Cursed

Chapter One: The Lab

"Seven!"

He shouted that awful name again. But what is my real name? I guess I'll never know. When your trapped in this lab and being forced to search for a girl who is probably innocent, you never know a whole lot about yourself.

You never know if you're good or bad, right or wrong... any of that! It's all so frustrating! But I knew I'd have to face terrible consequences if I didn't answer. "Yes, Papa...?"

He was standing right in front of me, towering over me. He knelt down to my level, coming face-to-face with me... eyeing me. "You have one more chance to find her," he said.

I called him Papa... because he was the only person I remember raising me. I never said I was raised well though.

It's 1986, and I'm fourteen years old. I lack any memories of other family. As for him...? One of his family members, his older brother Dr. Brenner, was caught by a Demogorgon while trying to capture a girl by the name of Eleven. (A/N: I don't actually know if Dr. Brenner survived that attack or not, but guess he's dead in this story...)

I've never seen a Demogorgon, and I plan to keep it that way. But I doubt it'll stay that way for long. Papa sends me out to find Eleven a lot so he can avenge his brother.

Papa looked me in the eyes. "One more chance!," he repeated in a horrific yell. He grabbed my left wrist so tightly it sent a sharp pain through my arm. He clamped the same metal bracelet around it that he always did when he sent me out. It was a tracking device, and Papa made sure it covered my tattoo that read "007" so nobody would know I'm from the lab.

I would use it to signal everyone in the lab when I found Eleven. The device felt awfully tight around my thin wrist. "P-Papa... it's too tight!," I said.

"Well, there's a better chance it won't fall off now. Listen Seven, if you don't find Eleven this time, I'll consider you useless and have you killed here in this lab, you understand me?!," Papa snapped.

"I can't! I don't know where she is!"

"Do you understand me?!"

I let out a defeated sigh. "Yes..." I replied.

"Good. I'll see you in two weeks. Find her this time!," Papa said.

Without replying, I walked over to one of the lab's elevators. Papa shot me one more angry expression before the doors shut. As the elevator was descending to the first floor, I sat down, hugged my knees, and sobbed.
I sobbed so loud it echoed through the elevator.

Hot tears leaked down my cheeks before reaching my chin. This is my last chance... I am either going to find Eleven... or face my demise. I sniffed and wiped away my tears, and when a faint beeping sound rang, I struggled to my feet. The sound signals that the elevator was on the first floor, and the doors were about to open.

I still have to get used to that. Our first lab that was destroyed had nothing like that. The doors opened, and I straightened my plain white clothes up, rubbing my eyes to try and make it look like I wasn't crying. After all, there were people guarding every door, elevator, and even stairways! And all of them wielded loaded guns.

I began to walk out. "Hey, Seven!"

I turned around to see who had called my name, although I recognized the voice. It was one of the guards. "Oh, hey Amara," I replied.

Amara worked at the lab, so she didn't have a "number name" like I did. She's actually the only one I managed to befriend at the lab. I'm the only test subject, and everyone else who worked here, including Papa, treated me like garbage. There was actually one time when she tried to help me escape.

We got caught though... besides, where would I go after that anyway? "Is Martin's stupid brother sending you out again? What's his name again...? Dr. B*tch?"

I giggled at Amara's curt remark towards Papa. I can't lie, it's pretty true. I had no clue how Dr. Brenner used to treat Eleven, but what I do know is that she was raised by him, just like I was raised by Papa. But if Eleven tried to get away, she was probably raised pretty badly... maybe even worse than I was.

'These two brothers must have come straight from Hell or something,' I thought silently to myself.

"Yes, Papa is sending me out again," I replied to Amara.

"You should just call him Dr. B*tch like I do... It fits him better than his huge a** lab coat."

This time I just couldn't hold it in. I gripped my gut and let out a burst of obnoxious laughter. Amara always found ways to make me smile. Amara put down her gun and looked at me. "I mean, really the only cool thing Dr. B*tch did to you was give you rad awesome powers!"

I stopped laughing, and my smile had faded. Right... I believe I forgot to mention that I have powers.

Hey readers! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! It was fun to write, but sorry if it's a little rushed. Chapter Two is coming soon! Thanks for reading!