Redrum Origins: Part 3

Part 7: My Catalyst

Disclaimer: I do not own Redrum. Redrum is a game developed by Anarchy Enterprises. I only own the OC characters.

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No matter how far she ran, the whistling always sounded like it was right behind her. She heard him occasionally call out for her. "~Madeleine. It's time for bed~" His carefree demeanor sent a constant stream of panic through her nervous system, frantically sprinting in any direction. She needed a place to hide. She needed to get away now.

Hope dwindled with every twist and turn that yielded no rooms to dive into. Her vision grew blurry from tears, terror accentuating each heavy breath she took. This was a different level of fear that she had ever experienced before. The only thing that could compare was her visit to Blackpool, England. If Fraud caught her... she couldn't let that happen. The fate he intended for her was not something she wanted to be subject to. But her progress so far made that outcome more and more likely by the second.

The next corridor she dashed into ended with a door at the end, rust having eaten away from the surface of the metal. This was most likely a dead end, but it was better than nothing. She shoved her way inside, her initial observation proven correct. This looked more like a maintenance room to upkeep the state of the sewers, a few moldy boxes and rusted metal barrels. However, a small drainage pipe at the back was big enough for her to crawl through. If it was necessary, she could escape through there.

The whistling echoed throughout the tunnels, motivating her to move, diving behind the barrels stacked along the wall. She drew her knees close to her chest, making herself as small as possible. She waited with bated breath as the casual footsteps drew closer. Eventually, the door she just entered swung open, squealing in protest. The click of dress shoes traveled to the center of the room before pausing. Maddie held a hand over her mouth, muffling the sound of her breathing. Her heart pounded in her ears. She prayed that by some miracle the mad doctor would just go away.

To her surprise, the footsteps continued, but not where she was hiding. At least, she didn't think so. This room had as much acoustics as the network of tunnels itself. However, the clicks seemed to fade away before disappearing entirely. The teen slowly breathed out the breath she was holding. For a moment, she let herself believe that she managed to give him the slip.

It was quickly proven wrong, as the barrels she was hiding behind were flung aside with astounding strength. The metallic clang as they clattered to the floor joined in with her loud shriek. Fraud stood over her, leering like a vulture. "There you are," he stated, as if they were playing a game as simple as hide-and-seek. "It's about time we bring an end to these pointless games, don't you agree?"

She was frozen where she sat on the ground, trembling. The drainage pipe from earlier flashed in her mind. She waited for Fraud to approach her before springing up and launching herself at the hole. She managed to slide herself about halfway through before strong hands gripped her ankles. She cried out as she was yanked backward. "No, no!" she cried, tears continuing to spill. She was ignored as she was dragged back into the room, bulky arms picking her up and pressing her flush against a chest. She squirmed and wriggled in Fraud's grip, shouting for him to let her go. The mad doctor chuckled to himself. "You must be exhausted. No worries. I'll gladly tuck you in."

Maddie kicked and punched with all her strength, never putting as much effort into something like this before. But the blows hardly seemed to faze the doctor. His body did resemble a healthy physique, his shoulders broad and unwavering. It felt like she was trying to punch a brick wall instead of a normal human.

Fraud literally carried her kicking and screaming back to the corridor that contained everything that was recently built. The room she dreaded the most came into view, and her anger-filled protests turned into desperate pleas. He paid no heed, calmly entering the room and moving to set her on the restraining table. As soon as her back hit the smooth surface, she tried to leap out of it, but she was too weak to fight against Fraud's hold. He was able to keep her still enough to effectively secure her in the restraints, black leather binds stretching across her body. She strained against them, finding no give in the fastenings. She wasn't strong enough to break herself out. She was stuck, at the mercy of a deranged scientist.

Once he was finished strapping her down, Fraud approached the monitor, tapping several keys. She didn't know what it was for, but it was definitely part of what the doctor planned to do with her. At some point, a 3-dimensional model of a human brain was displayed digitally on the screen. He began to move around the room again, making her increasingly anxious. "Please, she whined, openly sobbing, "please, don't. I-I... I don't... I don't want-"

Fraud shushed her, caressing her cheek in a comforting gesture. She whimpered and leaned away from the touch, body shivering. "Hush now," he said, moving to a small set of drawers located next to the monitor. "It's time to go to sleep. Struggling is pointless." From the top drawer he procured an empty syringe, and from the bottom, he pulled out a full vial of green serum.

Maddie's breathing quickened at the sight of the medical tools, sounding like small gasps. In truth, her chest had felt like it constricted, making it hard to breathe. Her heart was beating erratically in fear. She watched in horror as the doctor stuck the needle into the vile, extracting enough serum to fill the syringe. He set down the vile once the capsule was full, turning his full attention to the trapped teen. Her eyes widened as he approached her, brandishing the syringe like a weapon. She thrashed wildly in her restraints, screaming for Fraud to stop. Once he reached her side, he pushed her head to the side and held it still, exposing her neck. Her sobbing and wailing went unheeded. Her brain was lost in the panic, scattered thoughts bouncing around vicariously. The tip of the needle touched her skin. "Sweet dreams," Fraud muttered, prepared to plunge it into the teen's flesh.

The door to the room slammed open with her salvation.

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Author's Note: Damn, this just barely passed 1,000 words. I wasn't sure if it was going to make it that far.

Super angst in this. You're welcome, if you wanted it.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower