Project 590

VIII

"She's over here!" I shouted and Brandon rushed over.

I placed my hand on the back of her head to check for injuries and immediately felt fluid, when I pulled my hand to the light to see it, it was clear what it was.

"She is bleeding, we need to get her out of here and get her help, there has to be a way out, go run down the hall on the other side of the room and check for an exit, yell back if there is one." I said.

"J....Jackson?" I heard Sienna say quietly, as though she was struggling to remain conscious.

"It's okay, I'm  going to make sure you get out of here don't worry." I said trying to help her relax and not stress, I then took off the gas mask and put it on her to help her not inhale whatever this gas was.

"There is a door open over here!" Brandon yelled from down the hall.

I picked up Sienna and carried her out of the room and down the hall towards Brandon, as I left the room I saw my shield disappear.

Once I reached Brandon I saw the same door we entered through was open again, with no gas on the other side, we all crossed through and Brandon immediately shut the door.

This time, we were no longer out in the woods, we were on some snowy mountain side and I could clearly see the large tree stump they had been using as a hideout until I arrived, as well as Mark's lab, however the house and clearing in the woods was either gone, or just not noticeable from up here.

I carried Sienna over to an area under an outcrop on the mountain, so it was covered and without snow.

I laid her down and removed the gas mask, I began to examine the back of her head, there wasn't much blood, but it still isn't good, she may not be bleeding much but the injury could still be bad.

"Sienna, you still with us?" Brandon asked as he ran up next to me.

"Th....the bag, did you get my bag?" Sienna asked, Brandon pulled it up, he must have grabbed it before running to look for a way out.

"The bottles, look at them." Sienna said, seemingly begins to feel better, maybe it was the gas affecting her.

Brandon began looking through the bag and pulled out two bottles of some black cloudy liquid labeled, "Psytec Shade Serum"

"I don't know what that is but it looks dangerous." Sienna said beginning to sit up.

"Yeah, it does." I said trying to think of what it could be, "Maybe it is related to that Project Wraith we read about."

"Project Wraith?" Brandon questioned.

"Long story, you can read about it when we get back to Mark." I said and looked back towards the lab, it isnt that far, a mile, maybe two from the base of the mountain, the hard part is going to be getting down there.

"I could use my power far better to get us down if it weren't so cold up...." Sienna began to say but was cut off by some strange man in a black coat walking up to us with a lady wearing a similar coat which was white rather than black.

"Hey, kinda dangerous camping out this close to the monster isn't it?" The man asked as he approached us.

"I don't know who you are or what you are talking about." Brandon said.

"Hey, you all seem very on edge, but also very tired, how about this, as a sign of good faith, Samantha, heal then up would you." The man said and the girl held up her hands to show she had pink heart shaped gems on her palms, when when touched Sienna I saw a pink glow and she seemed far better.

After that display me and Brandon reluctantly allowed her to use he power on us, and just as it looked for Sienna, I felt so much better after she did.

"My name is Victor, and as you could probably figure out, this is my friend Samantha." Victor said, introducing the two.

"Okay, well what monster are you referring to?" I asked Victor.

"The shadow lady who lives with that Zachary guy in the fort at the peak of this mountain." Victor answered.

"Zachary?" Brandon asked.

"The man who controls fire, you all really didn't know about him?" Samantha answered.

"So that is who attacked me before." Brandon mumbled.

"Look, it's getting colder and more dangerous the longer you all stay up here, come along, I have a cabin a little further down the mountain you can rest up in." Victor said, he and Samantha immediately began walking down a path on the side of the mountain. He motioned for us to follow him, which, with nowhere else to go, we did.

Once we arrived at the cabin he was referring  to, Samantha let us in, Sienna and Brandon walked in first, but before I could Victor grabbed my arm and said quietly, "Jackson, a word."

He pulled me aside, "How do you know my name?" I asked.

"Is it really not obvious, here let me make it a little more clear for you. Jackson M, Subject 7, Date of insertion 02 24 Y24, Project 590." Victor muttered off.

"Wait, if you know all of this, wait that means, hold on, Victor... wait, no way, it can't be!"