Really?!" Lux exclaimed excitedly, "When does it start?"
"First, we have to set everything up. Follow me." Mr. Jackson replied.
1 hour later
"Now we wait." Mr. Jackson announced this as he stepped away from the podium and turned around.
Lux followed him back to the podium, where he found a man strapped to a chair. He was short with blond hair and a beard.
"Are you ready?" Mr. Jackson inquired.
The man nodded.
"Good." Dr. Rut placed the microphone on the podium and switched off the lights. "Let's begin."
The room went black, and a bright light flashed on the screen.
"That's the signal. Let's begin." Dr. Rut said as he pushed the button on the side of the podium.
"Start." The man in the chair repeated the order.
A sound began to fill the air. It was high-pitched and loud. It sounded similar to the noise that came when you ran a blender in a kitchen.
The sound grew louder, louder, and louder.
Suddenly, the man screamed out in pain. His eyes bulged wide open as he twisted his face in agony. His body convulsed uncontrollably, and blood spilled onto the floor.
Dr. Rut watched closely, fascinated by what was happening. After a minute, the man fell silent. His body relaxed, and he appeared to limp.
The sound continued to echo through the room.
Finally, after twenty seconds, the sound stopped.
"Excellent." Dr. Rut applauded enthusiastically. "That was amazing.
"Is he dead?" Lux shouted as he rushed over and opened the doors separating the scientists and the subject.
"Lux, come back here!" Mr. Jackson said as the monitor produced another flash.
Dr. Rut's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.
"It's not finished."
As soon as Lux entered the testing room, he felt a sharp sensation course throughout his body as he went numb all over.
As he saw the scientist pull the plug from the wall and turn off the power, he stumbled backward toward the doorway.
Lux dropped to the ground, unconscious and unable to move.
-----------------
After a few moments, Lux's vision returned. He blinked several times. Slowly, his brain started to function again.
He looked down at his hands. They were covered in blood. His clothes were soaked.
Dr. Rut spoke up first. "So you've finally woken up? How do you feel?"
"I feel....Fine." Lux replied slowly.
"Good." Dr. Hyris smiled. "You should. You just witnessed something very interesting. Although the main subject is no more, you managed to survive despite taking damage, but no abnormalities were found in your stats."
"So the test was unsuccessful?" Lux Asked.
"Yes. Your body absorbed most of the damage without exhibiting any negative effects. You appear perfectly healthy." Dr. Hyriss pointed out.
"But why did I get hurt?" Lux pressed harder.
"That isn't your blood." Dr. Hyriss said calmly.
"Then, who is it?"
Mr. Jackson walked into the room. "It's the blood of the dead subject."
"Don't worry about it. Now, let's take care of this mess."
Later that Night ----
Lux got home as the sun was setting. He quickly changed into some clean clothes, then went downstairs for dinner.
His mother had prepared a large meal with a variety of foods. She sat down across from him.
"How was school today? Did you have fun?"
"School was fine." Lux answered casually.
"What did you learn today?" she inquired.
"Nothing really." He lied.
She raised her eyebrows skeptically.
"I don't remember." Lux shrugged. "Everything went so fast."
"Well, it sounds like you're doing well."
"Yeah..."
Her words were kind. But they weren't true.
Lux wasn't happy. Something deep inside of him felt wrong.
He didn't know how to fix it, though. He didn't want to tell her about what happened.
Lux took a bite of the steak and mashed potatoes that his mom had made. He closed his eyes, savoring the delicious flavors. Then he ate a small piece of chocolate cake.
"Mmmm. This is good." Lux said.
His mother beamed happily.
"This is my favorite." Mrs. Petrel said. "I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do."
"Thank you," Lux said quietly.
"Now, we need to talk." She said it seriously. "Something terrible has happened."
Lux's heart raced. He knew immediately what his mother meant.
"No! What are you talking about? Where is Dad?" Lux demanded.
"We can't talk about this now," Mrs. Petrel insisted.
"Where is it? Tell me!" Lux pleaded.
"Calm down." Mrs. Petrel ordered.
"I'm calm!" Lux yelled back.
Mrs. Petrel got up. Her voice was stern. "Lux, you must listen carefully."
"Mom, please-"
"I will explain everything when you calm down. Now, sit down. I am going upstairs to change."
With that, she left the kitchen.
Lux followed.
"Why did you do that? Why won't you tell me?"
"Because you wouldn't stop yelling. You need to calm down before we continue. Please. It will only make things worse if you keep acting this way."
"How bad could it possibly be?" Lux asked.
"Your father passed away earlier this afternoon."
The world seemed to slow down around Lux. The sound of his own heartbeat reverberated in his ears. Everything became surreal and distant.
Lux's eyes opened wide. His jaw hung slack. He stared at his mother silently.
She continued. "A car accident."
Lux nodded. "Oh god..."
"Please sit down, Lux. We have a lot to discuss."
"Are you sure there aren't any mistakes? Maybe I can go see him."
"There were no mistakes. Your dad was driving alone on the freeway when he lost control of the vehicle. There was an explosion, and the car burst into flames."
Lux shook his head slowly. He couldn't believe what he'd heard. He tried to swallow but couldn't. He felt cold. He wanted to cry. Tears welled in his eyes.
"He was going too fast. He never even saw the other driver. That was why he crashed into them."
"They both died. Both of their families are devastated. They'll probably sue us."
"No!" Lux shouted.
"I know it hurts, honey. But it's not our fault. Accidents happen."
Lux just kept shaking his head.
"Can I ask one question first?"
"Of course."