Monster that They see

Chapter 3

The remaining Bravo jumped back in fear, fumbling with his rifle as I charge him, zigzagging as I did, making it harder for him to track me.  By the time he gets the stock against his shoulder, I am already upon him slashing with my hand claws.  I catch him across the face, leaving five large gashes along his cheek.  He screams in pain and surprise, stumbling backward, I with lighting speed, unleash a vicious kick to his midsection, killing claw raised to inflict maximum damage. 

My kick slices through his uniform, but does not slice through his stomach.  I slash at the same spot with my hand claws, only to discover through his tattered uniform, he is wearing military style body armor underneath.  Seeing this as no longer being a weak point, I go for his legs, doing a spinning kick with killing claw raised again, catching the back of his left knee and cutting through flesh and tendons. 

His leg no longer able to hold him gives out, causing him to fall back into the stream.  He attempts to raise his rifle, but I simply kick it out of his hands.  I look down upon him with cool eyes, not letting them betray my rage.  I can also see the fear playing across his face, wondering if his death will be quick or painful.

 I can feel the raptorial instincts rising to the surface, willing me to finish my prey.  I circle him, deciding where to strike.  He watches me with terror in his eyes, just wishing for me to end it.  I locate my point of attack and lunge at the throat, teeth ready to bit through and puncture his windpipe, when a loud buzzer sounds, causing me to break off my attack.  I leap back and go on the defensive, awaiting an attack, but only thing that comes is Dr. Fields’ voice over a PA system.

“You have completed today’s training mission VR-3.  So pick up my scent and return to the main gate, and if you are not out fast enough I will declare you damaged and have a team move in and destroy you, so please hurry, I would hate to see such talent go to waste.”

After he had finished speaking, I sniffed the air and located him.  I turned and started to run in that direction once again gaining speed quickly.  Once I had returned to the main gate, Dr. Fields greeted me with a smile.  The smile instantly put me on guard.

“You did very well VR-3, I was almost worried that you would have killed and then eaten the last man in Bravo Two had the time not been up.  You were never in any actual danger though, their guns were loaded with tranquilizer rounds.  I have invested too much to see you get killed, so come along now, we must return you to the lab so you are ready for tomorrow.”

He signals the guards to take me and we follow the doctor back in to the building.  For the first time I look upon the lab, it is a plain building with a light green paint, making it blend into the trees behind it.  Nothing seems special about this building, but I know all too well the dark secret contained within its walls.

As we are walking back to the lab, we pass a room I had never noticed before.  While I am looking at its steel door with a large caution sign on it, I hear a bone-chilling shriek from within.  I leap back in surprise, accidentally bumping into one of the guards.  He swears at me and pushes me forward, making a snide comment.

“There’s no reason to be afraid, it’s only your brothers and sisters in there.”

Brothers and sisters?  I do not have time to finish the thought before I am shoved forward and I walk to the lab and back to my glass prison.

That night, I hear the familiar whoosh of the lab doors, wondering who would come in at this time of night.  I find the answer once again standing in front of my tank holding the same purple flashlight.  Sora is looking up at me, a concerned look on her face.  This look worries me, and I wonder what is wrong.  Then she turns and goes over to one of the computers and starts to type rapidly.  I hear the computer say after she is finished imputing commands,

“Alarm disabled, fluid drainage commencing.”

The fluid starts to drain and the tube is lifted away finally, once it is Sora rushes over to me and throws her arms around me, burying her face in my neck and starts to sob.  This worries me, and I start to croon, wanting to comfort her, but not knowing what is wrong.

“What is wrong Sora, what has troubled you so?”

She lifts her head and looks at me, her beautiful teal eyes are filled with tears.

“I saw the tape of your training today and it scared me,” She chokes out between sobs, “I don’t want you to turn into a monster, I don’t want you to become like the rest.”

The rest?  Then it hits me like a fist to the gut.

“My brothers and my sisters?”

She stops crying for a second, confused that I know.

“Who told you?”

“A guard, we were walking passed a room when something shrieked from inside it, startling me.  I bumped into him and he cursed at me then told me ‘There’s no reason to be afraid, it’s only your brothers and sisters in there.’, I did not know what he meant by it though.”

She stares at me for awhile, conflict playing across her face when she finally speaks.

“Drom,” She says slowly, “you are not the first to have been inside that tube.”

I sit there stunned by this revelation.

“What do you mean?”

“Dad has tried before you, but each one failed.  They gave into their animal instincts, losing their human minds to them.  You are the only one I have seen develop in the tube, but I discovered the room when you were asleep for ten years. 

It had been about a year or so after you had gone to sleep, when I came across it. Someone had left the door unlocked, so I decided to go in, ignoring the caution sign.  What I saw was horrible.  Creatures half human and half animal, kept in large metal cages.  They had metal collars around their necks with thick chains that where bolted to the floor, that wrapped around their arms and legs. 

They roared and screamed, it terrified me and I ran out of the room straight into my dad.  He knew I had been in there, but instead of scolding me, he explained why they were kept like that, ‘if they are not contained, they could harm themselves or others’, he told me.  Then he closed the door behind us and locked it, telling me to never go in there again.”

At the end of her tale, I was consumed with grief.  My siblings, kept in cages and chained to the ground like dogs.  I knew they were not my real siblings, but they were the closest thing I had to family.  I looked back at Sora and saw that she was still worried for me, concerned that I would become an animal and never come back. 

I hesitantly took her in my arms and held her close, I whispered in her ear,

“Do not worry, I shall not become like them, I will remain as I am with a sane mind, I promise.”

I heard her sigh with relief.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

We let go of each other, and she wiped what tears remained in her eyes.

“Good, you better keep your promise too.” She said looking me in the eye, “I told the computer to automatically lower the tank, refill it, and reactivate the alarm after I leave, so I better get going or I’m going to get caught.”

What she did after finishing the sentence surprised me. She gave me another hug and then a quick kiss on the cheek.  This shocked me so, that I felt my face getting hot.  Sora giggled at my response.

“Bye Drom, I’ll see you later.”

And with that, she turned and left the room.  The tank lowered itself and it proceeded to fill, but I hardly noticed.  As I drifted to sleep, I dreamed again, and they were filled with Sora.