The S-Gene (Book 1: Amelia) - COMPLETE

6H45: Blood tests

7H00: Breakfast and medicine

11H45: Blood tests

12h00: Lunch

17h45: Supper

The schedule was set and the same for every day. There was a nice sheet stamped on the wall in case she forgot. Because the three copies she had been given so far might get lost. The blood tests were always done before a meal, except for supper which didn’t have any. No one had given her an explanation for that and she hadn’t asked.

Plus, she had something else on her mind.

The darn clock indicated 6H35 in bright red letter and it drove her to the brink of insanity. Amelia had almost watched every fucking minute tick away. Every time she closed her eyes, a sense of paranoia crept up on her, making her feel like she was being watched.

As if that wasn’t enough, she’d even gone to the window a few times, peeling the curtains just enough to see outside, but not enough to give away herself, and yet nothing. The streets were empty - except for a few men patrolling once in a while - and the street lamps were casting a light over the sidewalks.

It was normal.

Everything was normal. Except her.

Now, in twenty minutes, some nurse would barge in and take her blood. Meanwhile, she would look like a freaking raccoon. She banged her head against her pillow a few times, silently praying it might knock her out but it did not.

She couldn’t keep this up. She couldn’t stay awake for 2 months straight. She couldn’t be scared to look out the window. It wouldn’t work.

Maybe she could go home. Amelia considered everything she had given up to come here, how difficult it might be to climb back up without the money but… for her sanity it might be better. Something was amiss and this place gave her the creeps.

She was not in the mood to speak with Veronica again - or whoever would have the pleasure of serving the front desk today. She would wait for the nurse who would be here soon. They might be more logical and easier to speak with and she could share her concerns and ask to withdraw.

Amelia pushed the blankets off her body, planting her feet on the cold ground. At this rate, she didn’t have time to shower before the nurse’s arrival. How was it that she was up the entire night, and yet couldn’t manage to be ready on time?

Where the heck had she put her hairbrush?

Her bra?

As her eyes scurried the room, she was startled by a loud bang on the door. Already? She grabbed a yellow t-shirt to slip on top of her tank top and rushed to the door. Shouldn’t they be on time rather than early?

Amelia swung the door open, revealing a petite woman behind the door. Brown hair slicked back into a bun, and large black-framed glasses covered her brown eyes. “Miss Parks?”

“That’s me.”

“I’m Allison. If I may come in, I’m here for the blood tests.”

She didn’t want to do any of this anymore, but she did have to let her in if she wanted to talk to her. “Sure,” she replied, moving out of the way to let her enter. She couldn’t help herself and took a quick glance outside to ensure no one was around.

Yep, she definitely needed to leave this place. It was turning her into a basket case.

Allison didn’t need to scan the room; she knew exactly where she was heading. Perhaps all the houses had the same layout? She sat down on one of the brown leather chairs and opened a small plastic container that held vials and needles. She put down three yellow folders next to it before she began prepping.

Now would be a good time to stop her.

“Excuse me?”

“Yes?”

“I, well, you see. Actually. What happened was… Hm, what I wanted to know, is if I changed my mind about the trial, how would that work?”

“Change your mind?”

“Yes, I’d like to go home.”

The nurse’s lips were stretched into a thin line and Amelia found herself taking a step back, uncertain as to which reaction to expect from her.

“Why would you like to go home?”

She assumed that I’m going crazy and this place is creepy as fuck wouldn’t be the best answer. “I’m not sure it’s for me…”

Allison tilted her head to the side. “Please sit,” she asked, gesturing to the chair in front of her.

Amelia’s steps were slow paced as she did as asked.

“Are you nervous? Perhaps certain things are making you anxious?”

The short version of it, but yes. “Sorta.”

She smiled at her. “This is why we do this trial here. You see, we take you out of your environment, we take away any and all security blankets. No phones, unknown house, strange schedule… never knowing what to expect. This is part of the trial. We have to test the medicine and what best way to do so than when your anxiety is at its peak?”

It wasn’t… illogical.

And it did work. It made her anxious as fuck. So at least her lie would be unnoticed. Still, it felt a little… weak. Maybe she was the problem. Maybe she was trying to find an issue where there wasn’t one.

Although…

“What about the other people from the other trials?”

“What do you mean?”

“I-someone… visited me yesterday. Ez—Ekeil… Ezekiel! He said he was here for another trial.”

Her smile grew and she nodded. “We have multiple trials involving different types of stress or anxiety. To maximize research, time, and resource we do combine some trials that require the same type of environment.”

Allison reached out, giving her hand a quick squeeze. “How about I make a note of this and we try for a few days and if nothing is helping, we revisit your decision to take part in the trial? Would that be acceptable?”

“Yeah, that works.”

They were raising her anxiety so that they could cure it. A couple of days on the medicine wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“I’ll take your blood, and then I’ll leave you to your meal and the pills. I think they are gonna help this higher level induced anxiety. We hope so. That’s why we are doing this.”

“I hope so too.”

Amelia rolled her shoulders back a few times before stretching out her left arm and laying it flat on the table, ready for the needle.

She could do this. She could do a few days.

***

Allison was right.

Amelia had decided to go for a walk after breakfast, exploring the area. The initial thought was that if she became more familiar with her surroundings, it might be less stressful.

It was working. She was calm. She felt calm.

Relax even.

She could swing her arms, feel the breeze on her face, and enjoy the chirping of the birds. No more racing heartbeat, no more prickling feeling in the back of her neck. Her limbs felt a bit heavy, but maybe that was the tiredness. She had stayed up all night.

The sun was warm on her face, bringing a heat inside of her that radiated through her chest. The air was so light, so pure, it made her breathless. This was a nice place to be. Why did she want to leave it?

She stared ahead, spotting many houses ahead of her. They were all the same. How nice. Did she remember how to get back to hers? Probably. Fourteen! It was house fourteen! It shouldn’t be too hard to locate.

Maybe she could go see Stephanie. She hadn’t seen her since they got split up. Stephanie was nice.

What was the number of her house again…? Ten? Yes, it was ten.

Amelia turned around a few times, trying to orientate herself, but nothing worked. That was silly. She didn’t know this place. How could she possibly make sense of it? If she kept walking, she’d see the numbers on the door, and eventually, it would be enough, wouldn’t it?

She chose a direction and began heading that way.

In the distance, she spotted a familiar hairstyle. White lab coat, brown hair, and large glasses. Allison! She was walking away, chatting away with two other people. She should go see her. She should thank her - she had been right. Thank god she convinced her to give it a few days!

Although her legs felt mushy, Amelia pressed on, attempting to catch up to Allison. How was she so fast? Her speed was no match for the nurse’s speed. As she did her best to reach her, she watched as the file dropped to the ground. Oh no.

None of them appeared to notice as they kept on walking.

Once Amelia reached it, she picked it up and then lifted her head, the file safely in her grasp.

“Allison!”

But her words fell on deaf ears as Allison entered a building, large doors closing behind her. Amelia stared in the distance and then at the file in her hands. On the side, in red, was her name. Oh.

It was hers.

Perfect!

She would give it back later when she would come for her blood tests.

Life was amazing.

***

To open or not to open?

That was the question.

She had made her way back home, never visiting Stephanie. Now that she was back inside, she felt nauseous, the feeling of dread creeping back up. Was it the sunshine that had made her feel so optimistic? She hadn’t encountered anyone strange… Ezekiel hadn’t tried to talk to her again. Or at least she hadn’t spotted him.

All she knew was that she had a killer headache. She pinched the bridge of her nose, her elbows resting on the table. Allison should arrive in a few minutes to take her blood again and she was dying to ask her for an aspirin.

Actually.

What she truly wanted was to browse that file.

She had thought nothing of it initially, but now… her fingers were tingling and her curiosity was winning the battle. It had her name on it - so really, it wouldn’t be doing anything illegal, would it?

Unless there was information she wasn’t supposed to know? What if she had a placebo… no she was already screwing with their trial anyway. That she knew or not wouldn’t do much for them. She could keep on pretending.

Amelia stretched her arm across the table, her fingertips gliding against the wood until they brushed up the folder. One tiny peek. It wouldn’t hurt. She lifted the edge, flipping it open. There, staring at her, was her photo in the corner, alongside a detailed sheet of her information.

Normal.

They did need this. These were the questions she asked her, alongside her blood results. Boring. She was about to convince herself to close it when she noticed the sheets under hers were also thick in the top right corner. As if they were more photos.

Amelia frowned as she reached for the edge, and lifted the first page. Startled, she nearly allowed the sheet to slip from her fingers. Was that… A picture of Ezekiel… why was there a picture of him in her file?

Her eyes traveled down the page, searching for any kind of logical answer but her vision was blurry. Her heart was in her throat, her stomach in knots as she felt the sweat build up on her digits. Why?

There, in bold red color, were very confusing words.

MATCH 80.5%

Match? Match for what?

And there were more pages beneath his. Other photos?

Bang! Bang!

Oh fuck.

Amelia jumped up, dropping the file on the table. Shit. Allison was here. She shoved the pages back in with trembling fingers, trying to re-arrange it as neatly as it was prior to her discovery. Oh fuck, oh fuck. WHAT THE FUCK?!

She squeezed her eyes shut, waves of body tremors overcoming her. Amelia’s breaths were raspy as she brought her fists to the sides of her head, holding it. Okay. Okay. There had to be a logical explanation. There had to be. Her chin and lips were trembling as she resisted the urge to crumble to the ground.

“Miss Parks?”

Answer the door. She had to answer the door.

Get yourself together Amelia.

What was she going to do with the file? Should she give it back? Should she hide it? Even if she told Allison that she found it and never opened it, would she believe her? Probably not. If she would not believe the lie, it was best if she kept it.

That way, she would be able to keep looking at it once the blood tests were done.

Yes, she would hide it.

Amelia grabbed it off the table and threw it in her bedroom - under the pillow - before slamming her bedroom door shut. “Coming,” she shouted, her voice trembling.

Now she had to act normal and innocent in front of Allison. She couldn’t let her see that something was wrong.

She smoothened the wrinkles in her plaid shirt before taking long strides. Once she reached the door, she took a deep breath, hoping it might calm her, and then she opened the door wide. Allison was smiling at her on the other side, files in her hands along with the kit from the morning.

Maybe she didn’t know? Maybe she hadn’t noticed?

“Good afternoon. How are you feeling? Much better than earlier I hope?”

She nodded. “I-do. You, hm you were right.”

“Wonderful. Shall we?”

“Y-yes.”

She followed her back to the table and they both sat across from each other. Allison didn’t speak a word as she prepped her, wrapping her arm, and cleaning the area… Nothing, not a word. Even after the three vials were filled to the brim, she didn’t say anything.

“Is-is that it?”

“We’re done until tomorrow!”

A few more seconds and Allison would be out of here. Then she would be able to go back to her room and read the file properly. Perhaps it would explain something? Anything? She needed this to make sense.

“Great.”

Allison packed away her supplies, and then rose to her feet. “Oh, do you think I could get the file back?”

Her heart dropped to her stomach.

“The file?”

Allison threw her hands up. “I’m a bit of a klutz. I seem to have dropped it outside earlier. Thankful, I checked the security cameras, and saw you picked it up.”

Drops of sweat dripped down Amelia’s neck as her smile faltered. Fuck. Allison’s smile had moved or twitched but she could tell. She was giving her the chance to return it. She knew she was withholding it from her.

She swallowed hard, her mouth pasty as she rose on wobbly legs. “Right! You know, I brought it home thinking I’d give it to you at lunch and it slipped my mind. I guess we’re both klutzes.” She tried to laugh, she did, but instead, nervousness bubbled out of her.

There was no way Allison was buying it.

She was filled with a strong instinct for flight as she marched toward her bedroom. Would there be consequences? Maybe they would let her go. Maybe they would say she was not fit for the trial. Whatever the fuck this was.

Because she had yet to figure out why Ezekiel’s picture - and others - were in her file. There was no point in confronting Allison… she wouldn’t tell her. She would give her an answer, but she knew deep inside it wouldn’t be the right answer.

Parting ways was better.

She snatched the file from under her pillow and walked back to the kitchen where Allison was waiting for her. She was standing, halfway between the kitchen table and the door, a smile on her face. It used to be a friendly smile but now it was unnerving.

“Here you go, sorry again.”

“No problem, it happens,” she dismissed as she took it from her. “Glad to have it back so we can keep going with the trial.”

“R-right.”

Nothing?

“I’ll see you tomorrow before breakfast then.”

“Yup! Bright and early.”

Amelia watched as Allison walked out of the house, silently closing the door behind her. Bile rose in her throat, burning on its way up.

She knew. Not only did she know, but she also found out that Amelia was willingly keeping it away from her.

Yet nothing.

Not a word, no punishment, no warning.

Somehow, that was worse than what she had glanced upon in the file.

She had to leave. Tonight.

This time, she wasn’t asking for permission.

***

Now or never.

Amelia put her back to her front door, glancing at the dark streets. She had almost left everything behind; she couldn’t be bothered to get slowed down by luggage. Plus, it would attract their attention to her.

That was the last thing she needed.

She read through the pamphlets and schedules and nothing said she couldn’t walk around at night. There were no curfews. Nothing. Granted it was midnight, meaning the number of people out and about would be minimal.

It was insane.

She didn’t know the patrol’s schedules, the path they took…

But she couldn’t afford to wait.

They knew or thought she knew something. Something big enough that they pretended all was fine. There was no way all was fine. Why act the way they had? It only fed the initial bad feeling she had since day one.

Leaving this place was her priority.

Amelia figured the best starting spot was where the bus had dropped them off. It had come from somewhere - a road… She could walk it. Hitchhike maybe? Didn’t sound like the best idea but it was all she had for now. She’d walk until she’d get reception on her cellphone and then… she would call someone.

Someone would come for her.

The police maybe?

It wasn’t a kidnapping. It wasn’t like anyone said she couldn’t leave…

Yes, she could still perhaps ask to leave. Yet, deep down, she had a feeling it would lead to more discussion and not a lot of leaving. She tried to calm herself by reminding her panicked brain that if they were holding people against their will, someone would have caught on by now.

She hadn’t found anything.

She had researched them before coming. No scandal, no missing people reports… nothing on the web.

Still, it was hard to ignore her instincts and the way they were screaming at her. Worst case, they would find her as she tried to leave, and then… she would tell whoever that she was getting the fuck out.

That was Plan B.

She was hoping to slip away without having to get to that plan.

Amelia began walking as normally as she could, keeping her pace normal. If she walked too fast, someone might wonder. Slow and steady. She kept repeating these words in her head with each step she took, praying that no one would notice the trembling of her shoulders.

She tried to remember the way to the front, taking a few wrong turns, but eventually, she found herself in the open, the same area where this nightmare had begun. The only downside was that she could not see a proper road. There was an area where the bus could have driven but…

Nothing.

Her skin prickled, the hair standing up as she tried to spot possible exits.

Nothing. There was nothing.

What could she do?

Press on? Look further? See if there was something she was missing in the semi-darkness? Should she go back? Wait for the morning and demand to be taken back home? Should she try to find someone else? Maybe talk to Stephanie? They were strangers, but she might have noticed something too.

This plan was too frail, too weak. She didn’t have enough resources or information. She thought - she thought she’d get to this point and it would become clear and obvious but it hadn’t.

She would have to go back and spend the night trying to figure this out. The headaches, the dizziness, nausea, and the lack of sleep were interfering with her clear thinking. She was sluggish, slower than usual.

But how could she rest?

Still. She had to go back. Fuck.

“A little late for a night stroll, isn’t it, Amelia?”

Her breathing ceased, her chest expanded and her hands crisped into fists. She’d heard that voice already; long drawn-out words in a low tone with a hint of an accent. Ezekiel. She wanted to turn around but she found that her body wouldn’t allow her to move.

Cold hands gripped her shoulders, holding her into place.

“Are you lost?”

Speak. Say something. Anything.

“No.” One quick breath. “I was walking. Fresh air. Could you… could you let go?”

She felt his chest pressing against her back as he leaned into her. Locks of hair brushed her ear. “I do have one minor issue with your request Amelia. I fear that if I release you, you will disappear.”

He knew what she was trying to do. What was he? Some kind of watchdog sent to spy on her? Why did he know she was here? She had been extra paranoid, watching around her like a hawk. She hadn’t even heard a leaf rustle.

How had he gotten so close to her, so quietly?

“I just wanna go home.”

“Hm, and which home are you referring to in this case?”

“The- the house. Over there.” Her home. Her real home. Far away from here.

He flicked his tongue against his teeth, and then she felt his nose on the juncture of her neck, forcing her to stiffen. “Miss Parks, your rapid heartbeat would lead me to believe you are lying to me. It seems Allison was correct in her assumptions.”

The nurse…

“I am awfully sorry that we are getting acquainted in these circumstances.”

What circumstances?

Ezekiel did not give her a chance to answer as she felt a hand clamp up on her mouth and nose. She gaped against the cold, icy palm, but no air passed through. Oh god. Oh god.

“Shh, shh. It will be alright. Give in to it,” he whispered in her ear.

No. No.

Her heartbeat raced, her heart threatening to explode as she kicked her limbs around, hoping to break free of his hold. Her adrenaline spiked, her stomach rock hard. He was too strong. All he had was one hand on her and she couldn’t break free.

As the air in her body became scarce, her motions became jerky, her limbs becoming heavier and heavier with each second ticking by. She tried to hold on as a blanket of darkness wrapped itself around her.

She screamed, but no sounds came out.

The last of her air.

Please.