Iuan lay on his bed days after the scans was taken as Trave walked in and handed the drugs over. Aware if he wanted to go into the common room the prisoner would do as he was told and watched the kid take the tablets. He smiled and walked out shutting the door behind him and clicking it locked. As he checked Iuan schedule and noticed he was down for an exploratory surgery while being awake as he looked to the kid all any one could do was hope the six months would go fast. With the doctors cutt into him as they went in with the intent fix something or take samples to find why the prisoners bone was the way it was. Everything they did for weeks seemed to bring more questions and they needed answers but every time they operated they never found answers. The following weeks consisted of the cell and treatment rooms tests it became as if time, no longer existed for him. As if he himself had somehow got stuck on ground hog day. As the treatment routines fell into place with in the first week.
Everything seemed to be as they worked through the damage which could be causing the the complications in his life which for some reason always led him back the center he was now stationed in. No child liked to have their freedoms restricted or told what to do but in many ways the children and teens needed to be instructed stricter in their lives on how to handle themselves. Iuan sat in his cell and looked over to the door as a small fair haired child and another tall dark haired young teen walked in with a smile. He was instantly to his feet and looked to the young boys he did not know the time of day let alone what day it was as he looked to the prisoners.
“Morning Iuan it is 6am, the others are in bed your due to go out to the yard for a morning run.”
“That makes a change kid, I been coup up in this Chicken pen since I got here. All right kid your following orders it is time I did what they said having proved I’m calm enough to have some freedom but what happened over the week I cant remember much?” Iuan asked he knew growing up in these places was hard and at a guess the children could not be any older than eleven or twelve years old. Iuan thought back to when he was their age and knew they had to follow orders as he looked to the kids and half expected a guard to walk in and cuff him like usual.
“You don’t get it do you, there’s armed guards and starving dogs around the place. You make a wrong move and they shoot then ask you questions at the end of it if your dead they bring you back and ask questions then kill you again they have fun doing that. I hate this place and the stupid soldiers, “ Iuan looked to the children and thought recognizing much of him in the one.
“You know they hear you say that and your in trouble, what doctors are around this hell hole now?” Iuan asked and looked to the kids trying to work it all out for a minute.
“Doctor De’ath, Professor Raven and Professor Lansop those are the main three. My names Deacon Road I have been here for two years they keep finding a reason to hold me in this place. This is Paul otherwise known as Palestar, I’m not sure on his story he don’t talk that much. I believe you’ve been In before so know the score.”Deacon said as he walked out of the room behind Iuan and towards the end of the tunnel.
“Yeah this is the fifth time my first I was eight, dad found out about the fights I was in at school and showing my mom as well as him disrespect above that I was doing drugs and beating a brother up. So he threw me into this place, some kids I know back home have been in and out of here since they was two or three. This place screwed them up more than sorted them out and the folks don’t know what is going on with the kids.” he looked over for a minute and thought about everything from the therapy rooms to the prisoners cells and the militia walking about armed with the AK 47’s and machete along with small hand held weaponry. The younger boys looked over to Iuan with a smirk they had never met one of the original few before but now they was walking with one of the original kids of the facility.
“So this must be a kick in the teeth or something, After breakfast your wanted with the docs in theater. Something to do with the structure of your bones or something we don’t get the full detail but they like to get us to escort you so your going in with friends rather than a soldier..” Deacon looked to Iuan and noticed the kid nod he understood as everyone knew doc de’ath was a nasty piece of work. He looked over with a smirk as he had met one of the original subjects with in the base. “You know there’s more of these places around the world and according to some people a few off world places. “
“I know I’ve heard and experienced it but this is the first port of call.” Iuan stopped suddenly as he saw an officer he knew well and looked over to a 6ft muscular man with short cropped military hair cut and square face the teen stopped and shook his head for a minute. “Marnac figgin Copeland? One of the best dang guards I know in this place thought you retired years back.” he smirked as he looked to the only guard he ever respected.
“Oh look its the very important pipsqueak, wait if your here where’s the motley crue?” Marnac looked at the teen sarcastically and looked over “The motley crue, that was a bad band man” a small framed soldier retorted.
“It’s what he called my friends, always seems to be one in at the same time as me or all of us. But not this time they are safe and well ans I am not informing on any one so go screw the professor.” Iuan looked over to the soldiers and saw them shake their heads.
“Watch the tone young man, or we will send you to the pit.” this made Iuan stare at the young officer. He figured the man was aged around twenty five with auburn colored hair and hazel green eyes. He noticed the oblong shape to the officers face and the pale blue complexion to the soldier.
“You and whose Frick army ass, you don’t know who your dealing with here I’m the king of this damn castle and pissing on your parade.” he smirked as he looked to the soldier and Marnac stepped forward Iuan noticed the headache from hell hitting home.. As he played up more and looked to the others who was backing away muttering something under their breath.
“Me and my army ass, do you think the beasts of nevermore are hungry yet? ” As Marnac and the other soldier grabbed Iuan and dragged him down to the catacombs deep underground and cuffed his hand and ankles before throwing him into the tunnel.
“I should think those beast are ravenous they have not had a human too feed of for months surviving of the scraps of meat that is thrown down so they will definitely be ravenous.” the young soldier smirked a little and thought everything through for a minute as they looked to the prisoner.
“NOOO! COME ON YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME DOWN THERE. GET OFF MEEEEE……” he screamed as he noticed the corridors filling with the echo of his fear. Iuan heard the soldiers laughing as they walked away from the base and closed his eyes briefly. As he tried to block out the howling of the hungry beast down in the darkened pit. The 9ft hairy red eyed creatures which feed upon the children and their fear but to hear one growl is stuff off utter nightmares and the fact you could not move intensified the fear in that moment.
He lay face down once he hit the floor, with sickening thud then the sudden burst of pain which he could feel the pain of the cuts and what he figured was a broken bone. As he listened to the growls and howls of the beasts which came from all around him. The pain ripped through his body along with the sickening feeling which twisted his stomach into a sickening knot. As he looked at the red piercing laser like eyes which stood in the corner of the room. He was terrified of the creature as he saw it move. He watched the creature as it stalked him ad seemed to slink across the tunnel occasionally, he felt the warm breathe on his neck and as if something was nibbling at his legs.
The teen knew that some times children never came back from the pits, he did not know if the pain was making his mind some how play him up. As if his imagination was making it worse on him, as he lay with something wet and sticky running down his head and into his mouth. It was at this point he could taste blood.
The teen lay trying to get out of the cuffs but knew they had been closed so he could not get out of the restraints and his body hurting he did not know how long he had been down in the pit. But the fear of the creatures was enough to scare him as he looked over to the door eventually he passed out due to the pain he was in and woke up when the soldiers marched in and took him out of the dungeons leading him down to the theater.
“Get off me you bastards I will have your job for this.” he tried to struggle but the pain worked through his body each movement he made he could scream out but was not going to give any one the satisfaction of knowing he was suffering. As he felt the bones ad muscles break more and shift out of place, as they took him down a badly lit stone corridor towards the medical bay.
“Put him in the side room and secure him the bones need to be reset, before he heads to the cells. Doctor De’ath is dealing with him, and may he be in a merciful mood.” The doctors all started to laugh along with the soldiers
“Is he ever in a good mood? I don’t think I ever seen him in one. He’s harder than the others on these kids.” Marnac stated made sure the order was carried out as he looked to the men around him. The soldier knew that the mention of Doc De’ath scared every child with in the facility. Iuan tensed as he heard the name and closed his eyes as he allowed out a slight grunt of pain, when they placed him on his back and strapped him down. The soldiers stood back and raised the gun ready in case he would try something. While they waited for their next order Marnac turned to the kid “I hope you continue to think of your actions kid, what put you in this situation. Think long an hard and lose the attitude.” Marnac might have been a soldier but he had lost everything dear to him and the worst was he could not remember why.
As he looked to the child and waved his finger to the door giving the signal for them to leave the room he hoped the kid would listen. As the door slammed shut lights started to flash around the room, as the teen did not have a choice but to watch the sequence the lights was in. A moment later the room filled with sounds of piercing noises and drills interwoven with the howls of the beasts and commands which seemed to be repeated. Iuan lay In the flat chilled bed but noticed how soft the mattress was compared to the hard floor, he was used to but he wanted to shut off. But every time he closed his eyes the piercing sound made his head hurt more, and he opened his eyes for a brief moment. The teen knew this was him for six months, but that time would pass quicker than people thought it would. As the doctors ran tests and flashing lights resetting the bones and doing what he was told. Was just a course of the normal day or would soon be part of the normal day, soon it would be like he knew nothing else.
Doctors walked in and started to manipulate the broken bones as he looked to the young man. Who could be seen struggling with the pain he was going through, the process of the resetting broken bones hurt like hell but the teen got to his feet over the weeks he was there and looked to the doctors. As he looked at everything for a minute and gently took in what was around him when they walked him down to the main office where he stood and looked to Patterson. The General just looked over for a minute no one really knew what the drugs the children was handed did to their system but the more compliant the child was the easier the soldiers jobs became and after weeks of being in the hospital the child was not likely to fight.
Iuan looked at the tall dark haired man dressed in royal blue army uniform a man he never thought he would see again. But now he was in front of him again with a smirk the man got to his feet and walked to the prisoner with a slight shake of his head.
“Well less than a year this time a new record for you, now time to work here and do what your told to do. I want him out hunting for new children those people wont miss we have new experiments to try and the professors need fresh meat as well as this you can aid in the care of the inmate in isolation.” he smiled and looked to the boy as he saw the kid shake his head a little.
“Yes sir, when do I go out sir?” he asked and figured it would be with another kid as he looked to the general for a minute as he tried to work it all out and then locked back for a moment.
“Now you have three hours to scout out and bring back anyone you see, failure to do as order means you will find yourself in the pit for two days. And the lighted chamber for a further three days.” The general ordered as he looked over to the prisoner with this said Iuan ran out of the room and grabbed his pass which gave him a way out of the building. In that moment he did not care why he was out but he cared he was going out to fresh air and civilization. As he walked through the prison grounds watched the children being escorted to and from their duties and some of the older bigger kids kicking up a fuss over the treatments or withdrawal of any outside time they had. As he walked out showed the pass to the a soldier at the door and out to a large open planned piece of land with sentry guards around watched from the towers.
”Pass?” a tall dark haired soldier looked over for a few minutes an thought everything over as he studied the children in front of him. As he took note of the children walk out to him with a smile and shake of his head “What he doing letting you out? You know what will happen if you don’t come back.” the soldier gazed at the child for a minute and the back to the other one and shook his head.
“You send the flat foots out to search for us and they find us we spend two weeks in the pits with those creatures. In the dark and then the work with the doctors to screw our heads up more than we think is possible.” Iuan glared at the soldier handed the pass over when he noticed the soldier check it, as he looked to the young boy with him after a few moments they handed the pass back and looked to him with a smirk.
“Go on then and be back when your supposed to be or we will have the beasts looking for you and they find their targets.” the soldier pressed a button and the gates opened when the kids ran through.
“I am not coming back” Iuan whispered to his friend with a smirk
“You have no choice they will kill you if you don’t, we will not get far if we run.” the teen looked over for miles nothing could be seen but the vast countryside around the institutes grounds.
“That’s what they want you to think,, I bust out plenty of times when I was younger but dad found me. Besides I know kids who have broken out of this joint before and still on the run. Don’t let them get to you man, don’t let them get under your skin that’s how you beat them at their game and come out on top.” Iuan sighed as he looked to the waif of a child and shook his head life had kicked them both from birth he could tell the kid had the same tired look of rejection. As they walked down the road. They might have been mere teenagers but one thing they had was the weight of the world on their shoulders. A cold calculating world that no one gave a damn in helping the children but if they ran one thing remained the need for survival was strong in them both.
As they walked down the long desolate country road, they looked over to the building they had just left and thought about things. But started to run down the long path and out to the distance they did not know how far they could go in three hours but figured they would keep running until they found somewhere they could bunk down for a few hours.
“I swear that the O’ryan house is about seven miles from here, its been abandoned since the family went to Africa on some sort of mission for some big corporation.” the young boy stated as he looked to Iuan and saw him nod.
“I know Templeton O’ryan and his brothers, not bad kids and that house is haunted something to do with a curse.” Iuan slowed down to a steady walk and looked over for a minute as he ran his hand through his short black hair. “But Mister Jefferson wont hurt us he seems to help us kids not sure on his story though, perhaps one day we will find out.” Iuan had heard rumors but walked at a steady pace as he worked it out at the pace they was going. As they stuck to the country paths they’d not only avoid unwanted attention but would reach the house in a matter of an hour. “We head there’s food in the cupboards and drink still trust me it is all in date but there’s something I gotta do and cant take you.” Iuan smirked but knew the kid would not last on his own for long “what’s your name kid, what’s your story? Mine I got sent there for fighting and disobedience dad wants to crush my spirit but he can’t I wont let him do that.” he knew what needed to be done figured it could be done when he was on his own with the little one asleep.
“Tolstar it’s more of a nickname than it is anything else, my folks was used in some-sort of experiment and I was the result. Been in there since I can remember the work of the scientists don’t even know where the folks are. We get moved when the residents hit nineteen and I’m not told where to. Or even if they are alive dad got sent there by the courts and I think mom was the same not sure on that though. I hear stories of the old ones the originals here, and those being shipped out after re-arrest.” The kid looked around the smells of the air and green grass was totally different to what he had got used to over the years.
“The originals you mean my time? Me, Antero and Kitto, and my gang of friends well some are still running from the flatfoots and rozzas. But they use o’ryans pad at times, especially out racing which is why there is food and we know of other places we can hunt and salvage food.” Iuan thought for a minute and knew there was bins full of food that supermarkets and shops threw food out no one wanted.
“Yeah your team, the soldiers talk about you all when they dragged you back the soldiers especially that Marnac was upset to see you back. But I guess that place once it has you it don’t let go right?” the kid looked over for minute as he tried to work out why kids always got sent back.
“I think we have to go back a lot of us, have been shifted from one prison to the other for many years. Some get to go home but the parents send us back when we get into trouble with the authority or school boards. But this time it will be different if you want to run then you will have to learn to live on the streets, racing and fighting it is all part and parcel of life out here.” Iuan tried to think he knew it could get tough and people would be aggressive or fearful of the kids on the streets. “First thing first give me a lift up kid those clothes look like they will fit us both.” he stated as he looked over and noticed a red soccer t-shirt and pair of black corduroys on the washing line next to a pair of black smart trousers and white shirt. “I will have the business trousers and you can have the soccer top.” Iuan smirked as he watched the kid cusp his hand together and spring him up to the wall.
“Damn man I support a different team,” the young boys chuckled as he supported the underdogs a team he loved since he could remember. But figured it was a forgivable act as he was now on the run from everything he knew moments later as he caught a look from Iuan who shook his head.
“Damn man they are crap not won the cup since the 80s, this one is far superior but heck if we all supported the same teams life would be extremely dull.” Iuan replied as he looked for a way back over and found a trampoline by the same wall he took a run and jump caught the top of the wall and spring boarded back over with the clothes “SSSSHHHIIIITTTTTT!!!!!!” he hollered as he saw a large framed man with snake tattoos going along his arms an the top of his chest along with band tattoos around his wrist and long hair wearing a leather jacket come out of the house with a large rottweiler cross. Once over the wall he glanced at his friend “NOW RUNNN!!!!!” he ordered and took off towards the hills which he figured just in the distance about two miles off course.
As they ran his heart beat rapid in his chest as his breathing became rapid the faster they seemed to run. Iuan looked back and could hear the dog growl and run behind them as he pulled the younger boy into a small cut out coal mine he remembered using a few times in the past and pointed straight ahead. Iuan knew what he had to do and it would be a job he did alone, but it would be something that end up breaking his family apart right at this moment he needed to run and not let the large black and liver colored dog catch up to him it seemed to be an animal that would rip him apart.
“Don’t look back keep running, just keep going even if I get caught you run” He ordered and hoped the kid would do as he said and not what he did as he turned a sharp right down the main pass. The more that he ran the more he noticed his young associate fall behind but Iuan was too concerned with running and trying to get away from the dog to truly care about the young boy. Outside life was different you took care of number one on the streets unless you trusted the gang you was with the streets was rife with tales of the meat wagons. But for some reason he slowed down to a walking pace and looked back “Come on I think we lost him, lets take it slow here and walk the rest of the way stop and breathe.” he noticed the child had caught up and they must have been out of the man’s land with no sign of the dog or him.
Tolestar looked to Iuan with a smirk and thought things through quickly aware his friend was scared. As he placed his hand on the kids right shoulder with a smirk he nodded in a way trying to tell the kid he would be fine. In that moment the time he took to touch Iuan his mind became full of the hatred and beatings the teen had received but could not tell what would happen but the saw the struggle in the teens mind locked away.
“Who ever that is he can’t hurt you, not now.” Tolestar looked to his new friend as he noticed a limp.
“No one for you to worry about and I have a way to escape his hell.” Iuan tapped his head and the saw the kid shake his head for a minute not understanding what Iuan was on about. “In your own mind you can be anything when the doctors operate or your hit you can put yourself in the middle of an opera house singing your favorite opera or out on the motorbike cruising with your friends. Surfing the largest monstrous wave you can think of and each strike makes you wiser or reach the little pinnacle of what your doing. In your own head you are the wisest and most successful writer use the power of your imagination inside your head is the inner-temple of your own desires” Iuan smirked as he thought it might seem strange to the kid. Even Iuan had to admit at times it was hard for him to distance himself from everything but knew something had to be done to at least ease the pain.
As they kept walking down towards the wooded land Iuan knew he had to get in and hide with his friend he could not help but to wonder who was at the hideout. He studied the other kid while they walked toward the cabin which could be seen hidden within the woods. The boys walked through the trees and past the headless cross, a marker from the past of the building and lands or was it.
Iuan took note of the cross again and thought 1666 the plague that engulfed the land and many thought it to be a curse from the devil himself for their sins but was it? As the upper-classes often used the headless cross to hide their fortunes from any one who would take it. No matter what the tales was a hidden fortune or the plague no one had been brave enough to open the site of the headless cross for fear of releasing the plague. As he crossed the land a cold chill ran down his spine and he pulled his friend into the house when he noticed a group of children sat huddled by the warming fire.
“Hey whose here?” he asked when he walked in and noticed a large framed teen sat back in his chair
“David Lloyd, Me, Colton and Casen Vaerncombe, Stuart Lucas and Kitto, Westie Mcgregor and The Turk.” Antero looked over for a minute as he threw a can of Cola to the boys “catch”
Iuan smirked as he caught the beer and looked back to his friends for a minute, as he pulled the ring tab on the cab and grabbed a couple of tablets from the table popping one he looked to the kid and shook his head before settling down by the fire. He settled down and looked around for a few minutes he took in the kid in leathers with their bike helmets next to them and realized their bikes was hidden from sight, then the racers who sat in their jeans and tee-shirts with oil down the jeans. Then the girls who seemed to stretch around the house when he spotted Shane and thought for a minute as he looked over to his best friends.
“Your old man is out looking for you so are the flatfoots you bust out of Dark haven Institution right?” Shane asked and looked to his friend Shane handed the kid a sandwich.
“Yeah this is Tolestar, I need you boys too look after the kid while I am busy. Ads going to see me but it will be the last thing he ever does.” He looked over for a minute with a smirk as he stood and toyed with the large sharp bladed blue handled diamond encrusted hunting knife in his hand. As he looked to his friends for a few minutes before dropping the sandwich and heading out to his red Kawasaki ninja and kick starting his baby speeding away from the house and down the dirt track with only one intention on his mind and a job he would secure as he rode through the woods weaving in and out of the trees kicking up the dirt behind him he could sense the adrenaline surging through every inch of his body as his mind was clearer than it had been over the years.
Copyright ©2018ELHewitt
You can read the Introduction @ https://lhewittwriter.wordpress.com/2018/11/03/introduction/
Chapter One @ https://lhewittwriter.wordpress.com/2018/11/03/chapter-one/
S P Copeland 