The Breakout (SCP OC Story)

Chapter 8: The Researcher

     Back against the cold metal wall, the woman attempted to catch her breath while keeping a lookout for any guards that may have followed her. She noticed she had lost track of Dane and the Doctor at some point. There wasn't time to go back for them and she couldn't risk being discovered now that security caught wind of her escape.

     She wasn't sure what room she had ended up in. Even with the red light pulsing above the door and the little bit of light flowing in through the window that led to the hallway, she could barely see in front of her. Checking once again that no one had followed her, she ignited her left hand which created a glow almost like candlelight. She feared any more illumination would draw attention to her.

     With a deep breath, she took a cautious step forward, extending her lit hand towards the dark abyss of the room. The yellow-orange rays reached out and touched what looked like desks cluttered with various equipment and wires. Balled up and crumpled papers covered with incoherent scribbles overflowed from trash cans and littered the floor. She picked up one of the sheets and held her light to it, trying to decipher what was written but to no avail. It looked like a foreign language to her.

     A loud crash followed by the sound of shattering glass shook her from her focus on the page. She dropped to the ground, fearing she had been found and tried to figure out where the noise came from. A light flickered on towards the back of the room and she moved quickly to hide underneath the nearest desk. She heard a masculine voice frantically muttering, spitting out curses in between words. The voice seemed vaguely familiar to her but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

     Hearing some more clattering, she peered above the desk and saw a figure rummaging through a closet. The light from the back was enough to highlight his features. He was a man of medium stature, dressed in a plain black t-shirt, black straight slacks, and dark sneakers. Over this, he wore a long white overcoat that was riddled with stains and burns. A pair of headphones covered his ears and flattened his mess of unkempt curly brown hair. He turned around suddenly with a broom and dustpan in hand and began his walk to the area he came from. As he sped away, she caught a glimpse of his hazel brown eyes behind his glasses. When the lights flickered back off and he disappeared into what she assumed was his office, she fully came out from her hiding place.

     She concluded that this was a researcher's lab. She wondered what she could find here. Maybe some supplies or even her file. She wanted to know exactly what they had written about her. If she was going to get out, she wanted as much information as she could find. She figured it would be best to get rid of any traces of her being here as well.

     The woman continued to search the lab desks, occasionally checking to make sure the researcher was still in his office. She questioned why he was the only one here but quickly decided that wasn't important right now. Each desk she checked had nothing but folders of the same papers riddled with gibberish. Maybe they didn't keep prisoner files in here... or so she thought. Searching through one of the computers, she found a log with her number in the title, 4619. The log stated that the only files kept on her were kept in the office of a researcher by the name "Osbourne." Reading the name sent a chill down her spine but she didn't understand why. Her eyes continued to scan the log for anything more substantial when she heard the office door creak open again. Her eyes jerked upwards and locked on the researcher standing in the doorway. He had a look of shock on his face and as he stared back at her, the broom fell from his grasp and clattered against the ground. The woman quickly vaulted over the desk to stand face to face with the man and fully ignited her hands. His gaze jumped from her hands back to her face as he opened his mouth to speak shakily.

     "Ophelia?" The name fell from his mouth and tears began to trail down his face.

     A shock went through her entire body, she felt like she was losing control. She could barely breathe, the hairs on her arms stuck upwards and her skin was flushed with a cold sweat, despite the flames surrounding her hands. She felt something trickling from her eyes and peered down at her palms. She watched a tear splash onto them, making the fire sputter for a moment. The woman raised her head and fixed her gaze back on the man that stood before her.

     "Who are you?" She spat. "What did you do to me?"

     "You don't remember me?"

     He stepped closer and held her face in his hands. "It's me- Seo- your brother."