Blue Moon

Chapter 2

Alona lay on the cold concrete floor. Her eyes were blinded by a tremendously bright light, waking her from sleep. She blinked to get her eyes to adjust. She raised her head and looked around. She could hardly make out anything because of the light shining above her. She tried to sit up. Unable to, she realized she was chained to the floor.

There were five chains restraining her to the ground: a chain for each of her wrists, a chain over her chest, waist, and ankles.

A panic exploded in her chest. She trembled at the thought of what could happen to her.

"Having a rough day, Alona?" A tall, boney man emerged from the shadows. He was holding a clipboard in front of his face. He lowered his clipboard, allowing Alona to see his face. She immediately recognized him; he was her Physics teacher.

"Mr. Werner? W-where am I?" Alona squinted at him. She suddenly thought it could be some prank. She felt anger rising through her. She had been through enough already. False story accusations had cost her a lot her first year on the newspaper staff.

"Don't you recognize where you are? No. I suppose you wouldn't. You are always too busy writing your precious stories to pay attention in my class." He walked around her in a circle, "What are you doing here, Alona?!" He shouted angrily.

Startled, she stared at him. What was she doing here?

"Getting a story." She answered simply. It was true. Someone had tipped off the newspaper staff that strange lights and sounds were coming from the Science Hall here lately. She decided to check it out like Devon had asked her to do. 

The tip had been correct; bright flashes of green were coming from the Science Hall's basement windows. She was watching from an outside window when someone had struck the back of her head, knocking her unconscious. 

She wondered where this was going. She just wanted to go back to her dorm and crawl into her bed. She had a headache, the back of her head was pounding.

"How lucky we are for a test subject to have just wandered in." He chuckled to himself.

She squeezed her eyes shut. This had to be a dream, she told herself.

"You are going to assist us in an experiment." He stopped at her feet. She opened her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked panicked. Horror stories of rapes and beatings flooded her mind.

Before she could ask any more questions, he turned on his heel and walked into the shadows.

"Wait! What kind of experiment?" She yelled after him. "Mr. Werner! Come back!"

She heard a door open and several footsteps followed suit. She could feel several people around her lurking in the darkness. Her heart pounded in her chest. She heard whispers around her. There was a snap of someone's fingers and they ceased.

She heard a CLICK, then a faint buzzing.

"It's on, sir." Someone out of sight said.

"Good. Hand me the bag." Mr. Werner ordered. He walked out from the shadows and laid an army green messenger bag beside her.

"What's that?" She asked, her fears of gang rapes and being beaten to death were subsiding. She just wanted to know what was going on. She didn't want to live the rest of her life as a science experiment freak. She didn't want blue skin or three eyes. She would make a terrible reporter if her face was more interesting than the story.

"If we succeed, you might need this." He answered indifferently.

He obviously wasn't going to let her know what was going to happen. He walked back into the darkness.

"Ready?" The unknown voice asked.

"Ready. Alright, everyone. No screw-ups this time. Goggles, gloves, coats. Ben, do you have the stopwatch? Good. Let's proceed slowly. I want 10 percent power." Mr. Werner ordered.

"No. I am not ready!" She answered the voice.

The buzzing turned into humming. She wasn't sure, but it seemed the already blinding light had gotten brighter.

"20 percent." Mr. Werner commanded.

The humming radiated in her ears. It felt like she was under water. The light was growing brighter.

"Please stop!" She yelled. "Please just stop!" If only she was out of these chains, she could fight her way out. All those years of self-defense classes would pay off.

"30 percent!" Mr. Werner yelled over her.

She pulled at her chains. There was no way of getting out of these without a key or some bolt cutters.

"40 percent!" The humming grew louder. It made her ears feel like they were going to explode.

"50 percent power! Johnson! Release arm and leg chains of Subject 5!" Mr. Werner ordered.

"Subject 5!?" She shouted.

A boy around Alona's age ran out of the shadows to her left. He wore a lab coat that resembled Mr. Werner's, with the exception that his coat was too big. He stumbled over with a key in his hand and unlocked the chains on her legs then her arms. She sighed as she moved them out of the previous uncomfortable positions they were in. She was still chained to the ground around her chest and waist.

She studied the boy's face. She realized she knew him. He had asked her at club day if she wanted to join their Science club. She had smiled and shaken her head, explaining to him that being on a part of the newspaper staff already took up most of her free time.

She grabbed the front of his lab coat before he could get away, "Get me out of here." She said through gritted teeth.

He stared at her through his goggles in fear. His mouth hung slightly open as he struggled to get away from her. She heard footsteps approaching from her feet.

She stared into his eyes, "Please!" She begged, pulling at his coat.

Mr. Werner appeared on her right. He took a square, black box out of his lab coat pocket and slammed it into her neck. Her entire body shook uncontrollably, her body convulsing to the shock. 

She released the boy. She lay limp on the ground trying to stay awake. She tried to lift her head, but couldn't. Her headache was now three times worse.

She struggled to see what was around her. Mr. Werner and the boy were gone. 

She closed her eyes, the light was burning her eyes.

"80 percent!" 

Gusts of wind circled her, tossing her from side to side. The chains binding her rattled and shook violently.

She realized she was not getting out of this situation. 

She wondered why this was happening to her. She decided it was because she was curious, too curious for her own good. 

"90 percent!!"

She could barely hear anymore. She was blinded by the bright light. She felt herself lift off the ground. She heard shattering. The chains exploded off her body. Her thoughts became jumbled, she could no longer make sense of what was happening to her.

"100 percent!!!" Mr. Werner screamed.

She could no longer hear what was happening. Her ears began bleeding, a stream of blood rolled down from her nostrils. She was floating three feet off the ground. Her brown hair floated around her. She heard a loud explosion then she felt her body being pulled in every direction. Electricity tingled all over her body. Nausea flowed over her. She gagged but nothing came out. Her body flipped over and over. She tumbled through the air, losing control over her body.

Suddenly her body slammed into the hard, cold, wet dirt. She raised her head and tried to look around. She was still blinded. She felt sick all over again, she coughed and gagged. She spat up blood.

She tried to lift herself up but collapsed back on to the ground. She groaned, then passed out.

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Sawyer.