Subject Zero: CONFIDENTIAL (Short Stories)

[REDACTED] (2)

Part Two: The Deal is Off

December 9, 1950
10:30a.m.
Norwood's National Laboratories

Third Person's POV
During these twice-a-week visits to the lab, Daniel, Iris, Odette, Kuriko, and Victor were given tests — tests that would challenge their minds. As far as they knew, this was all this program was. But they didn't realize these tests were not only for observation and documentation, but for something they'd never expect.

However, during these visits, the five of them had grown closer and more comfortable with each other. Kuriko even considered them friends. She was thankful to have met them.

But she recently found out the real reason Victor was here. Yes, he was a student here, but he eventually told his friends the truth: he is here to look for someone. He claims his little sister went missing a few years ago, after his parents took her to see doctors. Ever since she went missing, he and his father have been looking everywhere, even after his mother committed suicide. Victor had a strong feeling that his sister was in this laboratory, but he didn't know how to find her and knew the doctors would likely get him in trouble if he "got lost"/tried to find her.

Victor had a worrying feeling about today's session. He was proven right when the doctors injected him with someone's (or something's) blood as he sat on a table.

He looked at the arm the needle on the syringe was poking through. "What is that?"

The doctor he was with only says, "Just a quick test. You may notice some changes, but don't worry. It's supposed to happen."

Victor was disappointed with the answer he received. That doesn't answer my question. You'll inject someone's blood into my own, and won't tell me who it belonged to? That's...

He noticed a label on the syringe. It was printed with the word: MARSH.

In the next room, the same thing was happening with Odette. But the label said: HIDEBEHIND.

And the same thing was happening with Iris. But the label read: ARANEIDAN.

But Daniel was having a serum injected into arm. There was no label, but he definitely felt something different, like he could almost feel the others getting bizarre shots, as well.

But for Kuriko, she was being given 5 different small shots. One had ARANEIDAN on it, another had HIDEBEHIND, another had MARSH, another didn't have a label, and the last one had SHADE 1 on it.

At the end of the day, they all felt strange and unsettled. They went home without exchanging many words before parting.

During the next few sessions, they were being given the same serums and blood.

On December 17, Victor stopped showing up to the program. Firstly, the doctors didn't want him here, because they knew the real reason he was showing up to these sessions. Secondly, he noticed strange things happening to his body from the blood he was being given.

His eyes would appear almost completely white or completely dark violet for just a split second.
He one day wished for rain, and as soon as he wished it, rain began pouring.
He felt as if he could breathe underwater.