Xu Wutao
I peeled off the heavy lids of my eyes, groaning from how much challenge the simple action proved.
First thing I noticed, I was on a bed.
Not an unfamiliar one like last time. The flattened-over-years-of-use single mattress resting on metal planks was nothing if not familiar.
The room was mostly dark. The only source of illumination coming from a blue light bulb outside.
My left hand felt heavy. I lifted it and noticed a needle connected to a saline solution bag, hung on a metal stand.
For the most part, the burning sensation from earlier had subsided, along with any trace of headache. Well, 'thrumming' or 'pounding' would be a more accurate word. I was beginning to feel a bit more in control of my body.
I propped up the pancake of a pillow my head was resting on, sitting up on the bed. I noticed I was no longer wearing the clothes I borrowed.
In fact, I wasn't wearing anything at all.
The only thing protecting what little dignity I had was the worn blue cloth covering my chest and lower half of my body.
I brought my hand to my nose, taking a big whiff. Nothing.
No lavender. No alpha pheromones.
Just scentless.
I couldn't feel my contacts. Guess they were taken out too.
I released a relieved sigh.
I raked my free hand through my hair, smiling when I didn't feel any pain from my scalp.
I was home.
On a foldable chair beside the bed, a girl sat.
She was the same age as me.
Frail, pale. A Z-Gen Omega. Another person I shared my curse with.
Her thin elbow was propped on the backrest of her seat, her cheek resting in her palm.
FLASBACK (2012)
Fourteen years ago.
I carefully crawled out the the small hole in the wall behind my room.
I had noticed it a few days ago when one of the gardeners mistakingly knocked down the large flower pot that had been conveniently blocking it.
Since then, I barely managed to think of anything else, unable contain the excitement of possibly seeing the world beyond the walls of the estate.
I chose a weekday, when the house was mostly empty. My siblings were in school and my father was out working. The only people left in the house with me were the servants.
I knew that the only time they came to the back of the house near my room, was in the morning, when they did their general cleaning.
My head poked out first, then the rest of my ten-year-old body wriggled the rest of the way out.
My clothes were dirty by the time I made it out, but I didn't care.
My shirt had a small tear, from catching on a sharp stone and my black sneakers were brown from all the dust.
The sun was at its peak. It shone bright, bringing out all the vibrant colors of everything around me.
It was like stepping into a whole universe. A universe not restricted by walls.
For a boy like me, the feeling was indescribable.
A wide smile spread across my face as I took in the scenery. The grass, the sky, the clouds. They were all visible from the estate, but never like this.
There weren't many houses nearby, but there was long stretch of tarmac road. Just like the one leading to our main entrance.
Not a single car passed by during the fifteen minute I spent standing at the side of the road, wide eyed and wide mouthed, my stomach bursting with butterflies.
I let out a loud laugh and ran along the road, letting the wind comb through my hair.
I turned the corner and came to a stop at what looked like a park across the road. It reminded me of the illustrations in the books my sister had used to teach me to read.
I wanted to see more.
Without a second thought, I crossed the road.
There were people. So many people. More than I had ever seen at one place.
Some played with their children, others walked their pets.
I walked forward, smiling and waving at everyone who glanced my way. In my sister's books, people at the park were nice and friendly.
Slowly, the confused expressions of those I waved at shifted to recognition, then excitement. Not the good kind.
"Is that a Z-Gen Omega?" Someone whispered, pointing at me. I froze, watching as a group hurried toward me. That was my first mistake.
"He looks like one, but he has a lavender scent" I smiled brightly and waved at a woman who just ignored me.
"He is one! Look at how pale and frail he is!."
"And an M-spec too. So rare!" Their eyes beamed.
One lady came close to me, pinching my cheeks harshly. My eyes sting with tears.
I tried to take a step back , but another grabbed my hand, tugging up the sleeve of my shirt to check my shoulder, then forcing my head forward, she inspected the back of my neck and behind my ears.
"He has no ownership branding. He's a stray!" The word 'stray' made my heart skip a beat. That word was used for animals, why was she calling me that?
That proclamation gained the attention of many bystanders who gathered around us, their number increasing by the second.
The woman who had examined me beamed, hugging me tightly.
"I'll keep him then! Oh! The ladies from my bookclub will be so jealous!"
"Hey! I found him first, who said you could keep him?!" Another woman yanked at my arm.
No one noticed my cries or the bruises forming on my arms from their grip. They didn't seem to care.
"I saw him when he crossed the road! He's mine. I'll to sell him for a good price!"
"Like hell you are!"
I panicked and tears poured uncontrollably down my face in the sea of unfamiliar adults.
What had started as the best day of my life took a dark turn in an instant.
Why hadn't I just stayed in my room? Over there, at least I was safe.
More people joined the debate on who got to keep me, and for a moment, I lost all hope of ever going back home.
Then, through all the chaos, I heard a girl's voice.
"Baba! Help him! They're hurting him!"
The next thing I saw was a giant of a man, tearing through the crowd.
His hand grabbed mine. There was no harshness behind it. Just a promise of protection.
He pulled be behind him, where a girl around my age stood.
She looked pale and malnourished. Fragile.
But not her eyes. They were void of emotion, but they had a something in them, something that gave me hope…
Determination.
"I'm Xueya. what about you?"
"Wutao" I managed to say between sniffles.
"Let's get out of here. My baba will take care of the bad guys." She extended a hand towards me, on it I saw an inscription.
LU XUEYA
PROPERTY OF LU YUSHENG
TEL: 1XX XXXX XXXX
~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the age of ten, I learnt what it truly meant to be me.
A harsh reality that transcended everything I thought I knew.
I was only property.
The home my hell, turned into my only sanctuary.
But at least, I wasn't alone.
I sent a soft glance at Xueya, my first and only friend. My lips turned up into a soft smile.
She looked so exhausted, her sleeping face etched with worry.
I pouted with guilt.
I made her worry.
I let out a sigh, my voice coming out raspy as I whispered, "You gave me a lifeline, Xueya. And I promise to pull you up with me. Whatever it takes"