Chapter 11

 Arcelia

I woke up like usual, except it wasn't like usual. The bed didn't feel stiff, it felt like cold stone, and the covers I usually had drawn over me had been snatched away by the cold, cold air.

I think I knew it before I even opened my eyes. I knew that I wasn't in the Lab anymore because the bed shouldn't have felt like a rough floor. But I still jumped up like a startled deer and looked around with wide, frantic eyes.

This was nothing like the Lab.

The ground was a dark gray, clearly not sanitized unlike the clean, white floors of the Lab. I could feel the rocks under my feet, poking and jabbing at my flesh. It was nothing like the smoothness of the Lab's floor.

I found my back hitting a gritty wall, reminding me that I wasn't in the Lab and that this was all real. That I was going to be hunted down by the horrible dogs.

The next thing I noticed was Experiment Varian, leaning against a wall. Just standing there like nothing was wrong.

I was angry, too angry to speak. But most of all, I was scared.

"I'm sorry angel, but it was the only way I could get us out. I knew you would fight me the whole way. We barely made it out as it was." He said, concern filling his eyes. I still couldn't speak.

"Say something." He said softly, his eyes begging me to fulfill his wish. I knew he didn't want me to put the anger into words, or the fear into whimpers, so I kept quiet.

No, that would only make him feel bad. He would feel bad because he was the reason we were both going to die.

It was all his fault.

Once again.

"This is your fault." I whispered, so quietly that I doubted he could hear me clearly. But his eyes flickered, showing he had heard every word.

"We're going to be hunted down and dissected because of you." I added, talking like this type of thing happened to me every day.

"We're going to be torn apart by hounds! Or even by the lab coats." I cried, before bursting into hysterical laughs. It was all so very, very funny.

"Come here angel. You're going into shock." He said and I didn't find myself trying to dart away as he came closer. In fact, I just laughed more and more until tears were streaming down my face.

He pulled me to him and suddenly the giggles were gone, but the tears weren't. I was suddenly too tired, all too tired to do anything but stand there in his embrace.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, okay? I'll protect you." He whispered, fierceness tangled into his words.

I didn't think he could though. He hasn't seen the hounds. They were truly terrifying, from their glistening, razor teeth to their searing breaths and their knife-like talons. I’d experienced them first-hand when an experiment next to me had refused to do what they’d wanted. I’d felt like the hounds were snarling at me, thirsty for my blood.

He hasn't seen the lab coats when they were angry. He hasn't seen the excited look in their eyes when they finally get to dissect an experiment that's gone bad. He hasn't seen their sterilized weapons that can have you foaming at the mouth in half a second.

But I didn't tell him any of that because I was too tired.

Finally, he reluctantly let go and seemed to analyze me. But not like the lab coats did. He just seemed to do doing it without anything in mind or without the need to write something on a clipboard. It felt… odd.

"There’s a hardware store around here. We can go there first and see if they can take these off." He said, touching the silver collar around his neck. It was unlikely we would be able to take off the shockers.

But I didn't tell him that either.

Instead, I followed him around, listening to his footsteps. Experiment Varian was my leader right now, since he knew where we were. I didn't even know what this 'hardware' store was.

So we walked, me following behind Experiment Varian who was the reason for my unexplained laughter and the reason I was going to die.

Lab Coat Linsey

I looked inside the room in astonishment. Where Varian and Arcelia had once been there was nothing, just a normal room that was waiting to occupy an experiment.

I had been instructed to lead Arcelia back to her room. She had been visiting Varian's room with no improvement or any sign that the Red Virus was taking as much effect on them as we hoped.

After Arcelia’s signs of purring, we’d thought we’d finally reached a breakthrough. As a result, we started placing them in the same room as constantly as possible. We thought that if they were together, they would grow closer. If they would grow closer, then maybe the Red Virus would take effect in Varian at least. Arcelia wasn’t showing as many signs as we’d hoped, but we thought that once she started trusting Varian that would change.

But she never started trusting him. She made him sit in the opposite corner of the room, farthest from the door. She’d done everything she could, including becoming mute around him, to distance herself. The scientists were getting frustrated with her, saying she shouldn’t be on this trial. It was too much of a risk. But Dimitri had told them she just needed a little more time. Everyone became quiet after that, not willing to go against him.

Back to my problem: Arcelia and Varian were missing.

And the blame was only mine.

They had been my duty and I had been told to keep eyes on them while Dimitri went to check what caused the blackout.

I had foolishly thought they would stay in there. I had thought Arcelia would keep Varian in there. Arcelia wasn’t one to try and leave; she never had in the past. We had even trusted her enough to tell her all the codes.

But of course, giving too much trust can lead to something like this.

I blinked as the lights flickered before blasting back on and blinding me momentarily. For that second I panicked. I panicked for my life, knowing I wasn’t going to be needed much longer when I told Dimitri of my failure. Why keep the mousy girl who can’t keep the top experiments in a simple room?

But what if I didn’t tell? What if I found them?

They couldn’t have possibly gotten far. Arcelia wouldn’t have left that easily. The first thing they would do is either get clothes or try to get rid of the shockers. I was hoping for the latter.

Shockers were programmed to keep working; even as they were being taken off they still worked. In fact, they were designed to give a lethal shock if they were taken off. We only took them off the deceased experiments or the sickly ones.

If they planned to take off the shockers, and they were going to try if they were smart, then there was the possibility of me being able to bring them back and save my own life in the process.

I only hoped I reached them before they died trying.