched. Red in the face and breathing three times too quickly.
“We’ve been here for thirteen hours, Nothing’s changing. You can calm down now”
“O-oh my god.” She continued.” She kneeled on the ground.
“I-I’m getting dizzy.” She put her hand over her mouth, Still hyperventilating, She was now so red that it was beginning to appear unnatural.
“We could call for help.”
“T-They’d beat our fucking asses for that. We might as well wait all night . . . They’d be mad if they even found us in here.” She said.
“It’s not our fault, It’s theirs that they locked us in here by accident.” He said.
“Haven’t you learned anything? They don’t care. We’d at the very least be better off waiting all night. But even at that . . .” She takes a long pause. The light shining through the singular window has gotten so dim that neither person could see the other.
She tucks her head even deeper into her legs.
“I don’t know what to do, It’s like I’m always living in fear. There’s nobody I can turn to anymore. . . Not that there ever was. Tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks onto the floor. She was trying her best to hold it back, But it was a battle too intense for her.
“I-I-I’m sorry, You don’t want to hear this.” She said, with deeply suppressed crying between every few words. He looked down towards her for a few seconds, he looked somewhat distressed, but also well collected.
“Take this.” He said, slipping his coat off and throwing it towards her.
“It’s getting cold here. I want you to rest well. The best thing to do is to go to sleep and not worry about tomorrow until it happens.”
“But!-”
“It’s fine, I want you to have it, I’ll be fine without it.”
Devil’s Wings - Chapter 1 - Cielo and Skye
A gentle morning light beamed through the window onto the two figures passed out in slumber inside of the storage room. The vibrant oranges and yellows of autumn brought out the color in Skye’s hair, the one closest to the door. She was wearing a light red hoodie with raggedy brown pants. She looked as if she had been sleeping for the first time in days, The most comfortable she’s ever been despite being curled up on the floor, tucked under Cielo’s coat. He was the other one. He had similarly colored hazel hair with a similarly colored light red coat, which was currently over top of Skye.
Skye rolled over onto her side and squinted her eyes open. She laid her arms flat, sprawled out over the wooden flooring. Still not fully conscious, She cuddled tightly under Cielo’s Jacket. As if in an instant, Her eyes popped open and she jumped up from the floor.
“O-Oh, Did I never actually give this back? T-This is yours.” She said while throwing it back at him, Blushing slightly.
“It’s fine, You can keep it for all I care.” He said. She looked at him blankly, Somewhat puzzled.
“Why would I do that?” She asked.
“I’m not saying you should, All I’m saying is that I wouldn’t care.” She sighed heavily.
“Not that it matters, If I’m going to be stuck in here with you, It'd be nice to at least know your name.” She continued.
“Cielo, and you?” He asked
“S-Skye. We have similar names, It’s Italian isn’t it?” She asked.
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” He said.
“I was right? I mean, I was spending quite a lot of time learning it in-” She looked down towards the ground with a look on her face that, on its own, killed the light mood.
“In school.” She mumbled beneath her breath. It became immediately clear that she was the source of light in the room, Not the morning sky.
“Are you alright?” Cielo asked.
“It’s fine . . . I just . . . Remembered something. It’s not important. I just got caught up in the moment.
“You’re talking really weird all of a sudden.” Cielo remarks.
“I’m just getting this cold feeling all of a sudden-” She stops abruptly. She bit the side of her cheek while peering towards the door.
“H-How did I forget about them so easily?” She mumbled out to herself beneath her breath. A few more moments of silence passed in the room without a word from either of them. Despite the sun still beaming through the window, It was beginning to feel more like the dreary midnight scene from earlier by the second.
“I hear footsteps.” She said quietly but clearly.
“Do we call for help?” Cielo asked.
“We won’t survive any more than a few days in here. reasonably, It won’t even be until the end of the day before it stops being comfortable. We don't have water, food, a bathroom, or even a good place to sleep. But I can’t imagine what they’d do to us if we yelled for them to unlock the door. We only have one option but I’m too scared to do it.” The footsteps were now approaching the door, It would only be a matter of seconds until they were passed.
“Cielo . . . Tell me I’ll be fine.” She says quietly while staring deeply at the door. In a single movement, her hand hit the door making a loud cracking sound. The footsteps stopped.
“S-Skye! What are you doing?” Cielo yelled in the loudest whispering voice he could manage. He darted in front of her and covered her. His body was large enough for Skye to be nearly invisible from outside the door.
The door was flung open from the other side, So powerfully that it looked as if it was about to fly off the hinges. A young man, Maybe around twenty or so years old, was on the other side. His face radiated the energy of pure malice, You could feel a small sense of sadistic pleasure in his face Like he felt good about himself. It was enough to make any sane person sick to their stomach.
His face inches away from Cielo’s, He began to barrage him with verbal slurs and profanities. Yelling so loud that the entire building could have heard him. Spit was flying from his face into Cielo’s. Cielo stood in place, wordless. Somehow, staring extremely intensely yet blankly at the man. Skye was trying her best to stay in Cielo’s shadow. She had her hair pulled up behind herself so that it didn’t fall so low as to be seen.
Stolen story; please report.
“WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING IN HERE!?! HAVEN’T YOU LEARNED ANYTHING? THIS IS WHY YOUR PARENTS LEFT YOU HERE! YOU KEEP SO MANY FUCKING SECRETS, YOU LIE TO EVERYBODY. DOES SOMEONE LIKE YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO THINK OF PEOPLE OTHER THAN YOURSELF?” Before he could react, He grabbed Cielo by the shoulder and forcibly pulled him closer to his face.
“ . . . Who is that behind you?”
Skye had a mortified expression on her face. The type of expression that makes you look like you’re on the verge of trying to run, But can’t find anywhere to run to. She felt small and helpless like an ant beside a whale. At Least, That’s how she usually feels in situations like these. Today she felt like a grain of sand beside a mountain. Cielo darts to her defense.
“YOU AREN’T DOING SHIT TO HER!” Cielo yells, Almost as loud as the man.
“Get the fuck out of my way. I didn’t expect to have to deal with two rat-asses today.” The man pushes through Cielo who loses his balance and nearly falls onto the floor. The man grabs Skye tightly by her hair and starts to drag her on the floor, pulling on her scalp. Not giving her a chance to get onto her feet. Her shrieks, Echoing off the walls and into Cielo’s ears, Felt like needles through either side of his skull.
“ARE YOU NOT TAKING ME SERIOUSLY, I WON’T HESITATE TO PUNCH YOUR FUCKING FACE IN-” Cielo yelled as loud as he could, blinded by rage.
Monday - 9 am
Cielo
“I don’t know what they did to me. I woke up in my bunk at around 9 am with a large bruise on my forehead. I don’t know how I was knocked out. I don’t know who did it. I don’t know what happened to Skye.” Cielo was tossing around in his bunk. Toiling over the memory of last night.
“I didn’t get any sleep last night. I still have another thirty minutes until I have to wake up. No later, No sooner. It’s not like I’ll be able to fall asleep on this bed, It feels like it’s made out of concrete.” I peered over the side of my bed. There were around three or four guards on the ground with flashlights ensuring none of us escaped.
“Sometimes I wonder where I went wrong in life to deserve this. I was sent here by my parents around three years ago. I think it was a behavioral thing. They advertised this hellhole as a place that would reform your kids to be more loving and obedient. To an extent, you can say that this was deserved but I don’t think my parents fully understood what this place stands for. I don’t think anybody’s parents did. I swear to god, No matter what it takes, I’m getting out of here.”
Monday - 9:30 am
I was standing in line at the cafeteria waiting to get my food. The more I bat my eyes from one end of the room to the other, The more I feel like this place wasn’t designed for humans. Everything has a moldy dark green tinge to it. And here, it’s rare to see anybody smile. I don’t blame them though, You can be scolded for “Not being serious enough”. It’s not new to anybody, Though. These rules don’t feel like they were meant to be followed. The “Teachers” or the “Leaders” Or whatever we’re supposed to call them don’t view us as individual people. It’s fucked up, But everybody’s used to the psychological torment. “Just one more year.” Or “Just two more years.” they’ll tell themselves. Some people ignore the rules and endure the punishments as an act to maintain their individuality. Others don’t In the hope that they’ll be let out one day.
I grab my tray and continue walking without stopping or even looking towards where my hand was going. Every day is nearly muscle memory at this point. Today, I’m eating rehab food. Like I do every day. At least, That’s what I call it. I’m sure it’s supposed to taste like something. My best guess is soup, Despite it being extremely thick and having chunks of things that I’m only pretty sure are vegetables.
I sat down at my usual table next to my usual people whose names I didn’t know. I picked at my food before reluctantly deciding to eat it today. It's probably better for my health that way.
“I wonder what happened to Skye.”
I tried my best to swallow the soup while gazing around the room, Wincing whenever I saw one of the leaders.
“I wonder where she is right now.”
I remembered the night I spent locked in that closet with Skye. I felt like she was a little annoyed, But it was so cathartic being able to talk to someone without having to worry about the leaders.
“I wonder if she’s okay.”
I could feel my palms getting sweaty, My mouth getting dry. My head getting light, My heart racing.
“It’s fine,” I told myself.
Nothing the leaders have done to me has ever killed me. I tried my best to start taking deep breaths.
“If I stop thinking about it I’ll be fine.” I pick up my spoon
“Thinking about not thinking about it is making me think about it.” The spoon in my hand is noticeably trembling.
“My thoughts don’t even make sense anymore.” I drop my spoon back into the bowl without taking a bite.
“I’m sick of this shit,” I said, picking up the bowl and standing straight up. I walked towards the trash can as discreetly as possible. I’m not sure what they’d think of me throwing away their food, Even if I have done it many times before.
If I had the freedom, I would have left and gone to someplace better. But I didn’t. And I couldn’t. So I sat down at my table, waiting for the hordes of people to be issued out. I glanced around the room anxiously. It’s like they don’t trust us in the slightest. Or just enjoy the control.
Monday - 10 am
Walking from the cafeteria to my next assigned task is always a drag. It’s one of the few moments of relaxation during any given day, Aside from sleep.
“!?”
My vision went to a blur for a few moments. I lost track of where my feet were in relation to the ground. My hands instinctively pushed downwards in the hopes to stop the sudden fall.
“Someone tripped me.”
“Was it a Leader . . . A student?”
“I’m not sure.” I let out an exhausted sigh.
“If I wanted to. I could probably kill whoever did that.”
“I wish I could tell somebody, Anybody. I wish I had told Skye yesterday. Maybe I’m not the only one.”
“I know that I’m laying on the ground in the middle of a hallway. I know that everybody is judging me. I’ve never cared what people think about me though. Something about the floor is more compelling than being upright and walking.” I was probably lying there for upwards of thirty seconds before I even considered getting up.
“C-Cielo, Is that you?” My eyes perk up. Skye is staring down at me. While I was still laying flat on the floor. It was honestly sad to look at. I jump up in the excitement and apparent delusion of the moment.
I stared into her eyes for a few moments. She gently looked back at me.
“A-Are you okay?” I asked in a quiet and muttering voice. She had a bruise on her forehead, one on her neck, And another on her right shoulder. She looked tired. As if she’d gone days without sleep. She looked down towards her feet and spoke, somehow in a quieter tone than mine.
“I’m fine.” She said in a near whisper. Without thinking, I grabbed her hand.
“I wish I could tell somebody, Anybody” I started to remember what I was thinking about moments earlier.
“Am I going through with this?” The thought was in my head but it felt as if I was screaming it as loud as I could.
“S-Skye, I want . . .”
“I mean, There’s something that . . .”
“There’s a thing I need to tell you.” She looked surprised. I couldn’t tell what type of surprise it was though. And I didn’t have any time to think about it.
“I wish I had told Skye yesterday. Maybe I’m not the only one.” My thoughts keep echoing in my head and won’t go away despite how hard I try to make them.
“C-Can you just follow me here?” I mumbled while tugging on her hand.
The storage room from yesterday. I didn’t want to come back here and I doubt she wanted to even more so, But it was the closest private place.
“Okay . . . I swear on my life that today won’t be a repeat of yesterday . . . I just need to show you something.” She looked fearful, confused, But also a little intrigued.
I relaxed myself.
“Please tell me I’m not the only one,” I said quietly as bright snow-white angel wings sprouted and fluttered from my back. They nearly filled the entire width of the room.
“At least now . . . somebody knows.”