Extraordinary

Chapter Five: Life-Like

*Hawkins Lab - 1973*

     Alicia, also known as Subject X, occupied her confined room within the facility, under constant surveillance. Guards stood watch outside her door, ready for any potential issues. The room resembled a hospital space, predominantly white, with a single bed against the wall. Opposite the bed, a nearly full-length mirror allowed her father, Dr. Brenner, to observe her activities. In addition, cameras in the corner recorded every move.

Seated cross-legged on the bed, Alicia played with four plain wooden blocks positioned between her legs. As she manipulated them, red wisps of energy enveloped the blocks, lifting them a few inches above her hands. With precise hand and finger movements, she controlled the cubes, directing them in various patterns.

Unbeknownst to Alicia, Dr. Martin Brenner entered the room, quietly observing her. Caught off guard by his presence, she turned her head, losing focus and causing the wooden blocks to fall back into her lap.

"Papa," she greeted softly. Brenner smiled at the familiar term.

"Hello, Red," he responded, referring to the red energy she emitted during her displays of ability, or the symbolic letter 'X'. "We have a big test for you today." Her initial joy faded as she had hoped for a day without being subjected to tests.

"You'll like this one," he reassured, and Alicia, not wanting to disappoint her father, forced a smile. Brenner extended his hand, and Alicia, perched at the edge of the bed, reached out to take it. Her hand, small in his grip, conveyed strength. Stepping onto the cold floor in her hospital gown, she followed her father down the familiar hallway, believing she was the sole child in the facility, a misconception that would soon be shattered.

Entering a room at the end of the hall, Brenner and Alicia found a plain space resembling an interrogation room, with a table and chair facing a wall-length mirror.

"Take a seat," Brenner instructed, releasing her hand as she settled into the chair. Another doctor entered, securing her in a headgear to monitor brain wave activity. Once the procedure was completed, the second doctor left the room, leaving Brenner and Alicia alone.

"I'm going to show you a picture of one of the doctors, and I want you to locate him," Brenner moved around the table, taking a seat across from her. She nodded in acknowledgement. On the table in front of him was a folder, from which he extracted a small photograph, sliding it in front of her with precision.

"This is Doctor Lang," he introduced, and Alicia studied the image of an elderly gentleman with strong features, mostly grey, and piercing blue eyes. "He's somewhere; I want you to find him." Alicia nodded, understanding her task. Sitting up straight, she closed her eyes and visualized the hospital and the man she sought. In her mind, she navigated the corridors like a ghost in a third-person view, a blur of motion that led her to the man.

"I found him," her voice echoed in the room. She moved closer, standing in front of him, but the doctor's expression remained blank as if he couldn't see her at all. "He's just sitting there," she reported, finding the situation peculiar. Suddenly, the man began to speak.

"Tell me what he's saying?" Brenner's voice rang in her ears, and she listened as Doctor Lang repeated four words.

"Project... Red... Mystery... Weapon," Alicia recited the words effortlessly, though their meaning eluded her.

"Good," Brenner expressed satisfaction, jotting down her progress. Alicia returned to the room, opening her eyes to gaze at her father. "Now," Brenner stated, placing his pen down and interlocking his fingers, a sign of seriousness. "I want you to make him see things. Anything you think of," he suggested with a smile, indicating the harmlessness of the task. Alicia nodded, closing her eyes once again and reaching out with her mind. Familiar with Doctor Lang's location, she returned to the room instantly, focusing on entering his mind.

"A dog just appeared!" he announced, the words resonating clearly with Alicia. "It's a black pug, and it's sitting right on the table. Just staring at me," he continued.

"Anything else?" Brenner's voice came through, distant and almost monotone to Alicia. She then noticed the speakers in the room, realizing they were communicating through different rooms.

"No," Doctor Lang declared, but Alicia observed him inching forward to the pug, extending his hand to it. To his surprise, he touched something solid and furry. He began to pet it gently, growing accustomed to the sensation. "It feels like a dog. I can feel the fur, the fat, the bones. Smell that dog scent. It's like it's right in front of me," a smile appeared on his face, finding it adorable and cute. The pug let out a small bark, echoing through the room. The atmosphere shifted, becoming dark and cold, and Doctor Lang sensed something was wrong.

Out of nowhere, a machete sliced through the air, severing his left arm from its socket. He screamed in pain, blood gushing from the clean-cut, his arm flying to the ground and wriggling like a fish out of water. His screams pierced the air, but Alicia remained in the room, watching it all unfold. The colour drained from his face as he tried to stop the bleeding, but blood splattered everywhere, soaking the walls, the window, and the furniture. Doctor Lang was flung across the room, toppling the chair he was on and forcing him into the wall. A large shadow appeared out of thin air, resembling a tall man shrouded in darkness, wisps floating around him. He towered over Doctor Lang, a nightmarish sight. Red eyes pierced into Doctor Lang's soul, terrifying him. The shadowy figure gripped the machete floating a few inches away and brought it down on the Doctor's right arm, cutting it clean from its socket. Another piercing scream echoed out, as Doctor Lang thought he was going to die.

Two doctors rushed in, zooming over to Lang. He screamed again, finding it all terrifyingly real and life-like. "My arms! My arms! They're gone!" he shouted, but Alicia began to lose focus as she was being shaken awake.

"Red! Subject X!" Brenner's voice was strong and angry. Alicia shot open her eyes, brought back to her senses. In the other room where Doctor Lang was, his screams died down, and sweat dripped from his forehead as he took another look at his supposed severed arms. Finding them back in place and working correctly, he blinked a few times, his breathing chaotic.

"It felt so real," his eyes wide, shifting between the two doctors who hadn't seen what he saw. "So real," he would likely be scared for a while, unable to trust his senses again. Alicia was dragged from the room, picked up and carried by two guards, one at either side. She screamed and kicked for freedom, believing she hadn't done anything wrong. She was following her Papa's orders.

"Papa!" she yelled for her father, but this was his kind of punishment. She was thrown into a small room where movement was barely possible. The door shut quickly, shrouding her in darkness. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she screamed to be set free. This was punishment for doing something her father didn't like. The blood-curdling screams Doctor Brenner heard sent shivers down his spine.

Alicia was far more powerful, and he knew it...

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