Experiment Zero

21. A Very Stupid Plan

        His words echo inside the vast darkness which is my mind.

       I've failed you. I'm sorry Ashie.

      Why did he apologize? He has failed nothing, and from what I've heard, the tests the scientists have been taking have gone flawlessly. Even Zero's Coach seems to have developed a soft spot for Zero.

      The door clicks open, and my dad walks in, holding a file. I let out marshals of air, grateful to have a distraction from my thoughts.

      It has been three hours since I passed out, one and a half of them I spent unconscious, another half hysterically demanding to be let out of the room, and the final hour spent calming down and collecting my thoughts. The room I reside in is on the third floor with a window and a table in the middle, similar to the one where the alarm went off and I tried to kill Peter.

       "What's going on dad?" I whisper, watching him take a seat. He sighs, lifting his glasses to rub his eyes.

         "Ashley, there's something very important I have to show you." He starts taking two papers out of the file. One is labeled a x-Ray of Zero, and the other, is another x-Ray.

       "What are these for?" I ask, confused.

         "It's the explanation for why you went ballistic just a few hours ago." He replies, and I wince upon remembering it. "See these lines right here?" He taps at a wire looking red cord wrapping itself around Zero's muscles and body in his x-Ray. It makes it seem like he has red wires travelling throughout his body.

       "Yes?" I say, still confused as to why he's showing me a x-Ray of Zero and what may be his arteries.

         "While you were unconscious, I had a sudden theory, but I needed to do a body scan on you to see if I was correct, so I did. This was the result." He pushed the next x-Ray picture to me. I study it closely, but see nothing wrong. I sit back in my chair, still extremely puzzled and growing frustrated.

         "There's nothing there'"

         "Look again." He says, his eyes not leaving my face.

        Sighing, I look back at the picture, eyes slowly scanning over every inch of my body until I get to the chest area.

          And then I see it.

         There, wrapped around my heart, is a tiny red cord, looking like the same one Zero has wrapped around his whole figure. I feel my eyes widen and I slowly look up to meet my dad's eyes.

         "What does that mean?" I ask, my breathing growing heavy. "Is that supposed to be there? Is it going to kill me?"

          "No and no. It's not supposed to be there, and we don't know how it got there, but we do know that it is the reason what Zero has been experiencing has been transferring to you. It also won't kill you, as long as Zero is still alive."

          My breathing grows more rapid as I try and take the news in.

          "Is that how we can communicate with our minds?" I mumble to myself.

          I don't know what to think about this. My brain isn't comprehending the entire mass of this subject, or how this tiny red cord around my heart connects me on a way deeper level to Zero now.

       "Is there anyway to get rid of it?" I ask, searching his eyes for any sign of hope that this strange connection can be cut. It's nothing against Zero, in fact, every part of my body is screaming to keep the connection, all except my brain, which is watching out for me and telling me this is dangerous.