Experiment R31GN

Pain throbbed against his skull, like a hammer placed on a metronome. The room was a blur before him, swaying and dizzy. Sensations and feelings were numbed and prickly. As his sense of touch returned, he realized something rough rested against and around his hands. He focused his foggy sight down, eyeing the rope that tied his hands together, with an extra rope placed between them. But his mind didn't register this yet. He jumped, panicked adrenaline hitting him in an instant. "Reign!" he screamed out, thrashing and pulling at the bindings. 1

A cold laugh rung through the air, making it frigid. "No need to yell," a light, but masculine sounding voice stated through the darkness. As these words were spoken a single overhead light flickered on. Dr. Bradford cringed at the sudden contrast, but gasped as his eyes adjusted. 2

A man, clad in the same white lab coat as himself, was bound to the metal table with thick ropes before him. Squirming, Dr. Bradford tried to get a better look at his own bindings to the chair. His feet and waist were tied tightly to the wood, but hands were tied loosely in front. Why? He started thrashing more violently as panic escalated, almost capsizing himself to the floor. 3

Another chilling laugh sent shivers down his spine, stopping him stone cold. "I wouldn't do that God." That term, that name, sent a pain through Dr. Bradford like a raging fire. His brown eyes lifted, meeting the frozen blue orbs that he dreaded to see.4

"Reign," he whispered, eyeing the frail figure that stood before him. The innocent, smudged face, shoulder length, mud colored hair, and faded, overused summer dress were all part of the deceit. The lies, they were all weapons of Reign. 5

But his eyes parted from the girl that stood ominously before him. They moved to the rope between his hands, barely held in place. They followed up the rope, towards the ceiling, right before the light. Silver glinted precariously back at him. His heart pounded in his chest. 6

"We're going to play a game God," Reign spoke, sounding like a childish boy. She skipped before the the graying man, tied to the chair, with glee. "I'm giving you the thing you fear most, power." Dr. Bradford didn't react, he just continued to share dumbfounded up at the object before the overhead light. 7

"You're going to decide when this man, your co-worker, will die." 8

His hands became clammy, the grip on the rope feeling transparent. A large blade, a guillotine without a frame, hung above the unconscious man's neck, rope straining against the thin piping that held the blade up. Reign spoke as the doctor stared. "You have the choice of killing this man, when you wish, to put him out of his misery." 9

"Wha-"10

"You see, God," Reign stated, taking another timid step towards Dr. Bradford. She removed her hands from behind her back, modeling the hammer and a bag of rusty nails in her grasp. "As long as this man is alive, I'm going to hammer these nails into his body, one by one."11

Mouth running dry, Dr. Bradford's words stumbled out, "W-wait Reign, why are you doing this?"12

Wide eyed, the girl looked back to him. "Because you fear power, God. And I want to see you crumble in fear." 13

A soft moan interrupted their conversation, the man on the table stirring. Reign's eyes flashed between the waking man and back to the doctor, a grin piercing her lips. She stepped up to the table, heavy hammer in hand. 14

"Reign stop!" the doctor called.15

But the girl ignored him, saying softly, "Good morning Mr. Tazenu." 16

The man on the table blinked wildly, staring up at the girl. "Experiment R31GN?"17

Her hand brushed gently against his foot, and the next thing he felt was fiery pain. A scream burst through his lips, the nail piercing his foot with a swing of the hammer. Warm crimson spilled onto the table, as a spasm overtook Mr. Tazenu's leg. 18

Dr. Bradford was stopped in raw terror. Reign turned back with a proud smile, the look in his eyes bringing her pure delight. "Seen enough God? Or are you not satisfied?" Placing a new nail against the unwounded foot, Reign swung the hammer wildly at it. The nail plunged crooked and off, forcing the irritated Reign to swing again and again to force it down. Each swing was another pained cry from the grown man on the table, another violent twisting against the bindings. 19

The empathetic doctor couldn't force his eyes down, each swing a twinge of emotional bombardment. 20

As the second nail was in place, Reign looked back. "Don't look so sad. You should be enjoying this. Mr. Tazenu was a horrible scientist and an egotistical man. It was only by luck that his experiments worked. But he was too blind to see it, unlike you, God." 21

Dr. Bradford whispered softly, "Reign he doesn't deserve this." 22

"Oh I don't care what he deserves," Reign commented with a smile, "This is all for you." 23

This time Dr. Bradford found no words. The young girl turned back to the captive man, placing a nail to his shins. The sound of cracking bone mixed with the painful screams. The metal table collected more blood, the liquid like bright roses against snow, as more and more nails were pounded into the victim. When a nail was prepared at the knee, Mr Tazenu turned to hysterics. "Please! R31GN," the man stuttered, barely able to get out the collection of letters and numbers, "W-why?"24

Reign paused, hammer held at ready. She looked into his dark, confused eyes, and stated apathetically, "You're blind Mr. Tazenu, always were. You know that chip?" She tapped her forehead lightly, leaning over. "The one you installed in my brain. Well, it wasn't a failure. In fact, it was a greater success then you could ever imagine." 25

Through the misery and horror, Reign saw a spark, a proud expression break through. The man was proud of all things, in his moment death! Her voice lowered to intimate whispers, "You always were so easy to fool. Just a few compliments and you were wrapped around my finger, ready to do anything. I can't wait to see your pathetic life end." With that she pounded the nail into his knee, the joint cracking, and blood dripping like little streams from the wound. She did the other knee, the hands, each filled with plenty of nerves to send him writhing and crying. 26

Dr. Bradford squirmed in place, the sounds and stench of blood sending his mind in a panic. But each movement was another strain on the rope, a swaying of the ominous blade overhead. He trembled, barely noticing when the screams stopped for a moment. 27

"Aren't you proud of me God?"28

He didn't respond.29

"God, why don't you look at me?" A sweet giggled resonated. 30

Still, the man did not look up.31

"God?"32

"Stop calling me that!" he suddenly snapped, eyes meeting her own with intense hatred. Reign, left in momentary shock, burst into small fits of laughter. 33

With a smile she said, "But you created me Dr. Bradford. This laboratory is my world and you are my God." 34

Silent tears steamed down the aged face of the doctor, his greying hair sticking to his face. "This wasn't fair to you Lylth."35

The icy blue eyes of Reign widened, a wild anger filling them. She swung her arm around, the hammer slamming into the side of his face. "Don't you dare talk about her!" she screamed. 36

Dr. Bradford didn't even flinch at the physical lashing. His worn eyes lowered to the floor as he whispered softly, "Her poor mind was split in two under the pressure of all the testing. Neither of you deserved this."37

"Shut up!" Another pain erupted on the side of his jaw, sending him into contemplative silence. 38

Her chest heaved with the wild emotions she attempted to calm. A strange laugh left her, as she turned her back to him. "Alright God. If that's how you want to play." She stepped around to the other side of the table, giving Dr. Bradford a clear view of his co-worker. The rising and falling of the man's stomach was an abnormal rate, at least a dozen nails protruding from his skin, each leaving trails of red like ribbons. She picked up a new nail, holding it right above the man's eye. High pitch hysterics stumbled from Mr. Tazenu, as he tried to maneuver his numbs limps feebly from the bindings. 39

"P-please!"40

Her face lit with a venomous grin. "Watch closely God." 41

The hammer pounded down, sight disappearing from the man instantly as the eye burst. Gurgling screams and blood filled Dr. Bradford's mind, sending more hot tears down his face. 42

Reign didn't even wait. She just maneuvered to the opposite side, holding the next nail ready over the other eye.43

The world was a blur to Dr. Bradford, his hands numb and head light. "Wait," his voice cracked, hands loosening. In a single instant the rope slipped from his grasp. The blade fell from its suspension, down upon the tortured man.44

Blood splattered like paint across the face of Riegn, still bent over, unaware of what had happened. She froze, terror and surprise holding her in place as she stared down at the beheaded Mr. Tazenu. When she stumbled back, pale face laced with ribbons of blood, she was no longer smiling.45

The lights turned on without warning, the shadows scurrying away. Before Dr. Bradford's eyes, the image transformed. The nails that once adorned Mr. Tazenu's body were gone. The crimson blood dripped from the wounds was gone. Even the bindings, that once held the two men down, did not exist. But a rope still dangled before him. The young girl's face was splattered with blood and the man on the table was dead, eyes forever frozen open in horror. 46

Dr. Bradford crumpled forward, out of the chair and onto his knees. The realization of what he had done him him in an instant. It was all an illusion. There were no nails, no real pain that the man was receiving. He killed Mr. Tazenu for no reason.47

A small, childish scream broke his thoughts. Lylth stood there, in her small summer dress, staring at the man Dr. Bradford had killed.