Before I begin, a little introduction speech.
First of all, I wasn't really sure where to put this, so I put it here. It seemed to match the best. Second, if you know me (which few of you do, at this moment), you'll know I have a pretty formal way of talking. However, my writing tends to be completely different. It's much simpler, and less Shakespearian (as my friend calls my choice of speaking- it really isn't Shakespearian but she is sitting right beside me and is terribly joyous that I used "her word"). And, third, this story is one of the first chapter novels I've tried writing in a long, long time. So any help at all would be wonderful! I'm hoping to one day publish this story, as I'm already attached to the characters and I enjoy writing them.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy "Masked Blood".
~Doctor
Chapter One
He wasn’t my father. He told me from the beginning that I wasn’t his real child; I wasn’t anyone’s child. I was a genetically mutated fetus from a test tube, experimented on to come out the way the other scientists wanted. I hadn’t come out right, though, which is why they still experimented. My intelligence level was higher than they expected, which has its pros and cons, but they had not intended for me to grow two extra eyes below my normal set.
Father cared for me, though. He fed me and bathed me and told me stories to make me fall asleep. Sometimes he hurt me, when he gave me shots of strange fluid, or took my blood. He said it was for the benefit of the ‘others’, and myself. I wanted to know who ‘the others’ were, but he would not say. I did not question further.
I remember the night clearly, sitting on my bed and staring at the barred window. The voices outside the door seemed unusually loud for a conversation that was meant to be quiet.
“Are the others dead?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Father knocked on the door, something he always did. And, as he always did, he came in without waiting for my reply. I was eleven, then. He had a needle, which I was used to, but this one filled with a liquid unfamiliar to me. And I didn’t like the strange look Father was giving me.
“Lucas,” he said.
“I heard your conversation,” I told him emotionlessly.
“Lucas,” he repeated, this time in surprise.
“You killed the others.”
“You don’t know what that was about.”
“I am not stupid.”
He frowned. “Of course not. I never said you were. This is just another test we have to do.”
“I do not want to die.”
“You won’t.”
He was simply telling lies now- it was too obvious to miss. I pretended to play along. I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. “Do you promise?”
“Of course. Why would I kill you, Luke? I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I choked on the words, but got them out smoothly. I held out my arm dutifully and he stepped towards me, taking my wrist.
“It will make you sleepy. You’ll just sleep for a little bit, that’s all.” He pressed the needle to the blue vein showing prominently under my pale flesh.
It was so easy it was almost fun. I grabbed the shot from his hand and with one quick movement stabbed it through his chest and injected it. Maybe it missed the heart; I don’t know. But he fell down, either way, his eyes rolling back and his mouth still open to let out the scream that was too late in coming to come at all.
I stepped over his body and crept out the door.
He had never been my father.
Now I just needed a plan to escape. I could think of nothing, but I knew I had limited time until someone found the body, so I dashed as quickly as I could between shadows and empty hallways, making my way towards what I hoped was the entrance. I had walked the halls several times, but always with an escort who kept a tight grip on both of my wrists. It was nerve-racking to be wandering the halls alone.
There was a shout from the other end of the lab, faint but loud enough to hear the tone of shock. I didn’t hesitate; it was my cue to start bolting- and I made it pretty far before I was noticed.
“Hey, you!” It was only one scientist. He was too fat to do much except lumber after me like an over-sized penguin, but I picked up speed anyway, ignoring his shouts for help. Now I didn’t bother avoiding occupied hallways; I dashed through whichever hallway was more convenient, filled or not. It was easy to dodge the outstretched hands, as everyone’s moves were so predictable that it was simply a matter of ducking and dodging.
I finally spotted the entrance, which I had only seen once several years ago. It looked the same, however, and no one had locked it yet, which they should have if they knew one of their precious experiments was loose. I burst through and kept running, my breath dry and rough against the back of my throat. I didn’t stop, nor did I think of stopping until I was out of the woods surrounding the lab and on the other side of town. I slowed, hiding in the shade of a tree, and leaned against my knees, panting. My heart beat wildly, and I felt dizzy and dehydrated, but I gripped my knees tighter and grinned through my heavy exhales. I was free. I was free.
I wandered along the edge of the woods, making my way between towns. My legs were sore and shaking, but I kept walking, struggling to get away completely. I finally collapsed on a park bench early in the morning, several towns from the lab, and blacked out.
When I awoke, a woman was talking to me.
“Hello? Little boy? Are you lost?”
I sat upright, blinking my eyes open groggily and turning to look at the lady. Her clothing was strange and colorful- nothing like the white coats and suits the scientists wore.
She froze on the spot, staring at my face with her mouth still open to say something else. For a second I was confused, and then I remember my mutation. I was a monster to these people.
The woman stumbled back, a look of horror and fear on her face. And then she froze again, looking expectant, as if knowing I was going to jump up and eat her and she was just waiting for me to make the move. Instead I covered my face with my hands and jumped off the bench, darting further into town- which wasn’t exactly a smart move. No one paid much attention to the boy darting through the crowd, however, and I made it safely to a back alleyway.
It stunk of trash and a scent unfamiliar to me at the time, but which I later discovered was the obvious scent of animal droppings. I curled up against one of the brick walls, feeling nauseous and overwhelmed. How could I walk around with an extra set of eyes? I’d be slaughtered.
Some sadistic god was on my side; as I was thinking this something slid from the top of the trash can by the entrance of the alley and lightly fell to the cement. At first I was uninterested in it; but when some light was thrown upon it, a thin white line ran across its surface.
I must sheepishly admit my interest in shiny objects was the only reason I crawled forward and lifted the fallen item up from its area.
A plastic mask, still in perfect shape. It was plain black, and obviously made for a kid. I gently covered my face with it. The only things it exposed from my face were my top eyes. I pulled the elastic string over my head and slipped out into the streets again.
No one looked twice at the little boy with a mask on. They knew better than to question children antics. I smiled to myself as I strolled through the streets at my leisure, taking in the different people and clothes. Most of them were Caucasian or African American, and they all wore colorful clothes. I slipped easily through the crowd, finding my way back to the park. The woman I had frightened was gone, and I sat down on the same bench I had woken up from. I didn’t worry about the lady; if she said anything, people would think she was just a nut case, but I figured she’d most likely keep the experience to herself.
I stood up again when I spotted a forest trail that looked vacant and not well traveled, and I started down it. It was only several minutes until I came upon a pond like I knew I would- most trails lead to some sort of water. Kneeling down in the muddy banks, I stared into my reflection. The mask fit almost perfectly, if it wasn’t just slightly too large for my thin face. Still, it was sturdy enough to last me a while. I could find another shop with better masks after I got sick of this one. It was plastic, after all, and it was entirely black, which was a good color, but too boring for my taste. I liked intricate designs like those on the book covers Father would sometimes bring in and read to me. He couldn’t any more, of course, which I knew I would sorely miss until I could somehow obtain a book of my own to read.
I stood up and made my way back into the town.
A quick study of the people gave me enough information to guess my future options. As at the lab and in the books I read, adults had the most power. Elders were grudgingly respected, but not well listened to, and children were under the whim of their older companions. So finding someplace to stay was out of my choices- I was not in the right circumstance to chance trusting the adults, who in all their indulgence and pride didn’t realize how close minded and stupid they really were.
As for the children, I had never associated with kids my age, or even close to it, so I didn’t dare go near them until I had studied them further.
All this led to one conclusion: I was alone.
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