" the past "

"It's been a month since both Zyolax and I arrived on this godforsaken planet as slaves. Our lives have turned into a living hell by those Gorthak. This planet is different from Earth... vast blue oceans, clear blue skies, lush green forests, the things we humans took for granted and destroyed our world with our own hands. This planet is a bitter punishment for humans: dried-up land, blood-red skies, pouring acid rain, piles of dead bodies and bones of those who tried to escape this hell. They made us mine minerals day and night, even when the acid rain burned our skin and eyes. Memories flashed: 'Ahhhhhhh! My eyes! It burns! Help me!' As the Gorthak gouged out both eyes, the man screamed in pain. Ahh! All we could do was watch and put our heads down. 'Here, kid, take this.' As I opened my eyes, I saw Zyolax with a cup of soup, which was given to us by the Gorthak. 'Thank you, my friend...' 'Friend, huh?' As Zyolax sat quietly beside me, 'There was someone that reminded me of you.' 'Who? Me?' I looked at him in surprise, because Zyolax was a person who always hid his emotions. It looks like this place caused us to bond even more. 'Yes, you... He was an ependyma.' 'An ependyma? What's that?' 'Ependyma are a species which always stay together in a pack. They never leave each other's side in danger. When I was on a patrolling mission, I saw a young ependyma lying on the ground alone. I was shocked to see a young ependyma alone in the woods, and this young one... I landed and walked towards him. I saw that his left leg was cut off. I was surprised to see that he was still alive. I treated him and scanned the area and saw his whole pack was killed. Ependyma horns and livers are used for medicine, so they are hunted on my planet. Looks like something never changed, even if you are on the other side of the universe.' 'Yes.' As Zyolax nodded his head, 'I took him in, named him Zortho. I cared for him, raised him, taught him. Even my kids were very attached to him. But then the Gorthak arrived. One of the Gorthak landed right in front of my house. I saw from a distance what was going on. I ran towards my home and saw something straight from the abyss. My wife's body was disfigured; her head was on a rod that was impaled on the ground. Zortho was eating my kids. I froze in fear, tears rolling down my eyes. That was the first time I felt something like that.' As memories of him and my kids playing together flashed, he jumped at me with his fangs out. I opened my hands as he bit down on my shoulder. I shakily picked up my blaster and aimed at his head and whispered, 'I... am... sorry, Zortho,' and pulled the trigger as his blood sprayed on my face. I looked at the Gorthak in rage and rushed at him, firing my blaster. He dodged it, ran, and kicked me in the face. My lower jaw was shattered, my ribs were too, as he dragged me out of the house. My whole world was in flames as he punched my face repeatedly, causing it to deform. I passed out. When I regained consciousness, I was turned into this.' As I saw a single teardrop fall from his eyes, 'I miss them, kid... Every day.' Last week, when you saved me from those Gorthak, I will never forget that day...

One week ago:

Zyolax and I were mining. We were both extremely tired; we hadn't eaten anything since last week due to an inmate escaping. Zyolax passed out due to exhaustion. My hands froze because I knew what was going to happen. The Gorthak was coming for him. I covered Zyolax with my body. The Gorthak kicked me repeatedly, impaling me with a rod on my back. I endured it. He fired his gun at me. I still endured it. I thought, 'I can't lose Zyolax; he is the only one I have in this hell.' Then the Gorthak grabbed my feet and dragged me outside of the mine into the open land where everyone could see me. He hanged me in the sky with restraints as they started to beat me, trying to take my life. 'Ahhhhhhh!' My scream echoed in the wasteland, blood spraying on the land, making it darker, as black liquid poured out of my body. Everyone froze in fear, seeing my black blood. Even the Gorthak whispered, fear spreading as they saw my black blood; they were too afraid to look at me, as if I was something they feared... But me, I am only an ordinary human from Earth. Why would they fear me?... That day, I learned two things: 1. Why is my blood black? Why is everyone afraid of it? 2. Who am I, or what am I?"