An Experiment

2050? A new world, they call it wherein education was considered a mark of gentility. Without a proper education, you cannot have a proper job. Many people nowadays had been on streets cramming for something that could help them get cured from the pestilence that had started to devour cities that turned to countries. Well, on the other side of the land I say. Europe, Asia and Africa had been in the danger zone for about five years now. Much kind of diseases and viruses had been spreading all around it right after the North Korea had bombed Israel with some virus that they had been culturing to declare war. That explains why some North Korean people have malnutrition and were very ill sick residents due because they were used as the experiment or more like the source of ammunition for the bombs.

It was a great impact. Not much like a nuclear bomb’s destruction but of a more severe one. The funny thing is that North Korea hasn't thought that the bomb they made would also affect them. Now, the great leaders of such lands have been lionized to the American continent which was one of the continent survivors together with Australia and Antarctica. And what happened to the other people? Well, they were left behind. Human race need to survive and the America can only hold few other people.

“Mom, I’m going now.” I shouted from the door while tying up the laces of my shoes.

“Okay son. You be careful and stay out of danger.” Mom replied from the kitchen.

The heavenly incense of her baked cookies had been circulating around the house. Too bad I cannot eat some before going off because of the curfew. If I don’t get off now, there would be a chance that I would get caught on with the police and I don’t want my parents to be burdened. Besides, I have the whole night for those cookies later.

I scooted out of the house as I grabbed on my skate board and trailed off the streets. I haven’t introduced myself yet. Did I? Here it goes. I am Minho Choi, 20, half Korean and half American. My dad’s the Korean man. I am a progeny of Ornithologists. Well, soon to be. Thanks to my mom. Since I was a kid she had shared her knowledge of birds to me, so I kind of liked them myself also.

I’m finally here. I thought as I saw the vast land covered with all the tall and big trees. My mother told me that when she was also in college, her Dad, grandpa, had shared this with her. And now she passed it down to me. I have only gone here for three times, this is my fourth one, so I still don’t know what all this area has. The only important thing is that this is the home of the thousands species of birds and I’m going to be documenting them one by one.

I grabbed my camera at my backpack as I saw some birds flying above, greeting me when I walked in into the forest. “Wow.” That was all my mouth had uttered seeing how these God’s precious creation had survived with all the cruel things human race had done.

 I was now walking towards the ravine when I saw one of the species of kingfisher, the halcyon. It was on a tree’s branch waiting and looking for its next meal. Well, these birds are that type. They sit and wait. I silently took long steps to get a closer shot of it. I clicked and clicked my camera as I was interrupted with something.

I covered my nose. “What’s that smell?” I said while putting back my camera into my backpack and slid down my right hand on my pocket to get my handkerchief. Because of curiosity, I paced forward across the ravine to check where that awful smell is coming from.

After a five minute walk, I saw a malodorous opening from a building. Well, not totally a big building but more kind of a house but its entrance seemed to be leading downwards. An underground facility I think? I walked towards it and the next thing I know is that I was now inside an inclined narrow hallway. Good thing that some lights were still working on under here. Is this place abandoned or not? I questioned myself when I saw some rooms that had been used not long ago.

I passed every room that has nothing unique to have a look on. I stopped as I was now facing a two way route. What should I take, Left or Right? I thought for a second and then pointed my way to the left. I walked and walked as I shivered from the chills I was getting because the temperature is going down as I walk further.

I stopped again as I saw to my peripheral view a room with a noisome look. I walked back and peek again at the room. It was more noisome now that I can see it clearly. I walked inside thinking: Am I a progenitor in doing this personally? I only see someone doing this in movies. Feeling this kind of aura, it’s like something bad might happen. But why are my feet moving further into this room?

I clenched my fists to prepare myself from a surprising danger. I was in another room inside it and the lights were now flickering. Weird noises are circulating around as I walked in. What am I really doing? I’m insane. I thought as I saw something that was molting. It was moving. Like a caterpillar, it’s on a cocoon that was stuck on the ceiling but this is much bigger. What in the alien’s space is really in here? I asked myself while looking at the molting cocoon.

I had gentle steps towards it as I raised my hand to touch it. I come closer and closer as my pointed finger was nearly feeling it. One more step and I’ll be able to touch it now.

*Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

A piercing sound had echoed on the room together with the tearing up of the cocoon. I immediately docked myself as I saw a brilliant light for a split second and then a big white bird had flew above me towards the door and gone it goes. It was really fast that the only thing I saw was its big white wings that led me to conclude that it was a bird.

What other thing could it be aside from birds? A feathery wings and a piercing sound. Only it was just so big that even I, a soon to be Ornithologist who has memorized almost all kinds of birds do not know this species, the only big bird species that could be of the same size as that is the Ostrich. Well, Ostrich cannot fly though.

I get back to my senses as I grabbed my backpack from the floor and immediately followed the trail of its feathers. What are this people experimenting here really? I ran outside of the room and still followed the trail of feathers leading to a dead end full of scrap materials. I slowly took steps towards it while my heart was pounding really hard. I can hear a gentle breathing from the thing as I stepped further near it.

My eyes turned wide open as I cannot believe on what I saw. “What the-!” was the only words that came out of my mouth. Is this true? Am I seeing it really well? I still took gentle steps towards it or should I say her. It was a lady who was crouching and with huge wings covering her.

*crack

Something I stepped on made the noise. The lady’s wings immediately sprung gone to her back as she looks towards me with eyes that could melt. What is this I’m feeling? I asked myself. “Are you alright?” I finally asked her.

She hesitated for a bit but immediately she responded with a nod.

“No. No.” I said as I saw her wound on her back with fresh blood oozing out. I walked further towards her.

“No. Don’t touch me.” She said turning away from me as she crawled. “I’m okay. Leave me. You have to get out of here.” She said with a sore voice.

“No, I’m not leaving you. We need to treat your wounds.” I felt my words. What was I doing?

“No. Please. Leave now while you still can.”

What did she said? “Leave now while you still can.” It echoed inside my head. What is really happening here? “No. Come with me. Let’s go see a doctor.” I said as I extended my hand.

“Please. Leave me alone.” She started sobbing.

“Who’s there?” A big man’s voice had spoken while it was heading towards us.

I was about to see the man when the lady grabbed my hand and hugged me as her wings covered us both into darkness.

*Shhhhhh. She hissed silently. I just nodded in response. My mouth can’t seem to utter a word because my heart was pounding so fast. Can she hear my heartbeat? I opened my eyes as I tried to see her face besides the darkness that was embracing us. My view was starting to adjust to the darkness and now I can see her beautiful face. She was closing her eyes as tears were still flowing out of it. And then I saw an odd sight. Her tears were flowing on the other way. Instead of flowing to her cheeks, it was flowing towards her forehead.

She then opened her eyes and then a light started to illuminate us as I felt a wind creeping to my skin. Oh, so we were upside down awhile ago. That explains it. I thought as I looked around and saw the coast clear as her big white wings sprung gone to her back again. I immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her with me. We ran outside the underground facility as I heard a loud scream from the inside.

“Where are you?!! I will find you!!” he screamed again.

I looked back and saw the lady crying. “Hush now. It’s okay. I’m here.” I said in a sincere manner and smiled at her.

The next thing I knew, we were now up at the attic next to my aviary. Good thing Mom had kept the attic as a guest room and all the unnecessary stuff are down at the basement.

Night had crept outside. The fluorescent is the only thing that is keeping the room bright. We were sitting at the edge of the bed with her back facing me. She held her hair to the side in front of her showing her smooth skin from her neck down to her shoulders. The only thing that’s making it noisome is the wound she had on her back which I’m treating now, gently smudging some unguent with cotton.

My parents didn’t know that I was keeping someone at our attic. Best to not tell or they’ll go insane with me bringing a girl at the house. First early days have passed and she stayed silent. I was asking her questions but trying my best not to cross the line. I only had nods and shaking of head as response. I was just sending her meals at the attic. She stayed there and it’s the best thing to do until she recovers from her wound.

A week after was the time she decided to talk. She told me everything I need to know. Maybe she found me worthy to be trusted. Well, her secret’s safe with me though. It was a very tragic experience if I was the one chosen to be it.

Her name is Krystal she was the daughter of a Germany’s high ranked personnel. Her family managed to escape from the pestilent land to America wherein her father needs a cure from the virus, but the virus that her father had, had no antidote yet. The scientist had studied carefully the virus but the only solution for it is to mix the genes of a human and a bird. She doesn’t know why it was like that but the next thing she did was volunteering her own self as to be the experiment for the virus just for her father.

As she was inside the cocoon after the scientists injected her something, she just heard all the actual plans of the scientists. The experiment was not to save her father but to create new species that could longer survive the cruel and dying earth. She struggled inside the cocoon. She hated herself because she cannot do something. She was like a baby inside a mother’s womb while she felt something at her back growing. Helpless, she heard everything from the scientists that were checking up on the cocoon every day. They do not know that she knew and could hear them.

The greatest pain was when she knew her father had died and her mother had committed suicide after that. She also wanted to die but she cannot do such thing. She was on the cocoon for about more than three years. She suffered much on that long three years and I wanted to erase that suffering years from her life.

I worked as a menial employee on a photo studio. Yes, a photographer. It’s better to have fewer wages than to have nothing at all. After all, it’s just a sideline. Just to have a fun time on my spare hours after school.

I was holding my grocery supplies from the money I got earlier. I had Krystal’s favorite m&m’s chocolate. Smiling as I walked from downtown towards home, I was imagining her reaction when she would see this. She would be overjoyed that she will be jumping up and down happily. She is benign in nature and that’s the best thing in her. Her wound was healing perfectly and day by day my love for her is growing more. I don’t know if she’d realized it already but I think I’m going to confess to her today.

It was a fine afternoon. Mom and Dad had works and they would not be home until seven in the evening. I crossed the street as I watched the bright blue sky. Would she accept my heart? I thought as I giggled and was feeling excited. I then turned to my right where I saw Mr. Norton on his front porch reading a newspaper. “Good Afternoon Mr. Norton!” I greeted the old man.

He lowered the paper and smiled as he saw me. “Oh, Minho!” he waved. “It’s a very nice day right?”

“Oh yes. It is.” I waved back as I continued walking.

The house was on my sight now as I walked towards it. The attic’s window was opened as the curtains were flowing because of the wind. I walked in to our own porch and noticed the front door open. Is Mom or Dad home already? Did Krystal go out? I thought and then went inside.

I closed the door behind me as I worked myself up to the attic. I was now facing Krystal’s door and saw that it was also open. I can see sheets of paper flying around the room. I felt a hard pang on my heart. First time I had encountered this nadir feeling. I had dropped the bag where the groceries were placed as the pieces of orange and apple fruits roll on the floor.

I immediately run inside the room and saw Krystal being held by two guys on white gowns. Probably the scientists, I thought but they were not touching her. They were using some kind of invisible force from their hands as they were trying to suffocate Krystal. How did they find us? I was about to grab Krystal when the other man held up his hand towards me and in a split second, I felt a hand around my neck. He was also trying to suffocate me with the invisible power they have.

I coughed from inhaling some oxygen. I looked at Krystal who was struggling out of the man and tears started to flow from me. I was helpless and so as Krystal. I kneeled on the floor because I was now feeling weak from the effort I had put on to get out of the hold. I felt the veins from my neck which was about to explode. I held on, only looking at Krystal’s face. She was also now sobbing. And then I let out a shout.

That’s when I felt a great energy. I saw Krystal’s wings sprung out as she glowed brightly and then everything turned into a slow motion and,

*click.

Blackout!

I woke up due to the sun’s rays from my window. I sat beside my bed and looked at my clock. Eight five in the morning, it blinked. I walked to my own private Toilet and Bath and did what I needed to. Brushed my teeth, took a shower and then shaved after. I grabbed my bag and went on downstairs.

“Mom, I’m going now.” I shouted from the door while tying up the laces of my shoes.

“Okay son. You be careful and stay out of danger.” Mom replied from the kitchen as the heavenly incense of her baked cookies had been circulating around the house.

“I’m out!” I replied and then I scooted out of the house as I grab on my skate board and trailed off the streets. I finally arrived at the area. The home of the thousands species of birds and I’m going to be documenting them one by one.

I grabbed my camera at my backpack as I saw some birds flying above, greeting me when I walked in into the forest. “Wow.” That was all my mouth had uttered seeing how these God’s precious creation had survived with all the cruel things human race had done.

I looked back at my camera as I was about to turn it on but my eyes caught something. A feather, why would this be here? I thought as I proceeded on turning on my DSLR camera. My brows nearly met as I saw a picture of myself wearing a big smile facing the camera. It seems that I was very happy on this day. Someone has taken it but the thing is, I can’t remember who. Is it Mom or Dad? But it could not be either one of them. Who is it?

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Hey everyone! Finally the first update is out! I hope you liked it! Don't forget to leave some comments..