To Not Be Normal

Ching!- Ching!-

Metal was pounded.

Shing!-

Bright Sparks flew.

Cling!- Cling!- Cling!-

Rhythmic chains hit.

Beeee!- Beeee!- Beeee!- Beeee!-

An electronic bell sounded.

"This week's work hours are over. Please leave your tools, and exit the building."

Hearing the robotic announcement, the people in the metals workshop celebrated, throwing the heavy gear down to the cold hard floor.

Clang!- Don!- Bang!-

Multiples of heavy metalic tools were dropped onto the individual work stations, creating indents and marks on the floor.

Conversation exploded between the workers in rags of old worn out cloth. Smiles and cheers between each and every one of them.

This week's work was finally over! They were finally allowed to go outside! They can exit this giant dark room engulfing them!

Their time was limited, so each and every one of them cut their conversations short, rushing to go out the big wide doors.

Even the older men couldn't resist. They wanted to go outside equally as much as the young men inside, even resorting to pushing one another to be the first to get out.

Excited steps rushed over one another, creating a harsh cacophony of feet sounding. The stinky dirty men pushed and shoved, making their way closer.

Ding!- Ding!- Ding!- Ding!-

The big metallic doors were slowly being opened, accompanied by the bells sounding right next to them.

Light inflatrated through the cracks, making the dark shadows scurry away. The brightness was changing, and the shine of the sun was coming!

The cold was vanquished, replaced by the unknown heat. The men inside felt the sun that they've gradually forgotten.

Their skins who were deprived of vitamins, thirsted for the shining rays. To fulfill their natural instinct, a reason hidden deep within.

Within the group was a young man dashing out with them, whose eyes shone brighter than the rest.

This was the little boy from all those years ago, yet his inner emotions never dulled by the sands of time.

'Light! The outside!'

Streaking past all the other big men, he was the first to reach the outside, despite his smaller size.

Reaching the space that was not covered by the protection of the metals workshop, his eyes could not adjust to the light fast enough, making him stop to cover his eyes.

The other men soon behind him, also did the same. After staying in the dark for so long, they could not see right away. Everything was blurry and hazy as their eyes adjusted to the day.

Tch- Tch- Tch-

Regardless, this did not stop the destitute men from slowly inching forward, walking at a snails pace.

The nearby warehouses which were lined up from one another did the same. Hundreds of poor men poured out onto the stone field.

The workers were finally outside... They had a day off... A day to their own...

The workers began to seperate, each going their own way, their own destination. Spending the precious hours they have, for their own enjoyment.

The people thinned out, eventually only leaving the boy who was staring at the clouds.

'The sky...'

The land of the heavens were no longer like his memory, his constant dream that reappears every night.

The murky gray sky was filled with smog and dusk. The air smelt wierd and stale. Countless series of smoke rose in the distance, from huge cylinders sticking out of giant buildings.

The scenes which just seemed like yesterday to him, no longer existed. He was not sure what was artificial and natural anymore, but that scene would not give up inside of him.

'Is there more beautiful places out there in the world...'

His spot he grown fond of had long since disappeared, but his dreams remained, memories locked inside the chasmic valleys of his heart.

The world had changed, his body had changed, but he did not change. He did not follow along with the others to become normal, he wished for a different reality he did not know himself.

He started to run down the street, rushing towards the big blue out ahead. He passed dilapitated houses, rodents crawling on the streets, women soliciting their bodies, drunk men sleeping in the alleys, tough men waiting in corners, and countless other despairiful things.

The small island was depraved of color, making it a dreary hell hole that was infested by shadey obscurity of melancholic gloom.

This island was a production island owned by Storm Corps, responsible for the manufacturing of metallic parts.

The citizens here worked for the company that provided them jobs, food, and houses. At least thats what the papers claimed.

The people here knew better though, they were just slaves, merely living forms of scraps. The humans on this island were just a breeding farm to the owners.

The males worked, and females did the easier jobs, or sold the only thing they had left, themselves.

Love here was worthless, and dreams were an impossibility. The question was how people here chose to spend their times, to conceal the stress, and cloak their worries. A dog's world of man.

Woman who gave birth to children, only ended up with their babies taken away to be brainwashed and trained. Other than that, Storm Corps also brought in slaves bought from other islands, children who used to have a future.

The young man here was the latter, he didn't even remember his childhood. All that remained of his family and past, was his name, Muryo D. Jin. His first name meaning seeking, and his last name meaning free.

Jin Muryo grown up on this island, it was the only thing he knows existed. When he was first here, the place was so green and open!

Now the small island was all the same, one big pot of gray. The company upped production demand a couple of years back, causing this massive transformation.

The air was so stuffy...

Hard to breath...

The only escape Jin had from this was the sea! Not the women, not the taverns, not the gambling dens, it was the big blue ocean!

He only had six hours before he must go back to do another weeks of work, so he swinged his legs with all his might as he ran.

His bare feet scraped the countless rocks, grime, and trash that littered the road, causing gaping gashes across his feet. The road behind him having traces of dark red.

Sssss!-

Tearing pain pulsed on the soles of his feet filled with scars. Begging for him to stop.

He did not care however, his skin was tougher than normal, and would heal quickly once he rested. What he cared about was how long he had to spend before the ocean.

Fuuuuuu-

The wind was picking up accross the road that heades straight down to the docks, the sparkling sea got closer, Jin was getting near to his location.

Clearing!

A familiar space appeared in his sights, the place where the dull buildings end and the blue sea appears!

Fwoooshh!-

Big waves crashed into the wide concreted pier. Splashes of cold salt water splashed inside his mouth that was gasping for air.

Pehhh!-

Spitting out the nasty taste of salt, Jin stared into the distant horizon. The water was no longer as clear as it once was.

Jin currently however did not care about this fact, what he currently cared about was the weather he was seeing.

There was a smell of dense salt water in the air. The skies in the distance were littered by humongous dark clouds, towering into space. The winds were slightly picking up, the waves rose higher, the intensity was picking up.

The slight drizzle of water dripped off his face stained by dirt. His rags of cloth gradually became soaked, faintly revealing his figure and skin that was beneath.

'There is a storm approaching...'

Responding to his ideas, flashes of light sparked faintly on the horizon.