Punishment

"EDWARD!" The voice that I used to know only from childhood woke me up from my dream. Lifting my head up from my desk, I glanced at the old clock that was on the desk. Seven....I must have dozed off.1

Next I took to looking at the work below me. Paper covered with rocket designs and notes that barely made sense, littered the area, "Well, I'm not going to get anywhere else tonight. Might as well head of to sleep....oh...wait.....someone called me...."2

As if on cue another 'Edward' was heard throughout our small house,3

"WHAT!?"4

Hoeinheim burst in the room,5

"Ah, good, you're okay..."6

"Why wouldn't I be and have you heard of knocking?!" He really was annoying.7

"Food is ready." He replied, ignoring my comment.8

"That is not food. Anyway, I'll skip tonight, I'm too tired." He looked at me with those eyes that I desperately wanted to rip out. They always said the same thing; you're not okay. He'd been giving me those eyes a lot lately but I guess I understand; I truly wasn't okay. 9

"You need to eat. This is the third night."10

"I don't taste it anyway, it doesn't matter. Besides, I'm tired. I need rest." We were not going to have this argument again, not today.11

"Edward, it doesn't matter whet ever you taste it or not, you need the nutrients." 12

Seems like he wasn't backing down...as usual.13

"I'll eat later. Right now I need to sleep." He was leaving; I was going to make sure of that. 14

Once again, he looked at me with those distasteful eyes but, he did leave, "Finally..." I gave a sigh and dropped onto my bed, soft, springy bed. Beds are really great...you can do just about anything on them and they're comfortable, they're an escape route out of your world...hah. If only that were true...I'd be long gone. Nothing here....seems real or lively. It's as if someone tuned down the color resolution to life. Nothing smells good anymore. Nothing tastes good anymore. Nothing sounds good anymore. Nothing feels good anymore. Nothing looks good anymore. Everything is in slow 15

motion. 16

I closed my eyes and turned to lie on my back, letting my body just do nothing for a while. Why is everything so tuned down? Why does nothing seem....alive?17

It's because there is no life left in you to live.18

Is that right?19

Nothing left to live for.20

That's right. They're gone. All of them. Al, Winry, Pinako, Izumi, Sig, Den, Rizenbool, everyone at the military...hell, even Roy included, everyone in that mining town, Russel, Fletcher, Amestris...gone. 21

So why am I here?22

Punishment.23

For what? 24

Everything.25

I see. 26

I opened my eyes to look at the bland ceiling above me. 27

Everything.28