What Mitch saw traumatized him. Numerous tubes, most of them containing green water with orphans were everywhere. Looking closely, numbers were on a control station screen of each tube.
'082, 366, 1101.. ' He read all of those close to him. His friends might still be here too!
Soon he managed to grab the attention of a caretaker. Her name was Carol and she was the most frequent cook during breakfast, maybe thrice a week. Despite being bound by needles and chains on his feet, he mustered all he can to perform sign language in front of her hoping she would catch on.
'Where... Mother Mary.. where.. family..' He signed, however all he received was a smile and she proceeded to writing data once again.
Mitch couldn't help but slam the glass with his balled-up fists.
He then noticed that he could not feel hunger at all. It must be the needles. They're connected to something outside the tube that must be injecting him with body fluid essentials probably oxygen too.
Few moments later, the Ice Princess went back from the door Martin entered. She was mutilated, her body were riddled with long continuous cuts. The flesh on her arms were twisted with her bones exposed. The only way he knew it was her was because of her clothes. On it the numbers 312 were written. He didn't know her but he felt pain for her. Grief and helplessness consumed his soul. He desperately wanted to break the damn glass but it was just too thick. Together with the water which limits his strength, it was like he was a toddler trying to push a car.
"Why did this happen?" Mitch tried to recall where it all went wrong yet he did not find the flaw. Everything was going so well.
'312 is dead.... Martin will die as well.' His mind was swimming in negativity. As a stray kid, deep words were a foreign concept to him but not death. Everyone he met at the streets, those just like him, the homeless, strays, cast outs, they all spoke about dying. Mitch learned as well and he was once like them, but after the orphanage took him in, those feelings were buried. Who knew that it would resurface like this? Adoption was a lie, caretakers were demons and Mother Mary doesn't care.
Mitch being a bright, intelligent boy he is, was able to realize everything quickly. There is no family coming for us; This place is the playground of the caretakers.
Soon, a couple of caretakers approached his tube. He began hammering the walls once again, shouting from the top of his lungs.
....
Outside the tube-
"You say this thing didn't eat the candy?" A man with a long beard said.
"Yes, Dr Henry. We searched his body after Jonathan subdued him and we found it at his pockets." A young man with round glasses replied.
"We can't have that. Remember, these kids are a valuable asset that the government entrusted us with, we can't damage them before the operations." The chubby, bearded man said as he eyed on Mitch with a mysterious glint.
"Let it rest for now, I'll perform the experiment myself tomorrow."
Mitch was carefully watching the caretakers as they took off. He might have been smashing the glass but he was also reading their lips. Being friends with mutes before he learned sign language, he learned how read words from the mouth. It has been awhile since he did it though so he wasn't able to grasp the important details.
'Goberment, xperiment.. what are those?' He pondered. Experiment and government was a word they were not taught. Maybe the older kids, would know but certainly not him. He was at the street at a young age. Without literary skills, there was no way for him to catch on words. Probably basics words but not experiment or government which are rarely used on the streets unlike 'food', 'water' and 'money'.
Hours later, the lab grew quiet. Caretakers started leaving one after the other. Martin never got back. It seemed that wherever he was taken to, he didn't leave yet.
Mitch started dozing off as he glance at the other tubes near him. Freaks of nature, he thought.
"Will I stop being human too?" Soon he fell asleep as well. His face pained as he hugged his knees while floating in the mysterious green water. This sleep is going to be his most stressful sleep so far and without a doubt, he would have a nightmare.
...
Morning came, atleast that's what he thought. He woke up tied into a stretcher, just like Martin was. He crossed other tubes along their path to the door Martin went through. His face paled however he did not shout for help. Looking at the faces of the caretakers yesterday, begging for mercy was useless. Instead he asked-
"Where is Mother Mary?" In a calm voice.
"Why do you ask?" A familiar face, walking near the stretcher said. It was Dr. Henry from before.
"First you didn't eat the candy, now you're not resisting and shouting like others."
"Because you're awfully cooperative, I'll tell you."
Dr. Henry looked at the caretaker pushing the stretcher. Immediately, they stopped moving. Dr. Henry looked at Mitch and said-
"I am Mother Mary."