Story Story idea: Experimental

[DemonicAngel]

A story I started writing with a friend. Note: it is unfinished but when we hit that point if people want me to continue, I'll see what I can do. Opinions are appreciated but if your going to criticize then only constructive criticism please.


Onyx clenched his jaws tightly together to keep from exclaiming in pain, as the needle penetrated his skin. A slivery liquid was injected, and the needle removed. "What is that stuff? What does it do?" He asked, his arm starting to throb.


"Oh, you'll find out soon enough." A sinister voice replied. 
Onyx's head began to ache, his thoughts were fuzzy "wh who are you?" now his words were starting to slur, he fought against the darkness to ask, "what ha' y done t' me? It's messin' wif mah brain." Onyx tried to lift his hands to his head, but they wouldn't do what he wanted them to. he shook his head to clear it. Pain shot through his brain and the blackness rushed in, a moan escaped his lips, and his head fell forward.


"Hehehe, phase one of the experiment went as planned. Keep an eye on him but move him into the back room." A tall man instructed his lackeys. They nodded and left dragging Onyx along with them."I think that master Brown will be pleased." He said to himself before exiting the room himself.


Onyx opened his eyes his vision slowly returning. His limbs felt like pounds of lead coated them. He couldn't move more than to breathe and blink. So he turned to his clouded thoughts, though even that was effort. What had happened? How did he get here? Where was here? Who were these people? And what did they want from him? The events from the previous night flashed through his mind. What was that stuff? What did it do? And many other questions filled his mind until he couldn't tell them apart any longer. He tried to quiet his thoughts when he heard a voice. It sounded like the voice of a adolesent boy, but was smooth and silky it made you wish to obey anything it told you to do.


"You don't need answers to these questions. You just need to get out of here. Do you know how to do that?" The voice said.


"No." Onyx thought in reply. "How?"


"I can't tell you that" the voice slipped like silk across his ears "you must find the answer yourself, before it's too late. Time is running out. "Think Onyx!"


Onyx's fuzzy head immediately cleared, and that left room for thought, unfortunately it also made room for a throbbing pain that he hadn't noticed before. he pushed it to the back of his mind, and took in his surroundings. he sat in a wooden chair, his ankles were tied to the legs of the chair and his hands to the armrests, the room was dimly lit, but he made out a low ceiling, a small curtain that concealed one corner, and a small curtained window that let in what little light there was. but whatever else could be said about the tiny room, it was so impeccably clean the old wood seemed to have a luminescence of it's own, Onyx could not, however, seem to locate a door.


'That's fine.' he thought, 'I don't need a door, yet, what I NEED is a way to untie myself. Now, how to do that?' He tried struggling against the bonds in hopes to loosen them, but to no avail. He had to think harder more unexpected. He scooched his chair across to the window and grasped the curtain in


between his his teeth, so as to open it. It didn't lead outside just to the rest of the building he was in. And of course there was nothing to help him there. So he tried the curtained corner of the room once he had pulled back the curtain though.He gasped at the sight of this thing sitting before him. It was an elderly man.


"Go away you said you'd leave me alone so long as I didn't try to escape." The old man cried out, and covered his face.


"I'm not going to hurt you. But I do have some questions that I think you can answer." Onyx said softly trying his best not to frighten the man any more. "What's your name?" At the sound of Onyx's voice the old man trembled all the more and crouched further into his corner. the man was as skeleton thin, with salt and pepper hair and a straggly mustache. "It's okay," Onyx assured him in what he hoped was a soothing tone, "I'm a prisoner here too, I won't hurt you, my name is Onyx" the man peeked up through his fingers, in the dim light Onyx saw his eyes, the irises were a neon yellow, and the pupils were diamond shaped slits.


"Onyx?" the man's murmur was almost inaudible, so quiet that Onyx had to strain to hear, and he got the feeling that the old man wasn't talking to him. "Hmmm, he doesn't look like one of them, does he Titka, no they wear the white things and never tell names. Look at that Titka, he's tied to a chair, They're never tied to chairs, maybe he can help us what does Titka think?"


a tiny voice came from somewhere in the corner, "Titka think he tell truth, but he not prisoner, he like Xno.


"What do you mean not prisoner? I'm being held against my will. That makes me a prisoner." Onyx said.


"Shhhh, not so loud Onyx. We not prisoner because we is test subjects. Titka says will untie if you quiet, and help us." Xno replied.


Onyx nodded his head in agreement and a tiny girl stepped out of the shadows and towards him. She was less than a foot high, and very slender, she had shoulder length red hair, and auburn eyes. she reminded Onyx of the leaves in the fall. "This must be Titka." Onyx thought. He decided to ask Xno some questions about what was going on while Titka untied him. "Ummm, do you mind answering some questions for me Xno?"


Xno looked at him warily, "Onyx not expect answer, then can ask. But must be quiet."


"Where is this place?" Onyx whispered. "And what can I do?" he tried not to squirm as Titka's tiny hands worked at his bonds and made his wrists itch.


"Xno not know where place is, asleep when get here, Titka not know, never see outside of room. Xno and Titka help Onyx, Onyx help Xno and Titka, we no stay here. Here bad."


"That's right," Titka put in, "It's no good here, 'speriments don't get'nuff food," A loud thump sounded from not far away and Titka scurried down from her perch to join the cowering Xno behind his curtain. footsteps approached rapidly.


Onyx let his head fall back against the chair and feigned unconciousness, leaving his eyes open in tiny almost imperceptible slits.


Onyx's chair suddenly shook hard, and a voice said. "You've slept long enough boy. Get-up I have some people here who would love to meet you." But Onyx wasn't thinking about that he was thinking about how the people had just seemed to materilize in the room. Onyx opened his eyes but didn't raise his head. "Have at 'im." the man said. And suddenly Onyx was surrounded by people. They shined lights in his eyes, and poked him in various places.


"Not good." *Onyx thought. *"They're definitely going to find that the ropes are untied."


"We can't have that Onyx they would spread the word that you were to be watched at all times. If one of them gets to near I may have to help. Which, I hate to sound lazy but I'd rather not. Especially considering that the old man doesn't seem like he needs that kind of shock right now." It was the same smooth voice that Onyx had heard earlier.


Just as Onyx thought of a plan the people all left. And as the guy who had spoken earlier left he said. "We'll be back in about two hours. Then you can have another dose of that delightful silver-" He cut himself off. "Stuff." He finished. Then left laughing hartily as he did. But in his teasing he had been careless and Onyx now knew right were the door was. Now all he needed to know was how to open it he remained still for a minute or two just to make sure everyone was gone. It took him entirely to long to wiggle the rest of the way out of the loosened bonds, ten minutes at the least, Onyx rubbed at his rope burned wrists and swollen hands. his head was aching again, so he rubbed that too. five minutes later the pounding in his head settled a bit and he was able to look about him again.


Warily Onyx attempted to stand, and failed, his legs had fallen asleep in the time he had sat there. 'No,' Onyx thought 'I'm NOT going to lose because of this.' slowly, painfully he began to rub life back into his deadened limbs. pins and needles shot up and down his leg wherever he massaged. he finished one foot and went on to the next this was taking much too long and when he finally got to the thighs he was pounding on them with his fists. with his legs finally back to life he was able to stand, albeit wobbly, he waited a few extra minutes to gain his balance and cursed himself for it all the while. he had less than an hour to get to the door, unlock it if need be, and figure out how to open it. he made his relatively unsteady way to the place where the man had exited the room, and in the dim light Onyx was able to make out a hairline seem in the wood, he had found the door.

 

[DemonicAngel]

He tried shoving the door open but it didn't budge. He felt around on the door there was a small indentation that he could stick his fingers in. This time he pulled and with a bit of effort he opened the door. He turned and gestured for Xno and Titka to come quietly. Xno was hobbling slowly across the floor. Onyx had to find a way for him to move faster, and quickly.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


A tall man stood right inside the door way of a dark room. "Master Brown, the newest subject seems to be . . . well needing a bit more of the stuff than the rest of them did sir."


A ruff voice answered. "Good that means he maybe the one it actually works properly on. Go set a watch on him. A very close watch."


"As you wish master Brown."


the tall man bowed and exited the chamber, and called out "Guards" in a commanding voice, two young and very able looking soldiers came running down the hall, then halted and came to attention, saluting. "extra heavy watch on number three eight seven, in the back room."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Onyx lifted Xno onto his shoulders and kept going. It wasn't fast but it was quicker than letting the old man hobble along by himself. he turned a corner and ran smack into two running people in armor, they collided and Onyx tumbled head over Xno and crashed into a wall. he recovered fairly quickly and was back on his feet when his shoulders were grasped in iron grips and he was pulled backwards he struggled mightily, until his head was bashed with something hard. stars burst before his eyes and he crumpled to the ground, his headache returning with excruciating force and he blacked out.


This time when Onyx woke he had heavy chains on his wrists, ankles, and neck. Pain raced through his skull at the slightest movement. Onyx couldn't seem to find Xno or Titka. "Who knows what sort of punishment they will endure because they went with me." He doubted that they got off as easily as he had. Because apparently they still needed him for their twisted tests. Onyx wanted to weep out of frustration and possible loss of the only two people he had met in this place that weren't running experiments on him. But he didn't there were two guards one of them always had their eyes on him. And he refused to cry in front of them.


"Looks like were back in a room genius." Said the voice.


"Look your not helping matters by insulting me." Onyx replied dryly not caring if the guards stared. "I don't even know who or what you are. Or where you came from for that matter."


"I can't tell you what I am it's against the rules. But you can call me Nyhem. And telling you were I came from would give a way the first answer, sooo that one's a no go too."


"So Nyhem can you help me out of this?"


"It's possible. But it'll take a while and you probably won't like how I do it."


"At the moment anything is better. How long will it take?"


"I'll be ready in say three to four hours. And you won't hear from me until then."


Just then the door opened and in came two large needles filled with silver liquid. "The master says for tryin' to escape you get a double shot, Onyx." Said a tall man that Onyx didn't recognize.


"Sure you can't go any faster Nyhem?" Onyx asked but there was no reply, only the sharp pain of a needle point in his arm.

 

[DemonicAngel]

Onyx screamed in agony as the silver liquid poured like molton lead through his veins, he felt as though his side was afire. 'What's going on?' He thought franticaly as the pain spread toward his head. 'It didn't hurt this much the first time'*. Onyx barely felt the second needle slide into


his other arm and wouldn't have noticed it at all, if it hadn't had the same effect as the previous injection had, he shrieked once more. the chains prevented him from flailing about, but still he writhed, the pain was excrutiating, when the blackness threatened Onyx had no way to fight it and no inclination to, he invited the blessed release of unconsciousness,


and his body went still.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"The subject has passed out sir shall we disspose of it now?" The tall man asked.


"No, not yet let us wait. If he pulls through this stage he will be ready for the final dose by tomorrow and then we'll see if he's the one who finally proves our research true." Replied the dark figure in the chair.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Onyx, Onyx." A voice called to him, then others joined in. Onyx wasn't sure where he was but he was getting used to that. And he didn't know these voices he didn't think at least. Suddenly Onyx wasn't alone anymore. There was a boy about Onyx's own age standing next to him. He wore baggy orange pants, and a black vest. He didn't have any shoes and hovered about three inches off the ground. His hair was very dirty blonde, his ears were slightly pointed, and thick rough horns sprouted from his tousled hair.


"How I wish they would be quiet they are ever so whiny." The boy said.


"Who?" Onyx asked.


"Wow, you are either pretty slow, or they did quite the number on you. Your memories from before this place. They're all locked up some where in here."


"Wait do you mean we're inside my head at this very moment?"


"Well, I suppose that answers my question. They did some pretty nasty stuff. Yes, we are. When you passed out from that pain you're subconscious brought you here."


"If this is my mind who're you?"


"Hmm? You can't tell from my voice? Well I suppose I can't blame you this is all going a bit fast. I'm Nyhem, Wandering Spirit, Lord of Elements, my list of titles goes on to include some not so flattering things. But for the moment humble guest of your body."


Onyx's jaw dropped he wasn't sure how to respond to this. But then he had a thought. " If your Nyhem, aren't you supposed to be getting ready to help me escape?"


"I am it takes barely any to none on energy levels to talk to you in here. We'll actually be ready soon. You need to be awake when I do this so you should rest while you can."


Onyx ignored the comment about getting his rest, if he was in his own subconscious than he had to be asleep anyway. or at least in some sort of trance, "Sooo, Nyhem, can you answer some questions for me?"


The boy shrugged looking very childish, "I can try, but I first I would like to tell you that the title All Knowing One, is *not* in my list. so it is very possible that I won't be able to answer."


"Well, how did you get here? why are you in my head? Where did you come from? What are they planning on doing with me? Who are they? Why me? And what is that gunk they've been pumping into me with reckless abandon?" by the time he got to the last question, Onyx was shouting, then he hung his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you. It's not your fault,


and I shouldn't blame you for it."


Nyhem was now sitting crossed legged three inches off the ground, and for a long


time he didn't speak, then his ears pricked up, "uh oh, got to go, I will answer the questions that I can later sorry Onyx." then he vanished, and nothing was left he was merely suddenly and silently gone.


Onyx was jerked back to consciousness, he was first aware of the pain, he felt as though his head was splitting in half, his nerve endings were searing. his whole body ached and for a long time he just sat there not knowing anything, but the pain.


Then Onyx noticed something strange, his guards were gone. He looked down at his wrists to find them free of shackles. His ankles and neck were free too.


"Come out of the room Onyx." He heard Nyhem's voice tell him."I'll clear your path."


Onyx figured this would be his last chance to escape so he got up and exited the room but the sight that greeted him wasn't very pleasant.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Master Brown I regret to inform you that the subject of interest is escaping and all guards are headed that way, but are being brought down quickly." The tall man said swallowing hard.


His master stood and grabbed him by the collar. "Well then you had better get down there and get the last shot into him. We cannot lose the perfect subject. We may not find another one." His master let go of his collar and pointed to the door, shouting after him. "If he gets out of here with out that in him, you just might end up my next subject!"


The tall man seemed to shrink under the powerful gaze of his master, "yes, master Brown, of course." he exited the room, and took the last dose of the silver liquid out of his breast pocket, "I won't be able to get close enough," he muttered to himself. and grabbed a small speacialized pistol off a rack. Then loaded the syringe into the chamber and crept toward the back room.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Onyx walked as fast as his shaky legs would carry him and tried to avoid looking at the carnage all around him, as his limbs got steadier, he sped up, until he was racing headlong down the passage, something slammed into his shoulder, but he didn't even falter, he yanked it out and tossed it aside without missing a step, pain exploded where it had hit him, but Onyx


was getting used to that too, he ignored the pain and didn't even slow down. He ran through the passageways, turning first left then right, his steps never slowing never faltering, he seemed to know every twist and turn, of the building. the pain in his shoulder raced like wildfire, down to his heart and beyond, from the tips of his toes and fingers, to the nerve endings in his brain, still he raced onward.


Finally Onyx burst into fresh air. The sky was dark and full of twinkling stars, and Onyx wished that he could stop to appreciate the beauty, but he raced on. Onyx skidded to a halt nearly colliding with a large metal object. it was on wheels and seemed to be moving of it's own accord, 'It's some strange form of Transportation, how long was I in that cursed place?' He asked himself. Chancing on a convenient handle Onyx grabbed it and yanked. The hatch opened with a slam and the door broke off. there was a man in some sort of uniform, mottled green, brown, and grey. Onyx grabbed the man and tossed him out the opening, took his seat and pushed every button, and lever, and switch he could find until the strange contraption started to move, then he grabbed the wheel in front of him and went careening, through dodging trees, ignoring fences.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"M-Master Brown?" Te tall man cowered in the corner of the dark room. "The subject of interest has escaped, and, it seems he has passed through the portal, as well."


"Never mind that you incompetent fool," His master spat "did you get the last dose into him before he got away?"


"Yes, Master Brown, but . . . it didn't seem to have any effect." The tall man cringed even further, fearing his master's anger.


"Oh, it will take effect in time. Send someone into the portal after him," The tall man started to object but was cut off "yourself if there is no one else available, I want the subject monitored at all times if possible, send word to me immediately when he finds a return portal."


"B-but, Master Brown, he may never find a return portal."


"Oh, he will, Huggins, he will. His kind always do."

 

[DemonicAngel]

"Of course master Brown. I will get some men on his tail and follow them shortly." Huggins said, but to himself thought. 'This way if we lose him I won't be around to get killed.'


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Suddenly there was someone inside the odd machine with Onyx. "Well, your pretty good at driving for someone who's never seen a car." It was Nyhem. He sat looking relaxed with his hands behind him head.


"Is that what you call these things? Never mind that's not important, was that your work back there with . . . those guards?" Onyx asked.


Nyhem's expression changed. "Yeah. I told you, you probably wouldn't like it if I helped. No one ever does. I don't even really. And it usually gets me thrown out."


"What do you mean thrown out?"


"Well, I need a host body to attach to or I won't last long. I could simply take a body by force and make myself at home, but that's not really my style. I want to be allowed into the body it's better for both me and the owner of the . . . " Nyhem stopped just short of finishing. Onyx had a confused look on his face. "Look pretend that we're talking about your house. I want to stay in the house. I could come in and make myself at home or I could wait for you to allow me to stay."


"Okay, I think I get it." Onyx said. "So you want to stay in my 'house'?"


"Yeah pretty much. I won't last long with out a house."


"Sure you can stay. It seems you know about the place we're going, right? I'll need your help getting around."


Nyhem smiled just a bit, before going onto try to explain how they got here. And how the modern city worked. Nyhem talked for a long while, and Onyx listened with half a mind, and consentrated on not colliding with trees with the rest. there was a long period of silence once Nyhem stopped talking, and Onyx shook his head trying to get all the jabber about Time Portals and World Portals, and the future and alternate demensions, and everything else that Nyhem had talked about, straight in his mind, after a while he gave up, and went back to


subjects that were already at least familiar to him.


"I can figure this future stuff out as we go. so, about those questions I asked earlier . . . now that I know, why you were in my head, I would like to know, how you got there in the first place. and who those people were, and what they were trying to accomplish with that stuff they were pumping into me, and what it was, If you would be so kind as to answer now. and any other information you might have on the subject."


Nyhem nodded slowly. "Well I had been inside one of the other test subjects, but they . . . uh, passed away suddenly. So I was looking for someone new when I saw you being drug passed the door. I was well, kind of drawn to you I guess. I don't know a lot about those people like what their goal is, but I do know They work for someone referred to as master Brown. Though I've never seen the guy I know three things about him. First, he created the Time Portals. Second, he is one twistedly persistent man. And third, he has a 'guest'. You know one like me. All the people there are him, his lackeys, or his test subjects. I'm not sure what they were trying


to accomplish, but I think I know what the liquid is. I think it . . . well, let's just hope it's not that."


"Wait a minute. I want to know just what you think it is." Onyx said.


"You won't like the answer."


"I doubt it can be any worse then our escape."


Nyhem hesitated a moment longer before saying two words. "Unicorn blood."


Onyx recoiled "WHAT?!?" he shouted "UNICORN BLOOD?!? does he know that Unicorns are sacred? does that demon spawn KNOW that killing a Unicorn is committing a crime against the gods? DOES THAT THRICE CURSED B*****D *KNOW*WHAT PUTTING THAT STUFF INTO SOMEONE COULD DO TO THEM?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I'M GOING TO KILL HIM" with that Onyx swung the steering wheel around, slamming both feet onto the gas pedal.


"You can't go back to him that way Onyx." Nyhem said calmly. "no one can go back through the portal they came through. you'll have to find a new one. And I could be wrong, It might not be Unicorn blood it could be something else. . . " he paused there and Onyx waited for a while*


"Well? . . ." Onyx prompted, and when Nyhem didn't answer still. He asked, "What else could it be?" His was still shouting but not as loudly as before, and the car was slowing down.


"Well . . ." Nyhem paused again. then continued, "It might be melted dragon scales, or sap from Silver-Bells-Of-The-Mountains. . . "


"Cause those are sooo much better." Onyx interrupted, his words oozed with sarcasm. He was calming down, not because the possibilities that Nyhem was producing comforted him, but because the possibility of returning to his own world--or time, or whatever it was--but the way he had come, may have been demolished but there was still hope of returning. He was turning the car around again. Back away from where they had escaped that place.


"Or . . . " Nyhem continued as though Onyx hadn't spoken. "Something equally distasteful, like gryphon feathers melted in Styx water."


((By the way. I would like to say that Sliver Bell of the Mountians are flowers. But, I made them up and as such are of course not real flowers. Thank you.))

 

[DemonicAngel]

"Okay, okay," Shouted Onyx. "I get it all possible items that it was were either sacred, or unholy in the first place so I'm kind of doomed!"


"Nonsence," Nyhem said stopping his list. "There's no kind of doomed. There just is and isn't. We're not to the doomed part yet." Onyx gave Nyhem a sceptical look. "Eyes on the road please. I may not be able to die but you sure can." Nyhem scolded. "Anyways, what we need to do is find someone who at least knows the ways of your time. Then, I can get them to help us."


Onyx nodded he still had to force himself not to imedeantly do what ever Nyhem said. Even though he talked carelessly his voice still promptided Onyx to do what he said. So, Onyx figured that this could be useful means of getting what they needed.


"I'll need to return to . . . ahh your house shortly before we enter the town. Most people can't see me but on first impressions here, well let's just say until I restore enough power to disguise myself it's best if no one can see me. The first town you come upon leave the car and walk the last couple miles."


"Why?"


"Because we need you to look nice and run down so that someone might take pitty on you and call the mayor to complain. Or we could happen upon hobos and assuming they don't steal anything from us we can stay with them." Nyhem chided quite happily.


"Why would we stay with people who would steal from us? Not that I carry much to steal."


"I like hobos. They're a lot like you, desperate."


"Thank you."


"You know for such an old timer you know how to use sarcasim perfectly."


"I am not that old. I am . . . am . . . I can't really remember." Images flashed before Onyx's eyes to fast to recognize. Nyhem was yelling something but, Onyx couldn't understand. ...Pain burned at his injection sites, and Onyx blacked out.


Onyx woke feeling as though someone had lined his skull with lead, his thoughts came through all fuzzy and jumbled. he ached all over and. . . the thought hit him like a spear, sending pain lancing through his brain, so much pain for such a small thing, Onyx was thirsty. He shifted positions, and barely refrained from calling out in pain, his collar bone was damaged, and at least one of his legs was broken, although there was a possibility that both of his legs were. It didn't matter at the moment though.


"Nyhem?" he called, or tried to, his voice sounded like rustling paper.


"I'm here Onyx," Nyhem's voice was inside Onyx's head again slipping around and scattering his jumbled thoughts "not that that's going to help much, whatever they did to you, I don't think I can stop it, also, from the way things are feeling in here, it might make your . . . " Nyhem paused here, and always one to be tactful, finished with " 'house' incompatible with my spirit. If that happens, I'm going to have to find a new host. although I do hope that that isn't the case, lets wait and see."


Onyx stopped himself from shaking his head to clear it. pain was a useful


deterrent. "Never mind that, what happened?"


"My best guess, would be that the last injection took effect at last, causing you to black out, and then you crashed. by the way, a conerned citizen stopped and asked if you needed help. as I felt it imprudent to annihilate her, I decided that I couldn't do much, so I refrained from


causing bodily or mental harm, and let her call an ambulance which of course she did when you were unable respond to her questions, she's at her own car now, talking on a cell phone, and I expect them any minute."


"Who?" Onyx's head was clearing slightly but for some reason Nyhem's words stopped making sense after 'crashed' and Onyx wanted to know what was happening. But first he wanted to know 'who' Nyhem expected and why.


"Who? Why the police of course, the woman has called for medical assistance, and rescue teams rarely take very long to arrive, but all in all, it's probably a good thing that she called. both your body and mind took quite a bit of damage from the injection, and colliding with a tree didn't help in the least." a loud wailing sound, muted by distance, approached. "Ah, there they are now."


His words were still not making much sense but Onyx refrained from asking Nyhem to repeat himself.


"It occurs to me that things might be better if you were unconscious when they found you, your appearance, though strange enough could be explained, or even disregarded, but your language is inexplicable" Nyhem brushed something inside Onyx's mind, the pain bloomed again, and Onyx fell into blessed darkness, again.


Onyx's mind slowly awakened. First there where sounds lots of people talking, and foot steps, than a strange beeping sound. It was rythmic as if beating in time to something. Then there was a smell that Onyx couldn't name but it did seem familiar. His thirst was still clawing at him though not as badly. Then he opened his eyes. Onyx sat bolt up-right in the bed and made a strangled gasping noise, the beeping noise sped up as though it was reacting to his sudden movement.


"We're back in the place that we started!" Onyx thought panic rising.


"Whoa there, it's okay Onyx. This is a place of healing. These people aren't going to do anything that you don't want. Now when someone talks to you, I want you to try to repeat what I say." Nyhem said.


Onyx wasn't sure he would be able to talk again with his throat so dry. But he nodded hoping Nyhem could tell that he was nodding. A lady came into the room with nothing but a glass of water, and gave it to him.


Onyx accepted the glass and drank deeply, the water was soothing but for some reason, it tasted stale. as he was drinking Nyhems voice slipped through his consciousness, he didn't understand the words, but repeated them anyway, his tongue stumbling over the unfamiliar syllables. the woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, smiled and said something that Onyx didn't understand, but Nyhem told him to nod, and so he did. then she left the room, taking the empty glass with her.


'What did she say?' Onyx thought at Nyhem.


'She said that you are recovering faster than expected, and that you should get some rest and I am inclined to agree with her. Not that I expect you to care what I think. she then asked if you were a foreigner . . .' Onyx listened with half an ear, as he tried to get up from the bed, it was then that he noticed two things, first, there were tubes going in and out of his arm, restricting his movement, and second, he was wearing a very thin, and rather uncomfortable gown, with ridiculous patterns on it, and no pants at all.


"Never mind that," He said aloud, stopping Nyhem mid-sentance. "where are my clothes? and--" it was a reasonable tone barely verging on the louder side of normal speech, but Nyhem still cut him off.


"Shhh!" Nyhem voice hissed inside Onyx's head "we can't have them hearing you speak that language. Your accents bad enough without the real product, there is no language like that in this world, so just don't speak unless I tell you exactly what to say. I don't know where your cloths are, but you can ask the nurse when she returns, I will give you the words, in the right


language, you may even have to learn the language, if we don't find a return portal soon."


'So lets get my pants and get out of here!' Onyx thought.


Nyhem sighed. "Onyx, we can't leave yet, you're not fully recovered, besides we don't know where your clothes are. Like I said I'll give you the words to ask the nurse, when she comes back, in the meantime calm down and try to sleep."


'I have gotten altogether too much sleep in the past week, and I think it's time I spent some time awake'


"Suit yourself, but at least try to relax for a while, maybe I'll give you a language lesson while we wait for the nurse."

 

[DemonicAngel]

'Will you make more sense when you talk after this language lesson?" Asked Onyx in his mind.


"It should be helpful to you in understanding people from this time." Nyhem answered.


So Onyx agreed but as Nyhem wasn't exactly the best teacher most things were still unclear. But by the time the woman returned Onyx could understand a few of the words. It helped when she motioned to what ever she was talking about. But since most of the talk was about Onyx then it didn't do much. Finally, the woman said something about eating and left.


'I'm afraid I still did not understand most of that.' Onyx thought. 'Did we ask about my pants?'


"Hmm, oh, yeah she said she'd bring them in when she brought your dinner." Nyhem said distractedly.


'What else did she say?" *Onyx prompted knowing that there was something Nyhem was leaving out.


"Nothing of intrest, it's something in here. Something's happening with your suppressed memories. They're acting strange. And I'm not sure why."


'What? What's happening? What's the matter with my memory?' Onyx almost panicked, he tried to remember, but the memories weren't there, it was like grabbing for his knife, but finding an empty sheathe, or rather a sheath full of ants. the only clear memories were from the room where 'Master Brown' and his lackeys had given him the injections, and even those were rather blurry, but everything before that was so fractured and wispy as to be nonexistant, and they skittered away whenever he tried to grasp them.


"Well," Nyhem's voice hit like lightning, distracting Onyx from his thoughts "Its not good."


'Just tell me that I won't get another sudden and excruciating headache,and then pass out again. I'm really tired of that sort of thing happening.'


"No, nothing like that, well as long as you don't think too hard or try to remember anything specific, you should be fine in that department."


'Alright.' Onyx leaned back against the wall behind the bed. 'You can teach me more of this stupid language, that at least ought to distract me from any deep memory probing. But first, what is it? I understand that it's not good, but what's happening? If you can't tell me what's


causing it at least tell me what its causing.'

 

[DemonicAngel]

"Well the injections seem to be having some effect that makes your memories leave. But so long as you don't think about your past it happens very slowly." Nyhem explained then went on to teach Onyx more about the language and the new world around him.


Meanwhile Huggins stood outside the hospital as it began to rain. He stood perfectly still, leering up at the window of Onyx's room. He pulled a device out of his pocket. some sort of radio, or recorder. Then he spoke into it, "The subject has been taken into a healing place, I believe that the serum has taken effect."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Makes them leave? You mean the more I try to remember the less I will be able to? We have to find this 'return portal' as soon as possible." Onyx interrupted Nyhem in the middle of the language lesson that he wasn't able to concentrate on.


"Yes." Was Nyhems curt and irritated answer. "Now, try to pay attention." He said impatiently. and the language lesson continued, until the nurse returned with a tray of food and his pants. She checked some things on the machinary behind him, and then left the room.

 

[DemonicAngel]

With a bit of difficultly Onyx pulled on his pants. He relaxed just a tiny bit at least he had his pants back. "Onyx how old are you do you know?" Nyhem asked. "Only tell me if it immediately comes to mind other wise forget about it." Onyx didn't reply he couldn't remember quite how old he was. He turned to watch the people walking by his room. Something nagged at the back of his mind, perhaps it was Nyhem but Onyx paid no attention instead he found himself falling asleep.


And soon he was just that, asleep having an odd dream. There was girl dressed in white sitting by a pool as if she were waiting for someone. Onyx found himself drawn to her but as he got closer he realized that she wore no clothes, and adverted his eyes. What he'd thought was clothes turned out to be her hair which was very long as though she had never cut it. And it draped all around her covering most of her.


"What are you doing out here all by your self miss?" Asked Onyx.


"I await something that makes the land pure." She answered. "I wait for the unicorn. The sacred horse."


Just as she finished speaking a unicorn appeared on the other side of the pool and whinnied softly. As if calling the girl to come to it. The maiden locked eyes with the unicorn and walked toward it. Over the top of the lake as though it were solid. And when she reached the other side she stroked the unicorn and whispered to it, then mounted the creature of legend. Before they left the girl called out to Onyx. "You must be strong, Brave Warrior in the face of this new threat, and ever wary. The spirit will help you but you must let him. And do not lose sight of what you truly want no matter how awful things my seem." And with that she rode away. Onyx made a face he was no warrior. Was he? He looked down at his clothes to find the simple garb of a peasant.


Onyx woke suddenly and tried to call out . . . His voice was muffled, he felt a strange flavour in his mouth, a rough strap gagged him. he tried to get up, but similar straps held his limbs down, he couldn't even raise head, adrenaline pumped through his veins as he started to panic and he began struggling even harder against his bonds. What was happening, what would they do to him now, he had to get out of here!


"Calm down." Nyhem's voice shimmered through Onyx's jumbled thoughts at it's most persuasive thus far. "It's okay, Onyx, they're not going to do anything to you. You were tossing and turning so violently in you're sleep that they had to strap you down to prevent you from harming yourself and others, and undoing all of the healing that they have done. So just calm down! we're going to get out of here soon, I promise."


Onyx did calm down, as the memories of the previous day swam back into the forefront of his mind, and something about them caught his attention and he asked. "I do still have my pants, right?" Nyhem's chuckle, was if possible, was even more pleasant to listen to than his voice when speaking.


"Yes, yes you do."


Onyx sighed with relief "good."

 

[DemonicAngel]

Onyx drifted in and out of sleep the rest of the night. But there were no more dreams with the young maiden. Onyx did his best to listen to Nyhem the next morning at their language lesson. And as he did he realized that it put Nyhem in a very good mood to see Onyx tring so hard. Onyx also obeyed the lady that was taking care of him. A nurse he found out she was called.


They had removed the straps that morning, and left Onyx room to move. Despite Nyhem's lack of teaching ability, Onyx was a quick learner, for some reason, the language that he was sure he had never heard before came easily to him, almost like he was remembering it instead of hearing it for the first time, Nyhems language lesson was rather short. "I've got to get out


of here." Onyx said, speaking in English; the language that Nyhem had been so diligently teaching him, Onyx's tongue still stumbled slightly over the not quite familiar sylables, but although his speech was broken, and accented, it was quite understandable.


"That was good." Was Nyhem's answer. "You still need a little practice, but you will most likely be able to understand any basic conversation."


"I was serious." Onyx said, still using English "I don't like this place, I want to leave." Nyhem was right, he was speaking clearer already, with a bit more practice he would be speaking fluent, if accented English.


"Alright." Nyhem answered easily, also speaking English. "But I'm going to talk to you like this for the duration. It will help you become fluent."


"Let's go!" Onyx said impatiently. "Are you going to guide me out of here or shall I definistrate myself?"


"Through the door and to the left, keep going until I tell you to stop." Nyhem chuckled to himself Onyx's vocabulary was growing exponentially, and he was already using words that Nyhem had never even mentioned.

 

[DemonicAngel]

Onyx followed the directions that Nyhem had given him, till he came to a large counter. Where he was made to sign several papers. Then he was on his way again. As Onyx stepped outside he inhaled deeply. It wasn't the same pure, fresh air he knew back home but it was nice to be outside again. He stood quietly for a moment, then turned suddenly. "Did you feel that Nyhem?" Onyx asked. "It's like we're being watched."


"I felt it alright, your almost always being watched by some one in times like these. The problem is figureing out wheather they mean you any harm or not. I don't sense a threat at the moment let's get moving, while we were at the hospital I overheard two people talking about some guy. And I think he may be just the guy to help us." Nyhem answered. "And he lives just a few hours a way. Alright just follow my instructions and we should be there in no-time."


Onyx decided that he didn't particularly care for Nyhem's definition of no time, he had been running for an hour or more, and his legs were getting tired 'Why if I may ask, can we not just take one of those machines again, it would be much faster than this.' Onyx thought at Nyhem.


"Because' Nyhem replied succinctly, 'it's against the law.'


'We couldn't just borrow one, we wouldn't have to steal it.' Onyx said placatingly after all that time in bed, he wasn't in as good a shape as he would have liked.


'I suppose," Nyhem said thoughtfully, 'we could hire a taxi, but we don't really have any money, plus . . . well let's just say that it probably isn't the best of ideas, lets just keep going." Onyx wondered, briefly, what it was that made Nyhem hesitate, but didn't press. mostly because he didn't have the energy to. 'Besides' Nyhem added 'its probably best to keep a low


profile at the moment. Which is also why it would be a very bad idea to steal a car.'


"Whatever," Onyx said aloud. a passing jogger who looked at him oddly, but elected to ignore the strangly dressed runner. and just kept going, merely turning up the volume on his MP3. Onyx sped up, leaving the strange world behind. It was somewhat of a relief, he had to admit to himself, to be able to pretend that he was back in his own world, a world he was rapidly


forgetting, but still missed with an aching heart. he thought of the dream he had had, that, his clothes, his language and the ache in his heart, were fast becoming the only links he had to his own world, because he dared not try to recall it to memory.