I flop back on my pillow and let out a loud sigh.
The analog clock hanging above the doorway read that it was 3:30 in the morning. Sleep would not greet me no matter how many times I closed my eyes.
I'm so bored.
I tap my finger on my bed before I sit back up, a bit slowly. I have to find something to do, maybe get a drink of water. I throw my blankets off of me and tilt my head as I assess my body.
I was wearing nothing but a pair of boxes. My abdomen was wrapped tightly in bandages. Where are my clothes? I look around but I don't see any nearby and just let out a huff of air.
"Whatever." I move my legs over the side of the bed and ease myself into a standing position. I tense for any pain.
Nothing.
Interesting, I must be on some pretty good medicine.
I start towards the door, keeping my pace slower than my normal walk.

"Hello?" I called out.
Silence, other than the hum of electricity.
Where is everyone? Didn't Amy say that there was supposed to be a night staff?
I make my way over to the cabinet and search around until I find a glass and then fill it with the tap water.
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
I jump at the voice and turn to see Tyler. He was leaning his left shoulder against the wall.
"I-I, uh...I was thirsty." I held up the glass to show him, "And I can't find anyone."
He takes in a breath but doesn't speak.
I fiddle with the edge of my boxers, unsure on what to do now.
"Oh, uh- thank you."
His eyes meet mine for a moment and then he pushes himself off of the wall and makes his way over to me.
"...for saving me!" I hurry to fill the silence with some kind of sound.
I take a step back as he reaches forward and then over me to grab his own glass.
He moves with such confidence but silence.
"...I take it you're not much of a conversationist." I move out of his way.
He shrugs his bulky shoulders before taking a sip of the cool water.
I tilt my head as I take in his body.
Some parts of his skin were patchy, some grey stones stick through. It reminded me of the type of stone that old castles were built with.
"Most of us have been here for over ten years." Tyler's voice once again reverberates deep within my chest. His eyes don't move from their spot on the counter. He takes in a deep breath and lets it go.
"Ten years." I repeat.
He nods and then turns to me.
Our eyes meet.
Deep within his blue grey eyes, he looks broken. As if he was a shell of the man he once was.
I'm overwhelmed by a sense of melancholy. I take in a shaky breath, wiping away the tears that slipped down my face. I fight the urge to bring him into a tight hug.
"Excuse me, sorry," I wiped my eyes.
"You don't have to apologize." He breaks the eye contact and sets his empty glass in the sink. "Would you like to borrow some clothes?"
His question reminds me that I am only wearing a pair of boxers and I blush, "Ah-! Yes please!" My wings immediately cover me.
"Follow me." He turns away and starts down the hallway.

"Well my clothes won't fit you but they should work until we get you your own." Tyler speaks softly, handing me a large sweater. "I apologize but my room is kept at a cold temperature, it keeps my body from expanding in the heat."
"You don't have to apologize, I understand." I take the sweater and quickly put on the large piece of clothing. "Oh-" I shift uncomfortable as my wings are now pinned against my back. Tyler glances over before he grabs something from his drawer, "Turn around."
I obliged.
"Now don't move, I won't hurt you." His words make me tense. I close my eyes, wondering if I had walked myself into some kind of trap. The sound of the ripping fabric meets my ears.
"There, try that." He speaks.
I shift a bit and guide my wings through the makeshift wing holes.
I face him, "You didn't have to do that."
He shrugs again, "Better than you being uncomfortable." He hands me a pair of leggings and some socks, "Jack left these so they'll probably fit better than mine."
After I'm dressed, there's a knock on the door. Tyler scoots pass me and opened the door.
"Ty, there you are!" The voice sounds like Mark and he seems upset.
"Amy came by, the night staff is missing and so is Ethan!"
"Ethan is here with me," Tyler points his thumb back to me and I wave at Mark, whose head pops up over Tyler's shoulder. "Also I don't think the night staff is missing, it's Sunday night." Tyler shifts to the side so Mark and I can see each other.
"Sunday?" I ask.
"Already?" Mark furrows his brows.
"Yeah." Tyler nods.
"Uh, excuse me, what does it being Sunday have to do with a bunch of people missing?" I ask.
Mark crosses his arms and lets out a heavy breath, "We'll explain in due time."
I nibble on my bottom lip; it makes me nervous that they won't explain to me what's happening. I have so many questions but Amy said that they won't tell me until I'm a bit more healthy.
Mark opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by a gurgle sound.
Both men turn back to look at me and I blush, "I'm sorry! I-I didn't get a chance to eat anything..." I cast my gaze to the ground embarrassed that my stomach made such a loud noise.
Mark lets out a loud and hearty laugh.
"Why didn't you say anything while we were by the sink?" Tyler turns to face me.
"I didn't think about it, I guess." I shrug my shoulders.
"Don't worry, it's about dinner time." Mark replies, "Come on, we can all wait together." He gestures for both of us to follow him.

We walked for a bit until the hallway led to another double door.
"This place kind of reminds me of a hospital." I glance around as Mark opens the door.
"Bob says that he has learned that we are all being kept in an abandoned hospital so you're not wrong." Mark states. He makes his way through the door and I follow.
The doors led into another giant room. Here most people were gathered, almost like a town square.
"Woah." I utter, "So many people."
"Basically like our own little village." Mark turns around to look at me, walking backwards. "The scientists bring us here and experiment on us but after that we are sort of left to our own devices. We have little clothing and food shops. Some people make jewelry, others lean out their strengths to help those in need. Like Amy's doctor's degree."
"We're left to our own devices?" I question, "Then why haven't you all just worked together to leave?"
My question seems to make Mark uncomfortable. He rubs the back of his neck as he plasters on a smile, "Don't get this wrong, Ethan, we very much would love to escape this place, but you also have to keep in mind that none of us are human anymore. We don't belong in society anymore."
"B-but-" I start.
He interrupts, "Ethan, think about it. If we were to go out in public, they would probably kill us and if not, they would probably put us in a zoo or something else even more degrading. As much as we don't want to be experimented on, we are alive here. It's a strange way to survive."
"Don't you want to live?" I ask.
"Of course we want to live. What are we supposed to do? Leave and then do what? Go where? As far as society knows most, if not all of us, are dead." Mark replies, "We already thought about it. Some of us have even tried and it got them nowhere except in the ground." His voice is a bit harsher.
"I didn't mean to anger you." I reply softer to defuse the situation.
"No, no." He relaxes slightly, "It's not you, just a touchy subject. I guarantee you that if we had a chance out there, everyone would take it." He turns back around as a loud Irish yell makes its way to my ears, ringing and echoing.
"MAAARRRK!"
"Over here Jack!" Mark waves to the Irish man with a proud grin.
We meet up with Jack and he gives me a confused look, "Hey...? Aren't those mine??"
I look down at the leggings and then look back at Jack "Well..."
"That's what you get for forgetting your clothes in my room." Tyler shrugged his large shoulders, his hand rested on my shoulder and pulled me closer.
I glance up at him, confused.
Except he isn't looking at me but forward at someone else. "Felix."
"Tyler." The blonde man replies, I think I detect a Swedish accent but I'm not sure. Felix has super shiny blonde hair. His eyes are piercing blue. He wears a dark blue shirt and black pants. His fingernails had peeling nail polish.
He had a nasty looking scar sticking out of his shirt, crawling up his neck.
His sharp eyes meet mine and I immediately drop my gaze to the floor.
I hope he didn't catch me staring.
"So you are Songbird." His words make me feel uncomfortable.
"I guess so?" I wasn't sure how to reply.
He moves forward and I feel Tyler's grip tightly slightly.
"I mean no harm." Felix huffs.
He leans down and begins to study me.
He reaches out to touch my face and Tyler grabs his wrist, "Don't touch him." There's almost a growl in his throat.
Felix pulls his wrist back, "Call back your Dog." His eyes flicker to Mark and Jack.
Tyler's hand is back on my shoulder and pulling me back behind him.
"Tyler, what's gotten into you?" Jack voices but the giant doesn't flinch.
His eyes are solely on Felix.
Felix shifts but then he seems to tense and then duck as Tyler lunges forward!
His large hand makes contact with air?
He grips it tightly and then swings whatever it was down hard on the ground.
"AHHH!"
There's a loud scream and a cough of blood before there's a human that appears from thin air.
"Ethan, get back!"
Mark grabs my arm and jerks me backwards.
I stumble and then trip over my feet.
Another inhuman screech comes from in front of me and suddenly Felix sprouts demon looking wings from his back. The black tar-like substance that Andy had is crawling up his face, leaving his eyes, nose, and mouth uncovered.
Felix jumps forward at the person that Tyler had slammed into the ground and sends them flying with a kick!
A tail snakes from his backside as he turns back to Tyler, giving a nod of respect to the giant, "Seems my senses aren't what they used to be."
Tyler relaxes, "It's alright."
Felix turns back to us fully, "Sing."
"What?" I glance at the others.
"Not them, you." Felix says, "You are the Songbird, I wish to hear the lullaby."
"Lullaby? I don't know the lullaby." I reply with a shake of my head as I stand.
He chuckles, amused, "It's embedded."
"The song is embedded in your DNA." Jack walks over to me, "It's something you feel when you open your mouth to sing this particular song."
"Embedded?" I echo.
I furrow my brow.
Just sing the lullaby?
"I can give it a shot." I shrug my shoulders.
"Close your eyes, my child, it's time for dreams,
In the land of misty mountains, by moonbeam streams.
Beneath the stars that softly gleam so bright,
We'll journey through the night, in the gentlest light.

Hush now, little one, the world is still,
In the arms of misty mountains, all is calm and chill.
The whispering winds, the songs they sing,
Will cradle you to sleep on a silver wing.

Among the misty peaks, where dreams take flight,
In the quiet of the night, my dear, sleep tight.
The mountain's lullaby, a melody so sweet,
Will guide you through the night, until the morning's greet.

Hush now, little one, the world is still,
In the arms of misty mountains, all is calm and chill.
The whispering winds, the songs they sing,
Will cradle you to sleep on a silver wing.

As the misty mountains stand so tall,
You are safe and sound, my love, you'll never fall.
With each breath you take, and every sigh,
In the arms of the mountains, you'll learn to fly.

Hush now, little one, the world is still,
In the arms of misty mountains, all is calm and chill.
The whispering winds, the songs they sing,
Will cradle you to sleep on a silver wing.

So rest your head, my precious one, so tight,
In the land of misty mountains, through the night.
The stars will watch, the moon will keep,
Your dreams in the embrace of the mountains so deep."

I opened my eyes to see Felix had changed back to his human form, on his knees and his hand over his mouth.
He's crying.
"I didn't mean to make you cry!"
I feel so bad.
He takes in a shaky breath, "Blissful, finally peace from the burning aches." He rubs the scar along his neck.
I glance around to see that the entire building seems to have stilled to silence, yet it wasn't uncomfortable.
"I've missed that beautiful sound." Felix clears his throat as he stands.
"It takes the edge off." Mark sounds breathless.
"It does?" I look between all four.
"The transformation is a lot more difficult than one would think; it takes a lot of willpower to keep it at bay." Felix speaks before Jack could answer me, "Full of uncontrollable rage. The Songbird is the only one that has the ability to soothe that anger."
"And you all have been suffering for years." I recall Mark saying that the project had been put on hold.
"Correct." Amy makes her way over to the group, "And you definitely are not supposed to be out of bed yet. I haven't checked your wound. You're not fed-"
"Songbird has not eaten?" Felix interrupts her and his piercing eyes meet mine. He seems appalled.
"Not yet." I chuckle dryly.
"They didn't feed you!?" Felix balls his fists, gritting his teeth.
"...no..." I answer, slightly frightened.
"Easy Fe, it's almost dinner time." Mark walks over to the blonde and wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. Felix takes in a breath to calm himself, "You're right."
"Ethan, come on, let me check your wound to make sure it healed properly." Amy gestures for me to follow her.
"You said I was out for a few days, there's no way a wound that severe would heal in that time." I fall in step with her. She smiles softly, "That's because we have healers. They can't heal it completely as if it never happened. You will have scars, but they were able to seal the majority of the wound."