Getting up after a tiring sleep, I kissed my daughter on the forehead before starting my workout. The Scientist was considerate enough to lend me a few gym equipments that I could use to pass my time here. It was a splendid installation to this boring chamber as I could pass enough time and stay occupied whilst also planning my escape. As I worked out, I watched my daughter lay there peacefully. A small smile filled my face watching her. Memories of our happy family flashed in my mind.
I still remember the moment Alissa was born. Our first child. The joy me and my wife and I felt was something unlike any other. The moment we found out that she was pregnant, life felt complete. It was as if God had rewarded us for all our struggles in life and blessed us with our very own child. I think it was from that day onwards that I decided to never allow my children's smiles to disappear. I would make sure that I would be able to fulfil their lives so that they never even come close to sadness. And yet, I allowed her to end up in such a situation. My beautifully innocent daughter, placed in such a vile place, was something I could never allow. I failed, as a human and, more importantly, as a father.
Hanging my head in shame, I sat on the bench thinking of ways to free my daughter from these shackles. Sweat poured down my face from the intense workout as I drowned in my thoughts. I knew that he was watching me from the faint humming escaping the speaker. His voice brought me immense anger. All I wanted was to beat him up so bad to the point that he could no longer move a single inch of his body. The pain that he had placed on my daughter had removed him from any chance of forgiveness.
If I look at everything at hand, I can formulate a plan well enough so that I can escape this place. My only chance is to find an exit during the night. I am positive that he does not watch us during the night as he also has things outside of watching us to do. The only problem is the footprints. Some are inhumanely big, whilst others tiny. Whoever or whatever this thing always comes at night when we are asleep and does something that I have no clue about. At times, I have attempted to fake my sleep and stay awake, but he is always one step ahead as he sends out sleeping gas to knock me out. I have to somehow trick him into thinking I am asleep whilst preparing myself for the gas as well. This is very tough. How am I supposed to pull off something so impossible?
As I stroked my beard, I looked around the room, trying to find any valuable objects that could aid me. In the corner of the room were my photos with my family and in beside me was the giant mirror. Standing in front of it, I could see my well-toned, muscular body. My beard had become scruffy and overgrown, and my hair smelled. I grabbed the corner of the mirror and began to pull on it, trying to see if anything was behind it, but it didn't budge. Next, I walked towards the unusual odour that I had discovered beforehand and continued to rip through the fabric that covered it. Continuous strain on the cotton had made it much easier to pull apart. Bit by bit, I was able to remove layers of the cotton as I could feel I was getting close to whatever that unusual odour is. I sat for an hour ripping away like a madman, my arms becoming sore from the continuous stimulus it gained from the intense workout I was doing. My fingers started to feel numb as I knew I couldn't continue for much longer. By now, I had ripped around three layers of cotton from the wall, but looking at it, it seemed as if there were still a hundred more layers to go. After my arms finally gave up, I sat beside Alissa, who was still asleep, and contemplated more about ways to overcome the gas. The wet footprints had finally started to disappear from the floor now, and I watched to see any patterns.
Two people. One with massive feet and one with small feet. Judging the distance between each step, it seemed as if they were following a certain path. As if they were coming and leaving from different areas!
Standing up, I began to mimic the footprints I had seen. I started with the bigger ones at first. It started or ended at the left wall. I placed my feet on it and realised how gigantic it really is.
Okay, two steps forward. Then, right and take three steps. Continue right with two more steps before turning left and going three more steps. Right five more times and then left for two steps.
Right, left, right, left, left, right.
Two steps, five steps, three steps, one step, one step, four steps.
And then the footprints disappeared, probably due to the heating that evaporated all the wetness of the floor. I still didn't know where it started or ended as the point I started could have been either of the two options. Oddly, I still hadn't crossed the halfway point of the room yet, meaning that whatever path it was following must have been huge and very complicated. Grabbing my notebook that was given to me, I drew a map of the room, taking into account the mirror and the pile of phots as well as labelling the cotton fabric and drew out the path for the giant footprints. Placing my notebook down, I started the path for the smaller footprints. The footprints started or ended from the opposite side of the larger footprints. Unsurprisingly, these started from where the cotton fabric was.
I knew that this thing was important. Now it's time to see how far these footprints get me. Okay, four steps forward. Then, he left and took three steps. Continue left with four more steps before turning right and going six more steps. Right ten more times and then left for four steps.
Left, right, left, right, right, left.
Four steps, ten steps, six steps, two steps, two steps, four steps.
And just like before, the footprints disappeared, and unsurprisingly, I had only made it halfway. Rushing to my notebook, I wrote down the path for the smaller footprints as well. Looking through everything, I could start to see some kind of pattern that followed.
If I formulate an equation, then I could likely predict the next steps that would come, and then I would be able to figure out the rest of the path without needing the missing footprints. But I shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet and so I should wait a day or two and see if any new footprints pop up. Alissa really is a heavy sleeper. After all that noise, she still hasn't woken up. Well, I should let her rest and get her energy back.
After I had mapped out everything in the room, I rummaged through the photos that were piled up, sorting them out neatly. Looking at the pictures of my kids and my wife, I couldn't help but smile. A small tear escaped my eyes as I thought about all of our wonderful memories. Brushing my hand over the photos, I prayed that everything was alright back home. Suddenly, I felt arms wrap around my neck from behind, squeezing me into a tight hug. Looking back, I saw Alissa half asleep with a huge smile on her face.
"Morning, Daddy." She mumbled.
"Morning, sweetie." I replied before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "How was your sleep?"
"It was nice." She spoke. "What are you doing?"
"Looking at our photos, come here and look."
She sat on my lap as we went through all the photos, talking about all the memories we had and everything that happened on that day. We talked for what seemed like hours about our past experiences with immense joy. After a while, Alissa started to feel drowsy and so went back to sleep.
"What a cute bond you two have." He spoke.
"What do you want?" I asked coldly.
"Just checking in."
"I have a question." I spoke.
"What is it?"
"Have you ever thought of having children."
"No." he said plainly.
"How come?"
"Well, I never really thought about the idea of settling down and having kids. I've devoted most of my life to science, and I don't know much outside of it. Science fulfils me where love couldn't. It is all I need."
"I used to be like that. All I ever thought of was my business and getting wealthier. I couldn't care less about relationships or love. I drowned myself into work and brought the business to a point my father never could. I had everything. But for some reason, I felt...incomplete. Like there was something missing in my life. And then I met my wife. And then we had Alissa. And for the first time in my life, I felt fulfilled. The idea of having children seemed like a far-fetched dream. But..." I paused and stared at Alissa.
"...when she came into my life, everything felt so much better. That wealth I had accumulated for so long finally gained purpose. My business, my reputation, my fame, and all of it became important. I wanted to become better for her. And then my other daughter came around, and I worked even harder. Children are a blessing. You never know whether you want one or not beforehand, but as soon as they pop into your life, everything seems to have a purpose. You start to strive for money and fame for them. You work harder day and night just for their happiness. No matter how tough life gets, they become your hope, and you feel as if you can do everything. I pity you for not being able to experience such a miracle." I continued my voice soft and calm.
"Maybe you are right. But I do not have any experience in that field, so I can not know that you speak the truth. To be honest, I never really found love all that exciting. In times in my life, I had fallen for someone, but that vanished. It could never last. That ecstasy that I felt was only for a short period. I couldn't trust in something like that. And that was when I found science. A whole new aspect and way of thinking. Everything started to make sense. All my feeling and emotions, all my questions and thoughts, all the unexplainable mysteries of the universe, they all made sense. Science gave me a purpose. A reason to live. Meaning to my once meaningless existence. I guess that is where we differ." He spoke, but I could sense some kind of sadness in his voice.
"You told me that no matter how beneficial the greater good is for humanity, it is worth nothing if achieved through the suffering of a child. So that means you do care for children. You just fear the responsibilities of having one."
"Fear? I never thought of it like that." He said, chuckling. "I guess you might be onto something. But I've always had a soft spot for children. I care for them. They have no business to suffer for man's problems. All they are are innocent souls trapped in a corrupted world. I want to protect those smiles that they have. Those hopes and inspirations bubbled away in their minds. I may be a monster, but even a monster knows where to draw the line. Some just draw a line much further than others." He said softly.
"Then promise me that no matter what you do to me, you won't hurt my daughter."
"I promise."
"Thank you." I said, smiling.
"But I must warn you. There are monsters in this facility that do not draw the same line as I do. I vow not to harm your daughter, but I can not control everything. There are some monsters in this universe far beyond my hold. Do not forget about them. Believe that those monsters exist. And fear them." He said, sounding almost like a threat.
"Don't worry about that. A father fears no one when their children's lives are at stake. I do fear things. But monsters are not one of them." I replied.
"Well then, let us see how true that is, Harold. What will you do for love?" He said psychotically.
"Bring your monsters. You'll get your answer afterwards." I said boldly.
He let out a mocking laugh before leaving me alone. For a while, all I did was watch my daughter as she slept peacefully. I watched and watched and watched, making sure that not even a fly would be able to harm her. After a while, I made my way to the cotton fabric and started ploughing away at it. Using immense force, I managed to rip up a few more layers of it, but as I stared deep into it, I could tell I wasn't even halfway there. After a day of working, I fell asleep besides my daughter anticipating the footsteps that will be left for me tomorrow. Waking up, my eyes were wide open as I couldn't believe my eyes. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. No footprints, not even the slimmest signs of wetness on the floor.
Did he catch on already? So, what do I do now? I don't know. Maybe, maybe I need to trust my gut now. That's the only option I have left. I have to guess. I sat beside my daughter, who was still asleep, and grabbed my notebook. Flipping through the pages, I analysed all the different patterns that could possibly be. My eyes darted across the pages as I flipped rapidly between them. Any clues. Anything. Give me something. One clue. Please. The footprints. They follow a pattern. The smaller ones are double the bigger ones. Which makes sense as more steps are taken to cross a distance if you are smaller, unless you take bug strides. But I can't base anything else. Maybe they repeat the same steps?
I stood up and repeated the same steps for the larger footprints. And I reached the cotton fabric. When I did the same thing for the smaller steps, I reached the point where the bigger steps started. But something didn't feel right. Deep down, there was something bugging me.
I have checked countless times for anything that could be behind that wall. But it isn't hollow. There could not be absolutely anything there. I'm missing something. Steps. Patterns. Footprints. Path. Exit. Wait, exit? Could they both possibly leave through the same exit? Hmm, what place could lead to an exit. Something right in front of my eyes, but you would never doubt.
I stared across the room, looking for anything, and that was when my brain clicked.
Of course! How could I be so blind? The mirror!
Standing up, I rushed towards the mirror, looking around it to see anything unusual. Because it was glued to the wall, it was much harder to look behind, but if I squinted my eyes exactly right, I could see a small gap between the mirror and the wall. But my fingers wouldn't fit through. And nor would Alissa's. Sitting in front of the mirror, I stared at my reflection for a while. I stared and stared and started trying to find some way around this dire situation. Getting up, I knocked the glass for a while.
Hollow!
I thought to myself, feeling ecstatic. My suspicions were right. I prepared myself as I moved out of harms way and threw a punch right into the middle of the glass. Expecting to hit a concrete wall on the other side, I braced my knuckles for the pain. But there was no wall. I moved my arms around, and whatever was on the other side had space to go into. Looking through the middle of the mirror, I saw a dark room on the other side. The corridor seemed to stretch for miles, but because it was dark, I could not make an accurate judgment. I continued to break down the glass bit by bit, so I didn't injure myself until the mirror became a door to the other side. A huge smile filled my face as I had discovered our way out.
Waking up Alissa, we carefully entered the hidden doorway and made our way into the dark unknown. Alissa held onto my arm tighter than ever, and I could sense that she was scared. Giving out a smile, I patted her head as I tried to calm her down. We walked for ages to the point that Alissa's legs could not take any more stress. Picking her up, I continued to walk down, not knowing where I was headed. After an eternity, I could see a faint light in the distance. It was small but bright enough to see. Feeling a rush of excitement, I ventured forth towards the light, thinking that it was where our freedom lied.
As I reached the light, it soon morphed into a door. Metallic and rusty. Brushing my hand over it, I tried to find a handle in the darkness. The faint light that I saw came from whatever lay on the other side. But there was no handle. I pushed the door with all my strength, but even that didn't open it. After a while of struggling, I started to hear a low beep. Looking around, in the corner of the wall, I saw what appeared to be a missing code.
A code? Did I miss something? Think, Harold. It must be related to the footprints somehow. But what could it be? How many digits do I need?
Flipping through my notebook by using the light under the door, I looked at all the possible numbers that came up. The only thing I could find was the number of steps taken in each direction. Testing my luck, I typed in all the numbers in order, starting with the large footprints and then adding in the numbers for the small footprints.
Beep.
It was wrong. Flipping through the notebook, I tried the opposite way, staring with the small footprints.
Beep.
Wrong again. I then inputted them separately.
Beep.
Wrong again.
Flipping through the notebook again, I tried to think of what part of the code I needed. I had all the steps that were given to me, but something was missing. Sitting outside the door for a while, I tried to look through every single pattern as carefully as I could whilst Alissa walked around in circles, trying to pass time. Reading the patterns, there was nothing more that I could add to help me with the code. All I had were the steps I wrote the other day.
Maybe it is the last part of both of the two footprints?
I thought to myself. Standing up, I inputted the code carefully.
Two, five, three, one, one, four, four, ten, six, two, two, four.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Well that makes no sense." I said blatantly.
The door slid open as a strong beam of light blinded my eyes. Peaking through my fingertips, I saw another room in front of me. However, it was much brighter. Stepping in, I looked around to see what was happening. Large capsules with weird liquids were stationed around the room. Looking closer at each capsule, I noticed that there were people in them. Living humans. They had a nuzzle placed on their mouths, and it seemed as if they were in a deep sleep. Looking around, there were boards placed next to each capsule, giving information on the person.
Amy Heather. Twenty-six years old.
Shane Dawes. Forty-three years old.
Elizabeth Ray. Thirty-Eight years old.
Harvey Jones. Sixteen years old.
Millie Owls. Twelve years old.
"Hypocrite. First, he says how much he cares for children, and then he experiments on them." I whispered, anger filling my eyes.
Suddenly, the room got darker as it flashed an ominous red colour. The door behind me shut close as I realised that we were trapped in here. Holding Alissa close to me, I looked around, making sure nothing came out and attacked us by surprise. Unexpectedly, smoke emerged out of the walls, filling up the room, making it impossible to see. I instructed Alissa to cover her mouth as I tried to look for an exit.
"So, what are you doing here?" A voice echoed. It was a males, but it wasn't The Scientists.
"Show yourself!" I shouted.
A laugh then echoed afterwards. "Where is the fun in that? You brought a child with you here. How nice. I can add her to my latest collection. Do you like it? The capsules?" He spoke nonchalantly.
"No. How could you do something so horrible? Especially to children?" I said livid.
"Now, now. Why are you getting so worked up? They aren't related to you, so why care?"
"Because they are still people!" I screamed. "Show yourself."
"People? What makes them people? Because they look similar. They have minds. Their mannerisms and behaviours. Their religion. What are people?"
"Don't ask worthless questions. Humans are human, nothing more, nothing less."
"Worthless question? Don't insult me. I ask very important questions. Would you consider a prominent serial killer a human? No, we refer to them as monsters, the devil in human skin. But then again, we also judge people based on their appearances, their religions, their colours. If we are all human and nothing more or nothing less, then why do we have such separations that make us act differently around others? We are all humans, after all."
"That is just people being evil."
"And who gives us the right to choose what the meaning of evil is? We make up these words and give them criteria's but who gave us the right to do so? Foolishness. The same way we don't allow people to control our lives, yet we have governments. See, these people aren't human. They're just creatures waiting to be preyed upon. And I just so happen to be the predator. Nothing more. Nothing less."
"You monster. Do u think that someone's life is worth so little? Who gives you the right to take another's life?" I said, getting angrier by the second.
"Nature. Kill or be killed. Isn't that the way the world works? I just use it more often than others. Because I draw my line much further than most people would."
"I'm going to kill you, you bastard."
"Oh, how scary! Are you really going to, Harold? Well then, why don't you try?"
From the smoke, I could see glowing red eyes emerging out. And in an instance, I knew who it was. My mind flashed back to the first moment we came here. The smoke started to gather around us, and I told Annabeth you stay here with Jolynn as I searched for an exit. And then he came. And attacked me, knocking me out. I remember those eyes. Filled with murderous intent. I wasn't up against a human. It was a monster. The devil himself in human skin. I could feel myself fill with fear, but with Alissa by my side, I remained steady. Clenching my fists, I waited until I got a better view of him. As he emerged out of the smoke, I could see his figure.
He wore a long black coat that reached past his feat and a black mask that covered his mouth. His eyes were glowing blood red as his hair was as white as snow. Looking at him from a stranger's view, you wouldn't expect someone as good looking as him to be such an evil person. He stared at me; his eyes filled with insanity. As I stared longer, I noticed that his pupils were spirals that looped around and around and around. I could tell under his mask that he was smiling.
"We meet again. How long has it been?" He said playfully.
"Shut up." I said as I clenched my teeth and turned my hand into a fist. "Alissa, don't move from here." I said, looking at her. She nodded back, scared.
I rushed towards him, throwing a punch, which he dodged effortlessly. But I didn't stop. I continued to throw a barrage of punches at him, using my brute strength to plough my way through. Punch after punch after punch. But to no avail. He dodged every single one without any effort.
"Aren't you angry?" He said jokingly.
But I ignored him as I kept attacking. Finally, I landed a hit right in the middle of his stomach, sending him flying into the wall. Without giving him a chance to recover, I rushed towards him and continued to pummel him into the ground. My anger took over me as I hit to kill. I punched him nonstop, screaming like a rapid animal. But he didn't react. After a while, he stared at me, and I could tell he was smiling eagerly under the mask. He then kicked me right in my chest, sending me flying back. Alissa screamed at me, but I held my hand up, signalling that I was okay. Getting up, I held onto my chest as I started to breathe heavily.
What kind of hit was that? It had so much power in it.
Looking down for a second, I let down my guard as he capitalised on my lack of focus. He rushed at me instantly, kicking me right in the face and sending me flying across the room. His laugh was maniacal. Even though he was bleeding from his forehead; he enjoyed the violence. I rushed at him, trying to catch him off guard, but he stared at me, his laugh stopping. My body froze as I felt a wave of fear drown me. Without noticing, he sent two punches straight at me and kicked me in the gut. I fell to the floor, coughing up a small amount of blood.
"Already done? You haven't improved since the first time." He said, disappointed.
I took a deep breath before jumping up and punching him straight in the face whilst ripping his mask off. He went flying back onto the floor, landing with a loud thud. My breathing had become heavy as I had taken too many bad hits. He let out a groan before grudgingly standing up to his feet. Letting out a smile, I could see his teeth were pointed like a vampire. He stared at me; his eyes filled with a huge thirst for blood. Not giving him any chance to recover, I rushed at him, screaming loudly.
And then I stopped. I coughed, and I coughed again. And each time I coughed; blood exited my mouth. A small drool of blood flowed out my mouth as I stumbled a bit. I could hear Alissa screaming out, tears in her eyes, but the scream was too quiet. I couldn't hear anything. In front of me, he stood smiling. His pointed teeth sticking out as his eyes gleamed with immense joy. A strand of blood flowing down his forehead and into his mouth. He then started to chuckle and laugh a bit. Looking down, I saw what had happened.
A knife.
I thought to myself. Lodged deep into my stomach, I could feel blood slowly gushing out of my body. My head felt light as I started to flicker in and out of consciousness. My breathing had become erratic as all I could hear were Alissa's wails and cries.
"Ouch." He said mockingly.