Subject 1000

Light.

I blink until my eyes can adjust to the luminous light.

When I look around me, I see people-doctors, maybe; standing around me. I couldn't see their countenances because black and white masks concealed their faces.

They were all holding something that was glinting in the light. Knives.

"Knock him out so we can get this done."

A doctor holding a long needle approached the bed, and they stabbed me in the arm. In moments I felt fatigued. I fought to stay awake. My eyesight was slipping away from me. Darkness.

I woke in another room, and this one was dimmer than the first and empty of doctors.

I throw my legs off the side of the bed and get unsteadily to my feet. There were other beds in the room. I walked to the nearest bed and lifted the white sheet, and there was a pale face looking back at me. I scream.

Well, can you blame me?

I'm in a room full of dead people. Dead boys, to be exact.

Where the heck am I? What is this place, and how did I get here? I don't remember anything except for my name. Andre.

Off in the distance, I hear something clatter to the floor. I tiptoe towards a door in the back of the room and peek inside.

I saw doctors encompassing a dead body. The doctors were wearing the same garments. Blue hospital gown and black and white masks.

One of the doctors had an identical syringe that was used to prick into my arm.

I honestly have no idea what they were hoping to do with a dead body, but this place is creeping me out. The doctor pricked the dead person's arm with the needle. The apprehension in the room was palpable.

I sucked in a breath and waited.

The monitor in the room beeped, and the doctors gasped as the dead body moved. One of them dropped his clipboard and took an unstable step back. The other physicians were cheering and slapping each other on the back.

Ok. This is officially the most unconventional place I have ever been in. Why on earth would you celebrate a dead person coming back to life?

That makes me think back to when the doctors had knocked me out. The last thing I remember hearing was, "Knock him out so we can get this done."

What were they doing to me? I need a find a way out of this place and fast.

Before I stepped back, I heard a scream, and I looked into the room to see the zombified person bite the doctor closest to him.

The other three screamed in horror and ran for the door. They all tumble out just as the dead person slams into the door closing behind them.

A woman with greying hair places a trembling hand against her chest. "Oh, my gosh. I can't believe that worked."

I look back into the room and see the dead figure eating the fourth doctor. His innards are everywhere on the floor, and he is drenched in the doctor's blood. His eyes are still open wide in shock.

"But it got Marc." the grey-haired doctor whispered. "What are we going to do? The government mustn't know about this, otherwise, we'll be in deep trouble."

The second doctor looks up at me. He was in his mid twenty's. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with the other patients?"

The other two doctors turn toward me with shocked expressions.

I glare at the man. "For what? So they can turn me into... that?" I gesture toward the hunched figure. "No thanks. But I do have a question. Why am I here?"

The grey-haired woman blinks. "You mean you don't remember?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking, would I?"

The man shakes his head. "That's not important right now. We need to get you off this floor."

I yelped when I heard a sound behind me. I saw the figure beating on the glass, blood dribbling from its mouth.

A crack appeared in the glass.

The third doctor looked frightened as she climbed to her feet. She looked a little young to be doing this type of work.

She was dark-skinned and looked around the age of seventeen or eighteen.

"We need to get out of here, Tyler!" she exclaimed.

The man got to his feet. "Follow me."

He led us to the other side of the room with a set of double doors (how I missed this, I don't know.)that led us out into a bright hall.

Other doctors were walking around. Either pushing patients or exchanging information on their clipboards.

Tyler pulled aside another doctor, who was flipping through pages on his clipboard.

He looks up, startled.

"Keith, I need you to escort this patient to his floor."

Tyler turned and started talking with the other two doctors. After a moment, the dark-skinned girl turned toward me.

"Hi. My name is Elsa. Tyler asked me to accompany you and Keith to your floor."

I fold my arms. "Fine."

Keith nodded towards the end of the hall with another set of double doors. Apparently, we're on the third floor; and I'm supposed to be on the fifth.

"So, do you know anything about the patient floor?" I ask as we walk up the first flight of stairs. "Like any background history or something?"

Keith shrugs. "I'm not told much myself. I'm just training. What's your name? Maybe I can find something later."

"Andre."

He nods. And looks through some papers on his clipboard.

We walk to my room in silence. When we stepped into the hallway, Elsa dismissed Keith and took me to the third door on the left.

Elsa unlocks the door and opens it. "Here we are."

The room had bare walls that were painted a bright white. A bed was pushed into the corner.

"You new residence," Elsa said, opening her arms wide.

I snort. "It's more like a prison cell."

Elsa smirked. "Very funny. I suggest you try to get some rest. You've had a long day."

She closes the door behind her.

I sighed and plopped down on the bed, which was as hard as a rock.

I closed my eyes and slept.