December 25, 2015.
"Why's your face like that, Ares?"
"What do you mean?"
Ares simply turned to Ina, brushing powdery snow from her head. "Don't play in that. You'll get soaked."
Leaning back on the bench, a corner of Ina's lips curved upwards. As usual, she was carrying 'it' in her hand. "Don't you ever feel like putting it down?"
Ina's lips curved up a little more.
"... No. It makes my chest feel warm."
For about three seconds, Ares gazed at her before turning away. His ears and fingertips had become numb from the cold. The voices of kids romping in the snow dominated the air. On this chilly morning, the children in the orphanage waited with smiles etched on their faces for certain people. These individuals, introducing themselves as representatives from a foundation called Christmas Charity, had promised to take them on a Christmas tour.
The sullen grey sky brooded over the landscape. Twenty minutes later, a van, followed by a forty-seater bus, entered the orphanage grounds. The kids stopped pelting each other with snowballs and stared at the entrance, mouths agape. Finally, five professionally dressed adults alighted from the van. Three were women. Without glancing at the children, the guests headed straight for the administration office. The kids didn't resume playing, instead, they went to sit on benches near where their backpacks rested, chatting animatedly.
Not long after, the guests emerged from the administration office. One of the three ladies stepped forward and called the children over. Ares held Ina's cold hand, and they closed the distance to the lady. Like the women behind her, she wore a black tailored skirt suit. Her eyes slid across the kids as if she were observing seeds in a packet, then she sighed. "Your backpacks aren't coming. Put them away now, or we change our minds."
The kids quickly carried their backpacks back to the dormitories, their eyes gleaming like newly lit Christmas ornaments.
"Give me that," Ares muttered, taking Ina's backpack from her hands. He glanced at her, then ran to the dormitories, his feet sinking in the snow. The moment he returned, breathing heavily with the cold oxygen assaulting his throat and lungs, every kid had already entered the bus. The woman who had spoken to them earlier frowned at him and looked away. Ares moved quickly and boarded the bus. The kids were chatting loudly. Some had seated themselves by friendship, while others didn't let distance stop them from chatting. As Ares slowly walked down the aisle, glancing around, he noticed Ina seated at the back of the bus by the window. She was fiddling with her clothes, looking at the floor and the sides. The seat beside her was unoccupied. The moment their eyes met, she rushed to him, then looked into his eyes, which glistened with tears. Ares stared back, slightly tilting his head.
"Have you lost something?"
"The picture... I think I left it on the bench."
Ares immediately wheeled around, getting off the bus, then scanned the vicinity. The cheerless lady wasn't around. Howling snow blew, creating a slight blur of white. Ares ran back to the bench where he and Ina had been sitting a while ago, a sharp cold seeping through his clothes. Unforeseen by him, a woman stood beside the bench, holding the picture and staring at it. This woman was one of the five guests who had come to the orphanage. Her hair was black and trimmed short. It took five seconds before she looked at Ares. The striking magenta color of her eyes made Ares's eyes widen. She stared at him for about three seconds before handing the picture to him.
"Looking for this, aren't you?"
With a nod, Ares took the picture from her hand and ran back to the bus. Ina was still standing in the aisle. When she saw Ares, her mouth curved into a smile.
"You need to hold onto that, or it's gone for good."
The two went and sat down, Ina occupying her original position and Ares sitting beside her. The other kids were still chatting at the top of their voices.
Three minutes elapsed, and the van moved out of the orphanage grounds. The bus immediately followed. A slight silence reigned, but a moment later, the kids resumed chatting. Ares looked out the window. Two years ago, when he and Ina had arrived at this orphanage, this remote town was mostly green. But now, thick blankets of snow covered the vegetation. There was barely any activity. Was it because of the weather, or the town's underdevelopment? The vehicles got on the highway and snaked through the town. Most of the kids were kneeling on the seats, staring out the window. The landscape gradually changed, and settlements could no longer be seen. Twenty minutes later, the bus entered a metropolis. The driver, a man with a grey mustache, slowed the bus and turned back.
"Quiet down back there, you're attracting attention."
There was too much bustle in the streets, so Ares wondered how people would pay them attention. Either way, the kids started chatting in low tones as they observed outside through the windows. Lights had been strung across lampposts and trees, garlands with ornaments hung across the streets. Festive banners on lampposts along the avenues featured images like reindeer and Santa Claus. Other banners had holiday greetings such as "Merry Christmas" and "Season's Greetings." Three years ago, at such a month and date, Ares and Ina, together with their parents, were in a similar environment, making their way to a Christmas Market. While recalling this, Ares's gaze inadvertently fell on Ina.
"Why are you crying?"
Pearls of tears streamed down Ina's cheeks.
"I'm not crying."
She quickly wiped the tears with the cuff of her hoodie and resumed watching the street. The view didn't last long. The hum of traffic and city bustle faded, replaced by the quiet sound of the wind as the bus exited the city. The oxygen became fresh, and the landscape began transforming once more. The wide multilane highway the vehicle had been traveling on transformed into a narrow road with less traffic. At this point, the kids who had been kneeling on the seats were now seated, and the inside of the bus was quiet.
Shoulders of hills began to lean into view, and after a while, the kids were pressed back as seats tilted. The vehicles eventually left the tarmac road and took an unpaved road lined with tall, dark pine trees whose branches and evergreen needles wore white with snow. This road was long, and there were no settlements nearby. From a distance, an enormous white modern building with large tinted glass panels came into view. This building was integrated into the mountainside, with some sections appearing to emerge directly from the rock. No lights or decorations adorned the building. Some of the kids seated nearby turned to each other and whispered. Slowly, the vehicles came to a halt in front of the building, and with that, the cheerless lady stepped out of the van and walked into the bus.
"Step out. We've reached our destination."
With slumped postures, the kids began alighting one by one. Ares came out last, behind Ina. They joined others next to the bus, waiting for instructions. As expected of the mountains, the place was freezing cold. Ares glanced around. The children around him and Ina were hugging themselves, white mists escaping through their mouths as they yawned. The environment was eerily quiet. Ina moved to Ares and tightly held his sleeve. In turn, Ares stepped closer. Soon, the building's entrance slid open, and a woman walked outside.
"Even though it's Christmas, you've really moved fast."
"Believe me, there was little traffic," the cheerless lady replied.
"Guess Christmas is losing its grip."
Remarking as such, the lady who had come out of the building turned to the kids, and with a smile, cooed, "Time for some super fun stuff and yummy snacks!"
The children's pouts vanished, replaced by joyful beams. They talked enthusiastically, trailing the lady inside the building. Once they got inside, the glass entrance door automatically slid shut. The place they were in was bright, resembling a modern hospital lobby. Ares looked to the side and noticed lounge chairs and a table holding glossy magazines. In front of them, what looked like a check-in desk with computer screens stood.
The lady guided them through a bright corridor with fluorescent lighting. After walking for fifteen seconds, they entered a warm, bright room. The other kids' eyes widened. Some clasped their hands under their chins, hopping up and down. A garland was draped along the doorway, and artificial Christmas trees were placed at each corner of the room. One wall was a large, tinted mirror. At the far end, a large screen played a holiday cartoon, and at the center, four long communal tables were laden with small plates of cookies and individual cups of juices pre-arranged at each seat.
"Will we play Christmas Bingo after this?"
"I'd like to visit a zoo!"
Such questions and requests were shot at the lady. She simply smiled and replied, "We'll do all sorts of fun things as long as you behave, okay?"
Afterwards, the lady left. Ares held Ina's hand and walked to a table at the center. His eyes were fixated on the television, where a man trying to cut down a pine for Christmas trees suddenly found himself chased by raccoons. Ares and Ina sat at the far end, near the TV. The other kids also joined them at the table, talking animatedly. Ina held Ares's hand and gently interlaced their fingers. A freckled boy was seated before them. When Ina's eyes met his, Ina's entire face turned a furious, hot red, and she buried her face against Ares's arm.
Later, the kids, apparently satisfied with the snacks, began frolicking in the room. The atmosphere was chaotic. Ina was dozing off with her head on her arms as Ares bored his gaze on the TV. He looked at Ina for a moment, wondering whether she wasn't really having fun. Ultimately, the door slid open, and the lady who had led them into the room entered. She knelt on the floor before the kids, and with her index finger on her lips, shushed them.
"I've thought of a way to make this even more fun, but this can only happen if you listen to the adults, okay?"
A professionally dressed man and woman stepped inside and flanked the lady.
"Alright, these two will take you to get changed into proper clothes for our fun activities, understood? Boys go with him, girls with her."
Ina was clinging to Ares's arm, but he slightly pushed her towards the girls' group that was already leaving. She stared at Ares with watery eyes, but he gently shook his head.
Ultimately, the boys' and girls' groups separated. As Ares walked behind his group, through a hallway that seemed to stretch endlessly, he noticed that the air had gradually begun to smell like a hospital. Was there perhaps a clinic inside the building? The man guided them into a room that had simple, plain benches lined along the walls. On each section of the bench, a single white, neatly folded gown was laid out.
"Alright everyone, please pick up the garments in front of you."
Ares and the boys stepped forth and picked up the clothes from the benches. They were like grown-up shirts that were too long but opened in the back. Even though the lady said the clothes were 'suitable,' they were baggy and flimsy. When they were done putting them on, the man guided them into the next room along the hallway. Inside the room, there were rows of neatly made bunk beds with minimal space beyond them. This room resembled their orphanage rooms, but it was starker. No toys or pictures on the walls.
"An overnight stay!"
"That's right. There's so much fun planned, we'll be here a while. Don't worry, we've got beds. Nothing to be sad about."
The man asked them to wait for further instructions and left. Immediately after, the boys noisily scrambled for the top bunks. Within no time, all the top bunks were occupied. Ares scanned the bottom bunks, ultimately settling for the one closest to the entrance. He sat up, listening to the other kids discussing the things they wished to do. Later, the door slid open, and three women and men wearing lab coats entered.
"Alright, it's time for a check-up to make sure you're all healthy for the fun activities," one of them declared.
Ares and the boys were put into six groups of three, and the freckled boy was in Ares's group. Together, they were under a woman who had pulled back her hair in a ponytail. This woman led them into another room that was also along the hallway. The room was clinic-like, and the hospital smell was dominant. The walls were pale, and lights came from overhead fluorescent panels. There were three child-sized chairs, and near each chair, small, wheeled metal trolleys stood. On top of the trolleys, there were syringes, cotton balls, needles, wipes, and tourniquets. Ares wondered whether Ina was going to be okay.
At any rate, besides worrying about Ina, an unsettling atmosphere troubled Ares in this room. He was seated in the first chair in the line, and during this time, an audible puffing resonated in the room, prompting him to look to his side. The boy with freckles was trembling like a squirrel caught raiding a biscuit tin, and his eyes had bulged out as though he had witnessed a massacre.
"This is just a special check-up to make sure you're super strong for all the fun activities!"
The lady said this while reapplying the tourniquet on Ares's arm. The moment she picked up a needle, the freckled boy let out a deafening wail, howling that he didn't want any more 'fun activities.'
***
The next day, a fragile joy bloomed. The children indulged in games, savored their favorite snacks, and lost themselves in Christmas stories. In the evening, they were herded once again to the clinic-like rooms for what the staff called 'special check-ups for the fun activities.' During this period, there were cries and sulking, but afterwards, their cheeks lifted as they were pampered with tasty meals and promised more fun.
Days blurred into weeks, and the cherished playing time gradually receded, swallowed by the ever-increasing hours spent in the 'special check-ups.' Six months later, what had been promised as a tour had become a permanent cage in this building nestled in the mountains.
The staff's pretense of 'fun' finally vanished. Woken up at 5:30 AM by soft automated chimes, their days became a dull cycle of supervised hygiene and lukewarm, tasteless breakfasts. It was only at meal times that Ares and Ina got to share furtive glances. They attended classes, but the topics were dizzyingly broad and abstract. However, nothing matched the dread of the 'special check-ups.' The sticky pads on their chests, the occasional sharp prick, and being strapped to cold, leaning surfaces inside those glowing, soundless rooms of seamless LED panels. Some kids, still fueled by desperate hope, resisted. These kids were isolated from others for a period as punishment.