Played For A Fool

Mutation

Cinder ran to her car without even pausing to say goodbye to Thorne. She needed to know what the heck was wrong. She needed to know what the mutation was.

She drove to Dr. Darnel's house like there was no tomorrow, and parked like a mad woman in front of his house. 

Cinder hopped up the steps, trying to not land on her hurt leg, and pounded on the door twice, before losing her patience and barged inside the large house.

Dr. Darnel stood in front of the door, leaning on his cane, a look of annoyance written across his face. "You could learn some manners, you know that?" He glowered at Cinder, and Cinder glared right back.

"I want to know what in the name of every star is going on!" Cinder yelled, feeling more agitated by the second. "I want to know why on earth you kept this from me! When did this happen?"

The atmosphere of the room became scary as the two of them scowled at the other, before the doctor let out a sigh of exasperation. "The disease mutated, yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but-"

Cinder cut him off. "Yes, you've already said that. Now tell me what is going on!"

"If you had any patience, I would have already told you!" The doctor threw back, before continuing. "The disease has mutated in a peculiar way, it makes absolutely no sense. Perhaps it would be best that I show you what is going on." Dr. Darnel left the room, Cinder hot on his heals.

He walked down the long hallway and Cinder noticed again, how the house seemed more like an office, instead of a home.

Making her way down the stairs was easier than her last time. She had not yet made a full recovery with her ankle, and would still have to wear the brace for a bit, but she could manage walking without limping too noticeably.

Cinder walked through the lab door cautiously, expecting to see some mangled letumosis patient, but only seeing the doctor's high tech laptop. "What the..." Cinder trailed off as Dr. Darnel opened the computer and pulled up a file. Inside of the file, were pictures that made Cinder choke.

The picture was of a man, but he was not a man anymore. Sure, his body was that of a human male, until you saw the protruding jaw. Until you noticed the sharp, wolf-like canines snapping out, and the deadly claws on the large, almost paw-like hands. No, this was not a man anymore, he was a monster.

Dr. Darnel closed the computer and turned to Cinder. "That is the mutation." Dr. Darnel whispered and left the room, Cinder staring blankly at the closed computer, before walking horrified in his trail.

Something was very wrong with that man, Cinder could tell, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. "Dr. Darnel, give me the truth." Cinder stated dangerously.

She hated this plague. She hated the people who had created it. She hated every little thing about it. Cinder wished that it had never happened. She wished that Levana Blackburn had never been born. She knew that all of her problems wouldn't exist if she hadn't, and not just because of the disease she had created.

Cinder fixed a burning glare upon the doctor, done with all the crap in her life. Stars above, she was just about done with everything.

The doctor sighed, and turned into the kitchen. "That is the mutation that letumosis has taken. There are 43 documented cases, but it's increasing by the hour." Dr. Darnel growled. He was agitated. Cinder was agitated too. Why was their world so messed up?

Suddenly, there was a pounding at the door, and Cinder wondered who else was making a house call for the doctor.

She listened as the door opened, but before she could observe anything else, the doctor spun wildly, accidentally kicking her injured ankle. Cinder gasped as she twisted backwards into a cabinet, hit her head on the corner, and fell to the floor, unconscious.