These Eyes

Chapter 1: This Place

People say many things about this place.

They say it is a place that breeds monsters, and other such beings that cannot be explained through reason.

They say that no one that has gone in has ever come back out.

No one.

At least…that is what They say.

As for those that live within?

They say we are but beasts of a horrendous kind.

Our faces are scarred and disfigured.

From what though, They never explain.

How are we to know if it is true?

What, with these chains binding our wrists to the walls, and the darkness causing us to be blinded to the world around us.

.

And our eyes.

They say our eyes are a sight to behold.

Some are a bright red, glowing in the darkness.

Some are dark red, crimson like the color of fresh blood.

Some are a pitch black, endless, like the deep abyss.

Others are a bit less threatening.

White, pupil-less, eyes.

Blue, from the blue color of the sky on a clear day, to a blue so dark it is almost black.

Green, yellow, purple, orange…

All different colors…but natural…they are never natural.

These eyes…these, strange, eyes, They say can see through the dark as if it were daylight.

These eyes, They say, can do great things.

Terrible things.

Things that could be considered demonic.

So, many of these eyes stay covered for fear of what they can do…or…what they will do.

Do?

I never understood their fear.

This fear that keeps me, as well as many others, seemingly, forever shrouded in darkness.

In darkness.

.

To forever, know nothing, but pain, hunger, torture, cruelty, submission, and hate.

A hate so deep and real it festers into our souls until it is all we know.

A hate that eats us from the inside out, because, we know.

We know we cannot show our hate.

That would lead to nothing but more pain, more torture, more hunger, and more hate.

.

These people.

They say that there are others on the Outside that have eyes like ours.

But…their eyes, They say, came naturally.

Naturally.

Is that why they imprison us here?

Here, in cells that were built several stories underground, away from the light of day?

Here, where our wrists and ankles are constantly bound in iron chains? Bound so tightly they constantly bled dark, sickly blood, and ached so deep it seemed like the chains were rubbing your bones…in some cases it was probably true.

Here, where they starve us, and torture us, all in the name of scientific advancement?

Is that why They keep us here?

Because we're not natural?

One of Them said it was for the good of the village.

What village?

I can't remember ever belonging to a village.

Villages would not, could not, do such horrible things to their people.

Certainly, this cannot be for my village?

… Can it?

.

They call us monsters.

Beasts, undeserving of pity, mercy, or any sort of compassion.

We are undeserving of anything that may link us to our human origins, which, They claim, do not exist.

We are not referred to as he, she, or even people at all.

It is what they call us.

Or…when addressing us directly, they called us monster, or…a number.

A number, which is given to us when we first come to this place.

A number, to further distance us from being anything remotely human.

A tactic used to demean us, and to make them feel more justified in what they are doing.

My number…is three hundred and twelve.

There are four hundred numbers total…but…not four hundred "monsters" to put them with.

There were…at one time…but now?

The number has been cut to about two hundred "monsters" total.

And… the rest?

The other two hundred souls that existed here, so long ago… are dead.

Never to see this darkness, feel this torture, ever again.

There are times that I feel sorry for them.

But mostly…I envy them.

To envy death?

Is that the point, when you know, you have lost your mind?

Finally slipped into the comforting abyss of true insanity?

Or…is it…human?

Human to wish for death because you know that staying alive would be a fate far worse than death?

Is it?

And if so…we must be human.

So…where do Their justifications come from?

What right do They have to treat us as simple beasts?

None.

And one day…

One day They won't be able to control us.

We "monsters" will overthrow these people who have imprisoned us in this dark place.

We will.

And They will regret the day they were born.

.

People say many things about this place.

Many things are true, but…

Many things are blown a bit out of proportion.

However, one thing can truly be said about this place.

…It is pure Hell.