this chapter is kinda dark... i dunno, i'm in a weird mood. And thank you guys so much for 15k!!! <--- (i updated this chapter just to say that)

i didn't know what was happening at the time.

all i remembered was glass shattering, gunshots, the color red... and after that,

i blacked out

~~~~~~~~~~~

i woke up in a dim room. there was one measly lightbulb, flickering on and off. i felt a sharp pain in my leg and looked down to see a blood stained bandage wrapped around it.

i blacked out

~~~~~~~~~~~~

i woke up; same room. this time it smelled of death. my throat was dry and i desperately tried to swallow some saliva. all it did was hurt more.

i coughed and spat out blood onto the pavement. i heard footsteps and a door creaking open.

i blacked out

~~~~~~~~~~

i woke up. same room. same smell.

the light was brighter though, so i could actually see.

how long have i been here?

i don't know.

i took a semi deep breath and built the energy to lift my head.

there was a door.

and...

there was me.

i took a step forward but couldn't go far.

there were shackles on my wrist and ankles. also my neck.

i heard footsteps again and the door opened.

a man with bushy eyebrows and a navy blue overcoat walked in. there was a shotgun slung over his shoulder and a cigar in his mouth.

the smell of cigar reminds me of...

i blacked out

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i woke up in the same room with the same smell and the same door.

i shuddered from the cold. the only thing i wore was a tattered and ripped blue hoodie.

the same man from before opened the door and walked in. he was holding a clipboard and a red pen.

red...

cigars...

why does this remind me of someone?

he spoke up.

"hello."

i blinked rapidly, forgetting how to speak.

his shoulders sagged and he fought the urge not to roll his eyes. i could tell.

"i am paul. can you say my name?"

"p-..." i attempted. "paul.." it hurt my throat.

"good." he scribbled something onto the clipboard and cleared his throat. "do you know why you are here?"

i shook my head.

he wrote down something else. "do you know your name?"

i... my name? i spat out some more blood and earned a disgusted look from him.

"i don't know.." i was interrupted by a fit of coughing. "i-i am tom." i think?

he gave me a tight smile. "very good."

wrote something down again.

i lifted up my arm to examine the shackles. they seemed strong.

my gaze wandered over to my arm. why were there dark purple spikes there? were they there before??

i blacked out

~~~~~~~~~~~

"wake up."

my eyes opened to see paul. i shakily stood up, tail in between my legs.

wait

tail?

i looked down, seeing a long, purple and spiked tail. i brought my eyes back up to paul.

"there's someone i'd like you to meet," he said. he wrote something on his clipboard--he really loved that clipboard, huh?-- and grabbed a walkie talkie from his belt. "sir. he's ready."

i ran my tongue over my teeth and felt sharp points at the ends. fangs. what am i?

am i human?

no, wait, was i human?

paul repeated what he said into his walkie talkie. there was static from the other end before an "okay."

i slumped down, eyes half-lidded, and head leaning against the wall.

"hey," he snapped his fingers and my head shot up. "don't sleep."

the door opened and light poured into the room. a dark silhouette stood in the doorway.

i jerked my head to the side, not used to all this light.

"you can leave, paul." a gruff voice echoed around the room.

it's so familiar...

"yes, sir." paul threw one last look at me... why did he look so sympathetic? he shut the door behind him.

now it was just me and the stranger.

he walked towards me, arms crossed. his eyes--er, eye was grey. the other had an eyepatch over it.

"do you know who i am?" he asked and bent down on his knees to reach my level.

i licked my lips and shook my head.

he cupped my face in his hands. i blinked at him in return.

"look at me." he said quietly. "do you recognize me at all?"

i eyed his horn-like hair and his grim expression.

"...familiar," i managed to say. i leaned away from him. something told me he was dangerous.

the corner of his lip twitched upwards. "good." he stroked his chin as if thinking. "maybe.." he stood up and removed his blue overcoat.

he was wearing a red hoodie, darker red in some spots. he smirked as my eyes widened in horror.

"t-.." my breathing became heavy. "tord.."

"hello, tom," tord ran his thumb lovingly over my cheek. "or should i say--" he poked a horn i didn't even know i had, "--Experiment #7."

i blacked out