Modified Box Set

by Kat Stiles

  Lunch was nice. Though the sub could’ve used a bit more flavor, it was hard not to feel excited for Jay as he walked me through his latest program. It wasn’t very interesting—something about XML and the cloud—so my mind began to drift as I looked at his desk pictures. His family, all so happy. His wife had the most flawless skin and gorgeous hair, and the blue kimono she wore was lovely. His boy had the cutest little smile and the same kind eyes as Jay. I felt a pang of jealousy. We seemed to be about the same age, but he’d already found his mate and started a family. What the fuck is wrong with me?

  “Kate are you there?” Jay waved his hand in front of my face.

  “Yeah, sorry.” I rubbed the spot again, and was surprised to feel it was larger, and now tender to the touch. “Something kinda crazy happened last night.”

  I was about to launch into the story when the worst pain I’d ever experienced shot through my head, starting at the weird bump and making its way slowly upward. At first I felt an intense pressure, which became a burning sensation. I winced and massaged my temples, but it didn’t help. Jay appeared to be saying something, but I couldn’t hear the words. My lips fell open and I tried to speak, but nothing came out. Droplets of blood appeared on my beige skirt, and it took me a few seconds to realize they were from my nose.

  Jay panicked. He tried to dial a number on his desk phone twice, his shaking fingers misdialing. I stood and shook my head, but a strange heaviness set in, followed by dizziness. Then, for the second time in two days, I passed out.

  “Kate, can you hear me?”

  My eyes slowly opened. White sheets. Uncomfortable gown. Random pinging noises and my arm immobile.

  “What the fuck,” I mumbled.

  “You’re in a hospital,” a man in a lab coat said. Glasses, pointy nose, face that was way too serious. Upon closer inspection, I realized he was a doctor. I groaned.

  “What happened?” I rubbed my head. It wasn’t on fire anymore, but a dull, throbbing pain remained.

  “You blacked out.” I was surprised to hear Jay’s voice again.

  “What’s the last thing you remember?” the doctor asked.

  “I was at his desk,” I said, motioning to Jay. “My head hurt. Next thing I’m here.”

  “Did you fall?”

  “No, I caught her before she collapsed,” Jay said.

  I felt my cheeks turn a dark shade of red. Passing out on my coworker wasn’t a normal thing for me. Although it was irrational, I felt utterly humiliated.

  “Jay, I’m sorry about all this…”

  “No problem, you just scared me, is all. I had no idea talking about my code would have this effect on you.” He smiled sheepishly, and I couldn’t help but reciprocate.

  “Go home to your family,” I said. “And thanks.”

  “No, I’m—” he began, but the doctor cut him off.

  “Yes, that’s a good idea. She can use some rest.”

  “Feel better, Kate.” Jay squeezed my hand. His touch was unexpected, but very warm, almost hot.

  I watched him wave awkwardly as he left the room. The only friend I had at that shitty place, and I had to go and pass out on him.

  The doctor told me it was most likely a concussion and said I would have to stay overnight for observation. “Try to rest,” he said before leaving.

  It kinda pissed me off, but after that episode, I didn’t know what the fuck was going on with me. I figured it couldn’t hurt for them to run the tests. But deep down I knew it had to be connected to whatever happened last night. The only clue… I reached around the back of my head, feeling for the bump. It had shrunk down to almost nothing, a stark contrast to the boil it was before I blacked out. My head still hurt. I closed my eyes to actually take the doctor’s advice.

  A few hours later, I awoke to the sound of someone entering my room. Anime girl sauntered up to my bed, dressed in a slutty nurse’s uniform, the kind of thing you’d see a college girl wearing on Halloween.

  “What the hell?”

  “Nice to see you too,” she said.

  “Un-fucking-believable. You’re supposed to be a nurse?”

  She smiled. “No, I just play one on TV.” She fiddled with my IV bag and ping machine, pretending to look all concerned, before she turned to me and playfully asked, “What do you think?”

  I think you’re a psycho. But as I was unsure how she fit into the bizarre puzzle that was my life, I didn’t say that. Instead, I asked her the more obvious question. “What are you doing here?”

  “Just checking up on you,” she said, in her singing voice. She rocked back and forth on her heels, and I got the feeling she was one of those people who couldn’t stand still.

  Then all of a sudden she did stop, and her eyes got large. “You don’t know yet, do you?”

  “Know what?”

  She rolled her eyes. “About the flies.”

  “The flies?” And then I remembered that strange phrase she uttered when I first saw her. You’ve got flies in your eyes.

  “Shit, someone’s coming!” she whispered, but it was too late for her to make an exit. In walked, or rather swaggered, Dickpiggly Douchenozzle. Halfway to my bed he saw anime girl and stopped, surprised.

  “Oh, nothing but the best care for you, Kate.” Chad licked his lips and began to eye fuck her.

  She laughed. “As if,” was all she said to him, and then turned to me. It was hard to contain my smile, watching his ego deflate a little. “It’s in your best interests to get out of here as soon as possible,” she said with a seriousness to her voice I didn’t think was possible for her.

  “That’s the plan!” Chad chimed in. “We need her back at the office.”

  Anime girl started to leave, and I watched in horror as Chad pulled his arm back in what looked like an attempt to slap her ass. She grabbed his wrist, right before he made contact.

  “If you ever try to touch me again, I will hurt you,” she said, as she squeezed his wrist.

  Chad was clearly caught off guard—first a look of shock, but then he winced as he quickly wriggled free of her grasp. “Calm down. I was just having fun.”

  “Not with me you’re not,” she said in a tone so low it sounded more like a growl. “Catch you later, Kate,” she said to me as she left.

  “Geez, some girls,” Chad muttered, approaching me. I felt my stomach turn, a standard reaction to his proximity, but this time was worse. We were alone.

  The fake smile surfaced. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to visit.”

  “My best girl? Of course I had to come,” he replied, smiling knowingly. I knew it had to do with his particular choice of words. My heart beat hard in my chest. I wondered, or rather dreaded, what his next move would be.

  “I’m feeling better,” I lied, my voice wavering only a little. “Probably get discharged tomorrow.” I thought if I kept talking, no matter how inane the conversation is, it might buy me some time.

  “So I won’t see my favorite DBA tomorrow at work?” He frowned pathetically and then reached for my hair, taking a lock in his fingers.

  At some point in the whole day’s fiasco, my bun had given up the ghost, and my wavy hair had spilled everywhere. I grew more uneasy, watching him study me.

  “I’ve never seen your hair down like this,” he whispered. He leaned closer, rubbing the hair in his hand against his face. “So soft…”

  I adjusted myself upright, in a way that freed my hair from his hand. Instead of taking the hint, he relaxed as he stared at me, and a small, menacing smile appeared on his face.

  Chapter 3

  I gulped. No director here to stop him. I knew I wouldn’t see the doctor again until tomorrow. My only hope was a nurse, but they only visited on their scheduled rounds. In my panicked state, I didn’t even think to look for the call button.

  And then in a flash, a grotesque scene filled my brain. Me, bent over my bed, with that asshole fucking me. I enjoyed it, screaming for more. It was all I could do to choke down the vomit in my throat.
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br />   Where the fuck did that come from? I knew it couldn’t have been my fear, because there was no way I would ever take pleasure from…that. I looked at him, but he was somewhere else entirely. No, it couldn’t be… Was I seeing his thoughts?

  I shook my head and placed a hand on my forehead, which actually did hurt. “Thanks for stopping by, but I’m starting to get a headache.”

  His eyes met mine, and I felt this overwhelming feeling of desire. Obviously not mine. He brushed his fingers lightly against my cheek.

  “Really bad headache,” I repeated, but the words had no effect. He stared at my lips, as he moved slowly in.

  I kept thinking, no, no, no. Don’t do it. I turned my head away from him, and was horrified to feel his hand grasp my chin and turn me back toward him. “Chad, I’m your employee.”

  Unrelenting, he squeezed my chin, pulling me in to him.

  “Really, no. You need to back off.”

  I tried to wriggle free, but I was still a little out of it.

  Get the fuck away from me! I screamed in my head.

  His eyes suddenly flickered, and to my surprise, he backed away. Right about the time his nose began to bleed.

  “I think your headache must be contagious,” he said, flashing a nervous smile. He grabbed a tissue on his way out. “Guess I’ll see you back at work.”

  My lips parted in shock as I watched him walk out of the room. I blinked a few times, wondering if I were dreaming. Being alone with him was a recurring theme in my nightmares, but none of them ended this easy. My headache began to subside, but then the door creaked open. I closed my eyes and sighed.

  Grand fucking Central here. I had no family, one friend, and now no one could leave me alone.

  I assumed it was the nurse. “Could I get some water, please?”

  “We have to get you out of here,” a familiar voice said.

  Gorgeous dude. Standing next to my bed. The first thought that ran through my head was how shitty I must have looked. And then I actually got enough sense to get pissed off.

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  “My name is Steve,” he said in an impatient tone. “And you’re coming with me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you!” I folded my arms against my chest as best I could, being wired to the ping machine.

  “You don’t have a choice,” he said, as he started to unplug the several devices that were in some fashion attached to me.

  This time, I remembered the nurse call button, but he yanked it out of my reach before I could grab it. “They can’t find out about you.”

  He picked up the tablet at the end of my bed and within seconds, he’d hacked it. “Thank God they haven’t ordered bloodwork,” he said to himself.

  I raised an eyebrow—he didn’t seem like the religious type. And why was he concerned about them taking my blood?

  “What is this about? Look, I’m sick and tired of you and anime girl just barging in—”

  “Viola was here? Shit.” He yanked the tape and IV from my hand in one fell swoop, and it hurt like a motherfucker.

  “Ow! What the hell!” He ripped open my gown just enough to expose the heart monitor wires when I grabbed his arm.

  “What the fuck is going on?” A frightened look swept across his face as he looked into my eyes.

  “There’s….there’s no time to explain,” he said nervously. His eyes searched mine, and then he relaxed some, as if he came to some kind of realization. “I know all of this is very confusing. I promise to tell you everything.”

  He took my hand into his, and I was amazed at how cold it felt. “Kate, you have to trust me.”

  I remembered the promise I’d made to myself in the shower. It seemed silly now, but the desire I had for him hadn’t changed. In fact, the sincerity of his voice and his cold hand in mine only served to increase my desire.

  “We have unfinished business,” I said, smiling crookedly.

  “Well, yes,” he agreed, looking thoroughly confused. “We do.”

  “You’re not supposed to be in here,” another voice said. This time it was a real nurse, and alarm registered on her face when she saw the mess he’d made of all the equipment.

  “What did you do?” The nurse glared at Steve. He didn’t say a word. Instead he dropped my hand and took off. She started after him, but then returned to my bedside. “Did he hurt you?”

  “No, I was only confused about when I was getting discharged.”

  I didn’t know why I covered for him. Maybe it was because I needed answers, and he was one of two people who possibly knew.

  “Oh sweetie, you’re a mess,” the nurse said, as she began to plug everything back in. “Did he do this?”

  “I needed to use the restroom.”

  “For goodness sake,” she mumbled to herself as she finished the process of hooking me back up. She helped me to the bathroom, lecturing me as if were a child on how to do it while remaining connected to all that crap. She was still there when I finished and went over the ground rules once more. I suppressed the urge to tell her to fuck off.

  The door to my room creaked open once more and I looked up. Jay was back.

  “Kate, how are you feeling?” he asked.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I just got back from dinner.” He turned to the nurse. “Can she have visitors now?”

  “Yes, I think it would be good for someone to stay with her,” the nurse replied. “In case that man comes back.”

  “What man?” Jay looked at me, concerned. “What did I miss?”

  “I wish I knew,” I said, too tired to go into it. Somehow I figured the less he knew, the better. Something must’ve have happened to me the night I blacked out. And from the way Steve was acting, I got the feeling it wasn’t a good thing.

  ***

  The next morning, I was relieved to wake up in the hospital bed with all my body parts still intact. Nothing exciting happened in the night, or if it did, I was unaware, knocked out by the glorious painkillers they had given me. After they discharged me, I was eager to get home and relax for a while. But when I walked in the door, psycho kitty had other plans. Even though I tried to explain I was in the hospital, my legs were safe only after Pickles was fed. I flopped down on my couch afterward, and thought of all the unanswered questions I had. Like who were anime girl and gorgeous dude? What secret were they keeping from me? Why did it feel like my brain was on fire? And what really happened that first night?

  A loud crash came from the kitchen. Pickles? No, he would still be eating, especially after an extra day with no food. I grabbed the closest thing I could find as a weapon, which happened to be my TV remote. My heart pounded as I tiptoed to the kitchen.

  I exhaled in relief when I saw anime girl on the floor. Although she was…eccentric, she’d never really frightened me. And after the weirdness of the last two days, her breaking into my apartment didn’t even faze me.

  “Can you explain how it is you’re in my kitchen?”

  She smiled as she stood and brushed herself off. “Still getting the hang of teleporting.”

  My jaw dropped. Was she for real? I knew she looked like she came out of a comic book, but teleportation? Since when did the X-Men become real?

  “What? It’s harder than it looks,” she said.

  I hadn’t heard the front door open and close, which in my creaky old apartment was an announcement difficult to ignore. There weren’t any windows in my tiny kitchen, and we were four stories up. Ridiculous as it seemed, it was the only valid explanation.

  “Viola, is it?” I figured we should at least get formally introduced.

  “How did you… Oh you’re using your power, aren’t you? Ooh, ooh, is it mind control? Did you just scan my brain or something?” She let out a gleeful giggle.

  “What? No the dude in the suit, Steve…”

  “Fuck.” She started fumbling with her silver necklace, a chain with a Hello Kitty charm on it.

  “Do you know him? He was t
he last person I saw before I blacked out,” I said, and then revised, “the first time.”

  “Yeah, that makes sense…” She paced back and forth, rubbing the charm from her necklace along her chin.

  “Some answers would be nice,” I said, as politely as I could.

  She noticed Pickles, who had just finished eating and was now bathing himself. “Oh, you have a cat!” she said. “He’s so cute!”

  “Pickles, Viola,” I said dryly.

  “Call me Vi,” she said, giving Pickles a stroke on his back. He purred and rubbed her legs affectionately.

  “So, Vi,” I said, “Tell me about the flies.”

  Chapter 4

  Though it was difficult to keep Vi on topic, she eventually told me as much as she knew, the gist of which was this: she wasn’t sure why, but she and I had both been kidnapped and “modified.” Steve worked for whoever was doing it.

  A pot of strong coffee was definitely in order. Once it was made, I poured us both a cup, and we settled on the couch.

  I lit up a cigarette and took a long drag. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  She frowned. “Why would I make something like that up?”

  “I don’t know. You strike me as the kind of person who likes to screw with people.”

  “Can’t argue with that,” she said and grinned. “Especially that guy who came to visit you—he was my favorite.”

  “You mean Chad, my dickhead boss?”

  “Is that his name? He’s lucky I didn’t break his wrist.”

  I laughed at the thought. “What are you, a ninja or something?”

  “No, I’m just strong.” She showed off her biceps, and while they were nicely defined, they didn’t seem that out of the ordinary.

  “Strong?”

  “Yes, I could’ve easily shattered every bone in his wrist with just a little more pressure,” she said matter-of-factly.

  I had trouble believing her, but since she’d just teleported into my kitchen, I should’ve been more open to the possibility.

  “Oh, you want a demonstration, huh?”

  “Yeah, but Chad’s not around,” I said, taking a long sip from my mug.