I lay in a pool of blood. Trying to keep my eyes open was an immense struggle because of the thick, red blood filling up my eye sockets. My head was spinning uncontrollably as I couldn't feel any part of my body. It was as if my body stopped functioning, and all that remained was my brain isolated in a human case. Blood spurted out of my mouth every time I tried to inhale oxygen as my lungs only filled up with blood, making it almost impossible to breathe. In the distance, I could make out the shape of an arm that lay severed from the rest of the body, wherever it may be. Lifting my arm slowly, a pool of blood spurted out of my leg, causing agonising pain, which made me scream out. My eyes darted to my left as I felt sick. Fear welled up inside me as I realised what had happened.
My arm!
I thought to myself. Looking back at the detached arm that lay a few metres away from me, I could make out the feminine features of it. And soon I realised that it was no stranger's arm. It was my own. My stomach churned as I felt something flowing up my throat. I was about to puke. But instead of vomiting, all that came out was more blood. This time, it was much more liquified and runny as it slithered down the floor like a snake. Strangely, my blood slithered towards my detached arm before engulfing it entirely. I looked on in horror, as what used to be my arm had now transformed into a grotesque creature.
The eyeballs popped out and were disproportional, and the teeth were sharper than knives. Its jaw hung down to its stomach as the hair entangled into its own skin. The arms, still human, had been twisted the opposite way, as it crawled on all fours as its primary way of movement. I squinted my eyes, trying to get rid of some of the blood that flowed in my sockets to get a clearer picture of the creature. Realising my presence, it crawled towards me in a blink of an eye and stared deep into my soul.
I froze.
My body shut down immediately as all I could move were my eyes. Darting left and right and up and down, I felt immense fear like any other. It was as if my mind had succumbed to the treacherous horrors of life and now destroyed itself so that it could be free. Its breath was heavy and random as a drool of saliva spilt out of its mouth and straight onto my inner thigh. Whatever concoction this being was created from made Satan look like an angel. Its tongue was long and black as it licked the side of my cheek as if I was a snack waiting to be devoured.
After licking me a few times, a demonic smirk emerged from its mouth as it leaned forward, our faces near inches apart from each other, before digging its teeth into my neck. It sank in so low that I could feel it poking my bones. Letting out a monstrous scream, I wailed and cried, trying to push it away, but my efforts were futile. It continued to latch onto my neck and suck out whatever blood remained in me. The coldness of its teeth stung as it dug into my warm blood. I could feel my body start to become colder as my blood slowly froze. My wails turned into whimpers, and my whimpers turned into silence. All I could do was remain there and let my body get violated by this creature with no sign of escape. My life flashed before my eyes as memories old and new collided.
My mother, my brother, my friends, my family, Harold, Jolynn, all of them connecting and intertwining and then dissipating into nothingness. My eyes flickered as I tried to remain conscious for as long as I could, but my body had reached its limited. The blood that once kept me alive and circulated around me had been poured out into that creature that continued to suck without stop.
Why is this happening to me? How did I even end up I this situation? I can't remember what I was doing before. Someone...Anyone...Please. Help me...me. Mother, I'm sorry for disobeying you. I promise I won't ever do something like that again. Please forgive me. Brother, I'm sorry for not being able to see you graduate. To see you excel and prosper. To see you get married and to hold your own children. I'm sorry. Are Harold and Jolynn okay? God, please save them. Even if I do not survive, don't take away their lives. They have a lot waiting at home for them. Jolynn is so young, oh god. She is still a child. Don't take her future from her. I know you can hear me so please, save them, save her.
The last things I could think of were Harold and Jolynn. My two newest comrades. The people that I had been with in our toughest of times. We travelled together, and we were placed in such inhumane conditions together. I prayed that they were safe. I knew that my body didn't have much left. That my eyes couldn't stay open for much longer. That my mouth couldn't inhale anymore. Tears flowed down my face as all I could think of was everyone else. I felt a deep sense of regret for not being able to save Jolynn and Harold and an even bigger regret that I would not be able to spend more time with them.
In the distance, behind the creature, I noticed a figure standing there watching me. It had an ominous yet familiar presence surrounding it. I watched as its glowing red eyes stared straight at me. From the outline of its face, I could tell it was smiling at the state I was in, yet the expression in the eyes distinctly reminded me of sympathy. After a while, my eyes flew wide open as I realised who was standing there.
Of course, it always had to be you. Who else would watch me in such a state with that kind of look? Gosh, at least decide whether you're happy or upset. But I'm happy that at least you care for me. It makes me happy.
As the creature neared its feast and I was on the edge of death, I stared directly at him as I let out a huge smile with a singular tear from my right eye. I noticed that he felt conflicting emotions deep inside him. It was breath-taking to see the fondness that he had for me. Even after everything that had happened. All the trauma he had put me through, all the torture he placed on Harold and Jolynn, even after all that I would still forgive him. Maybe because deep down, I knew.
I knew that I... I love him.
"Thank you, and I love you."
Is what I would have said if I was able to speak, however I had a feeling that he could understand what I meant as he responded me back with a smile and a singular tear from his left eye. And then I slipped away, losing consciousness, the creature finally unlatching off my neck and dissipating into a pool of blood, with my arm laying dead in the middle. And my lifeless body lay there surrounded by my own blood, my eyes stripped of any emotion as it lost its blueness. My breathing slowly evaporated as my hand fell into the blood pool beside me all that remained of my expression being a singular tear and a wide smile. And that was it. I was dead.
"Hello, Annabeth. What are you up to?" The scientist asked me.
"None of your business." I replied.
"Ouch. Why are you so harsh to me?" He replied, trying to sound sad.
"That! See, that is why! You don't really care. All you do is act as if you do. How can I not be harsh when I don't even know your true reality." I retorted. Visibly frustrated by his fakeness.
"Reality? Do you even know what is real and what is fake? Maybe, right now, we aren't even talking to each other. Maybe we aren't even here right now. So, how can you point towards reality when you can not be sure if what you see is truly real?"
"I have no time for your nonsense." I said, clearly trying to avoid any conversations with him.
"You're no fun, Annabeth." He replied.
"Thanks. I aim to please." I said slyly.
"I wanted to just have a nice chat with you, but it seems that you are occupied with your own studies. So, I shall leave you to it. Goodbye."
And then he was gone, leaving me to my isolation. I scribbled away inside the diary that he had given me, trying to formulate different plans and strategies to escape. I noticed that every sixth brick on the walls, the wallpaper was much looser, making it easier to rip. From this, I was able to see that behind each of them were small holes, wide enough for me to fit a few fingers in. I had tried to look through the holes, but on the other side, there was complete darkness, making it impossible for me to see. Next is the furniture placing. Every tall structure in the room, such as the cupboard and bookshelf, were all placed ten steps away from each other. This has to be something worthwhile, for knowing The Scientist, he wouldn't make such intricate details for no reason. If, by the off chance, he had tricked me, then I shall admit my defeat gracefully.
Sadly, as my height is a limiting factor, I was not able to feel the wallpaper above the positions the taller objects were standing under and so, for now, I shall have to find out other pieces of information before I can try and scan the roof. Interestingly, the floorboards under the furniture's, had a clear and distinct outline of what seemed to be a trapped door. Frustratingly, they floorboards were made in a way that made it impossible for me to break it with my own hands.
Damn you, feminine hands!
I had drawn a map out of the whole room, locating the most interesting parts that needed to be kept an eye on. As I walked around the room, I carefully noted each step and position the trapdoors were placed as well as the weaker wallpaper. Looking up at the roof, I tried to estimate how far across from the furniture's any hidden doors could be placed.
If everything is based symmetrically, then he would most likely have placed a trap door opposite to the floor ones. But surely, he wouldn't do something so simple. Is it reverse psychology? This is too much. Going against someone so intellectual, taking consideration into various different aspects becomes mind-boggling. My brain can not function on the same level as his. I must play to my strengths. What is it that I have that he doesn't? Something obvious and easy to manipulate. Come on, Annabeth. Think! Think! Think!
Defeated, I slumped into my chair with the diary resting on my face. This was the first time in my life I had lost. All my experience and all my years of searching for knowledge have proved nothing. In the face of overwhelming intelligence, I was nothing but an ant. And like an ant, I was crushed in mere seconds.
Tick. Tick. Tick. This clock is doing my head in. Why can't it just shut up.
Silence. It was so silent that anyone else who stepped foot into the room would have been able to hear the cogs clicking inside my brain. I jumped out of my seat and rushed towards the clock. Looking at it, I began to wonder about its design. It didn't look like anything expensive but nor was it cheap. It was made from a sort of fabric that would be able to blend into the wall without being noticed. My eyes opened wide as for the first time in ages, I felt enthusiastic. I rushed and grabbed my chair before placing it directly under the clock. Standing on it, I reached out for it.
Why would he place a broken clock in this room? Well, of course, because he needed something to divert my attention. Something that makes a ticking sound would be easy to cover up if you placed something in front of it. And that something just so happens to be a clock. Which is fake!
Not surprised, as I reached for the clock, all I could feel was a thick sheet of wallpaper that had been painted over to resemble a broken clock. A huge smile painted across my face as I found my next clue to escaping this hellhole. Tearing apart the fabric, it revealed a glass circle. Looking through, I could see movement. It looked...human! My mind started to erupt in joy as I started to jump around, clapping my hands like a child. I had found my first big discovery.
One small step for Annabeth. One giant leap for freedom.
Peering through the glass, I noticed around fifteen people hurrying past. They all wore long, white lab coats and black hiking shoes, resulting in every step they took being followed by a loud thud. I could just about make a few words about what they were saying, but due to the glass being really thick, it was hard to make out the majority of what they said. Pressing my ear against the glass, I made out a small conversation that was being held near the glass.
"So how are the subjects doing." A female voice, high pitched and loud.
"Alright. And you don't have to shout when I'm right here." A male voice, low and deep.
"We have new subjects, don't we? What are their names?" She asked.
"Jolynn, Harold and Annabeth. I was told that they were different from the others. All possessed much larger intelligence, and all had pasts that correlated directly to fear and trauma. Master rambled on about how he couldn't wait to begin experimenting on them and that this would be the biggest discovery in his whole life if successful." He replied.
"Master is a little crazy, don't you think? I mean, he lives in his observing room and never leaves unless absolutely necessary. He talks about his great ideas, but half of them never even pass the first stage. Don't you think all the failures have driven him to his breaking point?" She asked.
"Maybe, but that isn't our concern. All we must do is obey Master's wishes and aid him as much as we can. And hey, we get paid a lot for it. So, it is a win for us whether he succeeds or fails." He replied happily.
"I guess... But isn't it creepy. How he is trying to make soldiers that use fear as fuel. I mean, if he succeeds, then what stops him from taking over the world. He has soldiers that will lay down their lives for him, and then he could just change the world to how he wishes." Her voice was hinted with a pinch of fear.
"Don't worry about that. He has said on multiple occasions that he does not wish to rule. All he wants is for his discoveries to be noticed. To be seen and loved. Isn't that what we all wish for? Acceptance. We strive towards our goals in hopes that when we achieve it, people around us will finally accept us and praise us for our accomplishments. Master has had a hard past, so we must do whatever we can to help him." His voice had so much passion in it. It reminded me of Jolynn
"Aw, since when were you so caring?" She said teasingly.
"Shut... Shut up. I just know how it feels to not be accepted. To want to achieve something so that you can prove to everyone that you are worth it. That you aren't a waste of time. That you being alive has meaning." His voice had become much more solemn.
"There, there. Let's not talk about things so depressing. Whatever is in the past should stay in the past. We scientists should not worry about the past. We must focus on the future and shaping the way towards it. What we do now shall be remembered decades later, and people will look up to us as inspirations. We shall be etched into history and remembered for eternity. As scientists, that is our ultimate goal. So let us aid Master in his journey and accomplish our own personal desires along the way. For science!" Her voice was so motivational that I myself felt motivated to pursue my own dreams and aspirations.
"I have to go." She spoke. "One of the subjects is acting up, so I shall see you later. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
I sat down onto the floor beside the glass and curled up into a ball. I could feel my heart pumping so fast; I feared it would jump out and onto the floor. Sweat began to drip from my forehead, as I could not believe what I had just stumbled upon. My pupils moved inhumanly as I tried to regulate my breathing again. Hearing everything for the first time almost felt unbelievable. So, for a while, all I did was just sit there and process everything. I had to make sure that what I had heard wasn't a lie. That it wasn't a fabricated story. That they didn't know I was eavesdropping and made up a story to lead me on. But I had no proof to give me a definitive answer.
"Oh my god." I whispered. "We aren't the first."
I covered my mouth as I felt puke try and escape. My heart clenched in agony as I couldn't believe what was going on.
Monster. How many more are there? How many people have fallen victim to his games. Surely, there has to be an end to this madness somehow. How long has he kept them there for? How have we not heard of this on the news? This couldn't have been hidden for long. Someone must have had to slip up. How many? How many more have fallen into his grasp. Hundreds? Thousands? There has to be a limit somewhere.
If he has been able to do this for however long and not get caught, then...will we ever be found? Will we ever be rescued? Oh god. Please save us all. Save us from this madman's clutches and strike him down so that he may never take another glimpse at your sacred world. The devi! That is what he is. No human could do such a horrid thing. I must escape. And quickly! Now is not the time to slack off. I must get out and save Harold and Jolynn. And whoever else may be held captive in his demonic clutches. Godspeed!
I watched as she moved the furniture around and found the trap doors. I watched as she mapped out everything so precisely into her diary. I watched as she started to realise the meaning behind the clock. I watched as she ripped the fakeness off and started to listen in on the conversations on the other side. I watched as she finally started to see the true reality of everything. I watched as I saw determination spark into her eyes as she stood up and continued her plan to escape. I watched.
A huge smile erupted on my face as I saw her struggle and advance to her goals. I could smell it. The fear strangling her. The fear for her comrades and those who have met similar fates. The fear that drives her to continue advancing, never stopping even after falling so many times. It made me insane in pleasure. Seeing the fruition of my experiments coming to life was something that I had always dreamed of. And now I was able to make it all come to reality. This was all I had aimed for. And now it was time to take it to the next step. To advance to phase two.
"Not yet." I whispered to myself before looking to the camera on my right in which I saw Harold playing with his daughter. "He's next. Jolynn and Annabeth have gotten their fears sorted. Now it is Harold's turn."
Looking back at Annabeth, I sat and admired her. Her hard work and discipline were truly inspirational. I could help but blush a bit from seeing her. Such beauty and discipline were hard to acquire. But I had it right in my hands. I placed my hand across the screen, moving down her one-of-a-kind figure as I smiled maniacally.
"Ah, Annabeth. You truly are a wonder. Don't stop. Keep advancing forward. Keep making me lose myself. Keep making me fall for you even more."
For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt love. My first emotion in a while wasn't fake. The line between reality and lies started to crumble as I made my way to the truth. I couldn't wait. And then, I disappeared out of my chair and into a vast laboratory. Thousands of chambers lined up in rows, with each one being watched by a specific supervisor. In every room, a person tried to survive, living their nightmares and fantasies all in one. Distant screams and wails, as well as cheers and joys of happiness, could be heard. Everyone had a fear. And I was harnessing it. I saw my pupils walking around from the chamber to the chamber, analysing all the data they could get their hand son whilst chattering away.
I could hear the clockworks turning as the giant clock plastered at the far end ticked away. After every hour, someone was taken out of a dream, and someone was placed into a dream. I watched as everyone abided by my laws and continued out everything just as I had instructed. I knew that my intelligence was unrivalled and that if everything went as I had instructed, there would be no problems.
All I had to make sure of was keeping an eye on my special three subjects. I stared back into my dark room and onto the cameras that focused on my dearest subjects. I watched and smiled as I saw them continue their lives and struggles and watched as fear slowly engulfed them. It was only a matter of time before they too fell into my hands completely.
"Until next time." I said to them from outside of the room with a huge, evil smile.
And the door swung shut, leaving everything in pitch darkness, the only light being those three.
Godspeed!