resist || bellamy blake

zero | protolouge

HALSEY is TAYA KING

•••

Little Taya (pronounced like 'tie-a') skipped down the hall, humming happily as she focused on making her plaits bounce as much as possible. She even let out a little giggle as one hit her cheek.

Dr. North heard the little giggle and his dark eyes flickered to his office door. His wife had a new diagnosis, two months. Max. His cure was untested, The Ark having denied his crazy proposal and refused to give him test subjects. But he was desperate. 

Next thing Taya new, she'd been grabbed by the man as he swung his office door open, snatching her and yanking her in. She looked up at him, recognizing him from her check ups, having seen him less than a month ago for her eighth yearly appointment. 

"Mister Dr. North Sir—."

"Quiet!" He yelled, spit flying from his mouth as he shook her. He slammed the door and scanned the room. "What to do, what to do..." he mumbled. His eyes caught on the door stuffed in the corner. He dragged Taya over to it but she dug her feet into the ground and opened her mouth wide, eyes squeezed as she sucked a breath in.

He also knew her from her checkups. He knew what was coming. He hastily grabbed a lollipop and shoved it in her mouth. He was only supposed to use them if kids were dying or had to undergo surgery but he just couldn't handle her screaming, and he couldn't get caught, not when he was this close.

He again tugged her in, locking the door behind him before he scurried over to his vials, hurrying to get the work done. 

Taya knew something was wrong, and Dr. North was scaring her, but she was fascinated by the lollipop, she'd never tasted anything so good. She closed her eyes and rocked on her heels as she savored it.

Dr. North cursed as he accidentally knocked a jar off the desk in his scramble. 'Doesn't matter anymore.' He dismissed and continued his search.

But Dr. North's 'no-no' word snapped Taya out of it.

She hurried to the door, reaching for the handle she couldn't quite grab. She looked back at the doctor but he was still rummaging. She took a deep breath and jumped, grabbing the handle. But it wouldn't budge. It was locked.

She'd tried to apply more pressure to the handle by curling up her tiny frame, her knee knocking against the door, pulling Dr. North out of his quick calculations for dosage as he realized she was trying to escape.

That's when it turned into a blur of screaming and rushed actions. But time slowed down right as the needle pierced Taya's neck. The doctor watched the black substance ooze into her as he pinned her down. Once it was all gone he hurried for the next one, this one a unnatural blue. He paused. It was rather likely she wouldn't be able to handle it.

His pause saved her life, as the second substance barely invaded her body before the guards busted through the doors and tackled Dr. Greg North.

He was floated shortly after for what they'd labeled as attempted murder, but the secrecy surrounding what had happened that day remained for years to the public, who only knew their beloved doctor disappeared one day after pulling Taya into his office, a story eventually being constructed that she'd killed him, and her father had covered it up. 

It was a start to a series of rumors about Taya, something about her never functioning quite the same after that fateful day, the same day the friendly bubbly girl she was known to be died.