Inside the mind space Kellen stood there alone. The space around him continued to fluctuate as images flashed about in the darkness like wavering projections.
In the center of this circle of memories was Kellen's still figure, unable to move like he was trapped inside a standing coma. His eyes were open but seemed vacant and stared off at something unknown in the distance.
His pupils were diluted with the bordering golden and jet black sclera glowing and flickering constantly.
Just like the flashing projected memories surrounding him in the mind space, Kellen felt as if he was trapped inside his head reliving his happiest and darkest times.
As he encountered a certain memory, its projection in the mind space would appear clearly in front of him like a massive movie screen before vanishing and be replaced by another.
He could no longer hear the ghastly voice that had droned in the back of his mind but was unconscious of his state and being as he spiraled through his memories.
He currently found himself in one of his most haunting memories, the day he was taken to the laboratory.
******
'Huh, what was I just doing? I feel like I'm missing something important, but I can't remember what it is...'
Kellen found himself in an old dilapidated room inside the boarding house he lived in as an orphan. The raging war that was occurring all over the planet had taken the lives and lively hood of many adults including his beloved parents.
Sitting at his small wooden desk, Kellen looked down at the drawing he had been working on. It was a portrait of his mother and father smiling as they held a small boy between them.
However, the boy's face was blurry except for his piercing eyes. They seemed to hold a sense of sadness and longing in them as if he wasn't really in the embrace of his loving parents.
Before he could dwell on the drawing any longer, a loud knock rang out on the rotting wooden door to his room.
The door opened revealing another boy with reddish hair and a mischievous smile plastered on his face.
"Oh come on you cry baby! Are you gonna stay in your room all day and sulk or help me out with my ultimate plan of escape!" said the red haired boy excitedly.
"I'd rather hang out in my room than get wacked by the old lady for helping you with your stupid plans again!" retorted Kellen as he rolled his eyes.
"Seriously, why do you have to be such a downer all the time... You're just pissy cause I left you at the fence that time! Come on, I already told you I'm sorry... I couldn't get back on top the fence to pull you over cause I fell..." mumbled the kid as he scratched his head out of embarrassment.
"Whatever Thomas! I'm not playing along to your plans anymore! Didn't you here the other kids? Someone is coming to adopt us today. They could be really cool too! Tyler was talking about them being a government agent or something..." said Kellen with yearning.
"What! Are you really gonna believe that snitch? He was the one that ratted us out last time, remember?" cried Thomas shaking his head.
Kellen got up from his desk and walked over to Thomas still standing in the doorway.
"I'd rather listen to the possible truth than the low probability of one of your plans working." said Kellen as he reached for the handle of the door to close it.
"Wait! Wait! You haven't even heard me out!" complained Thomas as he pushed against the closing door.
"I'm telling you this is the perfect time to es..."
Thomas's words were cut off with the door pushing him onto the creaking hallway floor.
"pff, you're no fun!"
Kellen went back to his desk to look at the drawing again as he heard Thomas's creaking foot steps fade off down the hallway.
'It feels like there's something not right with this picture but I can't place my finger on it...'
Kellen stared at the drawing again after Thomas's interruption, but still couldn't get past the sinking feeling he was forgetting something.
As he sunk his gaze into the kid's eyes a strange phenomenon appeared for a moment.
'Wait! His eyes are changing!' Kellen thought in shock.
The kid's eyes had began glowing a blood red color that made it the center of attention when looking at the drawing and caught Kellen's prying gaze.
Staring into the eyes on the drawing a strange headache began emanating from the back of Kellen's mind with faint whisperings.
However, the staring contest between him and the drawing was disrupted with another knock at his door.
An elderly lady cracked open the door and motioned towards him to follow her.
"Kellen, change into some nicer clothes and meet everyone down in the mess hall. A visitor has arrived for adoption!" said the elderly lady in a strict yet tender voice before shutting the door.
Kellen sighed before turning his head to glance at the picture again if only for a moment, before grabbing a jacket on his chair that was slightly better kept than his other clothes and rushing out of his room.
'I wonder if what Tyler was telling everyone is true? How cool would it be to get adopted by a secret agent or spy!' thought Kellen as he raced down the stairs to the mess hall as he forgot about the strange drawing on his desk.
In the mess hall was around twenty other kids, all of similar ages, that were standing in a line being hit by the elderly woman occasionally with some different remarks on their posture.
Kellen fell into the line as well next to Thomas, who gave him a slight wink with the corner of his eye, before being wacked over the back of his head by the old lady to straighten his slouching posture.
"She's really a slave driver isn't she... We might as well start calling her Fuhrer!" whispered Thomas in a not so quiet voice to Kellen.
"Looks like you never seem to learn your lesson. Do you Mr. Thomas?"
Kellen could hear the raspy old voice behind the two boys getting closer as he chuckled to himself internally.
"Uh... No ma'am?" said Thomas in an innocent child-like voice.
This answer made him receive another smack to the back of his head as he released a small cough.
"Ahem... I mean yes ma'am! I apologize!"
Suddenly the door to the orphanage was pushed open, revealing a tall lanky man in a suit wearing black aviators and holding a small leather suitcase.
A couple of the kids that were previously murmuring amongst themselves quieted down upon seeing the odd man.
Kellen started to get a headache when he looked at the man but remained standing straight in line.
'Why does he seem so familiar? And why do I have a chill running down my neck?' he thought while he sized up the agent like looking man.
The agent like man walked over to the line of kids and looked each of them up and down while nodding his head and saying something to himself under his breath.
"These specimen should work..." mumbled the agent.
None of the kids caught his words but Kellen could barely make them out.
'Specimen?'
While Kellen thought about the agent's strange words, the old lady rushed over to the man and heartily greeted him by shaking his hand.
"Ah, Mr. White! Thank you for stopping by. The children and I greatly appreciate it!" she frantically said while turning her head and glaring at the kids.
Catching her signal the children all spoke out at once greeting the man.
"Thank you for visiting Mr. White!"
Thomas didn't speak while Kellen didn't either since he was lost in thought over the man's odd words.
The agent nodded his head and pulled his suitcase up towards the old lady with both hands as he opened it to reveal the contents.
"As agreed upon over the phone. I trust you will proceed with our transaction with utmost discretion." said the agent plainly.
"Of course! Of course! Let me just draw up the papers real quick." said the old lady as she stared at the massive amount of cash in the briefcase with a drooling expression.
"Ah, no need for that. I trust with your "professionalism" we can overlook those matters." said the agent quickly as he closed the suitcase abruptly.
"Ah, yes sir... I mean no sir!" said the old lady as she repeatedly nodded her head.
"Right, then our business is completed." announced the agent as he handed the briefcase over to the greedy old lady.
Receiving the briefcase, the old lady hugged it to her chest as she glanced back towards the children.
"Go get your things! This kind gentleman has adopted all of you!"
The children were shocked as they glanced at each other and quickly rushed off to grab their things. In a few moments, the only children left standing in the mess hall were Thomas and Kellen.
Seeing the two kids still standing about the old lady yelled at them.
"Didn't you here me? Go get your possessions or you will be leaving them all here!" said the old lady slightly annoyed.
"Uh... Right... Come on Kellen." replied Thomas as he grabbed Kellen's arm and dragged him upstairs.
Soon the kids were all gathered back in the mess hall with their things in tow and followed the agent through the fenced courtyard outside the orphanage.
"All of you will be taken well care of as long as you learn to listen to orders! Anyone who can't follow orders is more worthless than a walking corpse. So make sure you listen and follow me quickly. Any insubordination will not be tolerated unlike your time at the orphanage!" said the agent cold heartedly as he smirked from under his shades.
Kellen was following the kids in front of him while only holding the strange drawing in his hands as Thomas whispered into his ear.
"This guy is weird.. How can he possibly take care of over twenty kids? I think we should make a break for it now!" said Thomas in a low voice.
"Huh? What do you mean? Aren't we getting out of here right now anyways?" whispered Kellen back.
"I don't know man. It just seems off... Didn't you see how that old crab was acting? I have a bad feeling about this... I'm gonna escape now while I still have the chance! Are coming with me or not?" said Thomas quickly as they passed through the gate to the orphanage, entering the slum like streets of their area.
"But we don't have anywhere to go besides this garbage heap! I'd rather take my chances with this guy than the criminals out here... And you heard him! Insubordination isn't gonna be tolerated..." whispered Kellen.
"Alright, suit yourself. But don't tell me I didn't warn ya!" said Thomas as he slowed down and fell to the back of the group before darting down the corner of the street.
Kellen could see his figure darting down the street along the orphanage's fencing using the shadows of the evening sun to his advantage.
Suddenly a gunshot rang out from further up the line that ringed in Kellen's ears and nearly made him drop the drawing in his shaking hands.
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Sorry for a late release! I was busy today cause I had to pick up my family that was having some work done on their car earlier. Apparently the problem might only be the windshield wiper motors which I hope is the case. Anyways, this chapter was pretty exciting to write since it develops more of the mc's background with soon more to come. If you're enjoying the story so far please recommend it to your friends! I'm still a new writer but I hope to get better by using this WFP to make me write more. All support is really helpful and encourages me to want to write more! So thank you to everyone who is voting and if you haven't yet please do so. Depending on how this works out I may release more than two chapters in the future if you guys really enjoy it! As always much love guys! :)