“There, there… See, now isn’t that better?” The doctor asked.
Kyle heard the old man sit the cup on a tray next to him, and begin tinkering with other items making sounds of metal on metal.
Trying to sound calm this time, Kyle said, “Where am I? What have you done with—”
“Shhh…” The old man’s finger reached Kyle’s lips. “Quiet now. You need your rest, my dear boy. We have a long string of tests ahead of us. Now don’t worry. We mean you no harm. We are just trying to straighten a few things out. I promise this will all be over before you even realize it.”
Startled, Kyle almost swallowed his tongue. The wall that he was strapped to began to roll. Someone was behind him pushing it forward. The sound of squeaky wheels filled the air. He felt as if he was going to fall at any moment, but the straps wouldn’t permit it.
“Where are you taking me?” Kyle shouted.
Kyle started to thrash in place. He had had enough. Whatever the hell was going on here was about to stop. They couldn’t do this. They had no right. The sound of steel and squeaky wheels groaned with each twist of his hips. It was no use. The bonds were too tight, but he wasn’t giving up. The elevated table, or whatever it was that he was strapped to, started to sway.
“Now stop that this instant!” Dr. Minders commanded. “You need your strength.”
“Fuck you!” Kyle spit, the blurred figure before him recoiled. “That’s what I thought, you stupid shit, now let me down!”
“Enough of this!” The doctor's voice wavered like clanging brass. “Hold him still!”
“Yes, sir…” It was the woman’s voice again.
The mobile wall that bound Kyle quit shaking against his persistent flailing.
“If you aren’t going to play nice, young man, we can take care of that!” Dr. Minders hissed. “This will take care of you!”
The sudden sharp pain in Kyle arm was unmistakable. The shot would put him out cold in seconds. Fighting against the dazed feelings, he heard the doctor begin talking with the woman.
“—preparations are under way,” was the last thing Kyle heard before things went dark.
* * *
Kyle had no idea how long he had been out. His head still hurt some, but not nearly as much. His arms were sore and his wrists hurt like hell. So did his ankles for that matter. Opening his eyes slowly, he took the time to let them adjust to the bright lights. This took a few minutes, but things were finally starting to come into focus. There were no sounds to offer any clues as to where he was. He was alone.
Overhead the lights flickered slightly.
He could see everything. The room was huge and was a clean bright white. It looked like one of the rooms they would have used at the hospital for emergency surgeries or something. Directly across from him was a long, wide mirror reflecting everything in the room right back at him. He could see himself strapped down to a stainless steel gurney that sat vertically. His arms and legs were bound by clamps, but he already knew that. He wore what looked to be a hospital gown. The room was cold. To his right, reflected in the mirror, he noticed a small table with tons of equipment on it. Had Ben been around he might have been able to explain what the hell most of it was. Kyle could make out a few things, though. The table was lined with surgical apparatuses and glass beakers. Some of the beakers were empty. Others held chemicals of yellows, reds, and greens. Looking across the room through the mirror only reminded Kyle of one thing, the chemical plant explosion, and that monstrous cloud of death.
To his left, behind him, he could see a large double door in the mirror. If only he could break free from his bonds, and get the hell out of there. He swallowed hard while fidgeting with the straps, but it was pointless and he knew it.
He may have not liked the same type of TV shows as Ben, but he knew a thing or two about interrogation. They put him in front of this mirror for a reason. Someone was likely on the other side. Studying his reflection, he tried to see beyond. The attempt was futile, but he knew he was being watched.
“I know you’re in there, damn it. Let me go! You have no right to be doing this to me,” Kyle said. “I’m an American.”
Practically on cue with that, the double doors behind Kyle swung open. What entered the room was entirely unexpected. Sarah was rolled in on a gurney, which sat upright just like the one he was strapped to. Only she wasn’t dead. Steadily, another woman walked behind, pushing her along on its squeaky wheels.
“Sarah… Sarah… Are you okay?”
She didn’t respond, her wide eyes fixed on the white tile floor. Her skin was pale; her eyes dark were sunken back. She looked like hell dried over. Something was wrong.
“Sarah…,” he called again.
“She can’t hear you, son.” Dr. Minders said, entering the room. “Anyway, not yet.”
“What the hell does that mean? What have you done to her?”
Dr. Minders walked into the room, past Sarah, and over to the table of beakers and tools. He wore the same thing as when Kyle had first met the old man in Sarah’s yard. He was even still wearing the same oversized round goggle-style glasses. With the bug eyes frames, he looked up at Kyle.
“You know, young man, for someone that knows enough already, you sure do ask a lot of questions.”
“Yeah, I do know a lot,” Kyle said. “I know that you’re a freaking mad scientist! You’re a freak!”
The doctor grinned at Kyle, clearly appreciating the compliment. The sound of heavy footsteps pulled Kyle’s attention from the old man. A large bulky character entered the room. Kyle couldn’t remember the man’s name, but he knew it was that soldier from Sarah’s house. He took each step with purpose, both hands behind his back. The large steel-toe boots pounded against the white tile with each stride. The soldier stepped up to Sarah, whose gaze was still fixed on the floor. He leaned in close, examining her features.
“Get away from her!” Kyle demanded.
“Well, well… Look at you,” the soldier said, turning to Kyle.
“Yes, Lt. Franks. He’s wide-eyed and ready,” the doctor said with excitement.
“Good,” the lieutenant replied. “How much longer until we settle in and get started?”
“Won’t be long.” The doctor went back to mixing chemicals and tinkering with tools on the table.
“Excellent news.” Lt. Franks smiled, nodded at Kyle, and stepped out of the room.
“If you are all set,” the female assistant said. “I am going to be on my way, Doctor. I still need to file last night’s test results.”
Dr. Minders nodded. “That will be fine. Thank you for bringing in the girl. On your way out, please tell the others that we will be starting soon.”
“Yes, sir.” She picked up a few things, leaving Kyle and Sarah alone with the mad scientist.
For a while longer, the doctor toyed with several things on the table. Once he was satisfied, he began muttering things to himself that Kyle couldn’t hear. Kyle watched in the large mirror as the old man lifted up a beaker filled with orange fluid. Smoke rose from the tube filling the lunatic with excitement.
With care and eagerness, the old man shuffled his way across the room with the beaker in hand. Smoke continued to billow from its top.
“Here you go little lady… We don’t want you waiting any longer.” Dr. Minders stepped in front of Sarah, lifting the beaker to her nose. “That’s right… breathe it in…breathe it in. That’s a good girl.”
“Leave her alone!”
The doctor ignored Kyle.
Sarah started to cough, the fumes entering her lungs.
“Stop that!”
Still holding the beaker to Sarah’s face, the old man looked back at Kyle. “Why does it even matter, young man? She is already dead.”
Kyle gasped. “That’s not possible.”
“Oh, but it is. It truly is. You see, she tried to run from us. We had to put her down. You were there, so you know that.”
“But how…”
“But h
ow is she still alive?” Dr. Minders laughed. “That’s the secret of the science, dear boy. That’s the secret!” He lifted his finger to the air in triumph. “I have been working for years alongside the military and we’ve finally done it. I’ve finally done it!”
“Done what?”
“Made contact of course!”
“What do you mean,” Kyle grimaced.
“With the Watchers; the seers of old. The fallen. Those trapped between realms by a force we can’t see with the naked eye! I’ve single-handedly bridged the gap!”
Sarah burst out into a fit of coughing again. Satisfied, the doctor pulled the beaker away from her face, stepping toward Kyle.
“Get away from me with that stuff!” Kyle shimmied against his restraints.
“Now, now. You don’t get to partake. Not yet. I have something much better for you.”
“You’re a lunatic!” Kyle shouted.
“All brilliant minds are misunderstood,” the old man agreed. “The explosion last week was a mistake we will not be making again. I can promise you that.”
“Last week?” Kyle’s eyes went wide.
“Yes, yes. That’s right. You have been under my supervision for over a week now, and that nasty explosion has been wiped clean.”
“But all those people?”
“My dear boy, to see real results in the field of science, one must be willing to make sacrifices. It was just, I can assure you.”
“Like hell it was!” Kyle groaned.
Sarah started to spasm in her restraints. Foaming at the mouth, yellow and white foam bubbled at her lips. Her eyes ran red with tears. She cried out in pain as she convulsed in place. Her skin boiled and blistered like the heat of a thousand suns. Meaty tissue from her arms fell to the cold white tile, revealing bone. Her hospital gown began to soak red at the abdomen.
Kyle’s face went flush with fear as he watched her suffer.
“Now don’t worry,” the doctor said. “She was already dead, remember? I know, you don’t quite understand.”
The doctor walked over and stood in front of Kyle. He adjusted Kyle’s gown as if it were offset, and stared him in the eyes for a moment. Kyle could see the reflection of his face in the old man’s bug eyed goggles.
“You will understand now…” The doctor leaned forward. “You see, the dead ones blister and spread like wild fire, but the fresh ones... the fresh ones are just right!”
The doctor slapped Kyle on the cheek, and Kyle easily put two and two together. The old man was referring to him as fresh. Kyle wasn’t dead, and he wasn’t ready to die either. Finally, he realized the errors of his ways. He wanted to start over, to get a clean start. He was ready to get back to work.
“You see… the fresh ones don’t blister!” Dr. Minders removed his goggles revealing solid blackness. His eyes were empty and soulless like an abyss. Demonic. He glared longingly at Kyle and began to drool. “Join us! We only want your vessel!” His voice changed to a rasping decay.
The Kyle Tanner that passed was gone forever. The body that remained was filled again… with something new.
Read on for a free sample of Euphoria Z
AFTERWORD
When I first wrote this story, it was titled The Beginning, and was only about 2,500 words long. As a short, it didn’t take and the anthologies that I submitted it to turned it down. I liked the characters that I had in this story, so I wasn’t going to give up on them yet. Nearly 30,000 words later, the story turned into my first novella, and as you can see, it was a success. All I wanted to say with this afterword is simply to never give up. When at first you don’t succeed, rewrite and try again.
I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I do.
Stay Ready
P. A. Douglas
January 2012
One year ago…
“We are coming for you, you bastard!” The shout echoed through the forest. They’d been stalking him and now they were very close, but only because he’d allowed it.
Cooper had decided when and where to make his stand. He remained calm, waiting patiently for them to come to him. He slowed his breathing and remained perfectly still.
They were hunting him in one big group, all eight of them, trying to scare him and flush him out. But he knew they were scared of him. He could hear it in their voices—the tense whispers, the angry orders.
Do they really think I’m dumb enough to face all of them at once? He was going to do this Rambo-style and pick them off one by one.
“We know where you are, man!” A different voice, closer to him.
Know where I am? So ridiculous, he thought. One of his hunters fired a few shots.
“Save your fucking ammo!” the leader screamed.
Cooper hugged his gun close to his chest, vertically so his body hid it from view, and pressed his back against the giant tree. He was deep in a primordial forest. The waterfalls, colossal fir trees, large ferns, and moss-covered rocks were beautiful but also made for excellent concealment.
Sweat trickled down his back and legs. Something tickled his neck, but he ignored it, hoping it wasn’t a biting insect. The coarse bark clung to his gear. A movement to his right caught his eye, but he remained as still as death hidden between two large ferns.
His heart raced. Eight to one odds were insane, but he was determined to walk away from this alive. He let one enemy pass him by, then another, and then two more.
The attack stunned them. He dropped three of them before they could even figure out where he was. The fourth made an attempt to return fire but took one square to the chest for his valor.
Cooper halved their group in seconds and was sheltered from the other half by the giant tree. He smiled as the remaining four panicked.
“Get back here, damn it! He’s right there!”
Cooper heard at least two of them running away and chuckled. If he’s yelling at them, he’s not looking for me, he thought. He leaned out and took a quick shot. He hit the faceplate of the leader’s helmet. He was actually aiming for the center of mass, but a headshot made him look way cooler.
“Fuck!” The teenager pulled his helmet off so he could watch the rest of the battle. He was amazed and a little frustrated. Cooper always won at paintball, but this was ridiculous. Eight to one. Unbelievable. He would have accused him of cheating if there had been even a remote possibility that Cooper could’ve cheated.
“Come on, he’s right behind that tree.”
“You are dead, Harlan,” Cooper said calmly.
“I’m a zombie.”
“Zombies can’t talk.” Cooper smiled. He could hear the other two trying to circle around and flank him. There was one more behind him and to his right, unless Norman had learned to fly. Norman was incapable of walking silently.
“Rush him, Fatty!” Harlan yelled.
“He’s going to shoot me,” Norman whined.
“Not if you shoot him first.”
Cooper hated that everyone called Norman Fatty. It was just mean. Everyone got along, but kids could still be immature and cruel.
“Norman, is your gun pointed at me?” Cooper spoke to the trees, making his voice sound as if it came from everywhere.
“Um, no.”
“It should be. Aim it right at the tree. If I come out from either side, you can easily shoot me.”
“You won’t be mad?”
Jeez, Norman, he thought. “I’ll be dead! You’re a great shot. Just because you can’t walk ten feet without resting doesn’t mean you can’t win this.” Cooper smiled. He liked to dig at Norman sometimes, but both of them knew it wasn’t ever to be cruel.
“Ha, ha.” Norman raised his gun and zeroed in on the tree. He knew Cooper would help him, but he wouldn’t hand him the victory. Cooper would do his best to win, and he probably would. Norman actually felt scared.
“Don’t forget…wait.” Cooper fired and hit one of the stalkers that had gotten too close. The other stalker hung back, far back, and took a few blind shots at him.
&nb
sp; A paintball zoomed over Norman’s head. “Hey, friendly fire! Watch it!”
A faint “sorry” came from the distant undergrowth.
“Norman, don’t forget to take cover,” Cooper coached him.
Norman stepped a few feet over and behind a thin young pine.
The dead leader guffawed, “You need a tree a shitload bigger than that, Norm.”
“Shut up,” Norman said, but even he saw the humor in it—he was easily four times wider than the tree.
“You look like an elephant hiding behind a stop sign.” Harlan was his own biggest fan and laughed the hardest at his own jokes.
“At least my nose doesn’t look like a penis,” Norman chuckled. He’d been waiting days to use that one. He knew Harlan was sensitive about his nose. That shut him up.
Cooper was smiling too. Harlan could be such an idiot.
The second stalker suddenly charged, firing blindly. Cooper watched calmly as paintballs hit everywhere but near him. The stalker ran out of ammo about thirty feet from Cooper.
“Oh shit.” He threw himself to the ground dramatically. Then, “Ow.”
Everyone chuckled at that.
Cooper walked quietly toward the stalker, keeping the tree between him and Norman. The stalker was frantically trying to pour more paintballs into the hopper of his gun when Cooper appeared before him. The failed reloader slumped in resignation.
Cooper squatted, placed the barrel of his gun a foot from the stalker’s chest, and whispered, “I will make this quick and painless.”
“OK.”
“Any last words?” he asked.
“Come on, just do it.”
“Would you like to leave a message for your loved ones?”
“C’mon, dick, shoot me.”
Cooper fired and skulked back to the tree.
“It’s just you and me now, Norman. Are you ready?”
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