The Experiment

Ten

I looked at Charlie. I was nervous to rest with one of them in there with me.

Ashley left and so did the others. It was just me and Charlie.

I looked at him carefully "I wont hurt you," he said to me.

"I dont believe that. All that has happened since Ive been here was been hurt," I said.

He took my hand. "Look... Can I tell you, I'm not like the others," he said. 

"How can I know?" I asked. 

"Can I tell you a story?" he asked. 

"Yeah I guess," I whispered laying back in the bed. 

"I was a 'patient' here too once a long tie ago," he said. 

My eyes widened. "You were?" I gasped.

"I came here in 1955-" 

"1955, this place has been torturing people since 1955?" 

"Probably longer Izzy," he looked down.

"Go on," I whispered. 

"I arrived in 1955, but I wasn't tricked or brought by anyone. This was before the Volturi approved of this facility so it was being ran undercover. I thought it was a normal medical center, but it wasn't. I went in for a 5 day migraine, of course they treated it then brought me back to, well, what was this," he paused looking at my face.

"Was Michael still here?" I asked. "Am I going to get you in trouble for you telling me this?" I asked. 

"I don't care," he shrugged. "And yes he was. Do you want me to continue?" he asked. 

"Yes," I said. 

"Before it was you know the classic, pain endurance mostly. Bone breaking, ice baths, needles, they weren't that creative. I begged them to end it. It all went on for ten years. Every day it was something new. Once a week I would have 25 lashes to the back with a whip, sometimes it was a cane. every other week they broke a bone then healed it with their blood. I wanted to die. I told them that I would work for them for the rest of my existence if they turned me and stopped. I already knew how the venom felt so I could be prepared," he whispered. 

I looked down in horror. I'm never going to get out of here alive. I'm never going to see my mom again. I'll never see my dad again. I'll never see Demetri again. My life is over. 

"I shouldn't have said anything. Izzy I am so so sorry." he said. 

"No, go on. I want to hear your story," I said. 

"No, you are hurting enough I can see," he whispered. 

"No, please go on Charlie," I whispered. 

"Are you positive?" he asked. 

"Yes." 

"My last experiment was the the newest one. They wanted to try it out on me to see if it worked since they were going to change me, so if it did kill me it wouldn't matter they could just bite me and change me if anything failed," he looked down. 

"What was it?" I asked. 

"Poison," he whispered. "Well essentially poisons or maybe it was overdosing you on something I don't really remember it due to I was sedated pretty heavily. They were seeing how long they could keep different type of poisons in you before you croaked but it backfired badly. As soon as they injected it into me I went into cardiac arrest. I don't know what the drug they put in me but they had to bite me right there and I was turned. And then my human life was over. All the torture was over, or so I thought." 

"Do they still-"

"No they don't. This place isn't a fan of killing people they want to keep their 'patients' alive for as long as they can," he sighs. 

"Are you still being tortured?" I asked. 

"Technically no," he paused for a long while, "But I really cant tell you what is worse being tortured or having to do the same thing that happened to me to innocent people," he looked down, "It is awful, seeing their pain, hearing them beg for you to stop. It is just as bad as being tortured, knowing what their pain is," he said. 

"Then why do you do it?" I asked. 

"Its either do this or be killed," he whispered. 

"Oh," I didn't know what else to say. I wanted to comfort him. I couldn't imagine being here for 10 years then having to... torture people for the past 55 years. "55 years of doing this. Im sorry," I said moving to him giving him a hug. 

He seemed stunned. He didn't know how to react. After a minute he wrapped his arms around me. "Thank you. This is the first time I've been hugged in 65 years," he whispered. 

I just hugged him tighter. "I'm so so sorry," I said. 

"Thank you," he whispered and his his head in my hair. His voice broke. 

"I'll to everything to help you through this. I'll help you I promise. I promise on my life," he whispered in my hair. "I'll try to get you out I promise." 

I could tell he was crying. I was the first person he has opened up to. "Thank you Charlie. If you ever need to talk I'll always listen. Anytime even if it means you have to like fake torture me or feed I'll be willing you need to get things off your chest. You're a good man, I know you probably get hate. You're a good person," I said looking up at him. 

"Thank you Izzy," He kissed my forehead, 

"Want to lay with me? I can make up an excuse for some reason," I bit my lip. 

He chuckled wiping his eyes. "That is 100% not allowed." 

"It was 100% not allowed when you told me your story," I challenged. "Plus I just need contact, hum- well it wont be human contact but you're the most human person in here, so I need 'human' contact, please Charlie." 

"Okay," he said. 

"I'll take all the blame. I'll say I had an anxiety or some sort of panic attack and it was the only way to calm me down okay?" 

"Okay Izzy," he said and scooped me up. He laid me on the bed and then laid next to me. Charlie wrapped the blanket around me and then pulled me close. 

"When was the last time you held someone?" I asked. 

"65 years ago," he whispered. "It feels good," he whispered.  His arms were tight, secure, protectively around me. "Sleep dear. I wont leave," he said. 

"Promise?" I asked. 

"Promise," he said and kissed the top of my head. 

I closed my eyes and attempted to fall asleep.