Rise of the River Man

by L. S. O'Dea

  He was dozing on the blankets, counting the time until evening when the bells over the door chimed and his eyes flew open. He sniffed. The professor was here. He staggered to his feet, still naked. He leaned against the wall as he moved across the room. She’d brought him clean clothes but he hadn’t been well enough to use them. He braced himself against the sink as he pulled on his pants. He grabbed the shirt and stumbled to the door. He rested his head against the frame, listening. The professor was chatting with the grocer. Every word was clear. Conguise was looking for his lost Guard.

  Mutter wanted to let Sweet know why he was leaving, but there was no time. He’d return tonight, when it was safe. He left the room and crept out the back door, the sunlight hitting him in the face and sending pain slicing through his head. He dropped to his knees, chest heaving as if he’d run for miles.

  “The professor said you’d be here.” Laddie, one of Conguise’s Guards, grasped Mutter under the arm.

  He looked up into Laddie’s sad, brown eyes. “Please, let me go.”

  “We can’t.” Laddie pulled him to his feet as two other Guards surrounded him.

  Instinct surged through him. Trapped. Danger. Flee. Fight. Sentences no longer formed in his mind, just words and red hot, burning pain. He lashed out, his fist connecting with Laddie’s jaw and sending the older Guard stumbling backward. He spun around, hitting the other Guards. They all went down and he ran. He was almost to the alley when something jabbed him in the back. He kept moving. He’d get to the forest, the water. Lose his scent. Come back for Sweet later. He stumbled, his legs rubbery. He collapsed, his face hitting the ground. Footsteps approached and stopped by his head.

  “Professor, he’s still awake,” said Ableson. “I don’t understand. I gave him the same dose that we used on the others.”

  Another set of footsteps. Male hands ran over his chest, searching, studying. They lingered on his side, the scratches. He gasped as pain passed through the numbness.

  “He’s been without the stabilizer for over two weeks. The transformation has progressed faster than in any of the others,” said Conguise. “Give him another shot. We can’t have him waking up on the way back.”

  CHAPTER 10

  WHEN MUTTER CAME TO he was back in his cage and Ableson sat at the table, looking into a microscope. It was almost as if he’d never left, except now he missed Sweet. He’d never see her again.

  The door opened and the professor entered. “Has he regained consciousness?”

  The two Almightys peered into the cage. He sat up. No reason to pretend. No reason for anything anymore.

  “How are you feeling?” asked the professor, pen in hand.

  “Better.” They didn’t seem angry which was surprising.

  The professor raised his brow.

  “My headache is gone.”

  “Body?”

  “Still hurts.” They acted concerned, but if they cared about him, they’d let him leave.

  “Hmm.” The professor turned and looked into the microscope. “These are his latest samples?”

  “Yes,” said Ableson.

  Conguise prepared a syringe and approached the cage. “Give me your arm.”

  He was done taking orders. It no longer mattered if he was sent back to the shelter. All he wanted was freedom and Sweet. They weren’t going to let him have either.

  “Do you want the pain to come back?” asked the professor.

  He couldn’t take that, not without Sweet here with him. He put his arm through the cage and bit his lip as the fluid entered his body.

  “Draw his blood every four hours,” said the professor as he left.

  Once the door closed, Ableson faced him. “You shouldn’t have run.”

  “Sorry.” He wasn’t but that was what the Almighty wanted to hear.

  “I thought we were friends. I trusted you.” Ableson stepped over to his cage.

  “I needed exercise, to run and swim. I lost track of time.” He glanced down, trying to look repentant. “I was afraid to come back.” If Ableson moved a little closer, he could wrap his hands around the Almighty’s neck and squeeze until Ableson’s eyes popped from his skull.

  “Don’t lie to me. I know about the Servant.”

  His head snapped upward. He should avert his gaze but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “What did you do to her?”

  “Nothing.”

  “If anything happens to her—”

  “What will you do locked in this cage?”

  The words hit him like a punch to the gut. He breathed deeply trying to control his temper.

  “You should have told me that you had the urge to mate. We were planning on bringing you female companionship if—”

  “I don’t want just any mate.”

  “Do you think it matters what you want?” Ableson looked at him, incredulous. “You betrayed...not just me but this entire project. Conguise will never give me a chance to bond with one of you again. According to him, it didn’t work. It will be years before he listens to any of my ideas.” He turned and walked back to his desk.

  Mutter dropped on his pallet and prayed that Sweet was okay. He closed his eyes. In his mind she was fine. They were together at the Lake of Sins. Maybe, he could pretend to be dead like the Voice had said the others did. He slowed his breathing but his chest still rose and fell. It was no use.

  The next morning when the professor arrived, he glanced at Mutter and then Ableson. Ableson shook his head. Conguise looked at the slide under the microscope and then the two stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind them.

  “His metabolism is increasing too fast,” said the professor.

  “We should give him more stabilizer—”

  “We have. It isn’t working. This process can’t be reversed. You’ve seen the X-rays and blood tests. There is nothing we can do but move forward.” The professor’s voice was tired.

  “But he hadn’t had that much serum before he ran.” Ableson was almost pleading. “How can it happen this quickly?”

  Mutter moved toward the bars, closer to the words. They were talking about him, they had to be. What couldn’t they reverse? He felt stronger than ever. He wanted to get out of this cage and run and fight and find Sweet.

  “He went too long without the stabilizer. We can mark this down to a lesson learned. The cocktail acts faster than we thought,” said the professor. “And your bonding idea does not work.”

  “That’s not true. It was working,” said Ableson. “I underestimated the metamorphosis process.”

  “You blame this on the process?”

  “Yes, if he were only a Guard, he would have stayed. We have a connection.”

  “Enough,” said the professor. “I let you test your theory and it didn’t work. There is no shame in that. Many of our theories prove to be false.”

  “But it will work. I swear. I just have to try again.”

  “No. Move him tonight and start the hunt for another subject,” said the professor.

  They came back inside and began their rounds around the room.

  Mutter waited for his shot, but they skipped his cage so he went over to his blankets. They were taking him somewhere else, somewhere unknown and he didn’t like it. However, it might give him a chance to escape and if the opportunity presented itself, he’d kill them before he left.

  “You need to eat your dinner.” Ableson glanced at the door. “Please. Before the professor arrives.”

  He glared at the Almighty. They didn’t understand anything about the other classes. “I can smell the poison.”

  “What? No.” Ableson’s pale cheeks flushed.

  He picked up the plate and held it out to the Almighty. “You take a bite first and then I’ll eat.”

  Ableson shook his head. “The meat’s too rare for me.”

  The door opened and the two burly Guards, Laddie and Jorge came into the room.

  “Eat. Please, trust me,” whispered Ableson.

  He didn’t, not at all. He d
ropped the plate on the floor.

  Ableson sighed. “He refuses to eat.”

  Jorge nodded and left the room.

  Mutter wasn’t scared. He was strong, powerful. They should fear him. As soon as the cage door opened, he’d attack. He didn’t care if he died; in death he’d have freedom.

  The Guard returned with a gun. Mutter couldn’t stop a slight quiver from racing through him. No one was supposed to have guns. The gun would eliminate his chance to attack, to take at least one of them with him.

  The professor entered. He signaled to someone in the hallway and then closed the door behind him. “I see you aren’t hungry.”

  Mutter remained silent.

  “I was thinking about your bonding theory,” said the professor.

  Emotions flashed across Ableson’s face. Surprise, hope and then confusion settled in to stay.

  “You may be on to something, but I think you overestimated his bond with you.” The professor began to pace. “Like you said, you didn’t have enough time although some bonds take less time than others.” Conguise glanced at Mutter. “Next time, we should start with a younger subject and I don’t know that living in the lab is right.”

  “I agree.” Hope had replaced the confusion on Ableson’s face. “I think the subject should live with me.”

  The professor chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that far, not yet. There is still a lot we don’t know, but”—he turned and faced Mutter—“we are going to learn.” He walked to the cage. “Eat.”

  They couldn’t command him. They were weak; he was strong. They could kill him, but he didn’t care.

  “One way or another, you will obey me.”

  Mutter didn’t blink.

  “Bring her in,” said the professor.

  Laddie opened the door and Scar, the female Guard who assisted in the lab, entered dragging someone behind her.

  Fear, true fear raced down Mutter’s spine. “Let her go.”

  Sweet saw him and struggled in the Guard’s grasp. “Mutter!”

  “Let her go,” he repeated, rage replacing his fear.

  “Eat,” said the professor.

  He pulled his eyes from Sweet and glared at Conguise. “Then you’ll let her go?”

  The professor shook his head, smiling triumphant. “No.” He held up his hand to stop Mutter’s complaint. “But, I will keep her safe.”

  “That’s not good enough.” Sweet didn’t deserve to be in a cage, safe but alone.

  “You have no idea what I can do to her.” The professor waved at Jorge. “Shoot him.”

  “No,” shouted Sweet. “Mutter, eat. Do what they say, please.”

  The Guard aimed the gun. Mutter glanced at the food. Ableson had said it wasn’t poisoned. He didn’t trust the Almighty but he had no choice. The gun would kill him and he couldn’t risk Sweet being left on her own. He bent to pick up the meat when something struck him on the side.

  “No!” Sweet clawed Scar’s arm, but the Guard kept her hold.

  Mutter dropped to his knees. His vision blurred and then went black. When he woke he was in another cage in a different room. His mouth was dry and his head ached. He sat up.

  “Mutter.” Sweet was in the cage next to his. She put her arms through the bars, reaching for him.

  He tried to stand but was still dizzy so he crawled over to her. Her fingers ran over his face.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have gone to you. I knew it was dangerous. I was dangerous.”

  She yanked on his hair. “This is not your fault. It’s theirs.” She glanced at the door, her hands trembling slightly. “What are they doing here?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “The things in the other cages...”

  There was a soft overhead light but the room was mostly dark. Eyes glowed from the other enclosures, watching them. In a large cell in the corner several House Servants huddled, chains around their necks hooked to the front bars of the cage. Something ran across the enclosure directly across from him, tap, tap, tapping as it moved. He knew that sound. Goosebumps raised on his arms. He could smell his and Sweet’s fear. The things in the other cages began to move restlessly. So could they. He stuck his arms through the bars, pulling her as close as he could, for once, thankful for the cage keeping them safe.

  The next morning the door opened and the professor turned on the bright overhead lights. “Good, you’re awake.”

  Conguise, Ableson, Laddie, Jorge and Scar entered the room.

  Mutter pulled himself to his feet, pushing Sweet behind him as much as possible. “Let her go and I’ll do anything you ask. I won’t run away. I’ll eat anything you want.”

  “Oh, Mutter. You really believe that don’t you?” Conguise shook his head at Ableson. “Such naïve creatures.”

  “I swear to you. I will obey.”

  The professor walked to the cage that housed the House Servants. “Keeping your...companion is a much better way of ensuring your obedience.” He motioned for the Guards to come to him.

  “I will fight you every step of the way, unless you free her.”

  “Don’t.” Sweet grabbed his arm, her claws sinking in slightly.

  “I think he needs to see what fate awaits his friend if he doesn’t cooperate,” said the professor.

  “Aranea18 needs to be fed,” said Ableson.

  The professor’s eyes darted toward Mutter and Sweet. “Excellent. She is one of my favorites.”

  The Servants in the cage trembled and shifted as far back in their enclosure as they could. Some even tried to pull their heads through their collars. Laddie unlocked one of the chains and dragged the Servant to the front of the cage.

  “No, please, please, no,” begged the elderly, female Servant.

  Scar opened the door and Laddie pulled the Servant out of the enclosure.

  “Don’t do this, please.” The Servant fell to the floor, sobbing and begging.

  No one paid any attention to her pleas as Laddie dragged her across the room. Jorge and Scar followed. They stopped at the cell directly across from Mutter. Jorge pointed a gun at whatever was in the cage. Scar moved to the door, key in hand. The Guards waited, ears tipped toward the professor.

  “Now,” said Conguise.

  Scar opened the door as Laddie shoved the Servant inside the enclosure and slammed the cage door shut. The two Guards scurried across the room.

  “No,” screamed the Servant, eyes wide with fear as she tried to squeeze through the bars. “Please, let me out.”

  The sound of tapping was the first warning. Mutter’s breath froze in his chest. The sound changed to almost a clatter and something appeared. It was the thing that had been caged next to him. The thing with the hairy arm except it wasn’t an arm anymore. The creature had four long, thin, segmented legs, each with two claws on the end. It was fast, faster than anything he’d ever seen and it was on the Servant in a flash, wrapping two of its legs around her in an obscene embrace. As soon as it touched her, she quieted, but her mouth remained open in a silent scream.

  Aranea18 turned and Mutter staggered backward, knocking into Sweet. The creature had eight eyes, two rows of four, and two large almost claw-like fangs protruding from near its mouth. The fangs opened wide, liquid dripping from the tips, and plunged into the Servant’s chest, ribs cracking. A garbled scream penetrated the air and quickly died. Then the creature began to feed, sucking the fluids from the body which writhed in its grasp.

  Sweets’ claws sunk into his arm, had been there for some time, but he hadn’t noticed. His heart slammed against his chest. The professor was right. He would do anything to keep her from that fate.

  CHAPTER 11

  THE NEXT FEW WEEKS passed as a blur for Mutter. The Almightys had stopped giving him the injections and his pain returned worse than before. Sometimes, he’d spend days vomiting, unable to eat or drink anything. Other times, the pain would be focused on a single part of his body. Always, Sweet would hold his head through the bars of the cage, whispering t
o him.

  During the day when the Almightys were present, the stories she told were of her childhood or her time at the grocer’s, but at night they would be of their escape. Often, there was a bit about their vengeance on Ableson and Conguise and how they would free the Servants who were food for the things in the cages, but there was always a part about their peaceful life at the Lake of Sins. Just them. Together with no Almightys.

  Usually, her voice was enough to let him rest, but today the pain in his feet was mind splitting. He was drenched in sweat and his body trembled as blood trickled from the pores on his feet. It was late and Sweet had passed out, exhausted. He eased from her arms and curled in a ball, trying to keep his moans quiet so as not to disturb her. The blood dripped faster as the bones in his feet snapped and stretched, his skin tearing to accommodate the transformation. He stuck his arm in his mouth and bit down to keep from crying out.

  Early the next morning when Ableson arrived, he took one look at Mutter and ran out of the room. A few moments later he returned with the professor, Laddie and Jorge.

  “It’s time,” said the professor.

  “Mutter,” whispered Sweet, her arms reaching for him through the bars.

  He crawled to her.

  “Come here,” said the professor.

  “I love you.” He held Sweet’s eyes for a moment.

  She clasped onto his arm but he stood breaking her hold. They both knew what would happen if he didn’t obey. He staggered to the front of the cage, shaking from the pain in his feet.

  Jorge held a gun on him as Laddie pointed one at Sweet.

  The professor put the key in the lock but didn’t turn it. “Aranea18 is due for a feeding.”

  He nodded his understanding and Conguise opened the cage door.

  “Come.” The professor walked out of the room.

  “Mutter,” her voice was a soft whisper.

  He sent one last desperate look at her and then followed the Almighty. The two Guards and Ableson followed him. They went down a hallway and then entered another room. It was large with a table and chair in the center. On the table was a monitor, notepads, pens and a microscope. Toward the back of the room was a large tank filled with water.