All Morganvill charaters and storylines belong to Rachel Caine.
"It's not easy being as insane as me. Many have tried and failed with little sucess.They do not understand that behind my fácade of insanity is a powerfully strong being of immense knowledge. I still do not understand how the modern day mortal cannot achieve full knowledge of the waking world. Am I boring you? Oh dear me...I've forgotten what we were discussing...ah yes!...Who are you again?"
Oh Myrnin,Clear thought, as she observed her friend and boss from the the far side of the lab,where she was attempting to create a serum. This serum would, hopefully, restore Myrnin to his semi-normal state of mind. He hasn't been the same since he unplugged the machine that kept Ada alive (well her brain alive). He seemed tobe getting worse each time she saw him.
"Myrnin,who are you talking to?"Clea asked him, curiously"I cannot remember. I think it may have been Bob. Or it could have been Gertrude..." he pondered for a moment.
"I don't think you were talking to Gertrude" Clear told him cautiously. He looked upat her, frowning. "Why would you everthink thar Clear bear?".
She didn'tknow wether to tell him or not. She wasn't sure how he would react. He as unpredicatable. "You stood on her yesterday, remember?". Myrnin stared at her, then looked down at Bob, then back to her. His eyes misting slightly with unshed tears.
"Oh Clear! I killed poor Gertrude" Myrnin began to pace frantically throughout the lab. The equipment shuddered with each step he took. Suddenly, he turned to her abruptly, and grabbed her shoulders. He began shaking her slightly.
" I've come up with a brilliant solution. You go down to the tunnels and find a replacement Gertrude for Bob. I don't want him to be alone. He may still be grieving for Gertrude."
Clear stared at Myrnin, stunned. She blinked twice, slowly, before answering him. "You want me to go down into the creepy dark tunnels, wher I could possibly get eaten by your failed experiments, to find a Gertrude number two for Bob?"she asked him incredously.
He looked at her withpure glee on his face that Clear thought reminded herof a little boy on christmasmorning. "Of course dear Clear. We wouldn't want Bob to be alone right now Ithink he is feeling suicidal. We don't have a problem now, do we?" . Arching his eyebrow at her, he stood back andfolded his arms to his chest.
" Are you going toget a new Gertrude or not? I suggest you do or I will be foced to find an assistant who listens to me.". He gazed at her gloweringly, daring her to challenge him. "You wouldn't fire me Myrnin. I'm the only one who can help you restore the town s boundaries plus, i'm the only person still alive woh knows the reset code to the machine in the caves at the end of the tunnels."
From the look Myrnin gave her, Clear knew she should have just kept her mouth shut. She knew how dangerous Myrnin could get when he didn't take his serum, and right now, with the glazed look in his eyes, she knew thy were wearing off. Clear was so lost in thought that she jumped at the sound of Myrnin's voice right at her ear. She could feel him leaning into her.
" I would be ery carefull, little Clear bear, or your friends could wake up tomorrow to find your bed empty." She whipped around suddenly, and grabbed onto the edge of the cold metal lab table, almost knocking over a test vial which containd something that looked eerily like bain matter- it wouldn't surprise her if Myrnin had gotten it from his own head. After regaining her balance, she looked up into his face. His eyes glinted red,his face distroting into that of a feral animal. He smled at her, not too kindly, and began to slowly circle her.
"Myrnin, what are you doing?". She cautiously took a step back only to be met with Myrnin taking two steps forward.
" I'm feeling a tad bit hungry dear Clear, and I haven't had anyhing... fresh in a very long time.".
She could sense that he was about to pounce at her, so she did the only thing she could do in this typeof situation. She talked to him. "Myrnin, listen to me. You don't want to hurt me."
"I don't?Why would I not want to hurt you? you smell so... delicious" he peplied,almost amused. She could see the dangerous glint of his sharp canines poking out from behnd his lips.She had to hurry and calm him down, before se became a human blood bag.
"Because," she said firmly, but soflty, " I'm your friend. I care about you. And I know how guilty you would feel if you did. It'l kill you.".
She waited, praying that she had gotten through to him, like she had the previous times Myrnin had behaved like this. She saw him relax and the red colour in his eyes receed and replaced with a remorsefull, stormy grey.
"Please forgive me Clear. I don't know what came over me."" Clear's heart went out to him. He looked so lost and cofused. She knew all too well what had come over him.It was the same thing that would eventually happen to all the native resedints of Morganville.It wasthe disease. It was slowy eating away at his mind, and soon he will know nothing but three basic words ingrained into every fibre of him. Hunt. Prey.Kill. She knew she should get out of there but she couldn't leave him. He was her friend. Her mentor.
"I have an idea. Why don't we head to 'Common Grounds', I need coffee and you need a break." Clear pruposed. Myrnin beamed at her and headed for the steep stairs.
"Exellent idea! I knewthere was a reason I hadn't killed you yet.". She rolled her eyes at him and cleared her throat to get his attention. "Yes?" "Shouldn't you change your clothes first?". He looked to hisfeet which were sitting comfortably in bright, fluffy pink bunny slippers. He also had on tight, black leather pants and a bright orange hawaiin shirt, open to revel hs pale white skin..
"What's wrong with how I look? I think I'm quite fasionable." he replied smugly. Clear chuckled at him and headed up the stairs before Myrnin. She turned around to see him place the eight legged Bob back in his cage, before following Clear to Common Grounds while asking her. "Do you think spiders like coffee? Ishould bring some back for Bob."
