I Hate Needles

I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by needles. I didn't dare move since the closest ones were inches from my eyes. Taking a deep breath in, I turned my head carefully and looked around the room. I was laying on a surgical table that was in the center of the room, covered only in a white sheet.

There was a side table that had a few knives and surgical tools. Several empty vials had remnants of red and black fluid that were attached to the needles that hung over my previous bed. The smell of rot hit my nose throwing me into a coughing fit.

I slid off the table and wrapped the sheet around my waist. The cold floor stung my bare feet. A door a few feet from me caught my attention.

I shuffled over and tried the handle but it was locked tight. I went back to the side table and picked up a bright silver scalpel, 'Maybe I could pry the door open?', I thought.

Looking up from the tools, I saw a large mass against the wall. The lights were dim making it hard to see what it was. I approached the lump to find six corpses.

The smell was atrocious, I moved away from the bodies and went back to the door, I needed to get away from the rotting bodies. I tried to put the scalpel into the seal of the door but the fine blade was too thick, I checked the door over and over, there had to be a way out!

There! Next to the door was a strange-looking hole, I stooped to get a better look and there were several ridges and bumps. It looked like a key went in.

I got another whiff of that stench and coughed and gagged until I vomited a clear liquid onto the floor. When I raised my head and wiped my mouth, I caught the glint of something metallic in the pile of corpses. I held my nose and checked the bodies again. In the hands of what I assumed was a woman was a metal rod.

I grabbed one end and gently tugged, rigor must have set in a while ago because it was stuck. I pulled harder and harder until I heard her bones snap. I fell back onto my butt and pushed myself away. My sheet fell off in the middle of the tug of war, and when I finally pried the key out of her hands, herbody fell onto the edge of my sheet. I sighed as I gingerly picked at a corner of the sheet. Putrefaction was starting to spread onto it. I couldn't wear it anymore.

Racing back to the door, I placed the key into the socket. It slid in and that was it, nothing else happened. I looked at the key and twisted it a quarter to the left and three quarters to the right before applying pressure. 'Ok that was odd.' I thought.

With a hiss the door unsealed and opened. I pulled the key loose and squeezed through the door. I had only taken a step into the room before it closed behind me. I took a few deep breaths of fresh air and slid to the floor, the smell was a blessing from heaven compared to the stench of rot.

Looking up, I realized I was in a hallway that only had emergency lighting casting a dim green light along the walls. I stood and carefully made my way down the hall.

A few minutes passed and I arrived at another door, the sign beside the door read "Decontamination". When I tried the door, it opened easily. On the other side of the door was a short hallway made of glass. Large red letters on the side read, "Decontamination Zone."

I made my way through the tiny hallway and exited, beyond the door were clothes racks, lockers and cubbies. They were all filled with identical uniforms, completely white slippers, trousers, and a long-sleeved shirt. I slipped them on, they were comfortable and incredibly soft.

After getting into the clothes I continued to look around, other than the clothes there were a few lockers for personal items there was another unlocked door. I pushed the door open and peeked through, nothing but dim lighting. Next to the door was a small sign that read, "Decontamination- Lab 8", beneath it was a clipboard. I reached for it only to lose my balance and catch on the edge of the door.

It hit the floor with a loud smack, I held my breath for a moment and listened, after a few moments of silence I picked up the clipboard off of the ground and closed the door behind me. The front of the clipboard read as follows:

Subject: v-177013

Name: N/A

Age:21

Medical History: subject has been in a vegetative state for four years, with no family to claim the body. The subject was requisitioned to the organization as donated to scientific research. Several breaks to the bones from the train accident have failed to heal correctly, with underlying breaks from years of martial practice.

Blood Type: The subject's blood type is a mutated version of AB Positive.

Subject is deemed qualified to undergo advanced procedures.

Testing: V series tests. Bone marrow transplant, ocular replacement, organ transplants, skin grafting, electroshock therapy, bone remodeling

Other than the general information there was a map on the second page showing the laboratories. The labs 0-9 were V series, W series 10-20, and A series for 21-60. Whatever was in A series tests had taken up the remaining test facilities.I needed to find a way out, so I found my location and tracked it to a central location marked as the admin as security/armory.

I folded the papers and placed them in my pockets. I then left my small shelter with the map in hand and ventured into the dimly lit hallway. While walking towards my destination, I tried to remember what my life had been like but every time I tried to, I received a splitting headache with nothing to show for my efforts.

I gave up trying as the headaches became worse and my throat had started to bother me,I rubbed at my throat as it had started to itch like I hadn't had water in days.

I wondered if I had parents still or if they had died in the "accident" mentioned in the files, I imagined that my parents might have been important, both my parents must have been beautiful and loving and we were taking a family vacation or something when the accident occurred. I made up several fantasies to keep my mind busy, though some of the delusions I had crafted were a little darker than I would like to admit.

As I approached the admin building, there was a rotting flesh smell that started to overpower my beautiful odorless air. I covered my face as I approached the door, pushing it open, I was welcomed to a brand new hell.

Bodies were everywhere in various states of dismemberment, black blood was caked along the walls and most of the desks and other equipment had been thoroughly destroyed. A group of bodies was huddled together in the center of the room, on the far side of the bodies was a staircase that should be the exit for the facility.

To my right was another hallway which should lead to the armory, I walked quickly towards it, I had to step over and around the dismembered limbs and avert my eyes away from the rotting faces.

I made it to a barred door and using the key I had snatched earlier it clicked open, there were uniforms in an alcove of cubbies, weapons were mounted on the walls and a few radios were left on their chargers.

Though a good portion of the stock of uniforms was missing that didn't prevent me from changing into one of the remaining uniforms.

I wasn't sure who had designed the uniforms but unlike my previous outfit, the security uniform was black combat pants, boots, and belt with a white or black shirt being optional. Black and white seemed to be the main theme in this facility though there was another piece of clothing that went with the uniform.

A long coat that would reach about to my knees, and as the shirts, you could choose black or white. The coats had a hood attachment that would easily hide one's face, but unlike the rest of the uniforms, these had markings on them. The markings seemed to coincide with which lab that team would be guarding, I checked them all and most of the W and A series were missing though I did find mine soon after the search began.

The markings for my lab were a little excessive, not that the others didn't have flair either but someone definitely went past the budget for this thing. The eight was at the center of the back with twin serpents linked at the bottom, crossing in the middle only to come back together at the top. The mouths were open as if they had passed each other and were ready to strike.

I decided to wear the black coat with a white shirt with my uniform, I took a few extra pairs in a large tactical pack before moving onto the weapons rack.

I caught my reflection and stopped to check myself out briefly in the mirror as my file hadn't included a photo. I was about 5'10 with pale looking skin and no hair, I was bald, 'hopefully, that isn't permanent' I thought.

Though my eyebrows were pitch black I had sharp looking features and would consider myself handsome though all I had as competition so far were corpses. I couldn't tell what my eye color was in the dim light but for now, I was satisfied

There wasn't much left to take actually but what was left was a dagger, spiked knuckles, a few knives, and a metal baton. I put the baton and dagger in the bag along with what I assumed was a radio and multiple batteries. With my loot all in order, it was time to get out of this hell hole.

I clipped the smaller knives to the belt and put the spike knuckles in my pockets before I stepped out of the armory, I locked it behind me, for all the good that would do and raced back out to the exit. I wasn't interested in staying here for another second, I made my way through the lobby avoiding the carnage as best as I could.

"Well, what do we have here? Come here little brother and let me have a good look at you."

A raspy voice came from the center of the room and made me jump, look around I had one hand on the hilt of my knife, in the pile of bodies something moved slightly. I went forward slowly until I had a better look at it, the pile of bodies looked like several guards had plunged their weapons into an enemy at the center before they had been lit on fire.

A pair of fiery red eyes opened and looked me over hungrily, "That's it, little brother, just come a little closer, now give me your arm I am quite famished."

I stopped in my tracks. I pulled the baton from my bag and used it to keep my distance while I peeled the bodies away from the voice in the center.

My hand 'slipped' and prodded the creature in the center of the bodies which elicited a sharp cry, "You little shit, when I get out of here I'm going to drain you dry! How dare a bloodling such as you touch me.

Now. Come. HERE."

The creature at the center tried to escape its prison and its old wounds were being ripped open, a sweet smell washed over me, my heart started racing and I felt lightheaded.

'I was so thirsty.'

My teeth started to hurt and a racking pain came from my stomach, I needed it.

My vision wavered between red and green and I took another whiff of that sweet nectar, an arm broke through the prison and I lunged at it, I bit down hard into the arm and a gush of warm sweet honey filled my mouth. A rush of energy pulsed through me and I nearly lost myself in the delicacy.

A yell of anger came from the pile and the arm violently shook me off, I flew through the air and slammed into a desk, my back aching I rolled from the ground and back to my feet and charged back in for more.

All that mattered was that sweet nectar. I was so Hungry.

I picked up the baton I had dropped and smacked the arm near the elbow over and over until I heard a snap. A cry of agony rang out and the bodies shifted, I bit the now broken arm and sucked out the delicious substance and let it pour down my throat.

More waves of power pulsed as I gorged on my meal.

"I am going to kill you!" the voice raged over and over, whoever was in there was struggling to break free as I feasted on them. Through the snapping of bones and ripping of flesh, the creature was slowly breaking free, another hand broke free and reached for my throat. I rolled away and came up in a crouch.

Licking my lips I tasted the sweetness and craved more. A head emerged from the pile as it crawled out from the depths of burnt corpses. Those fiery red eyes glared at me with pure hatred and loathing but I couldn't care less, this was prey and prey didn't have a choice.

I pulled out my knives and circled my target, once a small portion of its torso made it free I moved forward and stepped on its good arm, It bucked me off with a throw. I got up and ran back to it and I began to beat its good arm until it broke as well, it flailed and roared at me.

I straddled its back, and ripped away the burn clothes protecting its neck, I growled at the thought of the sweet nectar within.

I leaned forward and heard my prey start pleading and apologizing, my heart was racing at having power over such a strong creature, I reveled at the moment and breathed in before I plunged my teeth into my prey's throat.