Doctor Whitlock's Experiment

Chapter 6

In her restless unconsciousness, Seraphina dreamt of a forest. She was running, but she couldn't get enough air into her lungs. She did not know entirely what she was running from. All she knew was that monsters lurked in all the shadows. All she knew was that she had to escape. All she knew was that she might be dying.

When she woke, she was shivering and covered in sweat. The room was dark. Someone knocked on the door. She jumped, feeling every muscle in her body tense painfully. It had to be Dr. Whitlock, come back to torture her some more. "Go away!" Seraphina shouted hoarsely.

Instead, a child's voice responded, "Seraphina? Can't I please come in? I wanted to talk to you."

She relaxed for a moment before she was even more alarmed. There were other children here? "Come in," Seraphina said hesitantly. The door creaked open. Light spilled through the crack. It was like warm sunshine pushing into the room, but it was too bright. A knife stabbed into Seraphina's brain. She pressed her hand hard against her forehead. Even so, the golden glow that entered the room reminded her strangely of Heaven, and perhaps, the child was an angel who came to save her.

The child pushed the door shut behind him. Sera was hit by a sudden wave of claustrophobia and suspicion. Could she really trust him just because he was a kid? What if he worked for the doctor? "Don't close the door," Seraphina said urgently.

"Why, if I don't close it he will know I'm here. Then, I'll get in trouble," he said matter-a-factly. It was clear that he was talking about the doctor.

"O-okay," murmured Seraphina, deciding to trust this boy. Even so, there was something odd in the way the boy talked. He seemed more mature than he should have been for his apparent young age. "How old are you?" asked Sera, suddenly curious.

"I'm fifteen," said the little boy. Casually, he touched a lamp, turning it to the softest setting.

Seraphina laughed at him. "No, you're not."

"I am," said the boy, sounding hurt.

"Oh?"

"He stunted my growth," the boy murmured. His voice was suddenly very quiet. Sera had to strain to hear him as he said, "I can never grow up."

At this, Sera was overwhelmed with sadness. She felt terrible for having laughed at him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, her eyes quickly filling with tears.

"Hey, hey!" his voice was cheerful again. "Don't cry about me! I'm fine." He came to her bedside to timidly wipe tears from her cheeks. His hand brushed her forehead and lingered there. "The fever's pretty bad, huh?"

"Yeah," said Sera, still sniffling. She paused before saying, "I didn't catch your name."

"My bad, I was rude and forgot to tell you," he said, good naturedly. "I'm Raphael. At least, it's what I call myself. He never gave me a name. Anyway, it's not important."

"Raphael." She smiled. "It's a beautiful name."

Raphael shrugged uncomfortably and changed the subject. His tone was solemn when he asked, "Do you remember what happened? What did he do?" His voice was calm, gentle, but Sera could still sense the loathing he had for the doctor. While he talked, he reached over to the end table. He was picking something up. Seraphina didn't have time for suspicion before he lay a cool, wet cloth on her forehead. She sighed quietly. "Sera?" Raphael prompted.

Somewhat reluctantly, Seraphina recalled the events that had taken place before she'd woken up in this room. Sera took a deep breath. "He took me away from my parents. He convinced them I had a disease and he could cure it. Did it matter that I had no symptoms? No. The idiots believed him." Sera reeled back, surprised by her own angry words. She clenched her hands together tightly. "I love them," she cried out. "It's just that I don't understand. I don't understand anything."

She felt herself shatter like a glass vase. In her mind, she saw the flowers falling into darkness. Then, there was only darkness, and she wept. Raphael hugged her. His little arms were wrapped tightly around her. She sensed an intense, protective love in her new friend. In this, she took comfort. Perhaps, she'd finally found an ally.