A sharp throb spread across my head as I whimpered in my sleep. My breathing slowly picked up its pace from its low, regulated intervals to faster-paced, spontaneous moments. Slowly, my eyes fluttered open as I looked around the place. The glass floor was cold: ice cold. The temperature in the room felt like it had fell drastically as I could see each of my breaths cumulate into the air into a small puff of smoke that after a few moments instantly froze and fell onto the glass shattering.
My cheek, which rested on the floor, throbbed from the freezing contact as I tried to sit up. I tugged against the floor, each tug growing with more force as I tried to remove the contact that my body had with the glass, but my cheek had stuck clean onto the floor. Realising the futility of it, I lay down trying to control my breathing as the temperature continued to drop. From the corner of my eye, I could see frost forming over the walls as my body started to ache from the chilling atmosphere.
In a half drowsy state, my senses had not fully kicked in yet, causing my sensations to be delayed. Moments after, a strong surge channelled through my body as I let out a muffled groan. The pain was excruciating as if a knife had been inserted into my body and slithered inside me like a parasite. My body slowly moved the best it could to respond to the pain, but the glass had frozen the majority of me in place.
In front of me, shards of what was once my breath lay scattered around piling up increasingly. I could feel the cold's effect surging into my brain as my nerves tingled in response. My body became super sensitive as the smallest of movements brought gushing, excruciating ecstasy. My blood flow slowed down as parts of my body started to change into a darker blue shade. My heartbeat slightly lost its rhythm, overtime its normal, usual rhythm had changed into one much more disliked. My brown eyes, once filled with immense life, diluted, losing its spark as the colour became lighter, shifting into a much more khaki appearance.
The constant decrease of temperature had left my body in a semi-paralysed state, only allowing my laboured breathing and the slight shifts of my body position. The mix between the tingling sensation that brimmed deep within my nerves and the excruciating pain of the cold barricaded my mind from any thoughts as I lay there like a wounded dog. The laboured breathing I once held onto now began to fade silently and slowly. The constant reminder of my death slowly approaching felt agonizingly painful. I couldn't decide what was worse. The pain of knowing I was about to die or the anticipation of when I would die.
But I could do nothing about it as I lay down pitifully waiting for my life to be stripped like a piece of cloth. My consciousness began to waver as my breathing was barely a whisper. My arms, once able to move with so much life, now lay dead and lifeless on the cold, sticky glass floor.
I could hear a quiet static noise. My ears were nearly covered in ice, but I could barely make out what was being said. The voice was low, quiet, and comforting. Yet the comfort wasn't for me. It was for the voice. A wicked, selfish comfort. One that boasted pridefully about it. I could tell. Tell that it was pleased with my situation, that my suffering was its ecstasy and that it enjoyed seeing me writhe like an insect.
I knew who that man was, yet I didn't understand why. I gave myself up to him. I submitted it to him. So why? Why was I being punished afterwards? Why was my devotion rewarded with such a cruel fate? And that's when I realised. I understood now what I was doing. I gave myself up, but I forgot what that meant. I became his toy. For the loneliness I felt, the only way to fill it up was to accept whatever he threw at me. I gave my mind and body up to him for that loneliness to disappear.
A single ice tear flowed down my face as shattered onto the floor. My lips quivered as I felt sadness brush over me like the sea covering the sand on a beach. It was only a few moments till I would die. His laughter that had spanned for a few minutes gradually grew quieter and quieter until I heard nothing. Not even my own breathing. I closed my eyes as my body turned blue. I had accepted my fate and shut myself off from the world. And then I blacked out.
My eyes flew wide open as sweat dripped down my face. I lifted myself off the ground as I looked around. My hands squirmed across my body as I let out short gasps of air. I was alive.
How did I not die?
My brain couldn't understand what had happened, but all I knew was that I had not given in to death just yet. Staring around, I was still in my glass room, yet there was no sign of ice or frozen glass anywhere. My hands and body felt perfectly fine, and I could move freely. I stood up as I walked around.
In the corner of the room was a pair of unusually odd-looking shoes. I could not identify the material, yet it looked something similar to wood. Making my way to it, I picked them up and held them in my hands. They were rough. The texture had bumps all around it, shifting and changing like mountains. The soles had intricate patterns that looked beautiful. Animals carved into it with the finest of details as my finger ran through the cracks smoothly.
Placing them back down, I walked around my room looking to see if anything had changed. The temperature had risen immensely from what it was before, and I could feel the warm heat blowing onto my face. I let out a small, soft smile of content as I inhaled deeply before exhaling out the warm air. My body felt full of energy as I strolled across my room.
After a few minutes, I sat down onto the glass floor, tugging slightly onto my white dress. Sweat slowly dripped from my head as I felt the air become warmer and warmer.
Why is it so warm all of a sudden? Something must have gone wrong.
As I stood up, I could feel the glass beneath me slowly starting to heat up. I winced out softly in pain as I struggled to move. My feet began to throb from the heat as I could feel the temperature slowly rising up. Sweat continued to drip down my face, growing in size. The pain grew by an inch as the glass started to glow. My feet began to sizzle under the glass as I could hear the smell of burning flesh slowly overriding the room. Covering my nose, I ran towards the shoes I had left in the corner of the room and swiftly put them on.
Surprisingly, the shoes material was well equipped as the burning glass had no effect on the soles. I let out a small sigh of relief that was quickly extinguished by the intense increase of the temperature. On the side walls, parts of the glass slowly began to melt off. Avoiding the liquid glass that oozed across the floor, I made my way back to the middle to safety.
The temperature here is far cooler than the corners. Looks like he has regulated the air to have irregular temperatures in the room. He's toying with me.
I clenched my fist and grit my teeth as I saw how easily I was being tossed around.
It's frustrating, the lack of morality and care that he had for other humans was frustrating, giving in to him was frustrating, letting myself be captivated by his words and speeches was frustrating, leaving my family for this nonsense was frustrating. All of it. Everything was frustrating. But the thing that frustrates me most was my ability to give up so easily. When things got rough, I ran, and now when things are rough and I have nowhere to run to, I had no idea what to do.
My brain shut down as I broke up. So, I crouched down and covered my head into my legs, closing my eyes and giving up.
Just how I always used to. Nothing changed about me. That talk with my younger self. I didn't change from back then. I had never changed. All the things I thought became better were nothing more than an illusion. A façade, a cheap charade. I was still the same frightful, useless little girl I was all those years ago. I just grew up on the outside.
Slowly, tears dripped from my face as I began to weep. I cried and cried and cried. The futility of my situation was depressing, and I knew it. Suddenly, I heard a static sign coming from the speak. Wiping my tears, I listened in on what was being said as I waited for him to laugh at my situation.
"J...Jol...Jolynn yo...you ok...ay. We... weird I...in...interference, signal n...not working."
And then the voice went. I stared at the speaker, confused as to what had just happened.
Why did he sound concerned? What was going on? Was this not his doing?
I couldn't understand what was happening as I looked around the liquid, inching its way towards me. I was surrounded by all sides, making any opening for escape impossible. My mind went back to his message as I started to wonder what was truly happening.
If all this wasn't his doing, then what happened? What was going on? Did someone break in? Did something malfunction?
I couldn't understand it, but I knew it was too late for me anyway. I was encircled. So, I went back to my cowardly position as I shut my eyes close, giving in to my death.
And then, I heard a faint hiss.
A hiss from some sort of pipe.
And then I was washed with a hint of air.
And then gas.
And the gas filled the room instantly as quick as a flash.
It was silent and quick.
Like a snake slithering across the floor.
A huge wave gushed and filled the room, freezing all the liquid around me. The entire room was covered in ice as my shoes were frozen to the ground. Lifting my head up, the room had changed into a light blue. I shuddered from the cold, but I was thankful to still be alive. Everything happened so quickly that my mind didn't have enough time to register it all. I stayed there blinking blankly, trying to figure out what just happened.
But before long, I heard another gust of wind approaching. All of a sudden, it struck straight into my face, shooting my head back as it entered into my nostrils. My eyes twitched before rolling back as my eyes shut. My shoes still frozen to the ground kept me in my crouched position as my body recoiled back to the position I was seconds ago, and my head drooped down. My mind shut off as I fell unconscious.
When I awoke, I found myself lying in a bed. Slowly, I sat myself up as the towel the draped across my forehead fell onto the blanket. Looking around, I was still in my glass room, but everything had returned back to its normal state. There was no liquid, no ice, or any cracks. The temperature had become stable, and a cool breeze flowed across the room.
I leaned against the wall as I let out a small sigh. My body had recovered rather quickly as my limbs moved properly. I shut my eyes as I basked in the peace and tranquillity as I replayed my prior events in my head.
What the hell happened? That was way too fast. What happened to The Scientist? Is he...alright? Wait, why do I care? He brought me here. He put me in this state. But...he promised to never leave me alone. Right? He was the one who saved me, didn't he? But was he not the one who started it all? This doesn't make any sense. I need answers. Right now.
As I opened my eyes, I heard the walls move. Slowly, a small entrance opened up as a figure stepped out. My eyes shot wide open as I watched a man walk out, his black hair drooping down his forehead as he wore goggles that covered his eyes. A shade of red glowed from the reflection of the goggle as he walked with such confidence and authority that I did not dare move. He wore a black mask that covered his mouth, making it hard to make out any noticeable features of his face. His white lab coat stretched down to the floor dragging behind him as he wore black boots that let out a loud thud with every step.
He made his way towards a wall before placing his hand on it. As I watched, the wall shifted and moved apart, revealing a hidden compartment. From within, he grabbed a chair and walked towards me, the wall before him closing momentarily. As he sat down, he stared at me deeply.
Even though his eyes were covered by his goggles, I could feel him staring deep into my soul, his gaze crawling all over my body, making me flinch subconsciously. His mask moved as I could tell he was smiling. Awkwardly, I let out a smile back, feeling uncomfortable.
For a brief moment, we sat there in silence. I didn't dare to speak as I feared the worst would happen to me. His presence was suffocating yet so calm. It messed with my brain signals and emotions as I had no clue on how to react to him. And then he spoke, his voice soft, slightly deep and friendly with an underlying hint of authority.
"I believe this is the first time we have ever met face to face. I am The Scientist. Nice to meet you, Ms. Parker."
My eyes flew wide open as I could not believe what he had just said. The man that had brought me to this place against my will, who had tortured me as well as Harold and Annabeth, was sitting right in front of me so casually. Yet, he was also the man who saved me from my loneliness. I had no idea how to feel of him. Whether to be angry or thankful. Whether he was my saviour or oppressor.
"I expected that you would still be as cheerful and loud as you usually are. I hope that I have not frightened you in any way." He continued his voice eerily comfortable.
"N...No." I spoke hesitantly. "I'm just nervous."
"Well, it is to be expected. After all, we have never truly met in person. And I wouldn't expect you to be so carefree with the person who trapped you here. Alas, we can focus on those things another time." He replied with a smile. His mannerisms displayed his high intellect and high position. He had this confidence with him that felt as if he could never be toppled by anyone.
"Why are you here?" I asked quietly.
"To check up on you." He replied.
"So, you didn't do all that. That freezing and heating of the room?" I questioned, not buying his sympathy.
"Of course not! Why would I ever place you under such circumstances that would risk your life, my dear? You are my subject. It is my duty to take care of you to the very best of my abilities." He exclaimed.
"How do I know you are telling the truth? Can we really have trust when you are so concealed." I questioned, regaining my confidence more.
He let out a small smile before removing his mask from his mouth, revealing his pink lips. Afterwards, he slowly lifted his goggles of his face, revealing his burning red eyes. I stared at his face in awe, my eyes not able to move away from him. He looked so beautiful. His face was prettier than anything I had seen in my life.
As he stared at me with those red eyes, I felt myself captivated without escape. His eyes burnt with passion engulfing my own brown eyes. I sat there frozen in time, staring at his face with immense intent, my eyes never blinking for a second in fear that I would miss the glow of his eyes.
"You seem occupied. Is there something on my face?" He asked, smiling, breaking the silence.
"N...No." I said, coming back to my senses as my cheeks lightly flushed into a pink colour.
"Are you sure? You seemed quite captivated by something on my face." He replied.
"Just, your eyes...I haven't seen anything like them. They're beautiful." I replied in awe.
"Why, thank you so much. I have never enjoyed my appearance much, but hearing people complement me from time to time feels comforting." He replied back, chuckling a bit.
"Why? What's wrong with your appearance? It is so perfect. Why dislike it?" I asked.
He shifted in his seat uncomfortably as if positioning himself to the right place to speak. He let out a small sigh as his voice grew exceptionally quieter, contrasting his immense confidence prior.
"This face, these eyes, they remind me...of my mother. Every time I glance upon them in any reflection, it throws me back to her. Her smile, her face, her softness. My heart aches whenever I remember such things. And it reminds me of her eyes the moment she died. How lifeless they were. How the burning passion within them evaporated, leavening behind nothing but empty, soulless eyes. It is sickening. A constant reminder to that painful past that I have tried forever long to bury." He spoke with great sadness.
I placed my hand onto his and let out a small smile, trying to comfort him. He looked at me, surprised by the gesture, but soon let out a small signalling his thanks for my sympathy. I felt immense sadness for his pain. My mind forgot who he was as all I could think of was that another person was suffering in front of me. And I could never allow that. I held onto his hand tightly as I patted his head. His hair was fluffy like a rabbit as my hand brushed across it smoothly.
"For a child, you do act bigger than your age." He spoke softly.
"Well, when you are forced to become better, you learn a thing or two." I replied.
"You truly are marvellous, Ms Parker." He spoke.
"Please, call me Jolynn." I replied quickly.
"As you wish...Jolynn." He answered.
Hearing him say my name in person played greatly with my heart. I couldn't help but smile back as my heart began to thump with happiness. Sitting up, I stared down at the blanket and played with my fingers as I felt my cheeks heat up. Every time I looked up, I found myself caught into his red eyes, and whenever I looked away, I could feel his gaze floating over me. It felt thrilling.
Having someone pay that much attention felt amazing. It may have been because of his profession and the fact that his whole purpose was to pay attention to every minor detail, but even then, I enjoyed his gaze. His company. His acknowledgement. After a while, my mind struck back to what had occurred before as I readied myself to question him about it.
"What... What was that before? What happened to my room?" I asked.
"I am not sure. I had locked my controls room and left for a while, and by the time I came back, I had seen that someone had tampered with the buttons. When I looked on the camera, I saw you running around your room. It was odd as you had never done anything without a cause, so as I dived further, I noticed that the temperatures had been tampered with. I have no clue who had done such a thing, and I have no clue how they managed to break in." He explained.
I looked at him, trying to find any stops, any hints at him lying. But I could find none. Everything he told seemed like the truth to me. His eyes never wavered, his gaze never breaking and his confidence not dropping in the slightest. My face unintentionally softened as I smiled back to acknowledge that he was telling the truth. He replied back with a smile, my hand squeezing his tighter than before. Even though deep down I felt fear of his presence, the comfort I felt was much vaster than that.
"So, who could have done such a thing?" I asked.
"I am not sure." He replied. "But there is something I should tell you."
I sat forward, positioning myself to listen to what he was about to say.
"This same thing happened with Annabeth. When I had left my controls room for a while, I came back to Annabeth screaming and squirming on the floor in great agony, so I rushed to her room as quickly as I could. Afterwards, I found out that someone had placed her into a dream. One that I could not look into nor one that I had control of." He elaborated.
"Is... Is she alright now?" I asked concerned.
"She is in a sort of coma." He replied quietly.
My face fell as I hung my head. My pupils darted around my eyes as I could not believe what I was hearing.
Annabeth is in a coma. How? How long has she been like this?
Multiple thoughts crossed my mind as I tried to wrap myself around what had just been revealed.
Oh, my poor friend. Who could have done such a thing to you? I swear, I won't let them get away with such a thing.
"Do you have any idea who could have done such a thing?" I asked, still not lifting my head up.
"Yes. But for this, I need you to believe in something outrageous." He started.
Looking up at him, I stared confused at what he was about to say.
"My ability, to place people into dreams and control said dreams as much as I want to, is not an invention I created on my own. It was given to me by people not of this world." He explained.
"You're telling me aliens did this?" I looked shocked.
Woah, woah. Is he really exposing himself right now? The same aliens I met before; he is telling me of them? Keep calm, Jolynn. Don't expose yourself.
"Yes. They came to me, intrigued by my abilities, and offered me these powers. In doing so, I entered a contract with them." He spoke.
"What contract?" I asked.
"I can not say, forgive me, Jolynn." He replied.
"It's alright." I said, holding his hand. "Keep going."
"Well, they have the ability to tamper with my dreams whenever they want and use it to their own abilities. So, I am certain that they were the ones who had placed Annabeth into such excruciating circumstances." He continued.
"I see. But why are you telling me all this?" I asked.
"Because you gave up your mind and body to me. I want there to be trust between us. I want you to trust me. That I would never harm you. I would never bring you close to death. That I am not your enemy. Trust me, Jolynn." He spoke.
His eyes were filled with immense care and love that I could not dare deny what he was saying. I nodded back as he embraced me into his arms. The warmth of his body reminded me of my mother's as I closed my eyes and hugged him back. I stayed like that for a while as he stroked my hair. His touch brought immense happiness to me as I leaned into his hand.
"I trust you." I replied softly.
"Thank you." He replied back. "Now I must leave and take care of some things. Remember what I told you. I am your only friend here. Trust me, and you will be fine."
He said before placing his hand on the wall again, which opened up and left. I watched as he disappeared into the darkness, the wall behind him closing back, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Leaning back, I let out a sigh as I contemplated on our meeting. Everything about him was the complete opposite of how he had been portrayed.
He was kind, gentle, caring, and considerate. His touch was comforting, and his warmth was intoxicating. I stared at my hand that I held his with as a small smile appeared on my face. My cheeks flushed with a cool red colour as I held my hand to my heart. Seeing him in person made my heart feel at ease.
I can trust him. There was no hint of lying in his eyes. I gave myself up to him, and he saved me. From them. They are the ones who are at fault. They hurt Annabeth. I can't forgive them. Never. The scientist is the one who is right. I can trust him.
Laying back in bed, my mind drifted into a peaceful slumber as I smiled, thinking of him. My face softened as my breathing slowed down.
Staring from the controls room, my eyes squinted with a cold, merciless gaze onto Jolynn. I watched the whole interaction between the two of them, how he comforted her, how they spoke, her body responding to him, their intimacy, everything. The Scientist truly had a way with his words, but I knew deep down he was nothing but a hypocrite. A manipulator. His calm speech and over expressive words were nothing more than a façade. A mask to hide his true intentions.
As I watched their interaction grow, I felt a deep pain in my heart. Whether it was hatred or guilt, I do not know, but one thing I knew was that he was nothing more than a monster. The way he places that smile on his face, the way he shifts his body, the way his tone rises and falls. Everything was planned to perfection. It was terrifying to see him act so casually. To walk away so proudly. Even after knowing what he had just then. Manipulation was second-hand to him. It was nothing more than instinctive.
When we first met, I had the same feeling. The same uneasiness surrounding him. They way he moved and spoke felt so artificial. The way his hand moved across my body, they way he smiled at me, the way his eyes locked onto mine. It was like I was falling right into his hands. And I knew that I was, yet I didn't care. I gave in to him. To his false words.
Ever since then, I have followed him all my life, helping him with his atrocities and his works all because of that one moment. That one fake moment that felt like reality to me. Even when I look back to it, I feel anger at myself for giving into his words, but I also feel relief that I accepted them. He was right. Emotions truly are a weird concept. And he knew how to play with them so easily. And now I was nothing more than a puppet to his works. I follow his commands and obey him like a dog.
Even after all that, I can't help but fall for him more. I can feel the burning desire in my heart, this ecstasy and overdose of pleasure in me. They way he treats me, the way he uses me feels so thrilling. I can't help but love him even more. What a vile man he truly is. Making me fall for him in such a way.
Ah, I want him so bad. I need him. I don't care how much you have to use me, just don't leave me at all. I'll play your games, and I'll be your toy as long as I am able to be by your side.
"Were you watching the whole thing?" A voice came from behind me.
Looking back, I saw him standing there staring at me with cold and distant eyes. I smiled as I walked up to him, staring into his red eyes.
"Of course. I watched everything. And it just solidified how terrible of a person you are." I spoke in a low voice.
"All humans are terrible. We use people to gain our own things. It happens every day. A mother uses her son, a brother uses his sister, a student uses a teacher, and lovers use each other. Even if we use them for love, for chores, and for knowledge, we are still using them. No matter how much society accepts it as a noble and normal thing, the truth is, we still use people. We are selfish creatures, of course. Nothing will ever change that." He said, sitting down on his chair.
I followed, setting myself onto his lap as I wrapped my arms around his neck, staring at him with strong intent. He held onto my waist as he stared at me emotionless, his eyes bringing out a cold gaze that made me shiver with pleasure.
"Well, if you put it like that, then we really have no hope in changing. But who cares about that. Use me as much as you want." I replied in a low voice.
"You truly are my most loyal subordinate. I was right to have chosen you." He replied.
A huge smile filled my face as I blushed intensely. My eyes shaped into hearts as I looked at him seductively. His words brought me such pleasure that I could never be able to describe it in words.
"Ah, you're making me fall for you even more." I replied, pressing my body against his.
"Anyways, I wanted to ask. What did you think of Harold?" He spoke.
"He was an interesting fellow. I can tell how much he cares for his daughter, and just by his actions in the infirmary, I could tell how far he would be willing to go for the people he loves. But he is blinded by that too much. His arrogance knows no limits. He thinks that he can do anything, even after losing to him. Such confidence is to be marvelled at, but I would call it plain stupidity." I answered.
"He truly is amusing. I am glad to have chosen him to experiment on. A family man is someone you shouldn't mess with. No matter how tough the situation is, when someone they love is in danger, they would go to extreme measures to keep them safe." He spoke. "And what about Annabeth?"
"Still in a coma. I have been treating her, but the disease is unlike any other. I have no clue what it could be from, but perhaps it really is their doing." I replied.
"I see. Well, keep treating her. I trust you will do this." He spoke to which I nodded.
"I wonder why you told Jolynn about them?" I asked, curious.
"She is a naïve, little child. Push the right buttons, and she will forever obey me. Telling her such a huge secret would reinforce the idea that I trust her, so when I ask her to trust me after she has no choice but to oblige. She has already given herself up to me, now if I keep up this friendly charade, she will never be able to live without me. Emotions are easy to play with, and using the right emotions, I can turn anyone into my slave." He replied back coldly.
"You truly are evil. But that is why I love you so much." I spoke happily.
He placed his hand on my cheek as he planted another fake smile towards me. I leaned into his touch and closed my eyes. I knew everything that he was doing right now was fake, but I couldn't care. Everything about him was intoxicating.
"But I must say, playing with the temperatures and then telling her that it was them who did it was rather cruel." I spoke.
"Extreme situations lead to extreme measures. As long as I have one of them three on my side, I can play with all of them. Jolynn is the youngest, and Harold and Annabeth will do anything to look after her. So, if she is on my side, I can manipulate them through her. I know you understand that much, Sophia." He spoke.
I nodded as I leaned into his neck, breathing in his scent. It was sweet. His neck felt soft as I brushed my lips against it. I pushed my body further onto his as he held me tighter. His hand stroked my hair as my lips pressed more onto his skin. This feeling of closeness was everything I lived for. I knew that for him, it was nothing more than a means to use me more, but for me, it was everything. I gracefully accepted my role. As long as he kept me close, I didn't care about anything else.
"You truly are evil. Making such a beautiful woman fall for you. And using her for your own gains. Do you not regret such a thing?" I asked teasingly.
"Never." He replied bluntly. "You have proven to be a useful tool to me. As long as you keep your obedience at the same level, I will never get rid of you."
"Ah, of course, my love. Anything for you. Use me as much as you want. My mind and body are yours to command."
I stared at his icy eyes with pure love as I leaned into his face. His soft breathing pressed onto me as I stared at his lips. Closing my eyes, I waited as he leaned in, meeting my lips with his for a long, passionate kiss. I held onto him tightly, not wanting this moment to end as I pressed my body onto his. His hand moved across my waist, sending shudders down my body as I leant more into the kiss. It felt heavenly.
As we broke it, I felt rejuvenated with love again. I smiled at him seductively as he stared at me with a blank expression. Caressing my cheeks, his touch brought an ample amount of ecstasy to me.
"Thank you for rewarding me, my love." I spoke softly.
"You're welcome, Sophia." He replied. "Now, go look after the patients again until I call you."
I nodded as I lifted myself off his lap and made my way towards the door. Looking back at him one last time, I blew him a kiss before shutting the door and leaving him alone in the darkness.
"Until next time, my love."