Jekyll & Hyde

Chapter Four - The Temptation of Dr Claymore

'Finally' his mind thought as it came together, the serum he'd spent weeks if no months perfecting, following the footsteps of Dr Jekyll.

He left it there in a syringe, just staring at him. The sky blue liquid sloshed around in the syringe, like a siren's call, it begged to be tested, to be taken. He picked it up, looking at it, its call like a siren's song in his heart, in his mind. He had to resist it; he just had to resist it until he had the proper time to test it out.

"Jonathan? Are you planning on going to sleep tonight?" his wife asked gently, her words soft and gentle, almost warming to hear. She held his hand gently, softly as if he was going to slip away.

"Of course I am. I have just gotten... side tracked. You know what I am like"

"Yes, that is why I am frightened for you, my love"

"Do not be. I am on the verge of discovery, one more step and I shall be there, I shall be in your arms, a man with no fear nor temptation, a man with enhanced life, senses and maybe even lifespan. The serum I have made, it regenerates cells, stopping them from aging as quickly. You could have me for months... maybe even years or decades more than before"

"What I want is to spend time with my husband, the man I married. Have you forgotten?"

"Have I forgotten about what?"

"About me" she replied, almost whispering in his ear.

"No, of course I have not but you have to understand. This is my chance; this is mine and Dr Jekyll's chance to shine, to open new doors in the realm of science"

"PUT DOWN THE BOOKS AND PUT DOWN THE SERUM! WALK AWAY BEFORE YOU BECOME LIKE HIM, LIKE JEKYLL! I WILL NOT SEE MY HUSBAND RUINED TOO!" she screamed fearfully as she clung onto him in her tight cream dress.

"You know I love you, to this day I love you but... I must do this. You do not understand, this is what Dr Jekyll tried to do, this is what I am meant to perfect"

"You are my husband, I love as my husband! Do not change for me, not when there is so much at risk if you are wrong, please... I beg of you"

"I love you, too much to let temptation hang over my head. I want to be the person you deserve, the man that you deserve"

"I married you, you married me. You are the man I deserve, my love. Do not change, not for me" she begged, clinging onto his arm.

"I love you" he whispered. That was the answer she needed to hear. She turned and left, tears in her eyes as he picked up the syringe, hiding it in plain sight. The electric blue liquid sloshed inside it, calling him.

He left his laboratory for a few days, returning to pack up his things but the allure of the syringe, of the potential... it was too much to just refuse. The promise of a better life, future for his wife and his daughters, the ability to love them and to have them in his lives for much longer, there was the lure, what had caught his attention, was luring him in like a fisherman did a fish.

He was the fish, the large fish; almost the size of a whale and that syringe was the harpoon, ready to grab him, to pull him in at a moment's notice. He didn't like temptation, he hated it because it was one of those things he could not control making it more dangerous than anything. He pulled himself back, hesitantly, his fingertips still on the syringe.

His mind divided, half with his own voice, talking about how it would be a huge advancement for science, the other half her voice, warning him about the dangers of using it, as if he didn't already know what was potentially at stake. He could lose everything, his wife, his children and maybe his mind but was it worth it? Balancing it out, including the likelihood of failure, was it worth it?

He put it down for what was probably moments before picking it back up, holding it in his arms tightly. He tied a piece of cloth around his arm, tapping his vein before he slowly scratched the surface. Injecting the liquid seemed the harder task, forcing his mind to square with it.

'Just a little bit' he thought as his mind allowed him to dream, imagining the treatment, imagining its success. There would be no more temptation, no more hatred of disgust, an enhancement of life meant he like others would live, longer and happier lives.

"STOP IT!" she screamed, his thumb pressing on the syringe's head. Out of shock, he threw his thumb down... all of it... every drop he'd created... all of it in that syringe was now floating inside his body.

He fell back in shock, feeling weightless until he hit the ground. He had never felt so... strange, as if his body was not his own anymore. He clung onto something solid, anything he could find. He grabbed the leg of his desk, holding it, clamping it in his hand. His hair was now a mess, his eyes open for anyone to see. He looked directly at the loving face of his wife, her concern as she held his other hand softly, weeping.

He sat up, his wife handed him a glass of water and helped him sip it slowly as his head spun, his mind blurred uncontrollably. He tried to focus on one element of the room but he could only focus on her. He kissed her softly, his hands wrapped around her as he looked into her frightened yet happy eyes. He wiped her tears away softly, looking into her big, beautiful blue eyes as he said "I am ok, I feel better than ok"