Oh god… My head… Everything feels numb… What… What's happening… Why do I … I feel sick… So weak…

Hey! Are you okay?

Who is that… Where am I… Why can't I see… I can't move… Can't speak…

Oh God- Someone call a doctor! She's losing a lot of blood!

Who is… What's going on… My head… So dizzy… So tired… Tired…


Everything seemed faded. Every sound was muted. Every touch was numb. I felt too weak to even open my eyes. All I could hear were distant voices, talking to each other as if from far away. When I found my eyelids opening, as if by themselves, all I could see was a dim and blurry light along with unclear shapes and silhouettes. I blinked, my eyelids feeling heavy and dragged down, to try and regain my vision.

Slowly, my surroundings faded into focus and I found myself facing a light tan ceiling. Turning my neck felt like pulling a concrete block; it was too painful to even move an inch. I unintentionally let out a short and low exhale of pain and the feeling of soft cotton touched my fingertips. I gripped the cotton and glanced down to see a thin sheet laid over my body, covering up my chest and flowing down to my feet.

"Wh… Wha…" My breath came out in harsh and dry gasps as my vision cleared and I began to look around. All I could see from my perspective was the corner of what looked like a window in one corner of the room and the corner of a doorframe on the other side.

The sound of the door creaking open was heard an instant two men in light green outfits came into view, looking down at me with blank expressions.

"What's going on? Who are you?" I wanted to ask, but my throat felt too dry and tight to even utter a sound.

The men leaned over me and I could feel the pillow I was resting on rise, moving me into a laid-back sitting position and giving me a better view of my surroundings. The men stepped back and I found myself lying in a hospital bed with light sheets spread over me. A window was pulled open in one corner of the room, letting in warm air and bright sunlight, and a strange symbol was framed in a picture across from where I was facing.

The two men in the light green outfits suddenly raised their hands in salute and a few moments later, a young man in a blue uniform strode into the room. His brown hair looked bushy and soft and his light blue eyes shone in innocence behind a pair of glasses. He gave me a kind smile then muttered something to the two other men, who saluted again then left the room, closing the door behind them.

I watched the young man as he walked to the end of my bed and looked down at me, feeling my fingertips grip the bed sheets. He seemed nice, but I had enough sensed left to know that he could be an enemy.

"Finally awake, huh?" the young man asked, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but the only sound that came out was a hoarse breath. I gritted my teeth and slowly lifted a hand to my throat, tracing my fingers over the skin. The man seemed to understand, for he nodded and assured me he would find something to help before quickly leaving the room.

Once he had shut the door behind him, I gave the room a second glance. I figured that I had to be in a hospital room of some sort, but I found myself puzzling over the picture facing me on the other side of the room. It appeared to be a crest drawn on parchment with ink, but the only shape I could recognize was one that resembled… A lion? Or was it something else? A monster?

Yearning to get a better look, I moved my arms back and pressed my hands against the mattress before attempting to lift my body up to a better sitting position. My arms shook with the effort and I barely moved an inch before I gave up and slumped back into the pillow, giving out a frustrated sigh. I was too weak, tired, or drugged to move normally.

The door opened a few moments later and the young man from before strolled into the room, carrying a glass of water in one hand. He pulled up a chair from the corner of the room and sat at my side, handing me the glass. "D'you think you're alright enough to hold this?" he asked.

I nodded and slowly took the glass, raising it to my lips and taking a sip. As soon as I felt the cold water run into my mouth and down my throat, I could feel my parched vocal cords return to life and I immediately began to cough.

"Careful!" the young man intervened, taking the glass from my hands. "You don't want to accidently choke yourself!" He waited until my coughs slowed and I managed to clear my throat a few times before asking, "Better?"

I glanced at him and nodded. "Yes… Thank you…" I said, my voice hoarse.

The young man smiled. "I'd hate to force you to use your recovering voice, but I'll have to ask you a few questions," he explained. "Military protocol requires interviews with suspicious characters and all that."

Military? I glanced the young man over and got a closer look at his uniform. Guess that explains the outfit.

"Alright," I agreed. "I might not be able to give you much though."

The young man gave me a suspicious and curious look and I placed a hand on my forehead. "As much as I would like to help you out the best I can, I can barely remember only a few things about me," I explained.

As my words slipped out of my mouth, I realized I wasn't even trying to lie. My brain felt light and fuzzy and whenever I tried to remember anything before waking up in the hospital, all that stood out to me was the feeling of numbness and a voice shouting out to me.

The man stared at me for a few moments, deciding whether or not to believe in me, before sighing in an almost exaggerated manner. "All right then. I guess I'll just tell my superiors that I wasn't able to get anything out of you," he relented.

I gave the man a confused and slightly worried look. "…Superiors?" I slowly asked.

He looked back up at me and gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll just tell them that you were still knocked out," he said. "I'll have to come back in the morning though and ask some questions. Until then, get as much rest as you can so you can recover faster and it'll be easier for me to help you."

I continued to stare at him, my mind feeling confused and empty. "Recover? Was I…injured?" I asked, almost feeling angry with myself for not even noticing any injuries or wounds.

The man, about to get out of his chair, sighed and slumped back down. "Jeez, you really are having memory problems aren't you?" he asked, slightly concerned.

I blinked and slowly nodded. I didn't feel any pain or stiffness. In fact, my entire body still felt numbed. The young man leaned forward and clasped his hands together.

"You probably don't remember this, but last night you were found in the streets near Central Command by myself and a few of my comrades," he quietly explained. "You were lying in a pool of blood and when we brought you here, to Central Hospital, we saw that you had deep cuts going down your chest and stomach. We didn't even think you would make it."

Deep cuts? I quickly lifted the collar of my hospital gown and glances down, looking for wounds. In the shaded darkness between the gown and my body, nothing stood out to me and I let out a sigh before looking up at the man.

"Trust me. It's pretty bad," the young man said. He stood up from his chair and stretched out. "Anyway, I should get going. Gotta report to my superiors about your condition."

"Oh… Alright," I reluctantly muttered. As much as I felt tense and distrusting about this unfamiliar place, it felt a bit comforting to have even one person to talk to.

The young man seemed to notice my tone of voice, for he smiled reassuringly and said, "Don't worry. I'll come and check on you tomorrow morning. You just focus on getting some rest and recovery, young lady."

A small smile slipped out and I nodded before lying back and watching the man walk over to the door. As he put his hand on the doorknob, he turned back to me and beamed. "I don't believe I've introduced myself yet. I'm Sergeant Harrison Carter, but my friends call me Harry."

I blinked, giving him a confused look. "Sergeant's your first name?" I asked.

The young man, Harry, laughed. "No, it's my military ranking in the state military," he explained, his tone lighthearted.

"Oh… Right," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed. My memory loss suddenly seemed like a big nuisance, and I silently cursed myself for not even being able to remember my own name. Before I could begin searching through my brain for any memories, Harry bid me farewell and left, leaving me alone in the unfamiliar hospital room.

As the door closed shut, a bombardment of questions hit me at once, throwing me off guard for a brief moment before I slapped a hand to my forehead. "Damn it! Why didn't I ask Harry these before he left?" I grumbled, feeling like an idiot. "Guess I'll have to wait until the morning."

I lowered my hand to my side and stared at the hospital wall, looking over the strange, framed symbol over and over again. Instead of resting, I found myself asking questions in my head and racking my brain in attempts to gain access to my memories as the sun slowly began to sink in the sky. I could hear footsteps walking past my door outside, but no one else came in to visit me. It wasn't until the sunlight began to fade that I found myself dozing off into sleep.


"Water: 3.5 liters. Carbon: 20 kilograms. Ammonia: 4 liters. Lime: 1.5 grams. Phosphorus: 800 grams. Salt: 250 grams. Saltpeter: 100 grams. Sulfur: 80 grams. Fluorine: 7.5 grams. Iron: 5 grams. Silicon: 3 grams. And small traces of other elements…"

I smiled as I read off the list, closing the small black notebook I held in one hand as I finished. "There. Every single element in the human body, carefully measured and mixed together," I concluded. "Now to draw the transmutation circle."

I reached into my jean pocket and pulled out a small stick of white chalk as I glanced around the dark room. Once a large bedroom that belonged to a boy, it had been stripped of its previous furniture and belongings to make room for the transmutation. Even the carpet had been ripped away in order to uncover and make use of the concrete floor underneath.

My gaze caught on to a teenage boy sitting against one side of the room. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his arms were hugged tightly around them, his face hidden in shadow but his head angled to face the floor. Despite the distance between us, I could feel the anxious tension emitting from him as I noticed his body letting out a few shivers every so often. He seemed to sense my staring at him, for his head raised and I could feel his eyes gazing at me.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He hesitated before nodding and dropping his gaze back to the ground. I stared at him for a few moments, wondering if I should try to help, before I remembered the task at hand. Turning my attention back to the floor, I crouched down and began to draw a large, white circle around the room. I could feel the boy's eyes on me as I added intricate details inside the circle until it was completely finished.

As I double checked my work, I saw him slowly stand and walk over to the large tin of ingredients, moving it to the middle of the circle and taking a look around. Once I had made sure that everything was in place and in order, we stepped back to the edge of the circle and stood next to each other, looking down at the symbols and designs. For a moment, the urge to back down spoke to me softly, but I brushed the feeling aside. This was the only way to see him smile again.

"C'mon… Let's get this started before it gets too late," I whispered.

I didn't wait for a response. I reached into my hoodie pocket and took out my dad's switchblade, slipping the blade out of its sheath with a flick of my wrist. "Hold out your hand," I said, reaching for him. "You have to pay a toll for the equivalent exchange."

The teen hesitated before lifting his arm and I gently took his hand in mine, turning it so his palm faced me. He tensed as I muttered a quick apology and slit the knife over his pointer fingertip, drawing blood. I turned his hand back and held it over the middle of the transmutation circle, squeezing his fingertip to allow his blood to drop onto the ingredients. After several drops, he pulled his arm back and gave me an expectant look.

"I can't participate," I softly replied, shaking my head as I slid the switchblade back into my pocket. "My blood isn't a part of yours or your dads. If I get involved, I could screw things up."

He hesitated before nodding and crouching down in front of the circle, placing his hands at the edge. I took a step back and waited for the transmutation to begin. For a minute, nothing happen. It was then that I noticed his body trembling.

"What is it?" I asked. "Do you want to stop?"

The boy barely shook his head before looking back at me. His steel blue eyes shone with hope and anticipation, but his entire body was tensed up and shaking.

"What if… What if something goes wrong?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

I sighed and gave him a reassuring smile. "What's there to worry about? We've spent five years of research and practice for this," I explained. "Our notes were flawless and everything is exactly the way it should be. You'll be able to see your dad in perfect condition soon."

The boy's expression lifted and he turned back to the circle, his back facing me. I considered giving him more words of encouragement, but before I could even open my mouth, a bright, golden light shone from the circle and illuminated the empty room. Alchemical sparks shot out from the circle, but none were close enough to hit the boy and I. I watched the transmutation in awe, feeling a smile tug at the corners of my lips.

"It's working… It's actually working!" I exclaimed. "Jamie, you're-!"

I was suddenly cut off as the golden light vanished, replaced by a dark and ominous crimson glow. The alchemical sparks suddenly intensified, the length of their bolts increasing, and I looked around the room, feeling a growing sense of foreboding.

Something's not right, I heard a voice in my head cry out. This isn't supposed to happen!

A scream brought me back to reality and I turned my attention back to see a giant eye opening in the middle of the circle. Black hands and tendrils slithered from the edge of the circle, reaching out for me.

"No! St-Stay back!" I shouted, quickly taking a few steps back.

"SABRINA!" I heard a terrified scream over the crackling of the alchemical sparks, and I looked up to see the boy, my friend, being grabbed by the black hands and pulled to the center of the transmutation circle, where a bright light had appeared. A portal.

"NO! DON'T TAKE HIM!" Immediately adrenaline kicked in and I sprinted to him, reaching out for him as I stepped beyond the chalk lines. As soon as I stepped into the circle, the black hands shot out at me and wrapped themselves around me, gripping me and pulling me back. I cried out and struggled against the tendril's grip before I froze, realizing that I began to lose feeling in my legs. Glancing down, I saw the black hands tearing apart my left leg and watched as the pieces flew into the portal.

Time slowed down. My surroundings became muted and the only thing I could hear was my heart beating in my chest and echoing in my head. The portal grew brighter and brighter as I watched my friend being torn apart by the black hands, his lips forming my name and his eyes alit with horror and fear as he thrusted his hand out in an attempt to reach me. I could feel my entire body beginning to go numb as I pushed forward and reached out for him. The last thing I saw was our fingertips barely touching and the last thing I heard was my voice screaming his name before everything went white.


Images rushed through my head. Different moving pictures flashed by, each one only a split second long, as intense pain shot through my head. I tried to cry out as the images poured into my head as once, but no sound came out.

This feeling… It hurts, but… Why is it so familiar?

In a flash, the images vanished, leaving nothing but a white space of complete nothingness. Then, a chilling voice echoed around the room and I felt my entire body tense up as I recognized it.

Why are you so afraid, young alchemist? It's all about equivalent exchange, isn't it?

I snapped my eyes open and gasped, feeling my body suddenly spasm in released tension from my sudden awakening as my pain immediately vanished. I found myself staring at a dark tan, almost black, ceiling and after giving a quick look around, I realized I was still in the hospital room. Night had fallen outside the window, blanketing the entire room in darkness, the only source of light emitting from the moonlight shining across the floor and the edge of my bed.

I found myself breathing heavily and I put a hand to my forehead, feeling beads of cold sweat trickle down my face. My nightmare began to slowly replay through my mind as I tried to recall every image that I had seen, looking for some sort of meaning. After a few replays, I finally realized something that made me unintentionally let in a sharp intake of breath.

Those were my memories coming back. I remember everything.

I pushed myself forward, feeling newfound strength return, and looked at my hands. They were trembling with exhilaration and fear as I realized the meaning of my nightmare. I gritted my teeth and pressed my hands over my face.

"That's right… I remember what happened… This is my fault…"

I quickly uncovered my face as I realized the words that had slipped out of my mouth and I shook my head. No Sabrina. This isn't the time to feel bad about yourself, I mentally scolded myself. You have to figure out what to do next.

I nodded in agreement to my own thoughts and closed my eyes, concentrating on making a plan. First, I have to figure out where I am. I remember Harry mentioning that he brought me to a place called Central Hospital, which I'm assuming is where I am now. He also mentioned a place called Central City… Is that where this hospital is located?

I opened my eyes and glanced around the hospital room. Almost immediately, I spotted a pile of clothes placed at the very edge of my bed, along with a plate holding a sandwich and a note on top. I heard my stomach growl at the sight of food as I reached for the sandwich and notecard. "I didn't realize before how hungry I was," I muttered as I took a large bite out of the sandwich and read the note.

Hey Girl,
My superiors let me drop of some clothes for you and some food, but when I came in you were sound asleep, so I decided to leave these here and let you rest. I'm also getting the night shift watching you, so if you have any questions or you need anything else, just call for me and let me know.
P.S.- I can't believe I almost forgot.
Führer King Bradley wants to see you tomorrow morning right away. Guess you must be important if the leader of Amestris wants to see you.
-Sergeant Harrison Carter

I felt an eyebrow raise as I finished off the note, along with my sandwich. "Now we seem to be getting somewhere," I said to myself through a mouthful of food, reading the note through again.

New questions and thoughts popped up as I began to make connections. Let's see… This King Bradley is the leader of Amestris. I'm guessing Amestris is where I am now… And if Harry said I was in Central City, then this must mean that Amestris is the name of the country Central City is located in. Maybe it's even a continent. Even so, it sounds way more important than a town or a city.

I set the notecard down and looked at my clothes. Folded neatly in a pile were a plain white t-shirt, a pair of black pants, and a pair of black slip-ons next to the pile. I looked over the pile again, slightly confused. "If this Führer seems like an important person, then why did Harry give me such simple clothes for a formal occasion?" I wondered aloud. "Am I considered a prisoner of some sort?"

I decided to brush off the clothing conundrum to focus on more important matters. I had found out that I was in a city called Central City in a country, or continent, called Amestris. I had been taken to Central Hospital when a military sergeant named Harrison Carter found me severely injured in the streets due to an attack. For a while I had lost my memory either due to an event blocking my memory or drugs. Fortunately, I managed to get it back and tomorrow morning I was going to-

The attack

Quickly remembering my wounds, I threw the sheets off of me and stood from the bed, stepping into the pale moonlight as I practically tore off my hospital gown and looked down at my body. White, sterile bandages covered my entire chest with dull red streaks marking where I had bled. I traced the bandages with my finger, my temptation to rip them off increasing with every passing second.

These are medical bandages… They're too strong to be pulled off and I would only hurt myself more if I tried. I would need a sharp object to cut them off.

I let out an exasperated sigh of defeat. "Oh well. Guess I'll have to wait," I muttered. "Might as well get into these new clothes though."

I took the clothes from the edge of the bed and slipped into them. Both articles of clothing were a few sizes too big, as the t-shirt went down to my crotch and the pant legs started to cover my feet. However, the slip-ons fitted almost perfectly and I was at least grateful that I could walk around comfortably.

I glanced down at the note again as I adjusted my new clothes and reread it one last time. "Harry's outside, huh?" I turned my gaze to the door. As I stepped closer to it, I could hear a faint snoring from the other side, and I assumed it was Harrison accidentally falling asleep on the job.

For a member of the military, he doesn't seem to take his job all too seriously, I thought, amused. I reached for the doorknob and jiggled it, but stopped when I found it to be locked. Since when do hospitals lock up their patients in their own rooms?

I mentally shrugged and opened my mouth to call out for Harry, but I caught myself in hesitation.

What will you accomplish by waking him up? A voice in my head asked. You've been given enough proof that you're still considered a prisoner. Sergeant Harrison's probably in on it too. He's probably acting like you can trust him, but when your guard's down he'll turn his back on you and take you back to the ones who locked you up before. You can't trust anyone in this unfamiliar place. The only thing you can do at this point is to escape and search for answers yourself.

Search for answers… A gentle breeze caught my attention and I turned my gaze to the open window. The cool night air gently brushed against my skin, beckoning me closer, and I found myself stepping to the windowsill and looking out into the night.

From my point, I could see I was on the second floor of the hospital. Bushes surrounded the base of the building with grass surrounding them to hold them in place. The grassy area stretched forward before being replaced with cobblestone, possibly for a loading dock, and continued on before going through an opening in a small, brick fence which separated the hospital area from the rest of the city across a wide street.

It was all so unfamiliar to me… But it looked so open and free.

I need to get out of here, I decided. The sooner, the better.

I looked down at the base of the hospital, estimating the distance between the window and the bushes. If I dropped out normally, I would probably achieve the unfortunate chance of injuring myself even more. I'll have to find a safer way.

Turning around, I looked around the room in search of something that could help before I noticed the bed sheets now crumpled at the end of the hospital bed. An idea struck me and I felt a wicked grin spread across my face as I took the sheets and started to roll them up and tie them together into a long, thin rope.

"Those nights of sneaking out of the house at 2 A.M. worked out after all," I giggled as I tied one end of the bed sheets to a bedpost.

As a test, I gave the make-shift rope a good yank. The sheets held together and the bed itself didn't move an inch. I allowed myself a moment to smile in satisfaction before tossing the rope out the window. I noticed that it only covered about an eighth of the distance between the window and the ground, but I hoped my body length would cover the rest. I sat on the windowsill, my back facing the night, and took the rope in both hands. I took one glance around the hospital room before leaning backwards and falling out.

As soon as I felt my legs leave the windowsill, I pulled my knees to my chest and gripped the bed sheets tightly, halting my descent as I quickly planted my feet onto the outside wall. For a moment I tensed, listening for anyone or anything alerting my escapes. When silence only met my ears, I let out a quiet sigh of relief before looking around. No one else was outside the hospital. At least none that I could see. Anxious, I looked down at the ground and silently began to "walk" down the wall.

It wasn't long before I reached the end of the rope and I looked down at the ground again. There was still a bit of distance between myself and the bushes, and I began to consider climbing back up into the hospital room to redo the rope when a tearing noise caught my attention. I looked up to see a tear forming a few feet above me and ripping quickly. Before I could even react, the rope tore apart and I began to fall. I felt nothing by air for a few moments and panic shot through me before my back hit the bushes and the loud sound of snapping branches and rustling leaves filled the silent night.

My eyes opened wide as branches scratched and dug into my skin and I let out an uncontrollable hiss of pain. The open night sky met my vision and I laid still for a few moments, listening for anyone that had heard my disturbance and had stepped out to check on the noise. However, the only thing I heard was the leaves softly rustling from the cool night breeze, and I quickly pushed myself out of the bushes and whipped my head around as I crouched onto the grass. Not a soul was out and it seemed like my noise had gone unheard of.

My gaze met the small brick wall a few meters ahead of me and I felt my heartbeat race, Freedom was so close… There was just that one, final stretch. I had to be quick, otherwise someone could look out their window and spot me. I tensed and leaned forward, pressing my fingertips to the ground as a track runner would, and took slow, deep breaths.

You only have one shot! Don't screw this up! The voice in my head shouted.

I closed my eyes and an image flashed through my mind. The sun beat down on me as I crouched down and leaned forward, my fingertips pressing against the dry grass. Beside me, I could hear the grass crunch under his feet as he matched his body to copy mine and I glanced over at him. The sunlight and his dark brown bangs hid his face in shadow, but I could feel the eagerness emanating from him like heat from a burning flame.

"Ready?" I asked, grinning.

He turned his head towards me and I could see his steel blue eyes flash as he gave me a small smile and nodded. I turned my attention back to the wide, open field in front of us, my entire body quivering with excitement. "When I say go, we run!" I exclaimed. I could feel his body tense up as I counted down.

3…

2…

1…

My eyes snapped open and I took off like a bullet.

The night breeze whistled in my ears and whipped my hair back from my face as I sprinted across the hospital grounds. I could hear my feet rustle and press the grass down below me before it tapped over cobblestone as I neared my destination.

Keep going!

Almost instantly, the brick wall rushed up to meet me and I leaped over it, feeling a smile spread across my face as I soared through the air. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I continued to sprint across the street and into the safety of the shadows stretching from a large building. I slowed to a jog as I began to get farther away from the hospital, only stopping when I reached an alleyway. I pressed a hand to a brick wall and leaned against it, panting as I tried to slow my pounding heartbeat.

Did I…do it?

I slowly looked behind me and saw Central Hospital in the distance, now very far away from me. No one had followed me. No one even appeared to have noticed that I left. Everything was peaceful and silent.

I did it.

I grinned in relief and joy as I spun on my heel and looked up at the open night sky, throwing my hands up and letting out a silent scream of ecstasy. For so long I had been caged up and locked away from the outside world and being free and away from the people who had chained me up was as good as giving a starving man a feast. For the first time in a while, I felt hopeful for my future.

The happiness didn't last long however. Once I got a good look at my surroundings and realized that I was lost amongst Central City, reality hit me and my eagerness died down.

"No time for celebration," I reprimanded myself. "Time to start looking for him…"

I gave one last glance around before heading through the alleyway. I was in an unknown area all alone, with no one to go to or depend on…

But I was free.