Childish

1

"This has gone on for far too long, Lyla. We're going to put a stop to this once and for all."

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I wasn't fast enough to run away from them. I didn't know the lab as well as they did. I didn't have keys or the allowance to enter most rooms or hallways.

I was trapped.

Dr. Owens carried me through the halls of the facility. The few people we passed didn't even bother to look at me as I struggled and kicked to get myself free. Unfortunately, Naomi wasn't at the front desk, or else I figured she would have tried to call Alex and let him know something was going on.

Alex. I had no idea where he was or what was going on. Clearly, this man didn't think Alex was handling the situation properly and wasn't doing what he was supposed to. I assumed it meant Alex was in some sort of trouble but I didn't know what that was.

I didn't even know what was going to happen to me.

The man pressed his thumb to a black square by the door. The door clicked before sliding open in front of us.

The room inside was a lab room. There were several tables throughout the large room with cabinets under them that I assumed held beakers and test tubes and syringes with needles. A desk sat to our left that reminded me of a science classroom in a school. Various papers were spread out on the top, reminding me of a messier version of Alex's desk.

Oh my gosh.

I stopped kicking and tried to still my breath. This man was Alex's father. He was the leader of the cult - no, town, that we were living in. No, screw that, it was definitely a cult.

There was no way any of this was legal.

"Let go of me!" I said, trying to remain calm. I felt anything but calm.

He walked me to the first lab table and set me down on top. He opened a drawer to my right, his left, and pulled out a syringe. Then he walked away from me with it in his hand.

I swallowed hard before I looked down at the floor below my feet. I was still in my socks from daycare. I glanced back at him, seeing that he was looking through a cabinet at eye level for something and wasn't paying attention to me.

Then I looked back at the floor. It was a pretty high fall considering my height and how far up I was. But I had to try if I was going to outlive this man and his insane rules.

I jumped down and was surprised that I wasn't in much pain. I felt a small tinge of pain in my right leg but nothing that would stop me.

I ran to the door and tried to open it. Locked. The only way out was by using a thumbprint on the black pad. And I already knew my print wouldn't work.

I gritted my teeth and looked around for anything to use to defend myself. I had no idea what was in any of the cabinets that I could use. I hated science in school and never paid attention in biology class my freshman year.

Dr. Owens was facing me now, jabbing the needle into a small jar. It had a piece of tape across it with writing on it but I couldn't tell what it said.

"You might want to sit down for this."

"Stay away from me."

He walked toward me slowly, knowing that he could outrun me easily. I felt like I was in a horror movie just trying to stay alive longer even though I knew it was a waste. The monster was coming.

I kicked his desk chair at him as he came toward me. He pushed it out of the way before he continued toward me. I started to run past him but he grabbed my arm. The needle went through the skin on my arm immediately and I cried out in pain.

"Have a seat, Lyla."

I backed away from him, holding my arm. I didn't know what he put in me and I was terrified of finding out.

He walked back to where he got the first fluid and picked up something clear. The label this time was typed and sealed with a sticker on the bottle, like it was made somewhere other than there. Which I was confused by.

"What did you do?"

"What should have been done a long time ago." He used the same needle and syringe to retract fluid from the second bottle.

"I don't understand."

He stopped about five feet away from me and knelt down so we were at eye level. "Some of the people in Alpine don't believe in the rules. They feel they can be excluded from the rules. I'm putting a stop to that."

"Where's Alex?"

His lip twitched up as he prevented a smile from showing. "Alex is being reprimanded for his actions over the past few months. He has not been honest about the progress of his experiments. At least, not one of them. We're putting a stop to that."

"Did you kill him?" As much as I resented Alex for what he did to me, I didn't want to see him dead.

He chuckled. "No. I don't believe in using death as an answer for committing crimes. He must learn from his mistakes and show that he has grown."

I felt a little relieved. It didn't take away the fact that I didn't know where he was or what was going on.

He stood and I backed up, hitting the wall behind me.

"You already have one injection. What's one more?"

I swallowed and my eyes found a fire alarm button over his right shoulder. I timed my run at the right moment and darted over to it. I slammed my palm against it and a white light started flashing through the room.

One arm went around my front, pulling me back toward him, while the other slid the needle into the skin on the back of my arm.

I screamed and elbowed him in the stomach. He released his grip on me and I covered my ears with my hands as I ran to the other side of the room, going to the only window in the room. I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to open it or get out safely but it was better than being there with him.

Before I could make it there, a sluggish feeling washed over me and I stumbled. My hands prevented my head from hitting the floor as I collapsed.

Slowly, the bright lights faded to black.