First Serial Rights
@Chris Antonette, 2003

EDWARD'S STORY CHAPTER 3


I found myself in a dark forest. It appeared to be night, the moon full above the trees, shining its silverly light down upon me. The chittering of night critters can be heard in the gloomy darkness in the distance. Alone, I grew fearful, not sure what to expect.
Suddenly, a low growling noise comes from behind. I turn to see Tiana crouching on the ground, facing me. Gone was the pleasant clothes that she has worn, and a look of utter hatred and rage adorned her beautiful face. Something was not right here.
I took a step towards her, holding out my hand, "Tiana," I asked her, "are you all right?"
She snarled at me, swiping at my hand. Taking my hand back, I stepped away from her slowly, and attempted to look into her mind, but quickly realized that I couldn't. There was something wrong with my powers, as they don't seem to work for me. But I didn't have time to think about that, as she launched at me, knocking the both of us rolling on to the ground.
I felt her sharp claws raking down my arm, sending intense pain coursing through me. Screaming, I managed to push her off of me, and got onto my feet, running deep into the forest. Tiana growled menacingly and began pursuit. I knew that I could not outrun her powerfully athletic legs, and she quickly caught up with me. She reached out with her bloody hand, grasping hold of my shoulder, when all of a sudden I found myself somewhere else altogether.
I was facing a brightly lit wall, no longer running. There were white tiles on the wall, in perfect order, and I could smell the cleaning chemicals that were used to clean them. Confused, I turned to determine where I was now.
It looked like a medical examination room. There were counters and shelves that decorated two of the walls, of which contained various instruments and chemicals, as well as books and a computer. The far wall was bare, save for the door. And in the middle of the room was a table, designed for someone to be placed upon, and another table, with more medical instruments placed upon it, as well as an injector device of some sort.
It was the injector that caught my attention. Walking up to it, I carefully pick it up and examine it slowly. It looked strangely familiar to me, but I could not figure it out. A moan distracts me from the device, drawing my attention to the table.
There was a boy lying on there, strapped to the examination table. I was sure that there was no one there before. Confused, I set the injector down, and moved closer to this individual to get a better look.
He appeared to be 5 or 6 years old, with rather nice looking blond hair. A hospital gown was the only piece of clothing that adorned him. I tried to reach into his mind, only to find that my powers remained blocked, but could tell easily that he was in pain and great distress. And, strangely enough, he looks very familiar to me.
I was about to take a closer look when I heard the door open to my side. Turning, I noticed a male doctor enter the room, knowing that he is a doctor by the way he is dressed. The man had brown hair, mostly grey, and was wearing wire rimmed glasses. I looked at the scar on the right side of his face, as well as his cold, impassioned demeanor, and something within me filled my mind with intense rage. There is something about this man, something familiar, and I feel a particular hatred towards him. But I do not understand why. Who is this individual?
The doctor approached the table, seemingly oblivious to my presence, and picks up the injector.
The boy on the table looks at him, his eyes pleading. "Please," he whimpered, the voice also familiar to me, "no more. It hurts..."
The doctor, whose name was Walter Khan, which I determined from looking at his name tag, merely ignored the boy. He came around the table to stand beside me, and, after raising part of the boy's arm, pressed the injector against it.
I immediately realized that this is wrong, and threw myself at the doctor in an attempt to push him away. However, instead of succeeding, I passed right through the man and fell to the ground. Frightened by this experience, I could do nothing but sat there on the ground, watching as the doctor inject some chemical into the boy's arm.
The boy cried out in pain and fell back onto the table. After setting the injector down, the doctor looked at him with a strange and twisted smile upon his face.
"Now it begins," Khan said, his voice dark, deep, and slurred. "You will be the first, Edward."
Realizing now that it was me that lay on that table, I screamed at the top of my lungs.