Blue Moon

Short Story: That Night

"We're just trying to figure out what happened." The officer said, trying to comfort the college kid shaking in his seat. 

The kid rung his hands together, clearly fighting whether or not he should tell the officers what he knew. He shook in the plastic chair. The table creaked softly as he bounced his leg nervously.

"Listen, kid, the truth is going to come out eventually." The tall officer shifted in his chair, "We might be able to work something out if you tell us now."

A drop of sweat gathered on his forehead, even though it was cold in the interrogation room. He ran his hands through his hair, tears began streaming down his face as he thought of that night. 

Mr. Werner carried in her unconscious body into the lab; explaining to them that she was their new subject, a nobody; he said that no one would miss her. A few of his fellow members had tried to argue with Mr. Werner about what he wanted to do. Using another unwilling subject was too risky if things went wrong again. 

He could still see her small, unconscious body slung over Mr. Werner's shoulder, her brown hair swayed as Mr. Werner argued his case.

"I am in charge of this club and what I say goes!" He yelled, spit spraying the club members. 

After his angry outburst, no one dared to challenge his word. They were already too involved.

They knew it was wrong, but what could they do, if they dared to speak of what happened the entire club would be dissolved, and who knows what would happen to the club members. They would more than likely be expelled. No colleges would accept them after being expelled for experimenting on unwilling participants or even attempting the kinds of experiments they were involved in. 

Mr. Werner told them what they were participating in was revolutionary and life-changing, no, world-changing. Time travel would change everything, and they were the ones who were going to discover the key. 

Mr. Werner discarded the unconscious girl on the floor then ordered two members, Dave and Samuel to chain her to the floor. 

He remembered the chains rattling as Samuel's hands shook when he clicked the padlocks closed. 

That night Mr. Werner seemed to be in high spirits, he shouted about how close he was to finding the answer.

"I can feel it in my grasp!" He screamed his eyes wide in a craze. 

The cop slammed his hand on to the table bringing the student out of his trance, "Just give it up!" He yelled.

The boy jumped and squeezed his eyes shut. He questioned if it was worth it, giving up Mr. Werner now that he was gone. 

It happened so quickly that the members of the club weren't prepared. They were planning another experiment after they failed to bring the brown-haired girl back. Members had tried to abandon the project but Mr. Werner wouldn't let them. When someone didn't show up for a club meeting he threatened them with anything he could, he threatened their family or grade whichever meant more to them. Few dared to go against him for fear that he would go to the police or hurt someone they loved. 

There was also the small hope that they would succeed. 

The thought of success was the reason they had agreed to the first experiment.

He laid his head on the table in front of him, snot dripped from his nose and mixed with his salty tears as drops landed on the wooden table. 

If he didn't give up Mr. Werner surely one of his club members would. He questioned if he would he be able to live with the guilt of giving them up, worse still, would he be able to live with the memories of experimenting on so many people.  

The second subject had been the worst, he had been in the same class as her. She had been sweet to him, offering him a stick of fruity gum and to lend him notes if he needed them. She had smiled at him, her smile bright, her teeth white and straight. She woke during the experiment as her nose began to bleed, she screamed, her body floating slightly off the ground. Her eyes rolled back into her head as her neck snapped, her shriek stopping abruptly.

"No." He cried softly, remembering her screams.

"We know that something happened, just tell us!" The cop pleaded. 

 His parents would be ashamed of him. He was a murderer, who had done despicable and unimaginable things. He had been a part of a horrendous series of acts, who was to say he wasn't a monster. 

"Where is she?" The cop pulled a box of tissues from under the table and laid in on the top. 

"Gone." He whispered, wiping his face with the tissue. It was true, she was gone, they were all gone. 

"Where's her body? Where did you put her body?" The cop was growing frustrated. 

The student shook his head, there were no bodies. Mr. Werner had made sure of that. As for the final girl, only Mr. Werner knew where she had gone. 

They had finally succeeded, but what they had done to achieve their success was a disgrace. He wondered if it had been worth it to sacrifice those lives. They were dead, there was no bringing them back and he couldn't change that. 

Mr. Werner had demanded their lives, taking it without their permission and without compassion. 

The college student lifted his head, finally making eye contact with the police officer. He had to bring himself to telling them even if they didn't believe him. Mr. Werner was gone, he was unable to take the blame. He would not be punished. 

He hoped wherever Mr. Werner was he was suffering for what he had forced them to participate in. 

The boy lurched forward, feeling as though he would vomit. The cop handed him a trash bin. He remembered the sweet girl's smile. Bile rose in his throat. 

He could no longer bear the weight of his sins, "It was Werner." The boy said in a whisper. He was damned either way.  

He would ease his conscious, "That night..."

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Sawyer