1 A Rebirth of Ordinary Proportions

I a student of Biology studies the living with dreams of a semblance of control over a single aspect of life. Although it is merely a dream for a single human to claim the fate of their own lives. I wish. I wish I could.

In the end, I'm still subject to the harsh reality, 25? 26? I face a peaceful end at the age of 20. I'm not as crazy as to pursue immortality in this modern era but at the very least a few more decades would have been satisfactory but the reaper always comes when your time is due.

Black is all I see for a while until a rush hits me. I feel excited, I feel human. A cold feeling touches my back

I open my eyes to a wooden roof, disorientating as it is, I grasp that I've escaped death. I look around to see children running and playing in a dinky little room. How? Yet to be known but as I seem to be the only one who questions this anomaly I doubt i'll receive an answer.

A child-like hand reaches my line of sight, I try to swat it away out of confusion. It moves but not in the way I want as it comes back soon after. Is that my hand? I can only think it is small. I seem to be a child aged 3. No. 4 years old based on appearances. It seems soft but not too much indicating activity is present but mostly minimal for a child my age.

I look around. A wooden table sits near the window. Using a child-sized stool as a foothold I climb up. Peeping through the crack of an opened window. The glare of the sun causes me to wince a little. Behind the curtain of the blinding light is four stone faces. Quite unique if I do say so myself.

"Lunch time!!"

I look over to see an old lady passing the open door apparently projecting her voice to multiple rooms. A stream of children swarms towards the door. Attempting to avoid suspicion I follow quickly after.

Rushing through the corridors similarly, aged children shuffle orderly. Surprisingly disciplined considering their age although it conventionally wouldn't cause a reason for concern I'll note it in my mind as I'm in an unfamiliar environment. Reaching the cafeteria children quickly slide themselves onto the wooden seats, old but still durable with aged wood seemingly a decade before a need for replacement.

Serving the food are young women few in count in comparison to the number of children. Carrying around a large pot which seems to be heavily blackened from use, quality being almost uniform with the rest of the furniture. The food shines in comparison although not rich in meat, with each child only receiving a few pieces of pebble-sized meat, seemingly thickened brown appearing to be spiced moderately.

I pick up my own wooden spoon to scoop some brown sludge into my own mouth. Taste, not award-winning, but largely edible. Most importantly filling. I recall back while shovelling more into my mouth.

Young children

Aged furniture and equipment

Mildly Understaffed workers

Moderate food mildly lacking in nutrition

.

.

.

Connecting a few of these dots would suggest I'm in a child care facility but considering the lack of food and workers makes it unlikely for a parent to leave the children willingly. Considering this, the parents must have left them unwillingly. Child trafficking? I doubt a child would be so oblivious as to play around if they were torn away from their parents. Observing these facts I must conclude…

I'm in an orphanage, aren't I?