Chapter 8 – Eureka!
Jekyll leaped up from the desk and darted through the door and raced down the corridor with his scientific journal. How had he never seen it before? It was all so simple. This had to be it! This was what made the visibility potion work! All thoughts of Bet were forgotten.
Quickly, he entered the laboratory, threw his journal down and stated pulling bottle of chemicals off the shelves. Carefully measuring out the ingredients he needed, he started to mix up the visibility potion. His heart was beating faster and faster. He hadn't felt so exhilarated in a long time. He hadn't experienced the thrill of succeeding with an experiment for a long time; ever since he had confined himself to only researching for a cure for Hyde.
He worked on the potion for the rest of the morning. Once he had finished clearing up, he picked up both a vile of the potion he had just made, and a vile of the invisibility potion he had been given to study. He quickly paced down the corridor to Bet's room.
"Bet," He called. "Bet! Come quickly! It's ready!" He stopped outside her room. Slowly, the door opened and a very sleepy Bet poked her head around it. Last night must have really taken it out of her. It all came flooding back to Jekyll, but he was too excited to worry about it at that precise moment.
"What do you want?" She yawned.
"It's ready!" Jekyll repeated. He was bubbling with excitement. "Come with me and we can do it now." He paused. "The visibility potion, I mean." Bet instantly woke up.
"You finished it?" She asked excitedly. Jekyll nodded his head. "Oh, great! 'Ang on, I'll just get changed. Come in!" She flung the door open. As if by reflex, Jekyll stepped back.
"No!" He spluttered, quickly. "It's alright. I'll wait out here." Bet smiled, sweetly.
"Alright. I'll be as quick as I can." Bet beamed at Jekyll once again and then disappeared behind the door.
Jekyll took a moment to think about what had just been offered to him. He shook his head violently. He had to get what Skinner had said this morning out of his mind. Jekyll liked Bet. She hadn't changed at all just because he now knew that she had a slightly unusual career. She was still the sweet girl he had grown to like.
Jekyll fidgeted impatiently. What was taking her so long? She was only supposed to be getting changed. Didn't she realise how excited he was about this? He checked his pocket watch. What if she had changed her mind? Had she suddenly realised how dangerous this experiment could be? Jekyll, himself, wouldn't risk becoming invisible forever. If she had changed her mind, what would he do? There was no way he could find another test subject. What was taking her so long? Slowly, Jekyll bent down and looked through the keyhole.
"You needn't peek, Jekyll!" Skinner's voice rang out. Jekyll jumped up from the keyhole quickly, blushing red. "You only need to ask her nicely." Skinner continued. "As long as you pay her, that is." Jekyll lashed out at the empty space.
"Go away, Skinner!" Jekyll bellowed. "Do you want this potion or not?" There was no reply. Jekyll hoped he had gone away. He put his hand in his pocket and felt about for his snuffbox. Turning away from where Skinner's voice had been, he tipped a little snuff into his hand. Quickly, turning back, he threw the snuff into the air. It settled, revealing where Skinner was standing.
"Alright, Jekyll." He coughed, and spluttered. "You only needed to ask me to go." The floating snuff started to move away from Jekyll down the corridor.
"You can go alright." Jekyll yelled. "Leave me alone and leave Bet alone." He could feel Hyde's anger raging up inside of him. "Once we have tested this potion you can take it and leave here. And if I ever find you sniffing around her room again, I'll…" But Skinner had gone.
Jekyll caught his breath. He had never been so angry himself. It was always Hyde.
At that moment the door opened and a very smiley Bet emerged. Jekyll was taken aback. She was only wearing the same grey dress as she usually wore, but she shone. She beamed at Jekyll.
"You comin' then?" She asked, cheekily. "It's now or never!"
Jekyll leaped up from the desk and darted through the door and raced down the corridor with his scientific journal. How had he never seen it before? It was all so simple. This had to be it! This was what made the visibility potion work! All thoughts of Bet were forgotten.
Quickly, he entered the laboratory, threw his journal down and stated pulling bottle of chemicals off the shelves. Carefully measuring out the ingredients he needed, he started to mix up the visibility potion. His heart was beating faster and faster. He hadn't felt so exhilarated in a long time. He hadn't experienced the thrill of succeeding with an experiment for a long time; ever since he had confined himself to only researching for a cure for Hyde.
He worked on the potion for the rest of the morning. Once he had finished clearing up, he picked up both a vile of the potion he had just made, and a vile of the invisibility potion he had been given to study. He quickly paced down the corridor to Bet's room.
"Bet," He called. "Bet! Come quickly! It's ready!" He stopped outside her room. Slowly, the door opened and a very sleepy Bet poked her head around it. Last night must have really taken it out of her. It all came flooding back to Jekyll, but he was too excited to worry about it at that precise moment.
"What do you want?" She yawned.
"It's ready!" Jekyll repeated. He was bubbling with excitement. "Come with me and we can do it now." He paused. "The visibility potion, I mean." Bet instantly woke up.
"You finished it?" She asked excitedly. Jekyll nodded his head. "Oh, great! 'Ang on, I'll just get changed. Come in!" She flung the door open. As if by reflex, Jekyll stepped back.
"No!" He spluttered, quickly. "It's alright. I'll wait out here." Bet smiled, sweetly.
"Alright. I'll be as quick as I can." Bet beamed at Jekyll once again and then disappeared behind the door.
Jekyll took a moment to think about what had just been offered to him. He shook his head violently. He had to get what Skinner had said this morning out of his mind. Jekyll liked Bet. She hadn't changed at all just because he now knew that she had a slightly unusual career. She was still the sweet girl he had grown to like.
Jekyll fidgeted impatiently. What was taking her so long? She was only supposed to be getting changed. Didn't she realise how excited he was about this? He checked his pocket watch. What if she had changed her mind? Had she suddenly realised how dangerous this experiment could be? Jekyll, himself, wouldn't risk becoming invisible forever. If she had changed her mind, what would he do? There was no way he could find another test subject. What was taking her so long? Slowly, Jekyll bent down and looked through the keyhole.
"You needn't peek, Jekyll!" Skinner's voice rang out. Jekyll jumped up from the keyhole quickly, blushing red. "You only need to ask her nicely." Skinner continued. "As long as you pay her, that is." Jekyll lashed out at the empty space.
"Go away, Skinner!" Jekyll bellowed. "Do you want this potion or not?" There was no reply. Jekyll hoped he had gone away. He put his hand in his pocket and felt about for his snuffbox. Turning away from where Skinner's voice had been, he tipped a little snuff into his hand. Quickly, turning back, he threw the snuff into the air. It settled, revealing where Skinner was standing.
"Alright, Jekyll." He coughed, and spluttered. "You only needed to ask me to go." The floating snuff started to move away from Jekyll down the corridor.
"You can go alright." Jekyll yelled. "Leave me alone and leave Bet alone." He could feel Hyde's anger raging up inside of him. "Once we have tested this potion you can take it and leave here. And if I ever find you sniffing around her room again, I'll…" But Skinner had gone.
Jekyll caught his breath. He had never been so angry himself. It was always Hyde.
At that moment the door opened and a very smiley Bet emerged. Jekyll was taken aback. She was only wearing the same grey dress as she usually wore, but she shone. She beamed at Jekyll.
"You comin' then?" She asked, cheekily. "It's now or never!"