It was not the future that greeted them. Instead, the Xatu transported Zev and Nenet to a main corridor of a high school, the walls lined with dark blue lockers. The hands of a large clock near the ceiling indicated just a little past noon—lunchtime. Students filled the hall, putting away their books, gathering with friends, and chatting animatedly together. [break][break]

A black-haired boy stood alone at his locker, his T-shirt hanging loosely on his skinny frame. So focused was he on his things that he didn't notice the approach of a group of older, larger boys. Their leader grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him, slamming him hard into the lockers next to his own. [break][break]

Despite his youth, his features were unmistakable. There was no mistaking the cold, dead look in his eyes. [break][break]

The lone boy was Zev at fifteen years old. [break][break]

In the vision, the noise of the other students drowned out whatever words were exchanged between teenage Zev and the group of boys who'd accosted him. They prodded him forcefully, laughed at him, jeered at him. When he tried stopping them from yanking his things out of his locker, two of the bullies shoved him to the ground for a beating. [break][break]

They scattered his things, chuckling at first, then screaming when they saw what he'd hidden away. Polaroid photos of Pokémon, their bodies cut open, their insides arranged outside their corpses in mimicry of something medical. Crude drawings of murdered humans, with careful notes on killing methods. A couple of non-fiction books on famous serial killers. About a dozen knives. [break][break]

Taking advantage of his bullies' shock, Zev bit the nearest one. A bloody brawl ensued. Scrawny and outnumbered, he suffered the worst cuts and bruises. Teachers ran over to stop the fight. Then they saw the paraphernalia strewn about, confiscated them, and marched Zev away. [break][break]

When both the vision and simulation ended, Zev stood in silence for a long moment. Time had faded the details of that old memory for him, dulling the pain and humiliation of the moment, but the vision had brought everything back with crystal clarity. And while he no longer mustered anger for the pathetic children who'd made his life a living hell, it was still a memory he did not savor. [break][break]

The school had called his parents, after all, and shown them his secret things. An appointment with a psychiatrist had followed, along with a battery of degrading tests and evaluations. [break][break]

After taking a deep breath to ground himself to present day reality, Zev glanced over at Nenet to gauge her reaction.

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – the rks simulation

[attr="class","pkmn"]

NOTES

- Zev Harcourt.[break]
- rks simulation.

MADE BY GUNSMILE