"Jake." The voice sent a chill down his spine, evicting him from whatever dream he was in. He was afraid to open his eyes, hoping if he kept them shut, the nightmare standing beside him would go away. But that icy cold presence remained. He could feel those red eyes watching him, preying on him once more. The voice ordered his attention, speaking his name harshly "Jake." He reluctantly opened his eyes, afraid of the repercussions if he disobeyed. His father stood beside him, his usual dark smile was replaced with a stern expression. "Good. You're awake. Come with me." Jake was shaken by this sudden change in his father's approach. He pushed it off, crawling out of bed to follow his father. He led Jake down to his lab, beckoning the young man to follow after he stopped in the doorway. Jake's gaze flicked from the front door back to the lab. He could make his escape. Reach his freedom. But what if this time, it was different. What if... His mind was fuzzy with questions. "Jake!" His father's voice called his attention. Jake flinched, ducking at the sound of his voice as if it were going to cause him harm. When nothing happened, he looked around and saw his father standing beside him, a rather impatient expression etched on his face. Jake straightened up and did as he was told, following the steps down into the lab. When his bare feet touched the bottom step, he heard the door shut behind him. He looked back, Wesker's red eyes glowing in the dim light of the stairwell. That dark smile played on his lips once again, creeping across his features to a Cheshire grin. Jake backed away as his father descended the stairs, his gaze set upon the young man like a hungry lion does when it's found the perfect prey. He stumbled over his own feet, falling back into the cabinets that lined the wall opposite the stairs. Wesker reached out a gloved hand and seized his son by the back of the neck and steered him towards a spot beneath the steps. He shackled Jake's wrists and threw him to the ground. Jake felt the familiar pinch of the shackles against his skin. He gritted his teeth when he hit the cold concrete floor. The chain that linked him to the wall clattered together, each link gave off a shriek as it touched the others. The noise hurt his ears in the chillingly silent lab, drawing a gasp from his trembling lips. He curled up tightly against the wall as if he could tuck himself into non-existence. His father clicked his tongue "Fear not child. This is all for the sake of a better act yet to come." His father held himself in a way that resembled the vanity of a royal. He looked down upon Jake, eyes slitted like a viper's as he smiled once more before walking back to his desk with arrogant strides. He began to busy himself with placing small medical instruments on a silver tray along with empty glass viles and bottles of clear liquid that could fit in the palm of your hand. It wasn't long before Wesker was back at Jake's side, a small device in his hand that resembled that of a gun holding a vile of liquid, a needle protruding from the barrel. Jake flinched, his arms raised protectively in front of him as Wesker crouched to eye level. Jake looked into his father's eyes and for a moment, he could have sworn he saw regret or hurt flash across his features. He relaxed for a second, hope rising in him only to be ripped from him as his father snatched the chains up in one quick motion, yanking his arms above his head and sticking the needle deep into his neck, squeezing the trigger, forcing the liquid into his veins. Jake gasped and twisted out of his grip but Wesker just pulled tighter, shaking him roughly after removing the needle. Wesker released the chains and rose to his feet, that smile dancing upon his lips as the serum took affect. Jake felt as if he had just boarded a merry-go-round, the world whipped and whirled before his eyes in pops and explosions of color. He felt his stomach drop, bile rising in his throat, his chest was heaving as he felt like he was being suffocated. His heart thundered in his ears, washing out his father's voice. The lab began to melt out of his vision, turning into shadows and silhouettes, swaying and warped into a greater darkness. An icy chill seeped into his bones, nestling snug at his very core, neighboring the pitch black world he had been swept away into. Jake woke up in his bed as he did every morning. A metallic coppery taste coating his mouth. His throat was sore and swollen. He licked at his lips, trying to bring them back from their dried cracked state, blood lingering on his tongue, the inside of his lower lip was bitten raw. He tried to take a breath, falling into a coughing fit. He went to stand, going to search for a drink of water, hoping the cool liquid would sooth his throat but his legs refused to hold him, trembling with the first steps before dropping him to the floor. His joints were stiff, the skin around them was red and puffy. After a few trials and errors, he finally made it to the bathroom just in time to regurgitate the little bit left in his already empty, aching stomach. With a wavering breath, he leaned against the wall next to the toilet, resting his hands in his lap. He looked down, avoiding the sight of the porcelain fixture, hoping to at least keep the acid within his stomach. He noticed the red marks on his skin where the shackles had rubbed against, dark purple-ish black rings encircling his wrists. The faint echo of the rustling chains filled his ears, making him cringe. He shifted uneasily, his head and body ached with each movement. He sighed, slowly getting to his feet before making his way back to his bed in search of his phone. He sat on the edge of his bed as he dialed the number for his high school, calling in yet another missed day this week.
