Berry walked into his small room, taking in the space with skepticism and wariness. It had a small bed and empty compartments. The room was very small, but he didn't have a lot of stuff so it was just right for him but it also made him feel boxed in.
He dropped his small backpack on the table, landing with a small thud. before proceeding to plop down on the bed, the mattress hard and stiff but oddly comforting.
He took one last look at his surroundings before taking off his sweater, throwing it to the side and then laying down on the bed, snuggling under the covers.
He could hear the sound of machines whirring outside his window, reminding him of the cage he was now trapped in.
What's going to happen now?, He thought, his mind buzzing with unease.
Maybe he would die tomorrow.
Or the next.
Runes don't last long.
The cold air blew into the room from the window, making him shiver underneath the covers, he let out a shaky breath and pulled the covers over his head but just as he did so, a sound came from the speaker lodged on the roof of his room.
"Evaluation process complete, movement within the facility can commence".
Berry stared at the speaker long after the sound cut of, he didn't know what to do, although he did feel a little hungry.
He got up from the bed and wore his jacket, making his way out the door, he saw a few Runes walking around the corridor, their eyes immediately turning to look at him.
He knew he looked odd, like those porcelain dolls you would see on a shelf, he was small with a nice slender figure, very pale skin but with a pink palette to his looks. The hair, the eyes, the blush, he was so…pretty.
He immediately felt self-conscious and tried to hide away from their view.
"Hey there, you again", he turned his head to the voice behind him.
He survived, was the first thing Berry thought.
He tried not to make any friends during the evaluation process as he could not tell if he was ever going to see them again or if he was even going to survive himself.
Although the chances of survival are not hundred percent now, it would be better to know a few people and hope they last for a while.
"Hi", he said softly,his voice barely above a whisper. The fox hybrid came close to him, standing directly in front of him before leaning down slightly to take in his appearance.
The fox hybrid was taller with a slightly larger build, his hair was a nice deep brown that complemented the dark orange ears that stuck out from his head
"You're odd looking" he said after taking in Berry's pink appearance.
Says the one with the fox ears, Berry thought, suppressing a smile.
He didn't know what to respond to that so he just shrugged and smiled it off.
"I'm Casper"
"Berry"
They shook hands and proceeded to walk away from the apartments, "Do you remember everything before you became…whatever it is you are?" Casper asked, looking closely at Berry, seeming to be entranced by the smaller boy's features.
"I don't really know, it's all in bits and pieces" Berry said, trying to rack his memory but they were all jumbled up.
"Hm…I remember a little bit" Casper stated, making Berry's curiosity pipe up a bit.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I remember a woman calling my name and screaming, I remember what she looked like, she had long blonde hair and light brown eyes, she was wearing a white dress with floral patterns that was kind of torn up, I remember her running to me, screaming and then everything went black and I got here" he said, his eyes darkening a bit.
"Wow" Berry muttered. The mutation had a way of jumbling up memories, some Runes totally forgot and never remembered, while some others had a few fragments that could later be pieced back and the luckier ones had a portion of memories or the entire thing, which was extremely rare.
"Do you remember anything else?" Berry asked, looking at Casper expectantly.
"No, just that but it's something at least, I am sure I will remember as time goes on, then maybe I can even see her again" He said optimistically with a big friendly grin on his face.
Berry seemed to find himself feeling warm at the boy's positive attitude which was a rare thing in this world.
"I'm sure you will".
Casper chuckled, slinging an arm over Berry's shoulder. 'For now, I'll focus on the people here. Like you, little pink man,' he teased.
Berry pouted at the nickname, he did not think he like being called little, even though he was a bit short and frail.
"Awn so cute"
"I'm not cute" Berry said with a slight huff, making Casper chuckle again.
They got to the entrance of the dining hall, their noses immediately becoming bombarded with the smell of fresh bread. Their stomachs growled in response to the tantalizing smell, they faced each other.
"Let's go in" Casper said eagerly, slightly bouncing on his feet, Berry nodded and they both ran inside like children, earning odd looks from the Runes around.
They made their way to the counter, looking up at the large man behind it.
The male was unusually large but all his features seemed to be human except his long ears.
Berry felt himself shrink as the imposing figure looked down at the two, but Casper, the ever positive one, greeted the man with a warm smile.
"Hello Giant, um…my buddy and I would like some bread, please?" He said, bouncing in anticipation.
The large man examined them, letting down a low mumble before speaking, "Where is your pass?" The large man grumbled out.
The two boys blinked in confusion, "Pass?" Berry asked in a small voice.
They had not known anything about a pass.
The large man grumbled again, "Yes pass, there is a pass in every room, on the table". he explained.
"Oh"
Casper sighed in dramatic exhaustion, "Why didn't we know that?, So that means we have to go all the way back and get it? How tiring", Berry nodded in agreement.
They wanted to try to persuade the man further but when they saw his stoic face, they decided it was best not to cause any trouble and just go back and get their pass.
It didn't take as long as they thought, in a few minutes Berry was in his room where he spotted the neon green card on his bed, he picked it up, already tasting the fresh bread in his mouth, chewing down on it slowly, savoring its taste.
He swallowed instinctively, placing the card in his pocket and walking outside.
He glanced around but did not see Casper anywhere.
Maybe he hasn't found it yet
He felt a small warmth in his heart, he had been feeling lost and cold ever since his mutation but the presence of Casper and his optimism made his day much brighter.
He felt grateful to have found a friend in the midst of all the chaos and he hoped that he would at least last long enough to remember and maybe they would make new memories.
The thought made him smile genuinely.
.
.
Runes don't last long.
A sharp scream cut through the air, tearing him out of his thoughts, filling him with panic and dread, "FERAL!!".