Iuvenis Perpetuum

Day 1

Walking home from school was usually an uneventful excercise and a part of my daily routine, so I headed home as fast as I could, eagerly awaiting my 12th birthday party, which was to be happening at midnight. I knew preparations were going smoothly, and as much as my parents tried to hide it from me, I knew that they had something amazing planned. I increased my pace as I headed on home with a skip in my step, as my house came into view, my brisk walk turned into a slow jog, then to a full on sprint. Any second now I would be at my front porch. Suddenly, I was blindsided. A tall man in with greying hair, who sported a lab coat, grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and placed a napkin over my mouth. My vision began to blur, as my house grew further and further away,until it disappeared from sight. The light in my head went out.

Day 23

Today marks the fourth day in the row the men have visited me. Initially they left me alone, a cold room with nothing but the bare essentials, a computer lay at the corner, though it was virtually useless, no outside contact could be established. A small bed lay against the wall, and a television was plugged into the wall, though all that was viewable was the harsh static that replaced every channel. I had enough food, I reckoned, to last me for months. Nowhere near as tasty as some of the meals my mother made me, but it will have to do. The men initially left me alone, not one of them made any contact with me during the initial weeks, and I began to grow accustomed to the surroundings, though I cried for my parents during the initial 3 days. The days are monotonous and boring, there are no windows, no blue skies and no cool nights. Time loses all meaning here, and I began to lose my grip on the concept of time, as a result. On the 19th day, (indicated by the crude markings on the wall I made) three men walked into my room unannounced and grabbed me, examining me from all angles. They asked my to remove my clothing, and upon declining angrily, they forced me to do so. They carried me Into a room with whirring machines and foreign implements. They laid me onto an operating table, the cold hard metal shocking my skin, causing goosebumps. I was injected with a syringe, and my vision faded.

Day 48

I awoke with a start, cold beads of sweat dripping down my face, stinging my eyes as I rubbed the saline liquid out. I climbed out of the bed, and stared at myself in the mirror. I used my fingernail to draw another line on the well worn wall. Day 48 huh, or was it? These markings were drawn every time I awoke, and as such held no proper measurement of time. I washed my face and sat down in front of the television, like I usually did, the static keeps me occupied. There was a small conversation taking place at my door, and three men barged in and once again, looking at me with disdain. I did not know these men by name, but I referred to them as researchers. They dragged me out of the room, and injected me with three vials, then proceeded to lead me outside the lab. This was the first time they had done so. I cast my eyes toward the sky, and say birds, pidgeons, in the sky. There were dancing flowers and smooth grass around me, and I reached out to touch one of the flowers. The researcher swatted my hand away and dragged me back into the lab, and tossed me into the room. I cried for days after that.

Day 203

The concept of time is now completely lost to me, though the markings on the wall have increased drastically. There were now thousands of them, no tens of thousands of them, have I been here for years? I looked at myself in the mirror, still, no visible change. Or was there? What did I look like before? I was confused, as I tried to recall. Who am I? I finally found the memory I was looking for. How could I not have seen it? My name was R- Two men burst through the door and grabbed me by the arms. They injected me with a green viscous liquid and my vision once again went blur. I have the remember, I have to. My name is R-, my name is Urr-, my name is -. I blacked out.

Day 277

Today was different. I awoke not on the bed I was accustomed to, but on the very same metal table. There was a small smudge of blood on a nearby lab coat and what seemed to be surgical tape lay on the table beside me. Of the several rolls present, one seemed to have had been used recently. I strained my head and looked downward, straining my eyes to see in this dimly lit room. When suddenly, a lever was pulled and lights came on. Around me were cages of grotesque creatures and in stark contrast, regular animals, next to these creatures. Some of the larger birds had iv drips and an orange liquid filled tube connected to them, they cried in agony, repeating only a single cry. Some were completely deformed, sporting rippling muscles that felt painfully tight, creatures with four hands were also present in large numbers,they looked like someone had grafted human hands onto them, and screamed in agony. The researcher approached me and glared at me, asking me to put on my clothes. After doing so, I was tossed back into my chambers to contemplate what had happened. The rest of the day was uneventful.

Day 330

The researchers returned, today carrying trays and trays of orbs, of all shapes and colours. They took out a clipboard and started to record my actions for the next while, making me run, providing me with a pair of shoes to facilitate doing so. They looked at me after what seemed like several marks(the units I use to measure time). I was still running. They looked at the charts. Satisfied. They then tested my arm strength, asking me to perform feats of strength such as tossing rocks of varying sizes around the room, some as large as my head and some fitting snugly into my palm. They left as abruptly as they came, carrying their trays and equipment with them. One turned to look at me, before deciding that I was presently of no interest and leaving. That night I sat up in bed, contemplating the reasons for their actions, and that "thing" they did to me nearly 200 marks ago. I had woken up on the table that day, and I had a feeling that I left, being less of a person than I was prior to entering in the first place. What had they taken I wondered, as I drifted off into a deep sleep. That night I had a dream for the first time in a long time. One question haunted me in that dream, a figure had asked me about my gender, and I had no idea.

Day 366

The researchers dropped by again, carrying a small yellow backpack and a set of red clothes, along with a cap. Along with that, I had been given several small vials filled with orange liquid, reminiscent of the soloution I had seen being given to those birds. There was a small white label on those bottles, but I neglected to read it. Later that day a small boy with golden brown hair was introduced to me. The researchers told me he was blind. And had to use his sense of smell to distinguish individuals. This boy was introduced to me as... What was his name again? I'm sure it will come back to me eventually.

Day 400

I wake up and look at the ceiling. I step out of bed and change into the set of clothes provided by the researchers several days prior. I completed the outfit with a red cap, and backpack, which I filled with those orange vials,upon closer inspection, I found that they were labelled "potions".I went downstairs,The researchers had said it was time for me to leave. downstairs,a woman greeted me warmly, nothing like the researchers prior. I stepped out of the house and looked up at the sky, seeing fluttering pidgeons and giant sparrows. I took a huge breath as a man came dashing out of a nearby building, which looked like an industrial complex. He had greying hair and wore a lab coat. He smiled at me and said "Hello there! Welcome to the world of Pokémon! My name is Oak! People call me the pokémon Prof! This world is inhabited by creatures called pokémon! For some people, pokémon are pets. Others use them for fights. Myself...I study pokémon as a profession." My name. My name. My name...was Red.

Second effort, please critique! Tribute to Xorax! By Demonicsol