The Project

Chapter Twenty: Bleached

I didn't have a chance to give Dan the syringe around lunch so I have to wait until dinner. They're keeping an eye on all of us now. Hopefully no one saw Mark give me the silvery substance so obviously.

 I told him to be careful but he never listens. I'm actually surprised he didn't screw up. Not the seducing part, the asking part. He's not very good at controlling his nervousness. Although, Amy might have thought it was cute. I'll never understand girls. 

The door to my room swings open and a familiar head pops in, but it's not Dan. Marzia's face was set into a frown as she walked in and sat down on my new chair. "So.. Amy got fired yesterday.." Her voice was strained and I could tell she'd been crying.

 I tilted my head to the side and she sighed deeply. "She was.. forced.. into our project." Her eyes shone with tears and she cleared her throat, giving me a weak smile. "She's apart of your group now."

"We've also decided to speed up everyone's testing."

What? Great. Even less time to get out. "I thought you might know why she was. So, I came here to ask you since you've been causing the most trouble around here." Her face hardened into a scowl and she leaned closer to me.

 I guess she was trying to act intimidating. It's not working. I raised an amused eyebrow and crossed my arms, leaning back onto the wall and kicking my feet out. Her face faltered for a split second before returning back to her 'tough girl' act. "So? Why did she get fired?"

I sighed heavily and put on my metal rings. "Do I look like an all knowing being to you?" She bit her bottom lip and leaned back in the chair. Her eyes sparkled with fresh tears and she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. 

"L-Look.. I'm in charge of security h-here.." She wiped her eyes and looked back to me with a sly grin. "I-If you don't t-tell me I'll report you to S-Signe." She whispered the last part through gritted teeth despite her stuttering. She had leaned closer again and was waiting for my response. 

Mother of Christ. She'll report my whole operation and screw up everything. You know what? Screw this woman. I don't care if I waste a perfectly good syringe. If she threatens me one more time I'm going to stab her ass. I leaned closer, inches from her face. She visibly gulped but stayed put. I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. What was that?" My hand grabbed for the syringe in my pocket and I held it tightly, ready to strike at any moment.

 The box had raised in volume and her eyes widened. "I said-" I grabbed her throat and injected her with a quarter of the substance before putting it back into my pocket. She stared at me in horror. "W-What did-" Her fingers scraped at the skin around her neck as it became inflamed. 

She wheezed and coughed, her eyes widened in fear as she fell to the floor the chair she sat on clanging to the side. Her hands clawed at the floor, leaving bloody streaks. Now's a better time then any to examine the effects. 

Her eyes glazed over and she started to shake violently, the veins on her body popping. No, not appearing on her skin. Literally popping. Each vein exploded as they got bigger and left purple spots all over her. She cringed in pain, squeezing her bleeding eyes shut. Her nails dug into the floor and she arched her back in intense pain. 

She gurgled up balefire-red blood, spewing it all over the far wall, getting some on my face. I grimaced at the sight, but kept observing. The first and second layer of skin peeled away from the tissue and muscle, leaving the bleached-white insides of her arms. The blood below her boiled furiously.

Her lips burned off from her face to reveal pearly white teeth and white gums. Her eyes opened once again and to my surprise, they were intact. Whoops, spoke too soon. Her eyes melted from their sockets and dripped down the sides of her face. At this point she was still breathing.. surprisingly. 

I crouched beside her, taking a closer look. Careful to avoid the boiling blood soaking the floor below her. The tissue and muscle on her left arm had deteriorated and all that was left was bone. Her left hand curled into a fist, but honestly nothing could surprise me at this point.

It's like this scene is straight from a horror movie that my parents never let me watch. Her legs curled up behind her in an unnatural angle and she let out a gurgled cry as they popped and cracked. The bone from her leg went straight through the flesh with a sickening peeling and squishing sound. 

I scrunched up my nose as the smell of iron wafted toward me. "Science experiment gone wrong." I thought with sarcastic humor.

 More blood squirted from her leg and onto my white long sleeved shirt. I'm surprised the blood didn't burn my face or shirt. Her throat reddened with heat and her skin bubbled up. I covered my face just in time for her throat to explode with blood, covering most of my shirt, hair and pants. 

"Even in death she's annoying." I thought bitterly. She's dead now, right? I uncovered my face hesitantly and my eyes traveled over her lifeless form, her fists clenched at her sides and her back still arched from the pain she endured. 

Her mouth was open in a silent scream and her white teeth were now stained red from the blood. "Damn, what a way to go.." I shook my head and took of the rings from the sides of my head. It's only a matter of time until they find her here. -And when they do.. I'm doomed.