Drug

by O'Rourke, Lynda

  Doctor Middleton – leading scientist in DNA research opens new building at Cruor Pharma.

  With many successful findings from researching DNA and knowledge in aspects of human biology, Cruor Pharma has seen their profits and revenues increase.

  “Identifying new links between diseases or the way in which people respond to treatments is key to increasing our chances of developing effective drugs,” Doctor Middleton was reported to have said. “The new building will help us to examine further clinical data, run more tests and study DNA changes in genes.”

  Cruor Pharma is a privately run company situated outside the town of Holly Tree, Essex, and is a respected establishment among the local residents, running many charities and giving back to the local community. A new library and two police vehicles are just a couple of examples of the company’s generosity. With sixty percent of the town’s population working for Cruor Pharma, it isn’t too hard to see why this company is so popular in Holly Tree.

  I threw the paper down. It wasn’t difficult to see how Doctor Middleton had covered up what he was really doing here. Even back then in the seventies, he had the locals eating out of his hands. No wonder poor Max didn’t get anywhere with the police regarding his missing brother. I looked down at Sylvia Green’s passport still clutched in my hand. This had to go some way in showing the police that all was not well at Cruor Pharma. Maybe the iPod I’d picked up would hold some kind of evidence too.

  “Listen, everyone,” said Jude. “We’re not gonna get out through that door so we’ll have to go down this corridor and see if there’s another way. Be careful – make sure you keep away from the windows.”

  Pushing open the door, we followed Jude down the corridor. I wished I had another set of eyes in the back of my head. I was constantly checking over my shoulder at the barred windows and the ceiling for any signs of more bloody handprints. My ears were on constant alert. I flinched at every little noise and gasped at shadows flickering through the windows onto the brick walls.

  As we came to the end of the corridor, it opened up into a large room with four doors. Rusty chairs lay scattered about the filthy floor. Old posters hung in shreds from the walls, and thick cobwebs dangled down from the broken light bulbs.

  “This looks like some kind of waiting room,” I whispered, walking over to a door. A small plaque was fixed to it. “Doctor Langstone,” I read. He was the guy who was meant to be running the drug test but had been taken ill – or at least that’s what that old cow, Doctor Wright had said to me.

  I twisted the door handle and opened it up just a little, enough for me to make sure that it was safe to go inside. The room smelt stale, but I stepped in. It was empty. Closing the door, I walked over to Max and Jude. Raven was sitting on one of the rusty chairs, her red eyes staring at blankly ahead.

  “That room is empty,” said Max, pointing toward a door. “Let’s hope there’s a way out through one of the other two, otherwise we’ll have to go back the way we came.”

  “Well, that one says treatment room and there’s no sign on the other one,” whispered Jude. “I think we should try the door with no sign.”

  He clambered over the chairs, his hospital gown catching on the rusty metal legs.

  “Come on, Raven,” said Max. “You don’t want to stay here by yourself.”

  She stood up and struggled her way through the fallen chairs. Her hospital gown flapped open at the back, revealing a faint black vein snaking down the length of her right leg.

  I looked down at my feet – my legs – they were clear. I breathed a sigh of relief. I still had time to get out of here and get help – stop this drug from consuming me.

  “I’m not going down there,” hissed Raven. She had stopped just inside the doorway of the unmarked room. “There’s something bad – festering evil – let’s go back the way we came, please.”

  “Don’t start with that shit again,” said Jude. “The only thing that’s festering is you. We don’t have time to go back – we need to get out.”

  I looked at Raven. I didn’t know if she really felt these things or whether it was just paranoia – but who could blame her, after everything that had happened – was still happening? I stared into the dark passageway and could see a set of steps. They disappeared down into a gloomy hole. I looked back at Raven. I could feel the same fear that she felt. Alarm bells were ringing inside my head, just like the ones I had heard when I was waiting in line with the other volunteers yesterday… and look what had happened when I ignored those warnings.

  “I think Raven’s right,” I whispered, “this whole place is bad, but down there feels freaking worse. I don’t like it.”

  “We can’t go back,” spat Jude, “we’ve been lucky getting this far without anyone spotting us. We must be near to an exit. If we go back the way we came you can be sure we’ll get caught.”

  “Let’s just go down the steps and see what it’s like,” whispered Max. “It can’t be any worse than what we’ve already been through.”

  “I don’t want to go through what I’ve already been through – again, thanks, Max,” I said. “I’m not ready to die – I don’t have suicidal feelings and I don’t want to be taken apart by those freaking cleaners. I think we should head back.”

  “Look, let’s not start losing the plot now. We need to stay calm. We need to stay together. We’re not gonna get out of here if we split up,” said Jude. “If those cleaners come back then we’ll fight them or we’ll hide.”

  “Fight them – are you out of your freaking mind, Jude?” I said. “You didn’t see what they did to Nurse Jones – how they took her apart – how they came through the door. You were hiding in the cupboard for fuck’s sake. No one is gonna fight those cleaners and come away smiling. I don’t know what they are, but they aren’t human.”

  “Okay, okay,” whispered Max. “Let’s have some peace. Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t going to help. I know you’re both scared but we have to go down those stairs. Going back is never a good idea. Jude, you can go first, then you, Kassidy. Raven, I’ll stay behind you.”

  I looked at Raven. Her hands were clasped tightly together. Her red cloudy eyes wet – a tear trickled down her cheek. I pushed my fingers through my knotted bloody hair and let out a sigh. Closing my eyes, I shook my head. I wanted to wake up. I wanted this to be over. But every time I opened my eyes I was still in the same shit. Why wasn’t there a solution, why couldn’t I get out of this mess?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The stone steps were cold against my bare feet. I was sure the temperature was dropping with every step I took, down into the dark. My blood-stained gown had dried into a stiff clump of material – creased and irritating my skin. It did little to keep the chill air from nipping at my body.

  Jude had taken my hand in his – guiding me down the stairs as it grew darker. If I hadn’t have felt so worried about coming down here, I probably would’ve slapped his hand away, still feeling pissed off with him for being so flippant about fighting the cleaners. Max too, had wound me up.

  The stairs led down into a narrow hall. Cracked tiles lined the floor and the stone brick walls had crumbled, leaving a breadcrumb-like dust all over the floor. The sound of dripping water echoed from down the hall.

  “Please can we go back?” whispered Raven. “This is a bad idea.”

  “I know it is,” I said, still gripping tightly to the passport and iPod I had taken earlier. “But we’re down here now so let’s just keep going.”

  We followed the hall round to the left. The atmosphere almost seemed to change from scary to freaking menacing. It was like something looming over us, shrouding us, swallowing us up. Something waiting – expecting us. Raven’s freaky outbursts didn’t seem so freaky now. The sense of evil was almost overpowering. There was something festering down here. Building up strength. I slowed. My feet didn’t want to go any further.

  “Can you feel it?” I whispered to Jude. “There’s something down here. I don’t know what it is,
but…”

  I stopped. A door at the end of the hall with a glass panel almost seemed to bulge in its frame. Icy cold swirls of air floated around it like fog rolling over the ground. The hallway seemed to close in, trapping us, squeezing us – not wanting to let us go.

  “Keep moving,” whispered Jude. “The hall bends round to the right. We don’t need to go into that room. Just go past it. Whatever is inside, don’t let it distract you.”

  I turned round and looked at Max and Raven. After everything we had seen, this was the first time I had noticed Max look scared. He had taken hold of Raven, his arms tight around her waist – looking over her shoulder. Raven’s hands grasped Max. Her eyes wide – mouth open.

  I tiptoed. The nearer I got to the door, the louder my heart thumped. A low moan murmured from the room. Was it the Cleaners or those zombie-things from Ward 2? I forced myself on. Each step warning me to go back. My eyes never leaving the glass panel in the door – scared that something would suddenly appear – a face – a monster.

  “Don’t stop,” whispered Jude, pulling on my hand. “Ignore the door. You don’t want to see what’s in there. None of us do.”

  I hadn’t realised I’d stopped, the glass panel just inches from my face. My heart ticked like a bomb about to go off. I stepped nearer. A force almost willing me to look raced through my body. I slammed my fists against both sides of the door. Something pushed me. My nose touched the glass panel – my eyes adjusted to the view inside the room. A table and two chairs were placed in the middle of it. A candle flickered, creating dancing shadows across the walls. I turned to Jude, who was trying to pull me away.

  “I can’t see anyone in there – its empty,” I whispered.

  “Come away from there,” said Jude. “It’s not safe.”

  I looked back at the glass panel. This time my view was blocked. I gasped – momentarily stunned. A face stared out at me. One hand clawed at the glass panel – nails scraping down – screeching. I pulled away.

  “Oh, my God, it’s Carly,” I whispered. “I thought you said she was gone – dead?”

  “Help me!” she screamed. “Get me out of here.”

  “Take these.” I shoved the passport and iPod into Raven’s hands.

  I grabbed the door handle. Pushing and pulling. It wouldn’t budge. Carly’s frightened eyes stared out at me.

  “Help me open the door,” I said, looking at Jude and Max. “We’ve got to get her out.”

  “Leave her,” warned Jude. “She’s not right.” He tried to pull me away from the door.

  “I’m not leaving her again,” I shouted. “She’s just like us. She hasn’t turned into one of those things.”

  Carly started to bang on the door. “Please don’t leave me, please.” She stepped back. The door suddenly flew open. I felt myself sucked in. The door slammed shut. I turned, grabbing the handle – twisting it – yanking it – kicking it. I was trapped. I spun around. Carly was standing by the table.

  “Carly, we need to get out of here, help me open the door!” I shouted. I turned back. Max was at the glass panel. He was tugging at the handle – the door rattled.

  “Mmmmm. Mmmmm,” Carly now hummed. Her shoulders were hunched over – blonde hair draped across her face – eyes peering out at me. She swayed on her feet – backwards – forwards.

  I stepped back, inching slowly toward the door – my eyes never leaving Carly. Her arms were covered in black veins. They twisted under her skin like long bendy sticks of liquorice. Her toenails had gone a cloudy grey-black and were warped out of shape. She continued to watch me – humming – swaying.

  From the other side of the door I could hear Raven crying out, Max yanking on the handle, and Jude shouting.

  Carly took a step toward me. Lifting her face, she grinned. Her teeth had gone black – congealed blood stuck between them. She laughed – jellied clots of blood spraying over the floor. A deep, low cackle seemed to come from within, like it wasn’t really her. I froze. I didn’t know what to do. I looked around the room, searching for something that I could use against her. The chairs? But I would have to get past her to reach them. Fuck that – I wasn’t going anywhere near her. I stood with my back against the door.

  “Max, get the fucking door open!” I shouted, my hand blindly felt for the handle. I found it – wrenched it down. It did nothing.

  “Bitch, fucking bitch!” screamed Carly, her voice was deep – male. She let out another laugh, low – guttural.

  I gasped in air. My body shook. Feet glued to the floor – frozen like a statue. I had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Tears welled up in my eyes. Lips quivering, I waited. Unsure – like a frightened animal caught in the beams of a car’s headlights. What was her next move?

  “Try talking to her – calm her down,” shouted Jude, shoulder-barging the door.

  “What? Talk to her? I don’t think talking is gonna help, Jude,” I snapped. I wasn’t on some freaking T.V. talk show.

  “Talk to me, bitch,” a throaty male voice came from Carly.

  “Listen to me, Carly, it’s me, Kassidy.” My voice trembled. “You remember me, don’t you? I’m your friend.”

  “You fucking left me – you filthy whore!” screamed Carly, her body started to fit – shake – convulse. A rage emanated from within her. The table flew across the room smashing into the wall – splintering over the floor. Carly’s body lifted – threw itself up – smacking into the ceiling. It hurled itself across the room – hitting the wall and plummeting to the floor. She stood up. Stretched – bones crunching. She hobbled toward me – grinning.

  The room had turned icy-cold. I could see my breath swirling in front of me. I shivered. The candle lay on the floor – still lit. If that went out then I would be blind to Carly. I shuffled to my right – back still tight to the wall.

  “Please, Carly, don’t hurt me – please.” I held my hands up in front of me – the only barrier I had.

  “Your dad was a fucking dick,” spat Carly, vomit dripping from her mouth. “He’s in hell, he can’t hear you when you speak to him at his grave. He hates you – every time he had to look at you it made him reach for the next bottle of whisky. He tried to drown you out by drinking. You let him down – you never made him proud – you were a drain on his life. You’re nothing but a fucking waster – he never wanted you – you sent him to hell.”

  I shook my head, backing away from her as she came nearer. How did she know my dad was a drunk?

  “Your mother loathed you – that’s why she dumped you – that’s why she’s dead. She wanted you dead – bitch,” hissed Carly, her voice deep and gruff. “No one wants you – no one loves you – you’re gonna burn in hell.”

  I nearly toppled over as my foot stepped onto the broken leg from the table. I snatched down – gripping it in my fingers. I swung it – smacking it over Carly’s head. It cracked in half. Carly snarled. Snatching a clump of my hair, she pulled me to my knees and jumped on my back. My head smacked against the floor. Again and again. I couldn’t get her off. Her strength was too much – unnatural.

  “I’m gonna fuck with you! Kassidy,” Carly screamed, clawing at my face. “Fuck you, fuck you – fuck you.” She pulled at my gown – her fingernails slicing into my back.

  With all my strength, I flung myself over to the right, knocking Carly from off me. She leapt from the floor – throwing herself on top of me – pinning me down – her face inches from mine. Her breath stank. It filled my nostrils - the smell of rotting meat. It was unbearable. It was suffocating.

  “Get off of me, please, Carly,” I screamed, bringing my knee up and wedging my foot against her stomach. Her face leered at me – it seemed to distort – twist – screw-up on itself – like something inside her was trying to break out.

  “I’m not fucking Carly, you stupid bitch,” she hissed. “Carly’s dead. I’ve taken her – I’m gonna take you, too.” She bit down into my neck. I screamed. I kicked out at her – lifted my other leg and wedged it against her stomac
h like I’d done with the other one. I pushed with my feet, using them like a lever. I couldn’t shift her. Her teeth still clung onto my flesh – stretching – tearing the skin as I tried to lift her away from me. I grabbed a handful of Carly’s hair, and she released her bite. I pulled her head up so she was facing me. Curling my fist, I punched her in the face. She didn’t flinch. A deep, menacing laugh seeped out from Carly’s mouth.

  “You like playing?” Carly’s throaty voice spat. She threw herself up to the ceiling, taking me with her. I hung in the air – my legs kicking wildly about. Carly’s hands held me up by my neck. I couldn’t breathe. I panicked. I tried to loosen her grip on me. Just when I thought I was going to pass out, she flung me across the room. My body crashed into the wall. I slid down it, dropping to the floor.

  Stunned, I lay there watching Carly. She crawled toward me, like a tiger hunting its prey. My eyes moved over to the door. It had gone quiet out there – no sign of Jude, Max, or Raven. Had they left me like we’d left Carly?

  As if reading my mind, Carly knelt over me and said, “They don’t give a shit about a filthy fucking pussy like you. You’re nothing but a pissing whore.”

  The room went dark. The candle had gone out. The only light now was coming through the small panel of glass set into the door. But it offered little light. I couldn’t see Carly. She was no longer leaning over me. The room had fallen into silence. I pushed myself up into a sitting position. My body hurt – my head thumped. Where was she? I looked back at the door. I could make a run for it but what would be the point? It probably still wouldn’t open. I shifted sideways on my arse – little shuffles at a time – nearer and nearer to the door. My eyes were on constant alert for any movement within the room. It was like a game of Hide and Seek, only with deadly consequences if I was found.

  “You’re gonna die, Kassidy, fucking die! Go to hell, bitch,” Carly suddenly screamed from the darkness. A chair came hurtling toward me. It smashed down over my head by unseen hands.