Agent 205

𝙲 𝚑 𝚊 𝚙 𝚝 𝚎 𝚛 𝚘 𝚗 𝚎

Through the eyes of a child, everything is plain innocent and harmless. Children are guilible creatures, easily deceived by feigned words and actions that don't even convey real emotions. Seeing only the bright colors and denying the dull shades of black.

Too bad, I couldn't escape or skip that stage of life. I was once a child. I only had vision of the good, but now I realize what those good things exactly were - a facade.

At the mere age of 7, my point of view was altered from the blissful fairytale I thought I was in, to the painfully bitter truth that was shoved down my throat.

I was an orphan ever since I was two years of age. My mom and dad left me, and I don't have an idea why they'd do that. Aren't families supposed to stick together?

Sometimes, I wonder, Why didn't they just abort me? I mean, yeah, sure it's not yet legal here but at least I didn't have to live this life.

I was among other children in a small orphanage we shared as a home. We had fun a lot. We were somehow a family with a lot of flaws, but that's better than nothing, right? We ran around and made good friends. We bonded like real siblings or even more than that!

The people who took care of us were generous and fond of us. They accepted each one of us with open arms and made sure none of us felt like an outcast.

Things were rather peaceful and quiet where we lived. It was but a small island secluded by the vast span of the clear blue ocean, yet it was a safe haven for us orphans. It was home to a few people including us, which made it better! Each and everyone of us were good friends.

We didn't really know about the city since we spent all our lives in this place. We were almost outcasts to outsiders, yet of course, we were too occupied by fun to think about that.

As time in the island passed, the people who once resided in it left for a better life in the city, one by one. It only boiled down to one conclusion, we were alone already in a small period of time.

The island grew darker since there were lesser homes shining light out at night. It made the aura less welcoming. Far from the feeling I once knew when I first got here. I felt like the island was somehow... dying.

It was the day after my seventh birthday. It was a bit gloomy compared to the clear blue skies we had yesterday. The heavens poured down a lot that day, and all of us stayed inside for that day.

Later that night I thought it was somewhat peculiar for some reason I can't explain. It was a chilly Autumn night. A few days before Winter would start again and freeze the land.

The staff who took care of us gathered us all for a bedtime story. Weird since we don't get this everyday, but okay. I guess a seldom bedtime story wont hurt.

And since it was cold, we cuddled up together in front of the fireplace. We shared blankets and clasped arms together. Of course, I grabbed my closest friend Mee-ji to sit with me.

The story starts and all the attention went to our head mistress. She was sitting on a stool. Having her hands at her lap.

We always thought she was so prim and proper. She's imposed some rules here too that are just so hard to meet. Yet despite that, she's loving and I guess that took all the stern off of her.

All our eyes and ears were fastened to her and to her voice, I guess we do like stories after all.

"Listen carefully dear children" She starts off with a faint smile.

Her voice was a bit low and kind of raspy. It was the perfect sound to sleep to.

"Do any of you want to become special agents?" She raises a question.

Her eyebrows also raised as she inquired.

Secret agents? I thought we were here for a bedtime story? I was expecting some tales or fables not... agents?

"What's a secwet agwent?" Dae-go, one of the younger kids here raised his hand for a question.

"Oh," The head mistress, Miss Ha-neul chuckled a bit.

Dae-go had a point though. We didn't know what it meant.

"Special agents are...hmm..." Miss Ha-neul paused to think.

"They are people who fight for what is right." She smiled it off.

We all chorused a prolonged Ah as we tried to understand.

"Pwease contimwew mwiss Ha-neul" Dae-go interrupted.

It was obvious he was having a bit of trouble with his words. Still it was understandable since he was pretty young.

Miss Ha-neul nodded off and continued.

"Special agents are righteous people. They don't stop. Not until justice is served."

Just as she finished the sentence, a thunderbolt struck near where we were, good thing it was not too close.

It was terrifying for us, so we all screamed in unison.

The staff calmed us and after a while, it started to rain as we settled down back to our seats.

"I guess we're already past bedtime." Miss Ha-neul states as she looks at her watch.

Can't we just finish this at least?

We were all gloomed by the news. Of course we didn't want to sleep. We couldn't even finish the story.

It was against our will but we had no choice but to march back to our beds.

The minutes ticked away, and I was still lying awake. The thundering kept me from taking a snooze. It frightened me so much that I hid under the sheets. I even wanted to go under the bed for added 'security' though I was already at the bottom bunk.

I looked at the other kids and they were all fast asleep. How come I'm the only one that's scared?

Some time passed. The rain calmed and turned into a light shower. I thought I could already sleep, but I felt thirsty all of a sudden.

The kitchen was just a hallway away so I guess I'd go there and grab a glass. I rose up from the bed and unveiled myself from my cocoon of blankets. I realized it was actually quite chilly outiside my bed as I stood up. I forgot about it since I was all warm in my bed. I wondered if I should just go back.

I made my way to the door leading to the hallway and to my surprise , it was already a quarter till 2 in the morning. I guess all that hiding made the time fly by so fast. I guess I had actually fallen asleep but got woken up again.

I passed by the rooms and they were all wrapped in darkness. Well it does not scare me so it's fine. Then something out of the blue caught the attention of my ears - the sound of indistinct chatter.

I took a turn in the hallway, following my instincts. then I saw light passing out a creek from a door.

Sure, call me nosy but I just wanted to know.

I tiptoed to the door hoping the people inside won't notice me as I peeped my eye to what was going inside.

I got shocked as I first saw what was going on inside. I felt like I should be there as their meeting looked too solemn.

I feel my insides become like jelly as I kept on eavesdropping on their conversation. I felt like I'd be caught any second now.

I thought the people inside were just the staff of the orphanage but one person caught the attention of my eye.

A woman in her late 40's, I guess. she was wearing a suit and she looked so sternly proper that miss Ha-nuel couldn't even match up to her level.

As I watched, their conversation seemed to come to a close as the shook hands. It didn't seem like a fair deal though since only one of the were smiling. And of course it was the lady.

The staff all looked burdened and they didn't seem happy at all. I could feel that some of them were on the verge of crying. Too bad I couldn't hear any of their words earlier because of the rain which became heavy again. No matter how I tried I couldn't make it up.

They all stood up in a few seconds and my only instinct was to run. I could feel my knees shake, but I'm unsure if it's from the cold or fear.

I was too nervous and accidentally pushed the door in, only to reveal myself shivering in my pajamas. I wanted to just drop dead at that moment.

They were all shocked because of me and so was I. The lady in a suit was about to grab me, and all I could do was to watch her go towards my way. No matter how much I scream inside my head, my body refuses to cooperate.

I could only close my eyes as I though that that would be the end of me. But what I felt was an arm surrounding my freezing body with an embrace.

"That's it dear. You sure are meant to be an agent." The lady whispered to my ear.

"My agent" She added with a fainter whisper.

Those words sent chills down to my spine.

I opened my eyes slowly and her face floods my view. I could only stare at her while she smiles since I was in utter shock.

She slowly struts away in her pumps as I try to process what just happened. Next thing I knew was Miss Ha-nuel grabbing me as I faint to the floor.

I wish this happened just a few minutes earlier.

"Are you alright?" Miss Ha-nuel grabs me.

She looked so concerned.

I simply nodded as I felt like my lips were clasped tight.

She gives me a hug and leads me by the hand to the living room. My whole body was freezing in anxiety at that point. I didn't know what they'd do to me.

Good thing Miss Ha-nuel only made me watch from the big glass windows of the orphanage. She put both of her arms on my shoulders. I didn't really understand what that meant.

I looked around and saw no one, I guess the other staff were all still in that room.

I gazed at the lady whe she got into her car with a bunch of men in suits.

"Are they s-secret a-agents?" I stuttered in a low voice.

Miss Ha-nuel nodded with a sigh.

The car left and Miss Ha-nuel dragged me to the kitchen.

"You're probably shocked." She hands me a glass of water as I sat on a stool.

I nodded in reply.

"They're gonna be here again tomorrow. I hope you'd be ready for that." She took a seat in front of me.

"What are they gonna do?" I mustered the courage to ask.

I knew it wasn't gonna be anything good but it doesn't hurt to ask, or does it?

"They- uhm-" Miss Ha-nuel looked elsewhere.

I understood that this was a sign that it would be hard to accept and to even relay to anyone.

I looked at her with eager eyes. I hoped that it wouldn't be too bad. Yet it seems like prayers couldn't even stop what was bound to happen tomorrow.

She takes a sharp deep breath and gently braces my shoulders with her arms.

"They're gonna take you. Everyone except us. You can't escape, there's no way out. Every corner is being manned." She whispers with a tear from her eye.

It wasn't long before I started shedding some silent tears too. I'm actually shocked on how I didn't drop the glass.

"So tomorrow, when they take you, don't resist. Just think that it's for your own good." She wipes my tears off with her hand.

"W-we should tell the others!" I demanded, as if that was going to make a difference.

"There's no time!" She sobbed more.

"I just need you to listen to me, okay?" She tried to ground me down.

I sniffled a couple times and wiped off the tears from my eyes.

"They're secret agents, and they're here to get children like you-" I cut her off.

"What for?!" I get agitated as it clearly was just too much for a seven year old to process.

"There's no time... just listen." She bowed her head down.

I shut my babbling mouth up and gave utmost attention to her.

"... You're gonna get trained. To be like them. To kill as the higher ups order and to do whatever they want you to." Her voice was trembling.

I don't want to, but it seems like I have no choice but to comply for I am but a mere child. Helpless and shiverining in fear. All I could do was sit in silence and cry.

And just like that, the morning dawned. I was too frightened to fall asleep once I returned to my bunk. The thought of the sun rising haunted me, I wish the night had stayed more for a little while.

There's that feeling that you don't want to live in fear anymore so you just want it to happen yet you also don't have enough courage to confront whatever needs to happen.

I kept on trying to deny the fact that today is he day when the unwanted will commence.

It was so tiring to just be overthinking all night long. I wanted to sleep, but my thoughts were all over the place.

The staff and I exchanged anxious looks that morning at breakfast, as it was only us who knew what was going to take place.

"What's the problem? You seem so scared somehow...and I think you didn't sleep well last night" Mee-ji took a good look at me.

I hurriedly looked away.

Yeah, my eyes were puffy and sore from staying up the whole night and all the crying. I was feeling drowsy but no time to sleep now!

"What? oh, I guess it's from all the thundering last night, you know it scares me, right?" I lied, obviously.

Breakfast ended in a jiffy. My heart was pounding fast and loud like a drum and I feel like it was going to burst.

I used up the time after breakfast to pack up some of my stuff, with hands that were really shaky. I put them in my mini drawstring bag just so I could bring some of my stuff.

I looked through my stuff and thought of what I'd need. Packing too much that the bag seemed ready to burst.

Lasty, I went through my drawer which had some of my clothes and other stuff. I dug through the volume of my clothes to find my necklace. Once I found it, the unwanted, yet expected, happened.

I can hear the agents knocking hard on the door. I rushed to the living room while clutching the necklace in my hand. I had left the bag behind.

The terror of having unknown people drag you away filled the place. All I could hear were cries and it was filled with chaos and confusion.

It wasn't long before they got hold of me and dragged me out. My last memory of the staff before the doors got shut were them bawling out tears, and so I just followed what Miss Ha-nuel told me. Just follow them and don't resist.

It was grueling for most of us, if not all. Even if I had known about it, it didn't make much of a difference. All we did was cry and most of them tried to resist but it was to no avail.

We all got carried away into different vans, and just before the doors were slid shut, I saw the lady from last night once again. It seemed like she was talking to someone on the phone, all I could make out of their conversation was a simple Yes sir.

They sat down us and threatened us with big guns if we didn't behave, but luckily no one was to too defiant to get hurt.

Some of us fainted in the van, which was the main cause of the lesser noise before we left for the port.

As we arrived, they made us board a boat, and there we spent most of that day. It was a large ship as I remember, guards were on every corner while we were at shallow waters just to ensure no one would jump off.

We were confined at a room for the most of it. Some of us were still crying and some of us ended up getting sea sick. We didn't get any lunch anyways so we all just agreed to sleep, as if that would fix anything.

When we all woke up, the guards let us go outside the room but still in a well secured place with CCTVs watching us.

Turns out it was already night time as I walked outside and brushed the hair off my face because of the wind. I take out the neklace from my pocket and wore it, just incase I lose it.

I look at the calm ocean waves, and tried to calm myself too. I guess my fellow orphans were wondering why I still hadn't lost my mind yet. It's thanks to the thunders that kept me awake last night, I guess.

I sat at a long bench and rested my hands and head on the railings. I couldn't really remember what my other orphan buddies were up to that time.

I looked to the side and I see a guard. I stand and walk up to him.

"Mister, are we still far?" I fearlessly asked.

By that time I didn't even care. Nothing mattered. I felt like everything was lost.

He didn't respond but he did stare at me. He was probably shocked.

I looked at his watch and it was 6 pm. Seems like we all slept quite a lot.

I walk off to the bench again and stretched my body out. My young joints were aching and stiff from the sleeping.

As I sat the guard replied.

"In a few minutes. We'll be there." He says.

I nod a bit and just went back to watching the sea. I hope it would calm me down. My heart was still racing but there's no use, so I just took a breath and tried to prepare myself for whatever hell was before me.