Experiment Scarecrow

The White Light

He began to slowly open his eyes, forcing himself to blink as a bright light created his pupils to contract, blinding him. His eyes flicked around in confusion at the sight of the hazy white drifting from the edges of the light. His pain had been erased, leaving him in a comfortable state.

Was this Heaven?

The place his mother talked about after church?

Muffled voices began to fill the silence, a male's booming voice soon overriding the others'.

"We have done it."

Forcing himself to swallow, he blinked a few more times before the white light pulled away, revealing the silhouettes of two men, hovering just above him; both dressed within a white lab attire. 

He struggled to sit up, feeling as if his wrists were pinned against the metallic surface he laid on.

 "He seems confused, Dr. Madden..." a lighter male's voice whispered from his left.

"Most are when they wake up," Dr. Madden hissed in response.

His eyes flicked to Dr. Madden, his glasses reflecting the dim light, hiding his eyes behind them. He seemed to be an elderly man with thin, greying hair; creases scattered across the pale skin of his face. 

While to his right, a man in his early forty's stood, holding an uncertain expression that spiked fear in the boy. His light blue eyes flicked from Dr. Madden before back down to the boy on the table. He shook his head, stepping away as he brushed his hands through his dark hair.

"I-I wanna go home..." the child stuttered, beginning to desperately pull at the straps pinning his wrists down to the table.

"But you are  home, my little experiment..." Dr. Madden cooed, lifting his head to look to a nurse standing beside the other male doctor. "Sarah." He motioned for her to come closer as he began to trail his finger across the boy's vision. "He seems to be stabilizing, once he is fully conscious, take him to his room."

The young blonde nurse nodded, glancing down to the boy. "I-I cannot believe he survived..." she whispered in disbelief.

"I do work wonders." The elderly doctor pulled away to reorganize his supplies.

His heart pounded against his chest, his skin cold despite the blood racing through his veins in a panicked state.

The nurse gave a soft smile, gently placing a hand on his chest before reaching to brush a strand of hair away from his face. "You're safe now, sweetie. You're in a safe place."

Although her smile was reassuring, he didn't believe her, continuing to strain against the straps. "I-I wanna go home!" he whined, warranting a glare from the doctor.

"Take him to his room," he snapped.

The nurse lifted her head and frowned, beginning to undo the straps around his thin wrists. "Sweetie, you are home. It's ok." She carefully slipped her hand underneath his back to help support him as he sat up.

She helped him off the icy table and onto the floor, his eyes wandering over his new attire; that of some form of a plain gown. He glanced up to her as she led him toward the door, his bare feet padding across the tile, passing by medical instruments he had never seen before.

"Wh-Where am I?" he asked quietly, the fear striking once again.

"I-Um-" She looked to Dr. Madden who sent a stern look in her direction, forcing her to smile once again as she guided the boy out the door. "You're home, remember? This a safe place," she repeated, leading him down a long, beige hall; the floor practically spotless.

He glanced around; no pictures hung on the walls, and each door they passed had a number, with bars across the tiny square window, as if reinforcements in case, whoever was in there, broke through.

The nurse led him down the hall and directed him to the right, leading the boy up a small staircase to a massive door labeled 'employees only.' She used an ID card, hanging at her waist, to swipe open the locked door. It clicked open, allowing her to guide him into a dark corridor; the seafoam green paint flaking from the walls, crumbling on the aging floor.

With a desperate tug, he tried to pull in the opposite direction, only to be forced down the rest of the hall. She stopped before another heavy door, unlocking it with the same ID card to usher him inside.

He stumbled inside the tiny blank room--only a bed with thin, colorless sheets rested against the east wall of the room, while the only form of light filtered through the barred windows. He turned to face her with a frown, in which she returned with a smile.

"You're going to save so many people, sweetie." She soon closed the door, it automatically locking behind her.

His bottom lip began to quiver, tears stinging at his eyes.

He wanted to go home.