Soulbound
Chapter XIII - Link: Her Ghost in the Water
Screams echoed in every direction. Alex jumped at the noise, which seemed to come from every direction. Narrowing her eyes, she peered into the thick fog all around her. Despite all her searching, she found not a single soul in the fog.
What the hell is this?
Chills ran down her spine, sending shudders all across her body. Her heart raced. The rational part of Alex wanted to flee the area, to put as much distance from this eerie place as possible. She clenched her fist and shoved those fearful thoughts into the back of her mind.
Pausing for a moment, Alex listened on, hoping to find answers. Men, women, and other creatures alike howled in a chorus of agony. As Alex listened on, she felt a strange warmth permeate the back of her left hand. Before she could react, more visions assaulted her mind.
The ruined insides of a forested temple greeted her eyes. Black fog enveloped the entire area. Instead of the myriad cries reaching her ears, only a pair echoed around her. At the center of a raised dais, surrounded by a sac-like blob of black and red ooze, the humanoid visage of a little girl manifested.
Words Alex could not understand tore through the black mist, desperate and pleading. Flashing images pierced Alex's awareness. She saw a young girl with pointed ears lying alone in a wooded cabin, her skin shifting between flesh and bark. Her eyes gleamed with an eerie light.
"Help... Help... me..."
Alex clutched her head in pain, her awareness pulled in multiple directions at once.
Argh...!
The warmth on her hand intensified. The voices of the two girls howled in unison. In her mind's eye, she saw a tether of light bonding the girls together. Their thoughts rammed into one another in complete chaos.
I... I can't...
A chuckle of smug satisfaction tore through the pain and suffering. Alex's mind returned to the mist-covered chamber. From out of the shadows, the small figure of Cole in green from before stepped into view. He peered at his handiwork in approval.
More alien words drifted from his tongue. Goosebumps ran down Alex's arms and legs, while her stomach turned in knots. Although she could not understand anything the figure said, she sensed his malice.
Greenery faded from the woodlands and tree branches invading the temple. Leaves fell onto the ground, crumpling to dust. Branches turned a sickly gray hue, withering into lifelessness. The green figure howled with laughter as thousands of glowing, slitted eyes peered all around the black mist.
The fog swallowed Alex, filling her nostrils with the scent of death and decay. She covered her mouth, desperate to pull herself away from the rancid air. Coughs escaped Alex's lips. The warmth turned to a burning sensation. As she struggled to breathe, she caught a glimpse of her left hand.
Shimmering with holy radiance in the black mist, the mark of the Triforce banished the darkness, bathing her hand in golden light. The lower right triangle burned the brightest, while the lower left and top triangles remained dull. Her eyes widened at the sight of the mark.
Wha...!
Countless images assaulted her mind: of a burning figure suspended in that same fluid, and a Goron Aberrant howling in agony while the pale figure of Ghirahim laughed haughtily into darkness. A blue, watery orb, encased in that vile substance, and a Zoran Aberrant crying out into the depths of her mind while the shadowy figure of Zant descended in Twilight. A lone priest—Agahnim himself— surrounding a shadowy orb in a forgotten torture chamber while an older, Sheikah Aberrant woman whispered in mad tongues, unable to find herself. The witches Twinrova, cackling with glee as an orange light became encased by that ooze, while a Gerudo Aberrant lashed out in madness, torn between her Terran and Hyrulean selves. Finally, a group of Sheikah Aberrants ransacking an ancient, decrepit castle, in search of something... or someone.
«Alexandra...»
Alex's eyes widened, chilled and horrified by the countless visions assaulting her consciousness. From beyond the darkness, a golden light appeared before her in the black abyss, tearing her away from the psychic screams. She held up her left hand, and squinted her eyes at the brilliant display.
«Alexandra... Leslie... Donovan...»
Her body froze at the sound of the regal woman's voice echoing in her thoughts. Only one person ever dared call her by her full name, and this person wasn't her grandfather. Disturbed that the voice somehow knew her name, she stepped forward. Before, that same voice called out for Link's name—a name she had grown to hate. Now hearing the woman's voice call out for her as well, Alex looked toward the light, her expression in utter disbelief.
Don't tell me... I'm being telepathically contacted by Link's Girlfriend...
«Hear me, Determined One! You are in grave danger! The agents of Ganon have found you!»
Alex pursed her lips, perturbed by Zelda's telepathic pleas. She shook her head.
...Look, can we go just back to all the various Zelda villians gloating about doing something totally evil to the Sages? Something about sharing the pain of a bunch I've never met really makes me feel like I'm part of a huge earth-shattering problem, you know? It's much more entertaining than the thought of Link's Girlfriend trying to talk to me, because her knowing my full name like that is so goddamn creepy on so many levels. I'm not even sure I want to know what's up with that at this point...
«You must free yourself... before it's too late! The fate of our worlds rests with you and the Hero! Hear me, Alexandra!»
Zelda's voice echoed all around her, growing more and more desperate as time passed. Alex froze in place, lost in a sea of ambivalence. She did not know what to think, or what to feel. The light grew brighter and brighter. Alex squinted her eyes.
Darkness gave way to shimmering gold. The ground gave way beneath Alex. She fell headlong into the triangular lights below, screaming at the top of her lungs.
«Please... hear me...»
Florida, United States — Palmaris Medical Research, Miami-Dade Branch, Enclosure A72
June 9th, 2016 CE (11 Ordona, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)
7:42AM, Eastern Standard Time
Alex bolted forward. Her heart pounded inside her chest. Fluttering into overdrive, her gills drew in precious oxygen from the water around her. It took her several moments for her to catch her breath, the images from her nightmare lingering in her mind.
What in the actual fuck was that?
She buried her face in her hands. Every inch of her body shook in the water. Warmth continued to permeate the back of her left hand. Alex pulled her hands away from her face, and slowly turned her left hand over.
The mark of the Triforce shimmered on the back of her gauntlet, just as it had in the dream. Alex's blood ran cold at the sight of the mark. All at once, Zelda's voice and Jabu-Jabu's dying words haunted her thoughts.
He lives... the Hero lives... He lives... in you...
The fate of our worlds rests with you and the Hero!
Your shape... it is the product of magic. Yes, I sense it... a mask conceals your true nature. Remove that mask, and you will regain your true form...
Alex swallowed hard. Before her very eyes, she watched as the Triforce mark melted into the leather gauntlet, its holy light vanishing without a trace. She could not stop shaking, nor could she look away from her hand.
No... Oh God no..., Alex thought, This can't be happening! My luck can't be this rotten!
«Hear me... Alexandra... I am a prisoner of the United States Armed Forces. My name is Zelda. I am being held captive in a facility somewhere in a place your people call "New York". As we speak, the Demon King is laying waste to this world in search of the Triforce. You must escape! You must protect the Triforce of Courage! We cannot allow Wisdom or Courage to fall into his hands...»
Alex bolted upright at Zelda's voice echoing in her thoughts, as it had done countless times before in her dreams. Her eyes darted around the strange, unfamiliar tank, in search of the one responsible. Only the dim, blinking light of a security camera off in a corner greeted her eyes. Squeezing her eyes and membranes shut, she scooted toward the far wall.
What's next? Am I going to wake up in bed or something? Will Grandpa come up to me and tell me to go back to the kitchen while he goes off to the castle to fight off Agahnim or something? ...Oh, what the fuck am I saying? Grandpa knows better than to tell me to go back to the kitchen!
Drawing in oxygen from her gills, she tried to calm herself.
«Hurry... Before the Demon King finds you...»
Zelda's voice faded into silence. Alex blinked.
...Alrighty, then. I think I'm just going to pretend none of this happened, and move on with my life now.
Bright lights flickered on all around Alex, and she cried out in shock and surprise. Her heart raced inside her chest. Alex squinted her eyes in the water, and shielded her face with her arms and fins. As her vision adjusted to the light, Alex lowered her arms and looked around.
Thick white walls surrounded the room beyond. Gray, marble tiles stretched out across most of the room. All along the front of her tank, thick metal grating rested over exposed pipes and drains full of water. Metal doors, guarded on either by panels and buttons, secured the only exit across from her. Off into the far right corner, she spotted the familiar blinking red light of a security camera, watching her every movement.
Alex turned her attention to the thick, glass walls of her tank. Floating away from the wall, she turned around and gasped. Decorating the metallic surface, jagged lines surrounded a pair of stylized wings—part of a caduceus symbol. Above the head of the staff, the words "Palmaris" stood out against the wall, while "Medical Research" covered the area below the staff.
On seeing those words, Alex clasped her mouth to suppress the scream that wanted to escape her lips.
No...
Oregon, United States — Starbucks Coffee, Clackamas Town Center Mall
January 7, 2014 CE
9:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time
Alex stepped through the entrance. All throughout the small coffee shop, baristas and cashiers, in familiar black shirts and green aprons, attended the counter, while countless strangers discussed everything from plans and aspirations to the weather. She looked around the shop, her eyes searching for a familiar face. When she looked toward the back of the coffee shop, she found the what she came there for that morning...
Darren fidgeted on a small stool, looking nervous and uncomfortable in the cold sunlight shining through a nearby window. He drummed his fingers against the table. In front of him rested a small white place, with a half-eaten cinnamon roll on it. Beside that plate sat a white coffee mug, emblazoned with the familiar siren logo of Starbucks.
He's barely touched his coffee. Something's definitely up, he never leaves a cup of coffee sitting there like that..., Alex thought.
Gripping the strap of her backpack, she wove through the crowd of people in the shop, and made her way toward the bar Darren sat at. She slammed her backpack down on the table. Darren nearly jumped off his stool. He looked into her mischievous green eyes, startled by her sudden presence. Wiping away the strands of coppery hair from her face, she gazed back at him with a smirk.
"Hello, handsome. Am I interrupting your brooding again?"
Darren shook his head.
"Hey, Al. Good to see you!" Darren began, "Staying out of trouble, I hope?"
Alex raised her eyebrow at him.
"I'm passing all of my classes. Straight As all around. If everything goes well, I'll obtain my GED in another year or so. Oh, and if you must know, I've kept most of my sass to myself. Grandpa'll kill me if I botch this..."
"To be fair, you did get expelled from Lake Oswego High. I kept telling you that you should've left Susie Beckett alone...
"Eh, that place was drama central anymore. He just wants to see you get your life back on track after all the trouble that went on..."
"Yeah, yeah..." Alex rolled her eyes, uninterested in being lectured any further. She looked around, feeling pangs of hunger in her stomach. Turning toward Darren once more, she held up her right index finger in interruption.
"Hold that thought for a moment. I'll be right back..."
Alex pushed herself off the stool, and made her way toward the front counter. Moments later, she walked back to where Darren sat, with several slices of banana bread and a cinnamon roll in hand. She placed the plates on the counter, and took her seat beside him once more. Alex placed the plate of banana bread between them, and scarfed down her roll.
"Ah, much better. Any longer, and I would've started getting hangry, and you know how I get when I'm hangry."
Darren nodded his head. "Oooooh yeah."
"So, broody-pants, you called me here for a reason. What is going on? What is happening in the world today? I hardly ever get to see your wonderful face anymore..."
No sooner had Alex finished her sentence that Darren's demeanor grew saddened and depressed. He looked around the coffee shop, hoping and praying that someone wasn't listening. Darren then turned his attention to Alex.
"Things are... really bad at home right now, Al," Darren began. "Mom... still wants to go through with that marriage to Arthur Palmgate..."
Alex's eyes widened. "You mean your mom actually bagged that creepshow? I knew her taste in men was horrible, but holy shit..."
"I'm afraid it's the other way around, Al. 'Dr. Palmgate', as he prefers to be called, has managed to bag my mother. Ever since the two of them met at that fundraiser in Portland, they've been together non-stop. Out in public, he puts on a sweet, charming image to people... but in private, he's manipulative and cruel..."
"...So he's like Dad..." Alex sighed. "You know what that was like. Always came home drunk... always beat up on Cass... it was a relief when he died in the car crash. I know that's probably cruel of me to say, but..."
"No, Al. I know your dad was scum. I saw how much you put yourself in harm's way to protect your sister. You're very brave, Alex..."
Alex shook her head.
"What I had to do wasn't bravey, Darren. It was survival."
She pursed her lips, proud of her statement. Darren sighed.
"Al, that's the thing. I... I don't have that strength of character. Palmgate is always yelling at my mother and I, always giving us veiled threats. It's... it's like walking on eggshells. I don't understand my mother at all..."
Darren looked Alex in the eye. He furrowed his brows, upset with his circumstances. For the first time in a long time, Alex sensed how tense and troubled he felt. The tone of his voice wavered. He could hardly contain the anger, resentment, and frustration he felt toward the man.
"He's invited us to come live with him in the penthouse he owns in Portland. I know Mom is going to say yes. She's going to drag me over there to live with him. I can't stand it, Al!" He slammed his fist on the table. "Every time I see him, he makes my skin crawl. I literally just want to hide away from him every time he comes to visit us..."
Alex nibbled on her banana bread. She offered him a slice. He held his hand up in polite refusal. Shrugging her shoulders, she went back to eating, listening intently to Darren's every word.
"He... he wants me to inherit his company. He wants me to take over Palmaris Medical Research when he retires..."
"Is that what you want to do, Darren?"
Darren shook his head.
"No! I'd rather burn that company to the ground, Al. You have no idea about the things he really does, Al. It's... barbaric."
The two of them locked eyes. Her green eyes glimmered brilliantly in the cold winter sun. She looked him straight in the eye, her expression resolute.
She recalled the first time she met Palmgate, and how cold, distant, and domineering he was at Darren's birthday party. He always scowled at her—likely from how rambunctious and loud she often got. On many occasions, she resorted to catty and trollish remarks in meetings with him. Everything had to be his way, or there would be hell to pay. Given her own aggressive nature, and her upbringing, she often ran into conflict with him.
"Well, you know, Darren, I could just troll your stepdad-to-be some more. It'd serve him right for being such an asshole to you and your mom."
Darren's eyes widened. He could not believe the words that just came out of Alex's mouth. As amusing as he found many of her antics, he did not want to face the consequences ofcrossing Palmgate any further.
"Oh God no, Al. You'll just make the situation worse if you do that."
Alex shrugged. "Hey, at least we'd all have a laugh for a little while."
Darren placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "You don't understand him, Al. He doesn't like being the butt of anyone's jokes."
"Such is the nature of a bully like him, Darren. Bullies can't stand being called out and humiliated. It's why he and Susie hate my guts so much: I'm more than willing to stand up to them and call them out on their bullshit." Alex took another bite of her food before continuing."That's what you have to do, Darren. Stand up for yourself. Let him know that you're not somebody he can push you don't, he's just going to keep on bullying you and Darcy until you get sick of it."
Darren lowered his hand. He knew, deep inside his heart, that his best friend was right. Like many things in his and Alex's lives, standing up against his stepfather's abuse was easier said than done. Sensing his distress at the troubles going on in his life, Alex stood up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"...Have you talked to Darcy about what's been going on, and how you feel about this?"
Darren nodded his head.
"I've talked to Mom so many times about him... she's too in-love with him to see him for what he truly is, Al. I'm scared he's going to do something to her—to us as a family. Everyone who's ever even looked at Palmgate the wrong way has vanished in some fashion. I don't know what to do, or where to go..."
Alex held her chin in thought. An idea formed in her mind.
"You know... you and I could find a place of our own. Somewhere that creep won't find us."
Darren blinked, his voice full of concern. "What about Cass? What about your grandpa?"
Alex sighed. "Cass already has a boyfriend of her own. She's been talking about moving out and going off to live with him. As for me... well, Grandpa's not getting any younger, and we all have to leave the nest at some point, I suppose."
For the first time since the conversation began, Alex frowned. Darren cocked his head at her, dismayed by the change in attitude.
"I can't believe I'm hearing this. You... you actually want to give this 'adulting' thing a try?"
A smile formed on Alex's face. She playfully nudged him with her arm.
"No, I think I'll just go crawl back under my bridge, and go back to doing what I do best. I found some new Zelda forums to skulk about on, by the way. I'm going to love poking the timeline theorists..."
Darren let out a laugh, and just like that, he felt some of his tension subside. She always had that way of making him forget about his problems. He appreciated her wild, fun-loving nature, in spite of the troubles that once plagued her life. Alex nudged her body closer to his own, not even caring about anyone else around them.
"Darren, no matter what happens, be it your mom's upcoming marriage, or whatever's going on with Palmgate... I just want you to know one thing."
She cupped his face. The two of them gazed into each other's eyes. Alex moved her face closer to his own. Now more than ever, she cared little of who was watching, and who would see them.
"I'll always be here if you need me. We've been together through thick and thin, you and I. I know I'm not always the easiest person to get along with. You're one of the few people who's ever bothered to get close to me. You were there for me when my dad got into that car crash while drunk driving. Before I met you, I... I was a bitter, angry shrew of a person. Maybe I still am, I don't know."
Alex looked away and sighed, not sure of how else to express her feelings. She gathered her courage and continued.
"But no matter what happens... no matter how badly things are going... I just want you to know that I'm here, Darren. I'll always be here for you. I'll never abandon you, or forget about you. I promise..."
She closed her eyes, and pulled his face closer. The two of them kissed one another. For the longest time, the two held each other, basking in the glow of the sunlight...
Alex froze in place, the flood of memories overwhelming. She floated backwards in the water tank, unable to contain the maelstrom of emotions threatening to burst forth. Fighting back the tears behind the nictitating membrane that covered her eyes, Alex sank to the bottom and fell onto her knees. All at once, the memory of that terrible flight played in her mind, the night her life as she knew it came to an end.
Darren...
Now more than ever, her heart ached. She thought of him often, lost and alone in the deep blue sea. The thought of returning home, of seeing her family, of seeing Darren and the people she loved, carried her onward and fueled her determination. For so long, she had wanted to go home.
For the first time since awakening on that deserted cay, she took stock of her Zoran body. Before Sandraedi, she did not care about what he thought of her or of her appearance. The possibility of meeting Darren in her current state filled her with dread and anxiety. She held out her hands in front of her, and gazed at her scaly fingers with sadness.
For so long, I've been fighting for my life. All I've wanted was to see you again. I can't bear the thought of you seeing me like this... Would you even recognize me, as I am now?
Alex curled her arms, legs, and fins toward her torso. She then closed her eyes and buried her face into her arms. As she became lost in her own turmoil, she let out quiet sobs.
What am I going to do? Just what the hell am I going to do?
9:00 AM
Darren walked into the elevator, his expression morose and bitter. He pushed the buttons on the side panel, and waited to be taken higher into the building. Before the elevator doors could close, a middle-aged woman in a white lab coat pushed the elevator buttons outside. The doors slid back into the wall, and the woman stood beside him.
"Darren Brokovich, I presume?" She asked.
He said nothing to the woman's question. The elevator door's slid closed. With a small hum, the elevator rose higher and higher. Flashes of light abounded all around them through the fiberglass panels.
"I'm Dr. Matriona Phillips," the woman began, "I was brought here from the Mojave Branch to assist in the study and rehabilitation of the Aberrants. Arthur tells me that we are to be working together."
"I see..."
An uncomfortable filled the elevator. Dr. Phillips adjusted her bun, while Darren looked away, not wanting to engage in any further small talk. She could sense Darren's anger roiling beneath the surface. Despite this, she offered him a warm smile and held out her hand.
"Please, be at ease. I am not Arthur." Dr. Phillips lowered her voice. "I know what he's like, Darren. He has threatened me countless times before as well..."
On hearing that, Darren's eyes softened. He finally turned to face her, and accepted her handshake. Dr. Phillips adjusted her glasses. Only one question ran through his mind:
"How can you continue working for that man?" Darren asked, his voice a quiet whisper.
"Before all of this happened, I was a geneticist and parapsychologist. When I wasn't studying the human genome, I was studying psychic and paranormal phenomena. The Aberrants, therefore, are a quandary to me. The Event that created those beings affected them on more than just the physical level, Mr. Brokovich. It altered their psyche, and changed them in ways I have yet to fathom. Yet these alterations came to them with a terrible price. For a time, Palmaris was the means I chose to help these people..."
Darren pursed his lips, pondering the information she presented. "So... do you think there's anything human about them, Doctor?"
Dr. Phillips lowered her glasses. "They still possess their humanity. I've seen it in their eyes. They're afraid of what they've become—moreso than the rest of us. There is a power, a force within them, that they do not understand. For this reason, I choose to study their condition in hopes that someday, an answer might be found..."
As she continued talking, he became more and more disarmed by her compassion and demeanor. Compared to the cold indifference Palmgate often displayed toward him in private, seeing an actual human being who cared felt like a breath of fresh air. He clasped at the locket around his neck, treasuring the precious memory within.
Al...
Turning his attention away from Dr. Phillips for a moment, he opened the locket and gazed at the picture within. Like a moment frozen in time, he stared at the image of himself, smiling happily at a park. In front of him, wrapped around his arms, stood two identical twin sisters, both bearing long, coppery strands of hair. Two pairs of green eyes peered back at him, the pair on the left with reserved seriousness, and the pair on the right with a fiery, mischievous gleam.
"Who are they?" Dr. Phillips asked.
Darren pulled himself away from the memory of the twin sisters, and looked back into Dr. Phillips' warm, brown eyes.
"Oh, that was me, back when I was in high school. I often spent time around the Donovan Sisters. The girl on the left was Cassandra Donovan. She and I... never really talked much, and was always the more shy and timid of the two sisters.
"Alex, on the other hand... she was my best friend. She often got into a lot of trouble, and I'd always have to go rescue her. Sometimes, it was hilarious, and sometimes... not so much. Always would stand up for me and her sister, though, when things would really go south at times, which was a lot growing up..."
Dr. Phillips raised her eyebrow in curiosity. "Do you still see them?"
Darren shook his head, his expression somber. "No. Alex... she died in a plane crash over the Caribbean..."
His voice cracked and wavered. Dr. Phillips placed a comforting hand on Darren's shoulder. At that very moment, he wanted to cry.
"I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Brokovich. It sounds like you and her were quite close."
"Alex was the love of my life... and I was too stupid not to say anything to her. Now, she's gone, Doctor... and I don't know what to do... It's been four months, and I still don't know what to do..."
The elevator came to a stop. Before either of them could continue any further, Dr. Phillips motioned for him to follow her. Despite his emotional outburst on the elevator, she wanted to help him, and understand the grief that underpinned his every thought. Out of sight from any security camera, the two of them made their way into an empty office.
"Are you seeing a grief counselor right now?" She asked.
"I'm on Palmgate's insurance, and he won't allow it."
"I thought as much..." Dr. Phillips held her chin in thought.
"Arthur will grow suspicious if we don't leave soon. I will see what I can arrange for you, Mr. Brokovich."
"Please, call me Darren."
Dr. Phillips hummed. "The grief at losing a loved one is never an easy thing to go through. It is a shame your stepfather fails to understand this. Do keep this conversation between us. I know how Arthur gets when secrets are kept from him..."
Darren said nothing as she continued on.
"We are going to head straight to Enclosure A72, and pretend neither of us ever had this conversation."
"Right."
Dr. Philips walked toward the door.
"We will be performing a physical examination of the Zoran Aberrant held within the enclosure. Arth-Palmgate wants a full analysis of the Aberrant's central nervous system. You will assist me in restraining her if need be. From what I understand, she's highly aggressive, and may need to be put under anesthesia. My hope is that it won't have to come to that..."
The two of them said nothing else as they made their way quickly down the hall. Each of them passed by the other enclosures and examination rooms. Aberrants, both lucid and catatonic, called out to them.
"Let us out of here! You can't do this to us!"
"We're human beings, too!"
"I don't want to spend another second in this fucking zoo!"
"Get this thing... out of me..."
Darren did his best to ignore the ravenous outbursts. Following the painted walls, each of them passed by the numbered enclosures, until they reached a looming set of metal doors at the end of the hall, the very enclosure he stood in days ago.
I just want to get this over with. This place makes my skin crawl...
Steam hissed through the metal doors beyond the water tank. Alex bolted upright, startled by the sound. She twisted her body around, pushing her cranial fin behind her. When the steam subsided, two figures walked into the room. As they came further into view, Alex's heart sank.
A woman in a white labcoat, carrying a manilla folder and a clipboard, stepped into the room. Adjusting a set of glasses, she scribbled notes on a white piece of paper. Gray-streaked brown hair stood out in the light, carefully tied into a bun.
No... Oh God no..., Alex thought.
When Darren's eyes met her own, she gasped.
"...Darren?"
The moment her voice uttered his name, Darren froze in place. Alex placed her hands on the glass wall of her tank. Her eyes bore into his own, pleading to him, calling out to him.
Darren shook his head, not believing his eyes. The gaze of familiarity the creature before him displayed confused and horrified him. Before, the Aberrant's resemblance to his late friend's favorite character unnerved him. As she stared into his soul, a whirlwind of emotion churned inside him.
What is going on? What the hell is going on?!
Dr. Phillips lifted her head up from her clipboard, and watched the scene unfold before her very eyes.
"Darren... is that you?"
The world spun around Darren in vertigo. Nausea welled inside him, spurred on by the shock and horror he felt toward the creature before him.
"What is this..." Darren uttered, shaking his head in anger and confusion, "What the hell is this?!"
"Do you know this Aberrant, Mr. Brokovich?" Dr. Phillips asked.
Darren turned toward Dr. Phillips, and vehemently shook his head no.
"I've never met this Aberrant in my life."
Behind the wall of glass, Alex's form crumped onto the floor, her expression hurt and wounded. She could not take her eyes off of Darren. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream, to curse whatever force had twisted her. Like a knife to her, his words hurt her more than anything she had ever known.
Dr. Phillips lifted his glasses, studying Alex's form. Alex looked back at him, crushed by his words. She shook her head in turn, a look of disbelief on her face.
"She is not in an Aberrated state... How... peculiar..."
Not wanting any further to do with this turn of events, Darren turned his eyes away from Alex. Taking in a deep breath, Darren pulled out a small walkie talkie.
"We need an Aberrant escort, Enclosure A72, over."
"10-4, sending escort now," a deep male voice called out from the walkie talkie.
Unwilling to stay in the chamber any longer, he stepped out of the room, leaving Dr. Phillips alone with the creature. Even as the guards entered the chamber, he didn't want to spend another second near that Aberrant. He didn't want to believe what had happened.
How? How did that Aberrant know my name? Who is she?