Cherish Red ✔️

Chapter One

 ~ Shenanigans ~

The sun and sky began to fade into black, with stars and the moon replacing the musty clouds that covered the city of Cherish during the day, even though it usually felt like evening. The city shut off its lights and any other source that could provide light; everyone and everything did so except for the Cherish Laboratory. They were forced to keep the lights on or else they could escape.

Nobody would ever rest. The employees were up 24/7. Not even a minute of sleep they could achieve, due to the constant banging around the things would cause. Nobody wanted to sleep because they were so afraid. So fearful that one of the things would murder them in their rest or behind their backs. Luckily, the things were locked up most of the time, with the key hidden in a place where the employees didn't even know. Only the boss did.

But this time, someone had found it. No, not someone. Something. One of the things, people suspected. And tonight, they now roamed free in the lab. People made like the movie "A Quiet Place" and shut themselves up. Afraid that one of the things would hear them and try to avenge the others...

Tonight, five employees discussed whether they should keep the lights on or not. Some argued; if they shut the lights off, one of the things could have night vision and slaughter them instantly. Some wanted them off; if they were shut off, none of the things would find them - so many of the scientists had experimented and tested on them to know that none could possibly have night vision.

"But what if they're hiding something?" A female one asked with wide eyes. "You know how those things are, stubborn and hate to show off their abilities."

Another one answered "Yes, true you are! But... such a scientist like I already know enough that they aren't that complex. If they could see in the dark, clear as day, we would've found out already."

A frail man, possibly in his golden years, argued: "But they are not humans, nor animals. They are beasts, we don't know what they're truly capable of!"

"Oh shut your mouth, you!" Yelled a younger scientist. "You possibly couldn't know nothing about them! Only my fellow testers and I truly kn-?"

Bang!

Every one of one turned swiftly towards the door, which had been kicked in by their scarred boss, a bulky man filled with bruises and cuts.

"That is enough of you," The boss boomed. He made a sign with his hands, which every employee understood. It practically meant "shut the hell up and get your asses out of this room NOW."

All five of them nervously nodded as they quietly walked out of the area. The boss nodded back, following them until a right turn that approached. The employees and scientists went left, and the boss jogged right. As he went, Mr. Henderson began to quicken his pace until it turned into running. Hastily he made his way into the bottom floor of the lab, taking the old-fashioned wooden stairs that had only now began to fall apart.

A few planks almost caught him off guard a few times, but not enough to stop him from entering the one room that only the boss could enter at night and employees could only enter at day.

The room where the beasts remained.

Mr. Henderson cautiously opened the door, and turned on the broken lights. They flickered constantly, which concerned him. "I need a fixer-upper in here," He thought. Henderson was interrupted by a voice.

"Hey, look; Mr. Abusive is back," A girl hissed to another. She then looked him in the eyes and said "Hey! What's new, Mr. Asshole?"

"Which one of you things has the damn key?" Mr. Henderson asked with a twitch in his eye. "And don't call me that, you nine-eyed freak."

The girl stood up.

"Don't even bother asking. You're kind of late, ass. They're already out."

"Yes, I am very aware of that."

The two gave each other the cold eye. The girl gave him nine.

"Now where is the key?"

The other girl - whose body was shaped like a mermaid - stepped beside the nine eyes, a cocky look on her face. A snarl curled up on the nine eye's lips.

"How the hell would we know?" She said, sounding irritable. "Red and I were resting and talking about those stupid pricks or whatever they're called you keep giving us."

"You were a witness," Henderson tensed. "You know who it is. Now answer me!"

"We swear, we didn't see a thing!" Red Nine Eyes' yelled. "Jixi and I are innocent as- AH!"

A flexible metal arm flung out from Mr Henderson's bag that he'd been wearing on his back. Red winced, as the metal's oily scent stung the eyes on her arms and legs. Jixi growled and tried to throw orbs of water at him, but was smashed into the wall.

"Do not raise your voice at me!" The boss screamed. The metal arm tightened its grip on Red's waist. "Monsters like you shouldn't have the privilege to even speak back to the humans above you and your status."

"So, who CARES?" Red said. She bit her lip. No matter how hard he tried, Mr. Henderson wouldn't be able to kill her so easily. She couldn't be suffocated. "It's not like you're getting anything out of me anyway. You can't-"

"Do you want to do it again?" He asked in a scarily calm manner. "Or will you succumb and tell me the truth?"

"I-"

Red hated doing it. She never exactly knew why. She didn't even know what caused it. All she knew was that she hated melting and instantly blacking out afterwards. Red cried out and the machine let her go, as her crumpled body hit the concrete floor with a crash. She was surprised that she hadn't died from that.

"Fine."

"Good," Henderson smirked, a satisfied look in his dull brown eyes. "Now... what happened, Red?"