Hey, everyone :) Someone asked me to translate my story "Ein gefährliches Spiel" in English and well... I tried. My English is not perfect and as native speakers you'll probably find some mistakes but I did my best. But don't hesitate to tell me my mistakes so I can learn :) Hope, you'll enjoy the story anyway :)
A small sigh floated through the lab as I gazed at the box with the dry ice in my arms. I had treated five animals with the poison, but here in the box were only four.
Four dead mice and a cub. A living cub!
Again I let out a small sigh. A very unpleasant yet equally interesting finding but I had decided to keep it a secret from the organization for a start. What seemed to have happened was, all things considered, impossible and in foreseeable future I didn't want to deal with the issue of familiarizing idiots with no understanding of science at all with something I didn't comprehend myself.
No. I was rather going to examine the laboratory animals that died as desired – hopefully not finding any traces of the poison – and deliver the good news to the organization. Really, it was about time they received some good news…
Reluctantly shaking my head I ambled to the sewer port of the animal facilities to get rid of the surgical mask and scrubs. Deadlines! What a bloody cheek! Anyone standing in a lab for once in their live knew that it simply wasn't that simple – you couldn't plan when an experiment finally worked, when the breakthrough came. All you could do was hope and work – and I did both a whole bloody lot. But of course the idiots in black didn't get that picture.
My current hopes were focused on the series of experiments whose victims I just stashed in the box in my arms. Four dead animals. The last ten that had gotten an injection with the Apoptoxin had died just as desired – and this time?
This time I hadn't watched the animals perish. I had set the fatal syringes with the poison, a little lower concentrated this time, and then watched a mother shepherding her not even three days old litter. I guessed life and death were nowhere as close as in animal facilities.
Then I had turned around again and there it had been: a small black mouse cub that had looked at me from big round black beady eyes, helpless between the dead conspecifics. I had wanted to kill it. But I couldn't. I just couldn't.
But whatever! No one must ever find out about it.
No, right now I would examine the four mice, complete my report and receive my well-earned praise. The Apoptoxin, my parents' lifetime achievement, accomplished, perfected by me. Yes.
Meanwhile I had nearly finished the way back from the animal facilities in the cellar to my lab on the second floor but when I was about to turn around the last corner I paused instinctively. Felt the fear rising. At first, I couldn't really explain why, but then I recognized the smell… cooled down cigarette smoke paired with the barely noticeable hint of this aftershafe, accompanied by the distinctive odour of one man… Gin.
Gin was here and certainly he wanted results – but well, I was able to present some, so there was no reason to panic, really. Yet, I was afraid of confronting him, this remorseless killer…
No, I impatiently called myself to calm down: I did have results, he couldn't harm me! Well, of course he could, but he had no reason to do so... or at least that was what I hoped.
Resolutely, I breathed deeply once again, straightened myself and bravely marched to the lab door that had been left ajar.
As was to be expected, there, between freezer and centrifuge, stood a slender man with long blonde hair, a black coat and an equally black hat that hid his face in its shadows.
"You have no access to this lab, Gin. It is biosafety II area, that's dangerous for ordinary people."
"Don't read me the riot act again, Sherry. After all, I have been good and extinguished my cigarette before entering."
The sound of his voice was not as harsh as his choice of words. Yet I couldn't help but snort disdainfully. When this blockhead had appeared here for the first time, shortly after my return from the US he had done so with bloody fag alight, that damn moron. A lab, with a vast variety of highly combustible or explosive liquids! I didn't dare to think about what could have happened! And with according indignation I had carpeted him, of course not knowing who was standing in front of me. Calling my tone harsh would have been an exorbitant understatement – I had been frantic and positively willing to fold that moron to a pinhead's size. Afterwards, I had learned about whom I spoilt my chances with, but it had been too late by then.
"Good. I'm just concerned about your well-being." With that said I slipped past him and put down the box with the dry ice.
Gin laughed quietly.
"How sweet of you."
"Yes, isn't it? And if you want to reciprocate just let me work in peace."
I put on new gloves and moved to disinfect my clean bench like everything was perfectly alright but inside I was trembling with fear. How could I let myself be carried away to being so imprudent? I should be grateful for surviving our first encounter…
"You're brave, Sherry, that's impressive." He said mockingly, but I kept from turning around horrified and instead gathered the bottles with chemicals and buffers, disinfecting them diligently before putting them down in the clean bench, acting like I didn't hear him. His eyes followed my every move, studied them, analysed them – and with every glance, my heart started pounding a little faster.
I wanted to die of fear – well, when it came to dying certainly my enchanting blonde visitor could lend me a helping hand…
No, don't let yourself get distracted, Shiho!
Ignoring his presence completely I finally disinfected my gloved hands and sat down in front of the clean bench.
Valour? No, probably it was pure stupidity or exorbitant pride getting me to show off like this instead of abjectly crawling at Gin's feet.
Scrowlingly, I noticed my hands were trembling slightly as I flame treated one of the bottles carefully before unscrewing the top.
I wanted to continue working silently, when something caused me to pause. His odour – his unmistakable unique odour – became more intensive, enclosed me before I had the chance to prepare myself.
Gin had stepped behind me soundlessly.
"What are you doing?", he asked, seemingly honestly interested.
"I'm performing several tests on the kidneys of the mice I killed with the Apoptoxin. In this organ it is most likely to find traces of the poison, but of course I have dissected the other organs as well to examine them. Also I have taken probes of blood, lymph and liquor."
I settled to explain how I intended to find out what, talked, told him about former experiments, about the months when I had worked to become acquainted with the Apoptoxin when I had returned from America. During all this time he barley spoke a word, only inquiring if he didn't understand something from time to time and I didn't once turn round to face him. I began forgetting it was Gin who stood behind me, a ruthless murderer that I should be afraid of. I even began forgetting that normally I don't talk much. I began to relax…
That was the first chapter, hope you enjoyed it :) Oh, and well... I do enjoy reviews a lot :D