I look at their faces of disgust, thinking that I'm some foreign being. The truth is I'm not. Surprise? No.

I didn't always have this leach attached to me, but it's been there for almost all my life. When I was born, I got a rare, permanent disease called Metrounis. Only around a thousand people have it, and I'm one of the unlucky few to get it. What it does is it takes the calcium from one's body until their bone structure is weak, and they die. The effect is quick, and it turns one's skin grey. I don't know about bones much, so I can't say that those are the actual results of having Metrounis, but I would say that those effects are pretty similar. After learning about this, my parents decided to attach a leach on my back that will constantly provide me calcium or whatever. This is why everyone stares at me, but this is what is keeping me alive.

I cut back to reality realizing I just walked into a wall. Heh, luckily no one noticed. I open the door and await a pair of kids waiting for me. They looked much taller than me and more stronger. One of them had a red shirt and the other, green.

"What up, freak" Red shirt demands. "What's up with that leach thing huh? Think you are so special yeah?"

"No? I need the leach" I respond. I try to step away, but yellow shirt blocks me.

"Well you aren't going anywhere until we get that leach off of ya." Yellow shirt says. He makes a sudden grab move, but I step back. I push my self into a full sprint, and I'm already wheezing. My jerk was so sudden that it knocked the wind out of me. As I speed down the sidewalk, I learn that these guys are really fast. They have almost already caught up to me, so I decide to run faster. I can't. I can't. I don't have much energy left, and these guys are running like it's nothing. I feel a hand grab me, and I trip. I feel my stomach being compressed against the concrete.

"Now let's get that leach out of ya" Red shirt says. I know he's smiling. I can feel it. I feel my shirt getting pulled up and my leach getting ripped out of me. My skin turns grey almost instantly and I feel my bones starting to disconnect. This feeling is familiar. I know it. It must've been the same feeling from when I was just born. My body starts to discombobulate. I black out.

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I feel acid collecting in the back of my throat and can taste the bitterness already. Seconds later i vomit. "Please no, why. Why am i here and not at his side" I ask myself while hugging the toilet. "Okay, now is not time for selfpity. I wont remember it tomorrow anyway. Where are these fuckers?" Slowly i reach into my pockets and start searching for my medicine. "Gotcha" i mumble to myself, while opening a small capsule and picking a leech up. Then i place it on my forearm and watch it sink its small teeth into my skin. Satisfied i lean back, knowingly that it will have drained the alcohol out of me in a hour or so.

Afterwards i get back to the bar and order a coke. "Hey how are you doing miss?" Asks the guy sitting next to me. "My name is Jack". "I am just having a last drink before i ll go." I respond shortly. "Are you in a hurry or why do you want to leave so soon?" "Its just getting late i guess. Do you have the time?" I feel my headache getting better slowly. After a quick look on his watch he tells me its 2 o clock. "So another 40minutes until my subway arrives" i think to myself. "I wish i could just sleep in right here and wake up in my apartment afterwards..." My eyelids are getting heavier and heavier and my thoughts are going back to my brother. They always return to him and i feel a heavy sting in my chest and remorse filling my heart. "Keep yourself occupied." I think to myself and focus on the coke in front of me. ".. thinking about miss?" I snap out of my thoughts and give the man a confused look. "Excuse me i wasnt paying attention, could you repeat that please?" He shuckles and says: "i was just wondering if you are doing alright. You have stared at your drink for quit some time now and appear distressed." "Sorry, i am just exhausted." "I ll leave to the metro station. Would you like to keep me company?" Shortly after he adds: " I would sleep better knowing you are getting safe Home." I take a look outside- its snowing. "Yea i think i ll join you". We leave the bar.

The moment i step outside i feel the freezing cold against my skin and shiver. While i am reaching out to my smartphone, Jack gestures that he has already searched for a route. After a few turns we enter the metro station. Silently i curse myself for not wearing my scarf this night and put my hands in my jacket to keep them from freezing off. In contrast to me Jack seems unmoved by the weather and checks the time left for the incoming metro. Then he looks at me and his eyebrows lower a bit. "Do you want some hot tea?" He asks."That would be nice" i reply. Furthermote he reaches in his backpack, grabs a thermos and gives it over to me. Although i am not the biggest fan of green tea in general, i am thankful for the warmth it provides. "Thank you" i say and give it back to him. After a quick search i find Out that i have to take the metro to wersten in 10minutes. Jack interrupts the silence and says: "I think i ll sit down for a moment. I ll have to wait a couple of minutes till my metro arrives" Without thinking for long i add:" Same for me". To my suprise i can feel smth slimy on my left forearm. I turn away from Jack and pull up my sleeve to see what is causing it. The leech has lighten its bite and fallen off. For a moment i look at it in utter confusion. That has never happened before. She had planned to remove it later in her bathroon, but why would it just fall of like that? "Is everything alright?" Jack puts his hand on my shoulder and watches my facial expressions closely. Although his hand is warm on my back, my body starts to freeze and i feel a tiredness rolling in like a huge wave, risking to crash down and swallow me completly. Suddenly i hear the sound of a metro arriving and turn my head to the tracks. Adrenalin kicks in and takes control, forcing me to jump up from the bench and sprint to the doors. Jack is suprised but promtly follows me, eager to close the distance. I enter the metro and immediatly start running to the front, shortly followed by an angry jack shouting curses after me. Just when the doors start closing in and threaten to imprison me with him i jump out of the metro. Behind me i leave jack fanatically pressing the button to open the doors, but the metro starts moving and carries him with it into the night.