Midnight

Quarantined

*Justin's POV*

Consciousness washed over me, and gradually I opened my eyes.

Everything was blurry and out of focus, but I could just make out someone standing over me.

"Good, you're awake," they muttered, pulling a small object out of their pocket.

Too afraid to reply, I remained silent.

My vision was too blurry for me to tell what it was.

Suddenly, they shone a beam of light into my eyes.

The blur that had formerly rested in my eyes disappeared, and I could now see clearly.

Standing over me was a man with hair darker than the night sky itself.

A mustache hung over his lips, and a few wrinkles on his pale face depicated age. 

He wore a white lab coat and pitch black sunglasses, which left me wondering how practical that could be.

He continued his work as if he didn't notice my movement, jotting things down on a sheet of paper, then fiddling with sharp, pointy tools on a table nearby.

I observed him carefully, breathing heavily.

I know that I'm not home, this place is strange and unfamiliar.

The peculiar man brought the pointy tools over to me.

I began trying to move, but my arms and legs were fastened to the surface that I rested on.

"Hold still," the stranger directed me.

I figured that it was in my best interest to oblige, so I did.

He stuck the pointed object into my arm, and I struggled against the bonds, trying to defend myself.

"Don't worry, I'm almost done..." he stated.

"Why are you stabbing me with that thing?" I demanded to know, no longer scared to speak.

"I'm not stabbing you. I'm collecting your blood," he stated simply, removing the sharp tool from my arm.

"Why?" I quizzed him.

"You have been taken into quarantine by the FBI, and you're being tested. We're going to run experiments on you," he answered in a semi-curt manner.

Questions circled my mind.

Quarantine? FBI? Experiments?

"What do you mean I've been quarantined? What is the FBI and why are they going to experiment on me?" I quizzed.

Confusion spiraled through my head.

What had happened after those officers attacked me?

"Those are questions for the director," the black haired man said matter-of-factly, putting the tool into a plastic bag and storing it away.

"He'll be with you shortly."

He made his way to the door with his notes in hand.

And just like that, he left, leaving me unanswered.

I observed the area I was in more closely, and it was filled with odd looking tools and objects.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

All I want to do is go home and see Erin again.

Minutes went by, and the heavy steel doors opened.

In walked a tall and strapping man.

He sported a suit, which consisted of thinly striped black pants, and a matching jacket.

"Hello Justin, I'm Director Xavier. But please, call me Director X," he smirked.

His voice was deep and creepy; It sent shivers rolling up my spine.

He closed the doors, striding over to me, then pausing halfway between his original spot and my location.

"How do you know my name?" I inquired.

"I have my sources. But trust me, I'll know a whole lot more about you than that after we finish running tests on you," he responded, his eerie grin lingering.

"Why am I here?" I continued to press him in an attempt to gain useful information.

"For multiple reasons. You're a new discovery. You were living in the woods near a public facility. And most importantly, you're the reason why animals kept disappearing and being found dead. We've been on this case for months, and it only took one little incident for you to fall right into our hands," he chuckled, moving even closer to me.

"Are you going to release me after the experiments?"

"You're one-of-a-kind, you know that right?" he ignored my question and asked his own, but his inquiry sounded oddly rhetorical.

"There is no evidence of any creature like you ever existing. Data needs to be collected, research must be conducted - and that could take years."

It started to feel as if he was talking to himself, and I didn't like the vibe of the conversation.

"So no. I'm afraid that you won't be released," he concluded.

That was where terror began to set in.

"You have to release me! I have a home, and it isn't here," I shouted.

"I'm afraid you don't understand," Director X spoke up.

"The FBI isn't obligated to do anything. You will stay here for as long as it is convenient for us. No matter how impractical it is for you."

He closed the distance between himself and me.

My mouth felt dry, and cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

"Do they...do they know?" I murmured.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"The people living in the city by my woods. Do they know that I exist?" I repeated myself.

Director X laughed.

"Of course not. The public will never know any of this. All of the data we collect about you will be kept private and highly confidential. What use would ordinary people have for such information anyway?" he stated.

I didn't like this Director X character at all.

If the FBI wasn't planning on disclosing this information to everyone, then what was the point of them holding me captive here?

Not knowing what their main goal was perturbed me more than a little.

"Now that's enough questions," the director said.

"It's time to run some tests."

That's the end of Part 21 :)
Comment what you think!