Chapter 7 - Animal Laboratory

"What's this God forbidden smell?". Man 2 questioned while holding his nose to contempt.

'Urrghh. Urrrghhh...spat'. Man 1 vomited while trying to regain balance due to drowsiness.

A strong, pungent and humid smell had filled the air.

It could be said the air was clear, dry and fresh few minutes ago while these men were chit-chatting, sharing a bottle of Vodka. Gulping down every drop that filled their cup, these men would crack jokes about their wives and kids, a co-worker at work, or a neighbour mistress they're trying to flirt with. All these while they savoured the heat from their drink burning down their throats, at least the heat made them feel alive, they thought.

Each one talked for 90 seconds, and if it amuses the other, he gets to down a cup of vodka as reward. By the end of 90 seconds, both men would be heard laughing, each allowing the other to get his reward drink, even with the driest of daddy's jokes. They were just that care free and simple.

Heartily drunk but not to stupor, each men could still manage to say a few audible statements and walk home without falling into a gutter.

On getting to a urban alleyway, just beside a big factory, a few more blocks before they departed to their individual homes, they couldn't believe their noses. If they were drunk, they would have thought they were under the influence.

But this smell was strong enough to blow away their drunken state. Even the devil wouldn't withstand this skunk of a smell. "What the heck could that be?". Man 1 asked after emptying his abdominal contents with two expulsions.

"See, it could be that building, looked like an abandoned factory" Man 2 uttered.

"More like abandoned morgue, you meant" Man 1 muttered.

"Let's go find out what's in there".

"That place would be a cloudy universe of smell, but what's the reward if we don't find out".

Patted each other shoulders like buddies on their way for a treasure hunt, they walked into the dilapidated building while tightening their hold on their noses.

Bubbling was seen in a giant transparent glass tank, green, purple, red fluid in different tanks spread across the entire perimeter of the building.

"What are these and what was been done here?" Man 1 asked.

"Maybe industrial chemicals or more". Man 2 said.

"They all looked abandoned".

"Huh, maybe they were banned by the government for environmental pollution and health reasons".

"Hey, don't touch anyt..."

The ground in which they stood suddenly gave way, opening into a dark void and abyss. Dread filled every part of them as they lunged for something to hold or that will hold them, their hands stretched expecting a miracle, but further into the chasm they fell as they screamed.

Well, every beginning has an ending, so they say, likewise every hole. Loud cracks were heard, like 10 bones were broken all at once from different part of their skeletal anatomy. They winced and groaned.

Anguish filling up their eyes faster than tears.

It was very evident that they regretted coming in there in the first place, little did they know regrets and a few broken bones would be the least of their worries in a moment.

"Arrrghhh, what's this place, OMG!". Man 1 screamed.

"F*ck, what's this smell, Goddamnit". Man 2 shrieked.

The atmosphere became more dense, with a fetid smell 3 times stronger than what brought them there in the first instance.

Unaware of where they were, they only had in mind they fell from up, so that meant, if they were to get out of there, they have to move up. But how will they get out? Especially with this tenebrous darkness.

"Why is the ground sticky, musky and why does it feels alive? Like millions of tiny maggots are crawling here". Man 2 wailed.

"Wait, did you hear that sound"? Man 1 hushed.

A belch was heard coming from a particular angle few feet from them, Man 1 was closer to the source.

The belch blew some decent current of air towards them, the stench that came with the current almost made their lungs collapse.

"Something is here, huge and alive" Man 1 noted, while taking calculated steps towards man 2.

"Let's get far away as possible before it awakens". Man 2 whispered.

They moved as quietly as their feet could guarantee.

After like an eternity of retreating from the entity, they were surprised they hadn't touched a wall, or door, or anything that could give them an idea of where they were.

Man 2 was about to ask his companion a question, when Man 1 stepped on a slippery fluid, slipped and fell. It happened that while falling, Man 1 tried to grab something and therefore pulled the light change over, which was on a tank closer to them, luck or mistake.

And everywhere lit up.

*ROAR* came the noise.

An entity, a monster maybe, no a beast, shit, this is something more. Bigger, deadly, monstrous, terrifying, 'what is this, For goodness sake'.

Both men froze to the ground as the entity stood up, alert and been awaken by the sudden presence of light. The light glare had blinded them all, both the men and the entity. But the men were able to adjust and accommodate properly because their eyes lens was used to light.

The monster? Not lucky. It seemed like it hasn't seen light since the day it was created. Or it has been in the darkness way too long to adapt to the sudden presence of light.

The pain the monster felt could be heard all over the street, because it roared and groaned, rose and crashed in terrifying agony. The men were literally wetting their panties as they couldn't digest and come to accept what their vision is showing them.

'What the hell is this, O'Lord of mercy!'.

The only thing keeping them alive was adrenaline and endorphins in their bloodstream, their heart would have overworked and collapsed. Or maybe because the monster was still in agony, if not it would have ripped them into shreds for causing it that much pain.

Everything in there was either in severe pain from the light, or paralysing fear from the sight. One of the men who managed to look side ways, was able to identify things. Not that he could move to run, but he was able to move his eyes muscles to the sides.

Strange to the sensation of their brain and body on full urge to run, but their muscles won't move an inch, disappointed, both men stood there affixed.

"This..t..this is an...an..animal...lab" Man 1 stammered.

"These...a...are...gene..tic...tic..modi..fi.. animals".

"We are d..ead" Man 2 whispered. And another stream of urine flowed down his legs.

Suddenly the entity stopped groaning, sniffed the air, and started limping, while crashing towards them. Roaring with every step and deadly intent, it kept on coming, closer, closer and closer.

Within the range of vision of the men, was this entity. Aside the monstrous size, another terrifying thing was the landscape, it was like an underground city.

As far as their eyes could reach, and every where was filled with the same kind of tanks they saw above before the fell. Just that this time, there were something inside these tanks, humans? Animals ?

They don't know. All they wanted was to die without pain right now. Active bubbling, these tanks showed that the things inside them was still alive and breathing. Right under their feet, they saw fluids flowing all over, beside them a burst tank. So it struck, the reason for the death smell was due to a burst tank, and this monster in front of them was what was inside.

Then they raised their eyes to see, the hundreds and thousands of similar tanks spread all over this underground like city. Humanity is doomed, they would have thought.

But there was no times to think, as the beast was already too near and could open it mouth to snap a mouthful bite of their heads. Sniffing them, the beast traced down to the balls of one of the men, down to the floor. The man in particular went from been unable to move to being stunned. The beast could rip off his ball now.

The beast went down and started licking up their urine. After it was done, it raised it head and roared so hard, their ears bled. Aside from the booming sound that hit them, the malodorous breath that slapped their nostril couldn't be explained.

"RUN!" Man 2 screamed.

And like a chain been broken, their legs muscles suddenly came alive and started functioning. They ran on the wet slippery floor like a flying boat. Who would have thought they could walk or even run on water. Curious and agitated, the beast followed, running after them with breath-taking speed. The only thing reducing it speed was the slippery floor as it kept crashing into tanks and more tanks, breaking them open, thereby releasing more beasts, likewise more fluids.

CAPETOWN HOSPITAL

"Mr Rodrygo, are you okay, can you hear me?" The nurse asked as Rodrygo was seen being restless and sweaty.

"Call me Martha, Call me Martha.." Rodrygo requested.

The nurse was seen pushing another shot of Carbamazepine into his intravenous fluid.

ORION

It was a cool evening with a decent sunlight seeping through the window. Ashanté, sweaty, laid naked on the bed, on Orion's left fore arm, looking at him intently with a monstrous desire to eat him up. Orion was facing the ceiling breathing hard as he reminisced on the bliss he just had.

He had agreed to be Ashanté's lover and they had went to Ashanté's house together. With her parents not at home, Ashante had taken Orion to her room to undress him and have a taste of him. She wasn't disappointed at all as her heart fluttered for every touch and strokes he gave her. Being her first time, she slowly took everything in, the tickles, the wetness, the warmth, the pain, the pleasure. She registered everything into her head and she felt bliss. Orion who couldn't believe he would be having a damsel to himself went full throttle on his ravaged desire and went all in on her.

He literally gave her all he had to give. His touches, his gentleness, his warmth, his rod.

He kissed her for every strokes he gave her, he squeezed her for every moans she let out. They were so into it, Ashanté didn't recognise her mom was back. Hearing the sound from the room, Ashanté mom sighed and went to her room. "At least she has a friend now".

The desire was palpable, you could hold it and stretch it to yield point. Orion wasn't just going to stop, as Ashanté was taking every mix of sensation and emotions coupled up with pleasure and a little pain. She could feel his teeth sinking into her nape, she could feel his groans after every thrust, she could feel his hard breathing after every moans. His throbbing sensation inside her, the warmth of love diffusing from his rod. She registered everything.

She wanted to talk, wanted to laugh, wanted to cry, wanted to sing, wanted to wrap around him, locked in so he wouldn't ever stand up. But she was weak, and powerless, too many emotions to register, all she could do was moan, moan hard, and louder. No writer would have been able to write her lyrics, no psalmist would have been able to interpret her songs, but it was music to her ears, his ears, and he loved every note.

He just wouldn't stop, even at the edge of climax, Orion wouldn't stop, not that he doesn't, he just couldn't stop. It was paradise, paradise it was, she dug her nails into his back, that pain sensation sent him to climax and he busted a nut, loads of it.

Shivers ran through Ashanté spine as she felt the warm load of Orion's inside her. New to the feeling, her back arched and she let out a gushing stream of fluid from her fountain, the next thing that followed was her jerking, vigorously, clinching hard on her bedsheet and she jerked and jerked, and muttered curses on no one in particular.

A few minutes later, she was down, all out, all spread over the bed, not caring about no goddamn thing in the world, nothing else mattered to her, just her throbbing private and her blissful feelings. Her eyes was wet, she was smiling, tears were rolling down.

She couldn't believe it.

She just had her first sex. Not with anyone but with her first love. How pleasing, how satisfying.

She had slept, for over 6 hours, with no worries in the world. She woke up to see Orion still beside her, naked too. She hummed and blushed and kept looking at him. Orion who just woke up few minutes before looked at her and wanted to go for more when his phone rang.

"Sorry, let me pick this call, my mom".

"Hello who's on the line?"

On the other side of the phone... "Hello this is Cape Town Specialist Hospital, Mr and Mrs Lace just got involved in a gunshot and accident, and they are currently being rushed here, we are calling to make sure one of their relatives are aware". The call ended.