The Scientist

What's His Name?

Zed's Pov age 16:

Impy, ***** and I were working on a new project for some classes. I was going on and on about something, though I can't remember what exactly. Suddenly, *****'s hair burst into flames again. He was a bit upset, but Impy and I weren't scared of him. We knew he wasn't human even though he looked like it. He was special. He was from somewhere else.

After a few moments, he calmed down to avoid setting off the fire alarm. A warm heat radiated from him, creating a comforting atmosphere in the room. I don't know when I fell asleep, but I must have dozed off.

I woke up to Impy screaming and crying, "NO! YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE *****!" I was so confused and sleepy as I rubbed my eyes, trying to understand what was happening. My sheep ears flicked around, trying to catch any sounds. All I saw were blurry faces, and I could barely hear anything. Fear and hurt gripped me as I tried to make sense of the chaos.

In the haze, I remember running after a van, trying to keep up. Everything was a blur, and the next thing I knew, I was home. It was a weekday, two days before the weekend.

The next two days passed in a daze. Impy and I were granted a four-day weekend, but the mood was somber. Impy tried desperately to find *****, searching for any clues. However, as the days went by, hope dwindled. I watched as the light in Impy's eyes faded, and the warmth that ***** once brought to our lives vanished.

Weeks turned into months. Impy had no more leads, and I cried for weeks, mourning the loss of our friend. The pain was deep, and the sense of emptiness lingered. Even now, I don't fully understand what happened or why.

Zed's Pov age 19:

Impy and I were about to graduate and move into our own place. Impy hadn't been the same since ***** was taken in the night. Despite his own struggles, Impy pushed me towards math and science, knowing I loved experimenting. It was fun, but I was worried about him; he looked so empty, and I didn't know how to help. I tried to make things more bearable by keeping the heat on in summer, a small comfort that reminded me of neither and helped me sleep. Impy, however, needed antidepressants to cope.

We found a three-bedroom house and turned one of the rooms into a place for **** for when we find him. We painted it red and orange with black accents, making it look like a hard rock guitarist lived there. We filled it with old band stuff, clothes, necklaces, rings, and bracelets. Impy put up pictures of the three of us, but every time I looked at them, I only saw myself and Impy, with an empty space where ***** should have been. I couldn't remember what he looked like, and it troubled me deeply.

One evening, Impy noticed my distress. "*****. That was his name... Zedaph," he said softly. I didn't respond, making him worried. He walked over and placed his hands on my shoulders. "You can't hear his name, can you?" he asked really worried now. i think he started to realize how long i just pretend to be okay that i couldn't hear their name i deiced to just tell him the truth 

I looked down at my hands, trembling. "N-no, I can't. I don't even see him in the pictures, and I don't remember what he looks like," I admitted, breaking down. Impy pulled me into a hug, rubbing my back to calm me. I clung to him and sobbed until I passed out.

Zedaph's POV, Age 24:

Once the room was done, we sealed it and never opened it again. Impy often told me stories about Team Z.I.T.—the team we formed with the first letters of our names. He reminisced about our troublemaking in school, with me trying to blow up the labs and T lighting things on fire. It was fun hearing him so talkative after so long.

I had secured a job at a lab right out of high school. It was a bit shady, and some of the people there were mean to me, but that wasn't important. I started at 18, and over the years, I got good at my job. T had given Impy and me charms—mine was a necklace, and Impy wore his bracelet around his ankle so he didn't have to take it off for work. The job wasn't easy; there were many lower levels I didn't have access to. However, I managed to convince a few people to let me down there a few times by saying I lost my card in my office. Lucky for me, they believed it and let me in.

One day, I was wandering around the lower levels, acting like I belonged there. I was drawing a map on my clipboard as I explored. Then, I heard something—a child's voice. The sound came from an area I couldn't access yet, so I marked it on my map and continued.

When I got home, I added the new part of the map to the others in my room, which we had turned into an office. The walls were covered with maps, red strings connecting various points, and missing person pictures that Impy had collected as a private investigator. We had gathered a lot of damning evidence, but it was all circumstantial. We needed something concrete, something they couldn't brush off.

I heard the front door slam shut. 'Impy's home? This early?' Confused, I walked out of my room to check. Sure enough, Impy was home, looking troubled. "Hey, you okay?" I asked, tilting my head. He handed me a stack of papers. "They aren't just taking kids anymore," he said grimly. I looked at the papers—more missing people.

My heart sank as I flipped through the pages. The faces of adults now joined the children's on our wall of evidence. "This is getting worse," I muttered, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. Impy nodded, his eyes dark with worry.

"We need to do something, Zedaph. We can't let them get away with this," Impy said, determination creeping into his voice. I nodded in agreement. The stakes were higher now, and we had to act fast. Moms and Dads are being taken now more then ever.

The next day, I made my way back to the lab, more determined than ever. I carried my clipboard and the necklace T had given me, feeling its reassuring weight around my neck. I navigated my way to the lower levels again, hoping to find more clues. As I approached the area where I had heard the child's voice, I felt a surge of anticipation.

This time, I noticed a small vent near the floor. It was just big enough for me to crawl through. I hesitated for a moment, then decided to go for it. I squeezed through the vent and found myself in a dimly lit room. The sound of crying filled the air.

I followed the sound until I saw a small figure huddled in the corner. It was a child with dog ears and a tail, chained and shivering. I approached slowly, not wanting to scare him. His ears were pinned against his head, and he was crying into his knees, oblivious to my presence. I looked around quickly, taking some pictures before reluctantly leaving. I had to get back to work and figure out a way to help him.

Later that day, I was called to the head's office. I thought I was getting fired, but to my surprise, I got a promotion with full access to the lower floors. Confused, I had to ask, "Full access, sir?"

My boss nodded. "Please, call me Mumbo, not sir, Zed. Look, I'll be real with you. I know you've been down there and saw one of them today. If my dad was still in charge, you would be fired. But..." Mumbo said, pulling something up on his computer, "I fired my dad, and I need you and that private investigator of yours to stop all of this. He took two of my friends, and I know they are here. I just—" he turned the screen to me, revealing security footage of me exploring the lower levels. "I can't get to them, but you..."

He had so much security footage of me sneaking around down there. I was stunned. "You knew?"

"Of course," Mumbo replied. "I've been monitoring the situation for a while. My dad was involved in some dark things, and I've been trying to undo the damage. I couldn't do it alone, but now with your help and your friend's expertise, im hoping to find my friends" he says sadly