When you're young and ask, "How was I created? How did I come to be? What great creature had to perish for me to inherit its flesh?" you're always told, "You're too young to know. Maybe when you're older I'll tell you." As much as I hated that answer when I was younger, I think I can fully understand why such knowledge was withheld from me now.

The day I finally learned the truth was unforgettable. I was so excited to learn it and finally bear the weight of it. I couldn't comprehend the words being used, so it felt like I was being read an outlandish story. I didn't even understand the names of people being used in it, either. It was definitely straight from a Grimm fairytale.

"Once upon a time, there was a sprightly young man much like yourself by the name of ██. He lived a long and fulfilling life of many trials and tribulations and other negligible details that I'll omit from this story. He died ██ ago. You were created in his image.

"You and every other mod were created in ██'s own laboratory. Your flesh is the same. Your hair is the same. Even your eyes and tonsils are the same. But you have slight differences due to the cells you were spliced from, which let you grow on your own as a fully functional, individual being, as you are now!

"Every few months I have to inject you with more of his cells so that any ██ or ██ are accounted for and fixed. You're very lucky, Mod Komaeda #1862, you came out near perfect, so you don't have to worry about ██. If it weren't for the sacrifices of ██, and for science, you wouldn't be here today! Isn't that splendid?"

It felt like one of those downright cruel jokes parents play on their kids where they tell them they're adopted on their birthday, then take it back after they've recorded their reaction. I wasn't amused. So I objected.

"You see, Mod Komaeda #1862, I've told this story to many other mods and I'm getting quite tired of having to retell it every week. None of you listen to what I have to say and you'll never hear the disgusting truth. Go ask Komaedeus, I have moderating to do."

Well, that was enough motivation for me as anything else. I skipped down to visit Komaedeus in his jail cell and inquired the same thing.

"Are you here to let me free?"

"No, I just want to hear how I was born."

"Oh-ho-ho, kids these days. Well, I'll gladly tell you the story, so grab a chair and sit down.

"You see, Mod Komaeda #1862, when a Mod Komaeda and... ah, never mind. You know how Fetus Hinata was made, don't you?"

"Of course! All the Mod Komaedas were invited to view his creation, even the youngest ones. We wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"That's how you were made too, except you came out a Mod Komaeda instead of a Fetus Hinata. You didn't look the same as him when he was made, and you won't look the same when you're fully grown."

"So... Komaedeus, are you saying that I...? Who created me?"

"Ah, sorry, you'll have to let me out of the cell for an answer to that one."

"Nice try, Komaedeus. Well, thank you anyway. I think I found my answer. Here's some food scraps."

Walking back home to the 2-bedroom 2-bathroom, I had a lot of thoughts stirring in my wispy-haired head. Why didn't I look like Fetus Hinata? Or... was I ever a fetus? I've seen younger mods, they look nothing like him in any regard. I got a bit grossed out trying to imagine something like that, and regretted not giving the last of my food to Komaedeus since I didn't plan on eating after that idea. It was starting to get dark, though, so I couldn't turn back anyway.

But now the cogs in my brain were really turning... Komaedeus definitely isn't a Mod Komaeda, all the mods knew that. So then how were the Komaedeuses created? Maybe he was the fetus? Maybe Fetus Hinata will turn into Hinateus? Oh God, I really hope not. He was so cute on the day he was born, I don't want—

My genius scientific thoughts stopped when I was about halfway to the house. I thought it was another mod, but something felt off. You know how when you're having an intricate dream, you learn something really significant and feel on top of the world, and then you feel like a nightmare is going to happen right after because you've already reached the peak? No? Just me? My dreams are just weird? Well, that thing was definitely looking at me now.

"Hi, are you another mod? Do you want me to walk you back to the house? Or did you want to see Gromaeda? Or, um..."

I felt like I was talking to a wall. Or myself. Like even though that mod... thing... was there, it was too vapid to understand me or my presence besides on a basic neurological knee-jerk reaction type of level. I winced my eyes in the dark since I was already locked in a menacing stare-off with them, so I might as well figure out who it was.

They had on the basic mod outfit: dark denim jeans, brown saddle shoes, a white shirt with a red insignia, the classic knee-length forest green jacket. I felt a bit reassured realizing it was probably just another mod trying to pull a prank on me. Looking closer, they had leaves and branches littering them, and their clothes did look a little beat-up. So this was probably a prank, trying to catch an unsuspecting mod while waiting in the woods, looking like a zombie, then chase them home or something.

"Hey, knock it off! You can't prank me, I already saw you, so give it up."

Still, no response. I guess they weren't going to give up so easily. I was pretty fed up so I walked over to give them a noogie so they'd leave me alone.

Then I realized... I was right on the first impression. Something was off. I didn't give them a noogie because I reached my arm out and stopped myself when I saw it.

They had no hair. Their head was completely bald.

I felt like I was face to face with a wild animal. It was stuck there like a deer in the headlights. Maybe I was the headlights. Maybe I should just back off and let it run back into the wilderness and be grateful I didn't crash into it.

I started backing up slowly, body signaling as much as I could that I wasn't a threat. It wouldn't let its gaze leave mine. My heart was pounding in my chest, but somehow I could still hear its breathing. It wasn't fast-paced or at a standstill like someone in fear would be. It was completely normal, as if the thing never registered my presence in the first place and had nothing to fear.

When I was around 20 feet away from it, still trying to back away until I was out of sight, it finally moved. Its fixated gaze finally retracted from me, and looked off towards the woods.

It leapt suddenly. It didn't run away, just caught something and starting gnashing at it. I think it was a rabbit. I didn't get a better look, I bolted as soon as it pounced on it like a cougar.

I ran into the house, panting like I'd just done a marathon. The 2-bed 2-bath is always so crowded, but I couldn't be more grateful at the time. Power in numbers, right? I slept on the bathroom floor on the furthest corner from any doors or windows that night, reassuring myself like a child again, that if that thing or anything else broke in, it would be distracted by everyone else and I'd have a chance to run.

Mod Komaeda #1863 took my bed for the next week afterwards because he wouldn't return it after I let him use it that night, but I couldn't really complain because I was just glad I wasn't eaten alive.

I lost my train of thought, sorry.

I never really figured out how Mod Komaedas are born, and I really don't want to know how they die.