10 Chapter 10 - The Final Ingredient

I think I have come up with the best possible solution to my problem. The final ingredient. It could work or it could not so let’s not get our hopes up.

I have to take my chances. This ingredient is probably the only one that could work. I write down the ingredients on paper.

All the ingredients are deadly and can cause harm on their own. Chlorine is one of them. Its main purpose in the formula is purification. Although when chlorine reacts with water in the digestive tract it causes hydrochloric acid to form, it is essential to the formula.

Nitric Acid is also needed for preservation. It is a very toxic chemical that causes the insides of the victim to corrode.

Ethanol is not that dangerous as compared to the other ingredients needed. Alcohol. This is only going to cause a violent hangover.

Copper-doped zinc sulfide. To be honest, I don’t know why we included this in the formula except that it gave the formula its luminescent green color. It’s probably what causes my eyes to glow. Apparently, it is essential to the formula.

Then the theoretical final ingredient that took everything to find. Potassium Cyanide, a type of salt. This chemical can cause its victims to fall unconscious and suffer brain death by disabling cellular respiration. Its purpose is to kill.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I know how deadly and crazy it all sounds but the main goal is to kill something, I don’t know what it is. Mrs. Walker never told me more than that. So far we’ve been able to make this thing dormant, that’s why I occasionally took the formula but now I can’t control it. It’s gotten worse. I hope this formula is potent enough to kill this thing once and for all.

I am lowkey scared of what might happen if it doesn’t work.

There aren’t many pharmacies and chemical stores in my town. I went to all five of them and as I suspected, I was kicked out faster than I could say, Jack Robinson.

Those chemicals are dangerous and I don’t have a permit or license to purchase them. These chemists and pharmacists looked at me like I was crazy and yes, I potentially am.

My last resort is the Black Market. At least I wouldn’t be questioned or asked for an ID.

At midnight, I head downtown in black jeans and a hoodie. Let’s go shopping.

It doesn’t take long for me to reach an isolated building that looks like an abandoned warehouse. When I enter, I’ll tell you for a fact, the outside does a great job of concealing any idea of what is going on inside. It looks like a convention here. There are all sorts of people here and I wouldn’t want to know what some of them do. There are numerous booths set up, some selling body parts, others illegal items, even firearms.

It takes a while for me to find a chemist shack within the crowd. Whoever this chemist was, he looked shabby with a hint of Dr. Evil. Even Though it is scary, I’ve got to say, this Black Market thing is the real deal. In just a matter of minutes, I am handed everything on my list. They were costly though but I don’t mind, they are worth it.

The walk back was uneventful, just a couple of random alley rat scares. I’m beginning to become paranoid to walk these streets at night. Something about the atmosphere just seems off.

I immediately go into the basement when I get home and get to mixing. The stench of these chemicals makes me nauseous and lightheaded even though I have a lab mask on. I quickly mix in the proportions and...Voila!

This might be it. I test this new formula by putting a few drops in the mouth of the lab rat in the basement.

I wouldn’t be able to tell if it works but if the rat survives then maybe I would. When I was working with Mrs. Walker, the lab rats that we tested on would harm themselves, others would immediately drop dead. I always didn’t like the idea of putting the rats’ life in danger but it was a necessity. That was a sign that something is wrong with the formula. It was a success if the rat was unharmed in any way.

That was risky because there wouldn’t be a way to tell if there was an unknown side effect. If the rats eventually die, there was no way to tell because we never wait that long. As a scientist, Mrs. Walker knew that she had to go with facts but she went with her guts and it has worked well so far. Thank God. I just don’t know if I can't trust my gut on this one. If only she were here.

For a second the rat seemed okay and when I was sure it had worked a shriek escaped the rat. It looks around the cage it is in and I can tell it is in deep pain. Before I can spell remorse the cage grows silent. The rat lay lifeless in its cage.

It failed. I was so sure this formula would work. What could have gone wrong?

“Girl, give up”, my mom laughs. “You don’t listen. You think I haven’t tried my best?”

“Well your best is not enough apparently”, I tell her as tears well up in my eyes. “This can’t be it”.

“Ruby, I love you but this is the truth. You’re going to end up like your dad and I can’t stop it”

I quickly spin and look at my mom in disbelief. She never spoke about dad. What did she even mean by that?

“What do you mean by that? I’m going to end up like dad. How? Was Dad ill? Like me? Is that the reason for his death?”

There was no response, just silence.

“I’m talking to you!”, I yell out of frustration. “Answer me! Damn it!”

She remains silent. I get fed up with her and head upstairs to my bedroom to take a nap, I haven’t had sleep tonight, and it’s already 4 am. Knowing my mom she’ll never crack so I wouldn’t bother but I need to know somehow.

I need to be awake for my date with Chance later this afternoon. He’s a sweet person and I would love to get to know him and see how things transpire between us.

I hope this goes well and neither of us messes this up. I’m nervous yet excited.