I had no clue how long we had been chopping away at zombies and screamers, but with our teamwork, the massive horde was eradicated, and finally, the lab came into view just up ahead.
I was surprised to see one whole side of the lab had collapsed. We all clicked on our flashlights; the beam of our lights illuminated the horrible sight inside. There were shelves upon shelves filled with dead mutant babies floating in jars filled with formaldehyde.
"What kind of sick fuck could do this?" I asked as I stepped through the rubble.
"What do you see?" asked Treyson as he joined me.
When I explained what I saw, he shook his head with a look of pure disgust on his face, "Sounds like a human or humans who thought they could play God and lost…"
I laced my fingers through Treyson's as we navigated through the wreckage; there had obviously been a battle… but with what?
"Can you sense whatever did this?" I asked Treyson.
I watched as he lifted his head and sniffed at the air, curious about what he could smell that I couldn't…
Treyson and I froze when an ear-piercing scream echoed through the building, followed by the sound of a horrifying roar of a creature.
"What in all hells was that!?" I asked as we ran as fast as we could towards where we heard the scream.
"I honestly don't know about this one…" says Treyson with a scowl on his face, "The only thing I smell is the stench of roses."
"Roses? Why would you smell rose…. What the hell is that monstrosity?" I froze in my tracks as the beam of my flashlight illuminated the face of a creature that had an enormous reddish-brown feline face with two emerald reptilian eyes and a large mane around its head that resembled the petals of a rose…
"What is it?" Treyson asks.
"It's a mutant creature that looks like a rose demon," I explained to Treyson, my voice filled with wonder and confusion. "My dad once showed me a book about animals before the war; this animal kinda has the appearance of a lion but somehow got fused with a rose… I have no clue how something like that could be possible…"
Treyson chuckled at my amazement, shaking his head. "Says the girl who is currently talking to a ghoul and searching for a cure for the Undead Virus…but it's possible that this creature was created by humans… It is in a science lab that was run by evil scientists…"
I nodded, still trying to process the information…"That's true…"
As we cautiously approached the beast, I couldn't help but marvel at its unique and eerie appearance. Its two hind legs were hunched as it walked, its long thorn-like claws clicking against the ground. The creature's body was a mix of brown and green, covered in tiny sharp thorns that seemed to glimmer in the light of my flashlight. Its long vine-like tail swished behind it, ending in a perfect crimson rosebud.
"I don't know how a creature could be both majestic and terrifying at the same time...but this beast is truly fascinating!" I exclaimed in awe, unable to tear my eyes away from the mesmerizing sight of the Rose demon lion thing.
My eyes darted around the dark, musty hallway, searching for the source of the blood-curdling scream. The blinding light of my flashlight illuminated Izzy's face, her features contorted in fear, "Izzy, what happened?" I asked urgently as I cautiously moved closer.
Her voice shook as she explained, "JR and I were searching this hall when the beast came out of nowhere. It got JR pretty good with its claws."
My heart raced as I saw JR sitting next to Izzy, a shirt was pressed to his face, already soaked through with his blood. His face was twisted in agony as he held a hand to his jagged wound. It was deep and already starting to swell, no doubt leaving a permanent scar.
"He is gonna need stitches," I explained as I tried to move closer but almost got a face full of thorny claws myself, "I don't want to have to kill this thing... But we might not have a choice."
"Please don't hurt Demoysa," says an unfamiliar voice that sounded a lot like a young girl…
Was I hearing things? Why would I hear the voice of a little girl?
My heart raced as the rose demon sank to all fours and let out a low, menacing growl. But then, my shock turned to confusion when a small figure emerged from behind the demon lion, seemingly unafraid and unperturbed by its presence. The face of a young girl peered out from beneath a mop of unruly hair, her eyes wide with wonder as she stepped closer to me. To my surprise, the demon lion did not attack her but instead huddled protectively around her as if she were its own precious cub. The juxtaposition of innocence and danger in this scene sent shivers down my spine.
As I shone my flashlight into the darkness, a young girl's face was revealed. She appeared to be around six or seven years old, with long strawberry-blonde ringlets that cascaded down her waist. Her cherubic features were speckled with freckles, giving her an innocent and playful appearance. But what caught my attention the most were her eyes - one a fiery red like the petals of the demon lion's mane and the other a chilling ice-blue, almost as white as a ghoul's. The contrasting colors add an eerie aura to her already mysterious presence in the darkness. It was as if two different worlds resided within this child's eyes, one full of warmth and life and the other cold and otherworldly.
I took a tentative step forward, my heart racing as I faced the rose demon. Its thorn-like teeth glinted in the sunlight, causing me to freeze in my tracks. But then, something miraculous happened - the small girl reached out and touched its snout with an astonishing sense of calm.
"What is your name, Sweetheart?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
The girl turned to face me, her eyes wide and filled with a certain wisdom that belied her young appearance. "I don't have a name," she said in a low voice, running her hand over the lion's head. "They always called me experiment 154, but I don't like that name..."
A surge of anger and protectiveness swelled within me at the thought of this innocent child being treated like nothing more than a mere experiment. Treyson stepped up beside me, his strong fingers lacing through mine, offering me support and strength. I turned back to the girl, determination burning in my eyes.
"Oh really? What would you like your name to be?" I asked gently.
"Hmmm, I don't know… What would you name me?" she asked as she looked up at me with those unique eyes of hers.
"Ummm, what about the name Hope? I always liked that name." I said with a shrug.
The little girl cocked her head as she thought about it, then smiled, revealing two sharp incisors like most ghouls had.
"I like that name!" she said as her eyes lit up in joy, "My name is now Hope!"
Treyson gently released my hand and lowered himself to Hope's level. "So, little one," he began, "How did you come to be in this laboratory?"
"I was born here, silly," she replied matter-of-factly, her voice surprisingly mature for a seven-year-old. "But the humans were doing terrible things, and the creatures they created grew angry and attacked them all." A chill ran down my spine at her words, imagining the horrors that must have occurred within these walls. "Most of them escaped, but Demoysa stayed behind to protect me."
"And is Demoysa your... companion here?" Treyson asked cautiously, gesturing towards the rose demon resting nearby.
Hope nodded eagerly. "Yes, he's my friend. I'm sorry that he hurt your friend," she added with a worried frown as she glanced over at JR, whose face was now visibly bruised and swollen from the attack.
With the chaos finally subsiding, I left Treyson to hold a conversation with Hope and made my way over to JR. The smell of blood filled the air, making my stomach churn uneasily. I knelt beside him, pulling off my pack with a heavy thud. My hands trembled slightly as I reached for the necessary supplies - fortunately, my mother had taught me how to properly cleanse wounds and suture them if needed.
JR gritted his teeth as I dabbed iodine onto the lacerations on his face, his breath coming out in sharp hisses. "I don't have anything to numb the pain," I warned him, quickly unbuckling my belt and offering it to him. "Bite down on this so you don't injure your tongue."
I sterilized the needle as Izzy helped JR place the belt between his teeth. Despite trying to remain calm and focused, my heart raced with nerves as I began to carefully stitch up his wounds. Each time he flinched or groaned in pain, I winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry, Bub," I murmured, pausing for a moment to wipe away sweat from my brow. "I'll try to make this quick."
To my surprise, JR squeezed my thigh reassuringly, reminding me that despite the discomfort he was experiencing, he trusted me to take care of him. It gave me a slight sense of relief and comfort as I continued working.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally finished and secured clean gauze over JR's wounds before glancing over at Treyson and Hope, who was still engrossed in conversation.
"So, what the hell are we going to do with the little girl?" asked Izzy, her voice full of concern and confusion.
My mind raced as I studied the child; a feeling in my gut told me that she was important and that we couldn't just leave her behind.
"Something about her makes me believe we should bring her back to the colony with us," I said, my legs protesting as I rose to my feet and felt a tingling sensation shoot through them.
"No one is going to be happy about having a ghoul or whatever she is in the colony," JR croaked, attempting to wipe the blood off his face with a grimace.
"Well, I don't care. I'm bringing her and the rose demon back with us," I declared before returning to Treyson and Hope.
As I approached Hope and Treyson, who were huddled together in conversation, "What are you two discussing?" I asked.
Treyson stood up from his crouch and filled me in on the latest news. "Hope was just telling me about four more bioengineered mutants that escaped. One was a snake/flower hybrid named Bloom, another was a hyena/armadillo lizard hybrid named Spike, and the last one was a giant spider/wasp hybrid she called Buzz."
The thought of those creatures running loose outside sent shivers down my spine. Who knows what kind of damage they could do...
"Sounds...exciting," I managed to choke out, trying to mask my apprehension. I knelt in front of Hope, taking in her frail form wrapped in an oversized hospital gown. "So, Hope, would you like to come back home with me?"
She looked up at me with pleading eyes before glancing over at Treyson and then at Demoysa; the rose demon standing by our side. "I would love to," she said softly. "But can Demoysa come too?"
My gaze fell upon the monstrous beast; its head cocked slightly to the side as it regarded me with piercing eyes. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear at its presence, knowing that keeping such a massive creature underground in our small colony would not be wise. However, my thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Treyson leaning nonchalantly against the wall, his expression unreadable.
I turned to him and voiced my concerns, "I don't think having such a large beast living underground is a good idea. Would your village be willing to take him in?"
Treyson's rough hand rubbed at his scruffy chin as he pondered my question. After a moment, he replied, "They might be open to it as long as he proves himself to be a benevolent creature. I will have to consult with the village chief."
With that settled, I turned to Hope, who had been listening intently. "I live underground, so I don't think it would be wise for a plant-like animal to live down there. He would thrive better in Treyson's village where he can receive proper care."
Hope gave me a smile and nodded in agreement, "Okay, I will come with you then."
"Awesome, my name is Breelyn, but you can call me Bree," I said, then pointed towards Treyson, "This is Treyson."
A commotion behind me had us all swiveling around, and the rose demon growled as the silhouette of the rest of our team approached… where have they been? I wondered, looking from one person to the other.
"Where have you guys been?" I asked as I rose to my feet.
"What the hell is that?" Xavier asked, pointing towards the rose demon.
"Oh, that? That is Demoysa, the rose demon lion thing…" I explained, before motioning towards Hope, "And this is Hope."
Phoebe stepped forward with a large box full of files before dropping it at my feet, "This is what we found," she said, motioning towards the box, "This is all the research the scientists had that we could find; I figured that we could take it back to the colony and look through it."
"Good job, guys; I have two of the "Living" experiments right here, "I said, motioning towards Hope and Demoysa.
JR groaned as he rose to his feet, then shuffled his way towards us, "Why don't we head back to where we stayed last night before those Reapers or something worse appears."
I nodded in agreement, then reached out for Hope's hand, "Come on, kiddo, let's get out of here."
Hope looked up at me as she slowly reached out and took my hand with a shy smile, then motioned for Demoysa to follow, "Come on, Demoysa."
The lion cocked its head, then rose to its feet as it looked from Hope to me, then to Treyson, before taking a step forward to walk on Hope's other side like a loyal protector.
I smiled as I reached out and laced my fingers with Treyson's, feeling somewhat protective of him and Hope… Something inside of me knew that, somehow, these two people were going to be vital to me in the days to come.