Fantopia

9

"I think you're too late," Lucy whispered, dropping the phone. The blood rushed from her face as she realized what she'd done. Dr. Sicarius and Dr. Alcento had been working on the the same medicine. She'd doomed the city and, more importantly, herself.

Max stared at her, wondering why she had turned so pale. He quickly took the opportunity to tell her what had happened to Cindy. "Something's wrong with Alcento's daughter," he said. "Her eyes have turned yellow and she's acting strange."

Lucy nodded, turning away from him. "I know."

"Cindy only took a small dose so her body changed slowly but everyon ein the city's been drinking bottles of the stuff. They could start changing in a few days or a couple hours." Max ran his hands through his hair, fearing that it might start falling out from all this stress. "Should we warn everyone?"

Don Alcento walked in at that moment, carrying a pistol he'd hidden in his car. "Where's my daughter?" he yelled at Lucy, no longer caring about the formal pleasantries. "I'm gonna call the cops if you don't bring her to me right now!"

Hearing Don's voice made something in Lucy snap. The color returned to her face again and she turned to the doctor with a smile on her face. "She came willingly," she informed him. "It's not my fault your daughter's so gullible."

"She's a child! What did you expect?" he yelled back.

Lucy picked up the phone she'd dropped and called someone, ignoring Max and Don. "Hello, Phil? Yes, I want you to change the large ad on our building...yes. I want you to put Don Alcento's face on it instead of mine...no. No, I think Don should get the credit he deserves. Goodbye." She hung up and grinned at her enemy.

"Doing that won't change the fact that you kidnapped my daughter!" Don yelled. "Where is she?" He pointed his gun at Max as he questioned him.

"Max will take you to her. It's not like we need her anymore, though I don't think you'll be happy when you see her." She motioned for Max to lead him out. The son did so, confused by how bipolar his mother was acting but he was too afraid of getting shot to protest.

When they were gone, Lucy laughed and looked out the window. "If I'm going to die, I might as well let Don take the fall for it," she said, the insanity from the huge dose of medicine already starting to kick in.

00

The five soldiers were walking down the hallway, still following Alcento, when they saw Max lead him into a small, white room.

"What do you suppose they're doing?" Caleb asked as they trailed them. Max opened the door to Cindy's room and looked inside. The girl was hiding in the corner with her back to him again and Papa was sitting nearby, not sure what to do.

"Out of the way." Alcento shoved Max to the side and stepped into the room.

"What are you doing, Cindy?" he yelled. "Get up! We're leaving!"

Cindy shook her head in response. "I'm not leaving," she said quietly.

Don got angry and grabbed her arm but she yanked it away, now a lot stronger than him. "I'm not leaving!" she yelled.

Her father swore at her and looked ready to hit her. "I swear, if you didn't have my blood flowing within you, I'd leave you here to die!"

Cindy turned and glared at him, her bright, yellow eyes making him jump.

"I was gonna tell you," Max whispered. "The medicine seems to have changed her appearance and made her angrier--"

Don turned to him, infuriated. "You've turned my daughter into a monster!" he screamed, pointing the gun at him again. "You've doomed the whole city!"