...Ms. Monford?"
Francine gradually opened her eyes. A hazy, gigantic figure stood before her.
"Ms. Monford, are you ok? You fell asleep!"
Francine rubbed her eyes and examined the figure.
"Daisy…?" Francine poked the figure, its white fur slightly bouncing at the touch. "Since when were you so big?" The sight of the plush animal, now a towering polar bear, left Francine in a state of bewildered fascination.
Francine grabbed the white fur, pulling the polar bear into an embrace. The bear towered over her, pressing its chin on Francine's head. She sniffed the fur; vanilla and coconut fragrance filled her nostrils. Francine tried to reach around the bear's body. It dons a short skirt and a V-neck blouse.
"You smell amazing." Francine felt her hips thrusting on their own.
"Ms. Monford, quit doing that! You need to give a speech in five minutes." Daisy hoisted Francine up by her arms and started carrying her. "You shouldn't be acting like this!"
Francine rested her head on Daisy's shoulder. She noticed a crowd of people before her. They were waiting for something.
"Is that why I'm wearing a suit… Daisy?"
"What else would you be wearing? Your pajamas?" The bear placed Francine behind the podium, checking the microphone to ensure it worked.
I have to give a speech, since when? What should I say?…
Francine scratched her neck, trying to think of something to say. After checking her suit to ensure no visible wrinkles, she taped the microphone to her chest.
I never imagined being here. A hockey player becoming the President of the United States. Isn't that cool? Francine looked out into the crowd, twiddling her thumbs.
Daisy placed her paw on Francine's shoulders. Francine looked at the bear.
"It's ok, Ms. Monford, just take your time."
"Why are you melting?" Francine felt droplets of white sludge fall on her.
"Melting? Ha! I'm not ice cream." Daisy's voice grew distorted as she spoke.
Francine took a few steps back, wiping the sludge off her suit. But as she was wiping the sludge off, it stuck to her fingers. Daisy walked towards Francine. The bear's face looked like melted vanilla ice cream.
"Get away from me!" Francine tried to run, but her legs felt sluggish.
Daisy was closing in on her, more sludge spilling onto Francine.
"No! No! NO!"
Francine's eyes popped open, and she gasped. It took her a moment to notice the cold metal on her back. She realized that her attempts to move her limbs were pointless. She could hear the clanking of bottles. Francine tried to move again, but it didn't work once again.
"Zhang? Is that you?" Francine saw a dim light before her, squinting her eyes to get a better view.
No response. She dropped her head back on the table, staring at the brick ceiling.
Great! I let my stomach think for myself, and now I'm going to be killed.
The clanking of the bottles became louder as the figure approached Francine. Francine tried to use the last strength to loosen the straps on her arms, but it's no use. A gloved hand grabbed her jaw and pulled Francine's head up.
"Ah, you're awake now! I thought you were still asleep." The man placed a tray carrying the bottle onto the small table next to Francine.
Francine couldn't bring herself to say a witty comment. She stared into the man's green eyes, furrowing her eyebrows, trying to determine what she was looking at.
"Zang… is that you? Why do you look so…" Francine bit her tongue. She avoided sharing her thoughts.
"Different?" Zhang snorted. "Well, how do I put this?"
Zhang's hand moved to the underside of Francine's jaw, inspecting her pale skin. He moved her head sideways, then back to its original position.
"Have you spent a moment observing your environment, Francine?"
"Uh…" Francine's stared at the ceiling. "A whole lotta gray bricks. Maybe some moss?"
Zhang couldn't help but squeeze Francine's jaw, opening her mouth. He released his grip and approached the little table. Francine noticed two small glass bottles on the tray as she examined them. The same tray held three syringes.
Well Francine, say hello to you for being in a snuff film.
"Now, you have noticed my facial structure has changed." Zang grabbed the bottles and syringes, filling the syringes with the strange, blue liquids. "Which, I must say, my younger appearance is more attractive!"
Francine's eyes flicked back and forth from Zhang's face to the syringes. Confused, she says what was on her mind.
"Ok… why do you look old, though? There's no way in hell somebody can change their face that drastically."
This was the largest turnoff in history. Zhang had gone from an attractive young man around Francine's age but still older to… someone's dad. Deep lines ran across his forehead and around his mouth, and his black hair and beard were longer, too.
Zhang laughed, replacing the cork stoppers on the bottles.
"How could I even begin to explain the process to an Earthrealmer? Hmm…" Zhang said, rubbing his beard.
Earthrealmer?
"Observe.."
Zhang hovered his hand at the top of his head, making sure Francine was watching as he slid his hand down. His face changed into his younger form.
"There, do you prefer this form?"
Francine nodded at a deliberate pace.
"How did you do that? Are you like a… magician?"
"Magician?" Zhang howled. "Well, that's not the first time an Earthrealmer has called me that. But no, I'm not a mere magician."
Zhang grabbed the three syringes, holding each of them between his fingers. He was smiling like a madman approaching Francine.
Jesus Christ, I've got to get out of here!
Francine held her breath as she lifted her body somewhat, stopping as her wrists and ankles ached.
"Get the hell away from me! Stay away!"
Zhang grabbed Francine's neck, squeezing the air out of her. He brought a finger up to Francine's lips, silencing her.
"You're shrieking is quite taking on my ears…" Zhang turned Francine's head to one corner of the room. A rotting corpse slumped over, with his entrails draped over his thighs. "Would you like to take his place, Francine?"
Zhang rocked Francine's head from right to left. He chuckled to himself as he looked into her glazed-over eyes. Zhang dragged the needles of the syringes over her arm, directing them to her face.
"I thought so. I must say, for someone who plays those violent video games, you're acting as if you've never seen a corpse before."
"Look, you can do anything you want to me, just don't kill me, alright. Francine faked a smile, thinking it might soften Zhang's mood.
"Oh Francine, I won't kill you,"
Oh, thank God…
"You'll just be my test subject." Zhang examined the syringes, the blue liquids swirling inside. "I've been working on this formula for who knows how long, but each time I've failed. But with you, I suspect that will change."
"You're fucking crazy, dude! How could you kidnap someone like me, a famous ass mother fucker! You're going to get found out!"
"Is that so? Well, we will see you to it then!" Zhang lifted the needles into the air, preparing for the injections.
"No! NO-!"
A shooting pain ran up and down Francine's arm; Zhang had injected her with the mysterious liquid. It's all downhill from here…
Francine twitched and convulsed; a seizure grew from her. Foam leaked out of her mouth, and her hands launched onto the sides of the table.
Zhang stood back from Francine, placing the syringes back on the tray.
"She's not bleeding, unlike the others previously." He smirked. "I might've found the proper test subject."
Francine was still seizing, moaning like a zombie.
Zhang rubbed Francine's side of the head, taking slight pity on her, but he was overjoyed that he had cracked the code.
"Once these effects settle, we will truly begin your new journey. A… rebirth."
Francine's howling continued for a couple more minutes; the pain was indescribable. It felt as if all her veins were filling with air. As her seizures ceased, all she felt was a numbing cold. Francine's mouth and eyes were wide open.
"Oh, something else, Francine. I don't enjoy you calling me that idiotic name." Zhang grabbed Francine's jaw for one last time. "Instead, call me…"
"Shang Tsung…"