The Experiment

Chapter XVII

"Get those out of your mouth!" Katrina shouted, ripping the plants in David's hand away from him. "Spit it out! Those flowers are poisonous!"

David only looked sadly at her. "No spit."

"You have to!"

Before David could reply, he started vomiting up blood. The look on his face was horrifying, a mix of shock and pain. His body spasmed, and in a second, his chest rose and fell for the last time.

Katrina could only stare at his dead body covered in blood. The scene seemed surreal. He laid in the tangled mess of flowers, his weight crushing their delicate, pink, bell-shaped petals. The remainder of the flowers swayed gently in the light breeze, seemingly innocent despite the fatal poison within them.

A crow cawed overhead. Katrina winced at its large, piercing sound. She sat next to David for a while, unmoving, her brain in shock. Finally, she worked up the energy to move. She slowly stood up, her joints cracking in stiffness. Moving over to David, she closed his eyes and mumbled a quick prayer.

"I'll miss you, my friend."

Without a further thought, she numbly walked away. As she arrived where the others were speaking in low tones, Amari noticed her arrival and pointed. They waited for her to approach them.

"Where did the blood come from?" Wyne asked, concerned. "Did you get injured?"

Katrina shook her head. "Not me."

Amari picked up on her insinuation quickly. "David?"

She nodded. "He couldn't take it anymore."

Wyne's eyes nodded as he realized what she meant. "Did he, you know... Suicide?"

"I could've stopped him," she replied. "I didn't recognize the flower he was eating until it was too late."

"It's not your fault," Ted comforted. "What plant?"

"Dead man's bells."

"That is a strange and sinister name," Amari commented. "I have never heard of that plant before."

"It's more commonly known as foxglove," Katrina amended. "Heard of it?"

Amari nodded in recognition of the word. "Ah yes. Foxglove is very fatal indeed."

"No kidding."

The group lapsed into another silence, mourning the loss of their two beloved comrades.

Finally, Celia spoke. "Amari and Wyne, you two contacted Stefan a fair amount before he died, right?"

"I- yes," Wyne admitted. "Why?"

"Because if he really did have a virus, then you two need to get away from us ASAP," Celia replied matter-of-factly. "Ted, Katrina, and I haven't been with him for as long."

Before anyone could reply, she continued. "To be honest, I think having you two also die would be a good plan. That way, if either of you are carrying the virus, then it'll get wiped out along with you."

"What? No!" Katrina protested. "You can't kill them!"

"I'm not going to kill them," Celia stated calmly, "You are."

"Says who?"

"Says me." Celia reached up towards her neck, gently touching her pendant. "It's kill or be killed."

Katrina's jaw nearly dropped in shock as she realized what she meant.

This was her first test. She either successfully murder Amari and Wyne, proving that she was fit to become an AD, or possibly get killed by the scientists.