The Experiment With No Name

Reflection

The Experiment woke with a jolt as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She felt panic and fear rise in her throat as she looked around the unfamiliar room. It was sparse but it did have a bedside table with a small lamp and bookcase in the corner that was filled with hundreds of different books. She sighed in relief as she remembered the events of yesterday. After escaping the facility, her and the doctor had driven for hours until they finally reached the doctor's apartment in Phoenix.

"Are you okay?" Drew asked staring at the unmoving woman.

"I'm peachy." She answered with a smile. "I mean it's not like I'll be running away from my past for the rest of my life or anything." Drew rolled his eyes.

"You didn't have any objections to leaving when you found out about my plan. On the contrary, you were rather excited to escape. I'll take you back there so they lock you back up if th-" The Experiment grabbed the man's collar before he could finish his sentence and pulled him close.

"Don't you dare even think that you can joke about taking me back. You don't know what they'll do to me, I do." She growled in a low tone. She saw Drew's eyes widen in surprise. The girl suddenly felt guilt that she'd taken his comment so seriously but she still refused to back down on the subject.

"Sss...sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." The Experiment released the doctors shirt. She gently swung her legs off of the bed and stood up.

She smirked at the doctor and said, "Alright so now that we're in agreement with that situation, we should eat. I am absolutely starving." She walked past Drew before he could move and continued through the small room towards the door. She walked out and into the apartment. It was plain with starch white walls and only a few pictures and mirrors scattered throughout the wall space. The Experiment glanced at one of the mirrors and gasped. She heard hurried footsteps and saw Drew in the corner of her eye.

"Are you ok- what are you doing?" The man asked, changing his question mid-sentence. E didn't look away from the mirror when she answered.

"I know it sounds weird but I didn't really know what I looked like. There weren't really mirrors in the facility and I didn't think that looking at my reflection in a glass door was worth the time. So...this is the first time I've clearly seen my face." The girl couldn't stop staring at her brilliant silver eyes. They were unnaturally bright with dark speckles. She toyed with her messy black hair as she looked at the rest of her face. She noticed she had a strong jaw line and high cheekbones with a slender nose and small eyes. Small red dots of acne could be seen on her forehead and cheeks.

E felt tears prick her eyes as she listened to Andria's voice. 'I...I'm beautiful.' She spoke softly. 'I could have been normal. I would have been smart and pretty and like everyone else. But instead, I'm stuck with a freak!' Her voice quickly changed from gentle wonder to a miserable wail. The Experiment listened to her companion in shell-shocked silence. The two had fought before but never had they insulted each other, especially not with sensitive subjects like freaks and bad mothers. 'I could have had a life but you took that away from me. I could be getting married in a year but I got trapped with a goddamn monster instead.' The woman's voice trailed off and the two stood silently in front of the mirror.

"Are you talking to her?" Drew asked cautiously. E wiped away her tears and turned towards the confused man.

"I'm always talking to her. Anyway like I said before, I'm starving." The girl walked into the kitchen avoiding the pictures of Andria before she was sent away. She didn't think she could handle anymore from the girl in her head.

Drew followed E as she walked through his living room. "I have a question." He stated while E examined the food in his refrigerator. She pulled out a Coke and smiled childishly.

"I've always wanted to try soda." She said ignoring the comment. She carefully pulled the tab away from the top. The can opened with a satisfying pop. She giggled slightly as she listened to the bubbling of the carbonated drink.

"You're quite a conundrum," Drew remarked.

"Why?" The Experiment questioned as she slowly brought the new beverage to her lips. She opened her mouth slightly and tipped the can back.

The girl gagged as the sickly sweet flavor of the soda hit her tongue. She grunted in frustration and angrily crushed the nearly-full can in the sink.

"You wanted to leave the facility so badly that you rushed your life for it but as soon as you leave you're worried that you're not safe. That they'll find you and take you back or kill you. You seem to hate the world and the humans that live on it but you're running from your destiny of destroying all of it. You have no real emotion but you cry when you see your reflection and you giggle at the sound of bubbles. You're not normal, and it's not just because you're not human." The Experiment stared at the doctor bitterly.

"Thank you so much for that information. Like I needed to be reminded that I don't fit in. Back to the important matter; you wanted an answer I want some decent food so why don't we drive to the store or something and we can both have what we want." Drew sighed but grabbed his keys and started walking fit the door anyway. The Experiment followed and the two set out for what they needed; closure and food.