Crestfallen (A story about Yusani)

Comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated!


Yusani followed the officer to a patrol car parked on the street outside of the apartment. It had sharp corners, and its polished metal reflected sunlight so harshly that it seemed to slice into Yusani's pupils. The officer placed a finger gently on the passenger side door, and with a quiet hiss it slid up and over the roof of the car. This allowed Yusani to view the interior. He had never been inside of a car before. The seats were small, made of some unknown black fabric. Separating the front from the back was criss-crossed metal, dividing the air into small squares. The muffled crackling from the divider told him that it was electrified. Carefully, Yusani sat in the front seat, finding it hard and uncomfortable, unlike the large fluffy chairs back in his apartment. He lifted his legs into the vehicle, and the door automatically slid back over the doorway, sealing him inside.

The officer placed himself in the driver's seat, clearing his throat of debris once more. This sound, combined with the soft hum of the engine starting up, startled Yusani, whose gaze shifted down to the fur-covered hands locked in his lap. Silently the patrol car began to move forward, with such little noise that Yusani had not noticed they left until he lifted his head to look out the windshield. The large skyscrapers that dotted the avenue passed by at speeds alarming to Yusani; his head began to spin and he shut his eyes tightly, giving a small, barely audible whimper. This was the last noise that either of the two made for the length of the drive. The officer was not a talkative person, and while Yusani had so many questions he was too afraid to speak up.

As they pulled up to the morgue, Yusani exited the car and, under the direction of the officer, moved through the dim, silent hallways inside. The transition from the shining city to the melancholy interior temporarily blinded him, however he regained his sight a few moments later. They silently trudged down three flights of stairs, going below the cement-covered earth and into the large basement. It was here that Yusani was most amazed. The pair exited the stairwell, entering a large room. Each wall was covered, floor-to-ceiling, with pale green drawers, each with a tag hanging from a lightly polished chrome handle. The room was surprisingly empty, with only two assistants, clad in white lab coats, milled around between drawers, talking in hushed voices.

The officer brought Yusani to one of the drawers. It was on the far side of the room, four rows up from the floor, a bit to the left. Nodding to Yusani, the officer picked up the small tag, reading aloud the characters on it.
"Thirty-four zee twelve. Isi'r. No surname given." the officer said in his rough, emotionless voice. He dropped the tag, letting it hang loosely on the handle. Giving a small tug, he slid the drawer open.

Yusani got only a quick glimpse before he shut his eyes. What he had seen scared him: a motionless, dark-furred body lying flat on the table that was pulled out. He had seen these husks before; working in a genetics lab left him with brain-dead protohumans to experiment on. But this was different. It was one of his kind, someone who had once, for a brief moment, been a part of his life. His mind first jumped to Eri, who he feared had been killed. But when he opened his eyes again, he noticed that the resemblance was not to Eri. He thought for a moment where he had seen the face before… then he remembered. He recognized the face from when he had looked in the mirror. It was his mother, the woman who created him, and who he had never seen, yet he felt like he knew her all his life.

Yusani burst through the doors of the morgue, into fading daylight. He couldn't stay in that wretched place any longer. The stench of chemicals and death burned his nostrils. He hurried down the street, gulping in fresh air. He heard nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat and his uncovered feet padding against the pavement. He wondered if she had suffered before she died. Perhaps she was beaten, raped, strangled. He didn't want to know, she was dead. She had never been there for him. Nobody had ever been there for him, he knew this too well. When he finally thought he had found something worth living for, it disappeared along with his self-worth.

I need to forget. he thought, breathing heavier. He remembered what Eri had done to let loose a bit. She would pour a glass of that coloured liquid, alcohol she called it. He noticed a sign only a few blocks ahead with a bottle on it, similar to the one she would drink out of. Medicine… he said in his mind, determined to have some. Reaching the small building with the bottle, he pushed open the door.

The sounds and smells all rushed back to him. The place was crowded with humans. They stood in groups, laughing and taking swigs from bottles, glasses, and cups. He noticed an open spot at the bar to the right, heading straight there and thrusting himself into a red leather seat. A man, younger with black hair and a bland face, moved over the Yusani, a glass in one hand and a rag in the other.
"What can I get ya?" he asked quickly, raising an eyebrow. Yusani spent no time replying.
"Medicine." he growled. The man gave a quick, stifled laugh, pulling a bottle of amber liquid from under the counter. He set the glass down in front of Yusani, filling it halfway with the liquid. Reluctantly, Yusani picked up the glass, gulping all of the liquid at once. It was bitter and burned his tongue and throat as it passed. He shut his eyes, squeezing his lips together and swallowing again. "Anotherrr." he commanded, slamming the glass down on the counter.

As Yusani opened his eyes, he noticed a blinking red light in the corner of the room. A few streaks of light penetrated the blinds over his window, allowing him to observe his bedroom. There were strange bottles littered all over the floor. In the bed next to him was a strange stain, and the sheets were disheveled. He dragged himself to his feet, noticing his head was pounding. Lifting a hand to it to try and stop the pain, he realised that he could no longer remember what happened to make his room like this. He had found his medicine.