I awoke surrounded by the smothering softness of a sweet smelling duvet. I sat up, scanning the room around me. The room was nearly bare save for a small table, chair, and record player playing Benny Goodman's "If Dreams Come True". Even though the furniture was sparse, the expensiveness was evident in it's craftsmanship. The floor was even carpeted and felt oddly comforting as it touched my toes.
My head throbbed and I could hear blood rushing in my ears. My eyes felt grainy as I tried to rub the redness away after hours spent in silent tears the day before. Memories of Freddy from my childhood were swimming in my brain, making it hard to understand where I was. I pushed them into a little box in the back of my mind, and resolved to not think about him until I knew I was going to survive.
Frank had kidnapped me, and I didn't know how much time had passed since we left the funeral. I glanced around the room, looking for a clock, a calendar, anything that might show me how long I'd been there. There was nothing in the room to give me any indication.
Suddenly I heard gears in the doorknob start to turn. Someone was coming. Quickly I jumped to the record player and picked up the record and broke it on the bedside table. Holding the vinyl shard in my hand, I snuck up behind the door. The wooden portal creaked as the intruder pushed it open.
As soon as the figure cleared the door I lunged at it, bringing down my make-shift blade. To my dismay, it struck nothing but air. The intruder grasped my hand and twisted me so my back was to him. He yanked the broken vinyl out of my hand and pressed it ever so gently to my neck.
"Well now that was a naughty thing to do,"
My blood froze at the sound of Frank's chilling voice.
He released me with an air of caution. I stared him down, my gaze one of pure hatred. His face took on a look of hurt.
"Don't be like that, sweetheart. I'm trying to help you."
"Help me?!" I screamed.
"Yes. I gave you a nice room, music..." He glanced at the record player and then to the shard of vinyl in his hand. "I can fix that. I've been very kind to you, sweetheart."
"I'm not your sweetheart!"
A small grin turned up the corners of his mouth. "You are now."
I stared at him in confusion, but still I refused to back down.
"Everyone thinks you're dead, thanks to me. I'm all that you have left of your former life. Previously I was just going to kill you," His eyes closed for a second as if he was savoring the idea, "But I like you, Lola. You may be naïve, but you're powerful and stubborn. Just think of the things we could do together."
"And if I refuse?" He placed a hand delicately on my shoulder.
"Oh Lola," he chuckled, "You won't be able to refuse."
Frank jabbed a hypodermic needle into my arm and released the clear fluid inside. It crawled into my limbs like lead flows from a blacksmith's pot. My head started to swim and I collapsed into Frank's arms.
After what seemed like days later I awoke in a sterile room. Frank was hovering over me. Distant voices floated in the background.
"Congratulations, Lola. You are the first human to survive the effects of the Solder serum."
~*~
"Get up, Lola."
My head felt as thought it weighed a thousand pounds. I tried to move my arms but they were heavier than concrete. The silky voice spoke to me again. Even in my state of complete numbness, I felt compelled to respond.
"That's it," The voice coaxed. A strong arm held me up and I tried to shake the grogginess from my mind. When my vision cleared I saw Frank standing before me, a tender smile on his face. Behind him doctors fiddled with instruments and wrote on clip-boards. Frank turned to one of them and asked a question. They nodded in return.
"Lola, we're gonna take you out for a test run, okay? If you feel any discomfort, let us know, alright?"
I nodded and Frank and the doctors exited the room. Suddenly a mirror on the wall morphed into a type of window. On the other side I saw the group; waiting, watching me.
"Okay, we're gonna take it slow at first." Frank's voice crackled over an intercom, "Lola, take four steps forward."
My body moved instantly, obeying his instructions without giving my brain time to think.
"Very good. We're gonna make it a bit harder this time okay? Lola, catch the knife."
Suddenly I heard a noise behind me and I whirled around to face it. My hands flew out in front of me and caught the silvery blade just before it plunged into my chest.
"Good. This is the last one today, okay Lola?" The door to the room opened and two men entered carrying a third between them. They threw the slumped over figure to the floor. One of the men handed me a gun. The hilt was cold and refreshing against my palm.
"Lola, kill him."
I stretched my arm towards the man on the floor and aimed the gun at his head. The figure stirred, and looked up at me.
To my absolute horror, it was Jeff. I staggered backward from the effect of the mental blow. I had been fully prepared to kill my best friend.
"Lola, kill him!" Frank commanded again forcefully.
My mind was thrown into an unbearable turmoil. The Soldier serum was working it's effect on me and it took all the strength I had left to resist.
"Lola-" Jeff muttered. My heart broke for him. Here was a shell of the beautiful person that had once been my friend. Battered and beaten down by Frank's unadulterated cruelty. How could I do this to him?
"He's suffering, Lola. If you care about him, you'll help him end it."
A sheen of sweat covered my body. My hand trembled as I tried desperately to break the grasp I had on the gun.
"Kill him."
In that instant my mind was no longer my own. My vision blurred and my ears started to ring. Once again I aimed the gun at Jeff's head.
"I'm sorry."
The shot bounced off the walls. When it was over a deafening silence filled the room. Jeff laid there in a growing pool of his own blood. Tears welled in my eyes and I tried not to throw up at the thought of what I had just done. Over the intercom I heard a slow clap begin.
Frank was staring at me, a disturbing grin playing with his features.
"Well done, Lola. Well done."