Series 6 Episode 4
"Distraction"
Jolting to a stop, the lift journey had finished. Yasmin knew the morgue couldn’t have been the bottom floor, because the lift didn’t jolt like it did just then. They had found a whole new level to the hospital, and the butterflies in her stomach made Yasmin feel a weird mix of nerves with a sprinkle of excitement.
Everyone in the lift looked just as scared as each other; Yasmin could see their facial expressions in the lift mirrors. None of them knew what they would find down there, and that made it extremely dangerous. However, they had to be brave. Yasmin knew she was putting on her best brave face – improvising her confidence had become one of her best skills.
The doors slid open, their casual nature adding a little normality to the abnormal situation. The corridor on the other side of the doors split into two directions – straight ahead, and to the right. The décor was just the same as the rest of the hospital – white walls, bright lights and a clinical scent in the air. Yasmin was half expecting a creepy underground lair.
“Can you hear that?” Freddie whispered. Yasmin paid attention to her ears – nothing. In fact, it was eerily silent.
“No, what can you hear?” Yasmin knew Freddie could hear more than she could; the perks of being a werewolf.
“A chainsaw,” Freddie worriedly answered.
“I think we should split up, cover more ground. Meet back at the lift,” Ed decided.
“We’ll go this way,” Yasmin grabbed Freddie by the arm, “Follow your ears.”
Together, they anxiously began pacing down the corridor in front. Yasmin couldn’t deny it – she felt terrified, and not remotely safe. She felt herself clenching Freddie’s arm, not having let go, and her grip was tight.
“Sorry,” she let go in a moment of realisation.
“It’s okay, we’re in the same boat,” Freddie calmed her down.
Looking forward, Yasmin was taken aback. She froze on the spot, making eye contact with a shockingly familiar face: Josh. Behind him was Clara, her hands clasped either side of his head. SNAP! She killed him with one swift hand movement, the bones cracking under her force.
“Yasmin? Is everything okay?” Freddie wondered. She focused on his face, then looked back. Nobody was there. It wasn’t real.
“We’re out of our depth,” Yasmin admitted.
Everyone in the lift looked just as scared as each other; Yasmin could see their facial expressions in the lift mirrors. None of them knew what they would find down there, and that made it extremely dangerous. However, they had to be brave. Yasmin knew she was putting on her best brave face – improvising her confidence had become one of her best skills.
The doors slid open, their casual nature adding a little normality to the abnormal situation. The corridor on the other side of the doors split into two directions – straight ahead, and to the right. The décor was just the same as the rest of the hospital – white walls, bright lights and a clinical scent in the air. Yasmin was half expecting a creepy underground lair.
“Can you hear that?” Freddie whispered. Yasmin paid attention to her ears – nothing. In fact, it was eerily silent.
“No, what can you hear?” Yasmin knew Freddie could hear more than she could; the perks of being a werewolf.
“A chainsaw,” Freddie worriedly answered.
“I think we should split up, cover more ground. Meet back at the lift,” Ed decided.
“We’ll go this way,” Yasmin grabbed Freddie by the arm, “Follow your ears.”
Together, they anxiously began pacing down the corridor in front. Yasmin couldn’t deny it – she felt terrified, and not remotely safe. She felt herself clenching Freddie’s arm, not having let go, and her grip was tight.
“Sorry,” she let go in a moment of realisation.
“It’s okay, we’re in the same boat,” Freddie calmed her down.
Looking forward, Yasmin was taken aback. She froze on the spot, making eye contact with a shockingly familiar face: Josh. Behind him was Clara, her hands clasped either side of his head. SNAP! She killed him with one swift hand movement, the bones cracking under her force.
“Yasmin? Is everything okay?” Freddie wondered. She focused on his face, then looked back. Nobody was there. It wasn’t real.
“We’re out of our depth,” Yasmin admitted.
Every time he visited the hospital, Dylan felt an immense, unbeatable sadness. It could have been any hospital, and he couldn’t have been the only person to share the blues; after all, nobody went to the hospital for anything good. However, Dylan’s mind always flashed back to the last time he saw his dad. The way he held his hand. The proud smile on his pale, tired face.
This time, he felt scared. What made things worse was that he had no idea why. Fear was in the air among every supernatural, yet it wasn’t affecting humans at all. Dylan never expected to be jealous of Brett, but he really was.
Moreover, he felt responsible for Jono sharing the same feeling. Being a werewolf was still brand new to him, and Dylan was the one who brought it all upon him. He wished it wasn’t the only option, because Jono didn’t deserve this. He would have done anything to stop Jono feeling scared
“Where is she?” Brett wondered.
“This way,” Dylan tracked her scent. He could vividly remember it. Seeing the girl, on the verge of death, crawling into class was not something he would easily wipe from his memory.
“Wait, I know I’m new to this, but I know that scent anywhere,” Jono interrupted, “It’s Freddie, he’s here.”
“Yasmin too,” Josh verified. Dylan was concerned. He hadn’t seen either of them all day, nor had they posted in the pack group chat (which was, of course, Lily’s idea).
“Alright, let’s split up. Josh and Lily, go and find the others. We’ll keep going with Brett,” Dylan decided, knowing the decisions always rested on his shoulders.
The group splintered off and Dylan continued leading the way through the hospital wards. He didn’t know his way around the building very well, but the scent of the girl’s blood only grew stronger. They were almost there.
“Wait, what would I say to her?” Brett stopped the group, lacking confidence in himself.
“Think like a journalist,” Jono suggested.
“But I’m not a journalist,” Brett sighed.
“You know the interviews post-game that you see on TV, right?” Drew spoke in basketball talk – the only language Brett seemed to understand, “Ask her what happened, just like they do.”
Brett nodded. Dylan was impressed – people skills was Drew’s biggest weakness, but he handled Brett better than anybody else.
“In here,” Dylan identified. His fear had accelerated. His hands were uncontrollably shaking, and he was resisting the urge to sprint as far away as he could get.
“Here goes nothing,” Brett composed himself, entering the room. Dylan wasn’t sure what to expect from Brett, but he was the best chance they had of finding some answers.
Tracking scents was something Lily was still getting accustomed to, but she was familiar enough with Yasmin’s to track it a mile off. It gave her the perfect distraction to ignore the inescapable fear, which was stronger than usual inside the hospital.
However, while Lily was used to feeling a stronger sense of worry and anxiety than the rest of the pack, she was put slightly at ease to know it wasn’t just her this time around.
“Are you okay?” Josh wondered as they paced towards the lift. Josh was technically family to Lily, through Dylan and Jono’s relationship, but they never got much of a chance to talk one-to-one.
“I’m not sure any of us are okay,” Lily tried to keep realistic, “But I guess so, considering. How are you?”
“I’ve been worse, believe it or not,” Josh admitted. Lily was intrigued – she couldn’t imagine feeling worse than she did, though it was hardly a new feeling for her.
“Do you have any idea what we’re up against? I mean, you’re the only one who saw them,” Lily wondered. They still knew relatively little about the scientists. Perhaps he had remembered a little more? Josh was the only one who had seen them, after all.
“It’s still hazy,” Josh replied defeatedly, “I’m trying to focus on trusting Dylan. He always knows what to do.”
“He’s a professional improvisor,” Lily playfully corrected, “But you’re right. I trust him with my life. He treats Jono like a king, too.”
“Dylan’s face lights up at the mention of Jono’s name,” Josh added. That made Lily feel incredibly happy for just a brief moment. It was obvious how committed they were to each other, but nevertheless, Lily remained the protective big sister. Every tiny bit of reassurance that Dylan wasn’t going to break Jono’s heart was appreciated.
Interrupting their cute moment, a familiar face swerved around the corner by the lift. Without a second thought, Lily shoved Josh into the nearest room and shoved the door closed behind them. Awkwardly, she had pushed him into the ladies’ restroom.
“What the heck?” Josh was baffled.
“That was my cousin,” Lily responded, “I can’t let her see me. She’ll ask too many questions.”
“Sammi?” Josh processed, “Why is she here?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t want to find out,” Lily explained. Sammi knew nothing of the supernatural world, and both she and Jono wanted to keep it that way.
The door swung open. Lily’s heart stopped. Sammi obliviously strolled in. There was no escape now.
“Oh, hey Lily,” she beamed, “What are you doing here?”
Feeling his hands quivering with more and more vigour, Freddie knew they were getting closer and closer to whatever was down below the hospital. He had his own theories – was it a laboratory? Perhaps it was something else entirely, but Freddie felt both excited and very nervous to find out.
He knew Yasmin felt similarly, too, even though she was keen to keep her guard up. Freddie felt protective over her regardless, even though he was fully aware she could hold her own. They had been through so much together, after all.
They were reaching the end of the corridor, with a doorway signposted on the right by some bright, glaring lights reflecting out. Freddie focused on his senses. The air felt sterile, like in an operating room, and he could hear gentle vibrations coming from the room on the right. It sounded like machinery.
Bizarrely, Freddie spotted a silhouette approaching out of the light. Slowly, their face came into view. Blinking over and over, Freddie couldn’t believe what his eyes were telling him. It was Sammi. Freddie wasn’t sure why he could see her – she shouldn’t have been there. She looked paler than usual, and her cutely innocent face was covered in fur. Like a werewolf.
“Sammi?” Freddie muttered.
“Sammi’s not here,” Yasmin corrected.
“But she’s…” Freddie looked up again, pointing at nothing. She wasn’t there.
“It’s not just me,” Yasmin mentioned, “That makes a change. We’re both having visions. It’s not safe for us here.”
“But we’re so close. Whatever it is, it’s round that corner, I’m sure of it,” Freddie insisted.
“Only one way to find out,” Yasmin bravely suggested. Freddie didn’t feel so confident, but Yasmin held her hand out, ready for Freddie to take. They needed each other.
Freddie took her hand and they cautiously approached the light. Freddie’s hand was sweaty, but he couldn’t help it – he was petrified. The bright lights were difficult to adapt to, but Freddie’s eyed adjusted quickly.
Around the corner was a hi-tech operating theatre, unlike anything Freddie had seen, even on TV. There was equipment scattered all around the room, alongside an extravagant operating table in the centre, complete with Velcro restraints.
“This is unreal,” Freddie commented, keeping his voice as low as possible. He was fascinated by everything he could see. He couldn’t begin to imagine how much they could do that regular doctors couldn’t.
“This could cause so much pain,” Yasmin had a more pessimistic view, though Freddie assumed it was more realistic.
“Um, Yasmin,” Freddie spotted two figures appearing behind her. Two tall people in long lab coats, with surgeon masks covering their faces.
Yasmin spun around, backing away. The door was too far away to get out. As they backed off, Freddie reached the far wall, landing on something uncomfortable. Taking a look, he saw a circular red button – something that always spelt trouble. Immediately, the bright lights turned red, and a voiceover sounded, repeating one word: “Lockdown.”
They were truly stuck.
If all else failed, Jono could at least find one positive about Brett’s mission: the chance to practice his hearing even further. He, Dylan and Drew were far too scared to go inside the hospital room with Brett, so Jono wanted to fuel the fear and be productive.
“You don’t need to press your ear to the wall,” Drew advised. Jono slowly backed off. He was still a novice.
“He can do what he wants,” Dylan defended, “Whatever works for you.”
“It’s hardly subtle,” Drew continued.
“He has a point,” Jono conceded, not intending to go against Dylan, but he didn’t want to look stupid.
“Alright Drew, you can be the alpha,” Dylan was frustrated. Jono didn’t mean to have that effect, and instantly, he felt guilty.
“Hey, you’re doing so well. You’re the best teacher, and the best alpha,” Jono reassured, holding both of Dylan’s hands, “I’d be dead without you. Literally.”
“Good to know you don’t think I’m a complete failure,” Dylan smiled from behind his anxiety.
“Listen in lovebirds, he’s talking,” Drew advised. Jono focused on his ears, still holding Dylan’s left hand with his right – he didn’t ever want to let go.
“Hey, are you awake?” Brett sounded cautious. Jono could hear clearly despite the thick wall between them – he was impressed.
“Who the hell are you?” the girl was taken aback.
“Someone who can help,” Brett calmly replied. It was like he had become a brand-new person all of a sudden, “I just want to know what happened. What you saw.”
“You won’t understand,” she defiantly responded.
“You wanna bet?” Brett maintained, “You’re a werewolf, right?”
“Werecoyote,” the girl corrected, “How do you know us?”
“I know Dylan Drummond,” Brett answered, “We want to help.”
“Not even Dylan Drummond can stop them,” the girl rebutted, “But I’ll tell you, because Dylan and his entire pack are at risk. I know they’re scared. I can hear their breathing outside.”
“Jono felt exposed. He hadn’t considered that she would be able to hear them as well.
“What happened to you?” Brett queried.
“They took me, the scientists. They’re real, and experimenting on supernaturals,” she detailed, “They want to create a monster.”
“Why?” Brett enquired.
“I didn’t get to ask questions, I’ve heard whispers,” she continued, “But they are changing a human, and using us as test subjects.”
“Where are they?” Brett continued. This was the most important question to Jono – they needed to know their whereabouts.
“Here, below us,” she chillingly said, “You can’t get there. The boy and girl here beforehand beat you to it. The werewolf and the nix. They’ve gone down the lift already.”
“Freddie and Yasmin,” Jono whispered in realisation.
“Get yourself out of here, save your friends, and run,” the girl warned. A shiver ruptured down Jono’s spine. That was a warning – they were in danger.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed. Doors slammed and locked. Staff looked around in confusion.
“Lockdown initiated,” an automated voice informed. Jono glanced to Dylan – they were both horrified. Something had gone seriously wrong.
Flustered, Lily wasn’t sure what to say. Usually, she had an excuse for everything, but she had been blindsided. Sammi looked her usual cheerful, naïve and low-key annoying self, but she shouldn’t have been there. It made everything so much more difficult.
Ultimately, she had no logical explanation for being at the hospital. Sammi lived in the same house as her, and if she spoke to her parents, Lily knew they would never lie for her; they already hated having to keep secrets from Sammi. Everything they had kept from her would be revealed, and Lily was not ready for that.
“Oh, we were just here to see....” Josh tried to make up an excuse, not managing it as fluently as Lily usually did, “…my cousin.” Perfect. Sammi barely knew about Josh’s background; in fact, details had been kept thin on the ground in general.
“I’m sorry, are they okay?” Sammi bought it. Lily felt relieved. They had covered their tracks.
“Yeah, he just had a nasty fall. They’re keeping him in overnight as a precaution,” Josh continued expertly.
“I bet you and Dylan are both worried,” Sammi added. She thought they were biological brothers – obviously nobody had informed her that Josh was adopted.
“Dylan’s not…” Josh began to clarify before Lily flicked his back. He needed to play along for the story to remain believable – Dylan was in the building, what if she saw him later? They had to cover his back too, “…here right now, because he’s getting coffee.”
“And by here, you mean the ladies’?” Sammi playfully teased.
“That’s my fault, I was messing around and pushed him in,” Lily interjected, helping out.
“Alright, you heading home?” Sammi wondered.
“Not yet, I’ll see you later,” Lily brushed her off. Sammi smiled before leaving them alone.
“That was close,” Lily breathed a sigh of relief, “Let’s go.”
Lily led the way back into the corridor and down towards the lift. Yasmin’s scent was the strongest there.
“They’re not here,” Josh stayed the obvious.
“Duh,” Lily responded, “But they were, can’t you smell it?”
Catching the corner of her eye was a glimmer of light, reflecting from a key sticking out of a keyhole next to the lift buttons. It intrigued Lily – if a lift needed a key, it was to hide something away. She turned the key and the lift began to jolt downwards. The scents grew stronger and stronger. Wherever they were headed, Yasmin and Freddie were there too.
Beginning to stress out, Yasmin was desperately looking for a way out. They had found the scientists, and both Yasmin and Freddie were well on their way to becoming their next victims. Her body was quivering uncontrollably as they approached; it was like they radiated fear. A tear slid down her cheek. She felt like she was going to die. Her hand was tightly gripping Freddie’s for some sort of support, and he was gripping back. They were using each other as a comfort blanket, but both were as terrified as each other.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Yasmin couldn’t help noticing the distinctive sound of trickling water. Her hand felt wet. She had assumed it was sweat from the nerves, but it can’t have been. Glancing down, Yasmin’s hand was drenched. Suddenly, Yasmin’s fear turned into motivation. She had an idea.
“Hey,” Yasmin confronted, “We might be scared of you, but you don’t know who we are, or what we do.”
“You are a nix,” the left scientist spoke, not that Yasmin could see its face from behind the surgical mask.
“Yes, but you can’t stop me thinking. Using my initiative,” Yasmin continued, “Like this, see?”
Yasmin swung her hands around, firing a gust of water from each one. The scientists tried to bat it off, but Yasmin knew how powerful a weapon water could be – it got everywhere, giving them the perfect distraction. She pulled Freddie by the arm and sprinted out. Her legs had never moved faster. She couldn’t bear to look back, she just needed to get to the lift. To safety.
“Wait, Ed and Caroline,” Freddie pointed out as they reached the lift and Yasmin furiously pressed the button.
“They said they’d meet us here,” Yasmin was trying to think of a solution, but it was difficult to be logical, “Why isn’t this damned lift arriving?”
The scientists were pursuing them. They were coming, slowly but surely. They were against the clock. Yasmin pressed the button again, but it wasn’t coming.
“Where’s the key?” Freddie frantically questioned.
“Shit,” Yasmin remembered, “I left it behind.”
“Yasmin, Freddie,” Ed called over, he and Caroline re-joining them at the lift, “We hit a dead end, did you find anything?”
“You could say that,” Freddie remarked, looking back to the continually approaching scientists.
“Holy shit,” Ed sprung into immediate worry.
“The lift is moving,” Freddie commented – he must have heard the mechanisms clinking, it was out of Yasmin’s earshot.
Yasmin was stressing. They had nowhere to go except the lift, and it seemed to be taking its time. The scientists were almost upon them, still moving at a snail’s pace, as if they weren’t able to move faster. Or as if they had no reason to.
Ding! The lift finally arrived. Yasmin spun around, ready to make her escape. A hand reached out and pulled Yasmin back. Instinctively, she sprung back to defend herself, but inside the lift were Lily and Josh – rescue had come.
“You took your time,” Yasmin breathed a sigh of relief as the doors slid shot behind them all.
“What did you find?” Josh questioned, wrapping his arms tightly around Yasmin. His touch felt so warm and cosy. She never wanted to lose it.
“They have a whole lab, with shit unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Freddie fed back.
“We gotta get out of here,” Ed decided.
“About that,” Yasmin recalled, “The building’s in lockdown.” The group fell silent. Ding! The lift arrived back up. Yasmin wasn’t sure what to do, but they needed a plan – fast.
Pushing against the main exit, Dylan was having no luck. The locks were too strong for even three werewolves to break through – nobody could get in or out.
The fear in his body was insurmountable, and he now felt claustrophobic in the knowledge that there was no way to escape. The others weren’t answering their phones either; Jono had been trying to call Lily, while Dylan had tried both Yasmin and Josh’s phones several times – they had no signal.
“Still nothing,” a worried Jono reported back. The concern was painted directly across his adorable face.
“She’ll be okay,” Dylan comforted. He needed to be optimistic for Jono, but he was worrying himself. His friends were in danger. His brother was in danger.
“Come on, we can cover the building in a few minutes between us,” Drew proactively suggested.
“Split up and risk losing everyone else? No way, we need to stick together,” Dylan thought. Drew wasn’t seeing the full picture, and it was frustrating Dylan. His stress levels were off the chart.
“It’s okay, we’re all safe,” Dylan heard the relieving sound of Yasmin’s voice. Everyone else was stood by the reception desk, looking flustered and exhausted, but Dylan was so thrilled to see them safe.
“Mom, what are you doing here?” Dylan was confused.
“No time, we need to get out because I don’t think we’ll be alone for long,” Caroline warned.
“You found them?” Jono questioned. A name wasn’t even needed – everyone knew who he meant.
“More like they’re finding us,” Josh responded, making Dylan quiver in fright.
“Where’s the control panel?” Freddie queried, “I think I could take a look, I know a thing or two about tech.”
“Let’s ask,” Ed took charge, marching over to the reception desk. Dylan followed, intrigued, “Hey, you.” Hiding behind the desk was a young man, ducking out of view as if he were terrified.
“I don’t know anything, I promise,” he nervously defended.
“You’re the receptionist, you know everything,” Ed impatiently hit back, “The control panel for the door. Where is it? I’m the sheriff, give me an answer.”
“I thought she was the sheriff,” he confusingly pointed at Caroline. Dylan was getting more and more baffled.
“Answer the damn question,” Ed hurried.
“Okay, it’s just behind me,” the receptionist gave in.
In the corner of his eye, Dylan spotted them. The first time he had seen them since after the party. The scientists had found them.
“Incoming,” he reported. Freddie began to fiddle with the switches. Did he know what he was doing? Dylan wasn’t convinced, but Freddie was smart; smarter than he let on.
“The subject has been acquired. Testing is complete,” one of them spoke. It was robotic, yet the movements were distinctly human.
“Subject? What is the subject?” Dylan questioned, standing in front of his pack, protecting them. The scientists stopped just a couple of metres in front.
“Our experiments are complete. The subject is ready,” it reiterated.
“What is the subject?” Dylan demanded to know, shifting his eyes to glare their dominant colour of red.
“A human turned supernatural,” it answered. Dylan caught eyes with a worried Jono. Their experiments had been a success, “A human that goes by the name of Samantha Chadwick.”
“Sammi,” Jono’s jaw dropped. Freddie paused his work. Everyone was stunned into silence.
Approaching slowly from behind was a more human-like figure. A face Dylan recognised well. Almost too well. It was Sammi, except her usual chirpy face spelt out darkness and terror, all with a single look.
“Sammi, come here, we can help,” Lily encouraged. She didn’t respond – she looked lost.
Sammi turned to the receptionist, who was still quivering behind his desk. The entirety of her eyes shone a bright orange, and within seconds, he began to vaporise. He cried out in pain as his body vanished from plain sight and into atoms.
“What is she?” Dylan queried, trying to keep composure, ensuring Jono was kept behind him. He wasn’t going to let him be next, but they were cornered. No way out.
This time, he felt scared. What made things worse was that he had no idea why. Fear was in the air among every supernatural, yet it wasn’t affecting humans at all. Dylan never expected to be jealous of Brett, but he really was.
Moreover, he felt responsible for Jono sharing the same feeling. Being a werewolf was still brand new to him, and Dylan was the one who brought it all upon him. He wished it wasn’t the only option, because Jono didn’t deserve this. He would have done anything to stop Jono feeling scared
“Where is she?” Brett wondered.
“This way,” Dylan tracked her scent. He could vividly remember it. Seeing the girl, on the verge of death, crawling into class was not something he would easily wipe from his memory.
“Wait, I know I’m new to this, but I know that scent anywhere,” Jono interrupted, “It’s Freddie, he’s here.”
“Yasmin too,” Josh verified. Dylan was concerned. He hadn’t seen either of them all day, nor had they posted in the pack group chat (which was, of course, Lily’s idea).
“Alright, let’s split up. Josh and Lily, go and find the others. We’ll keep going with Brett,” Dylan decided, knowing the decisions always rested on his shoulders.
The group splintered off and Dylan continued leading the way through the hospital wards. He didn’t know his way around the building very well, but the scent of the girl’s blood only grew stronger. They were almost there.
“Wait, what would I say to her?” Brett stopped the group, lacking confidence in himself.
“Think like a journalist,” Jono suggested.
“But I’m not a journalist,” Brett sighed.
“You know the interviews post-game that you see on TV, right?” Drew spoke in basketball talk – the only language Brett seemed to understand, “Ask her what happened, just like they do.”
Brett nodded. Dylan was impressed – people skills was Drew’s biggest weakness, but he handled Brett better than anybody else.
“In here,” Dylan identified. His fear had accelerated. His hands were uncontrollably shaking, and he was resisting the urge to sprint as far away as he could get.
“Here goes nothing,” Brett composed himself, entering the room. Dylan wasn’t sure what to expect from Brett, but he was the best chance they had of finding some answers.
Tracking scents was something Lily was still getting accustomed to, but she was familiar enough with Yasmin’s to track it a mile off. It gave her the perfect distraction to ignore the inescapable fear, which was stronger than usual inside the hospital.
However, while Lily was used to feeling a stronger sense of worry and anxiety than the rest of the pack, she was put slightly at ease to know it wasn’t just her this time around.
“Are you okay?” Josh wondered as they paced towards the lift. Josh was technically family to Lily, through Dylan and Jono’s relationship, but they never got much of a chance to talk one-to-one.
“I’m not sure any of us are okay,” Lily tried to keep realistic, “But I guess so, considering. How are you?”
“I’ve been worse, believe it or not,” Josh admitted. Lily was intrigued – she couldn’t imagine feeling worse than she did, though it was hardly a new feeling for her.
“Do you have any idea what we’re up against? I mean, you’re the only one who saw them,” Lily wondered. They still knew relatively little about the scientists. Perhaps he had remembered a little more? Josh was the only one who had seen them, after all.
“It’s still hazy,” Josh replied defeatedly, “I’m trying to focus on trusting Dylan. He always knows what to do.”
“He’s a professional improvisor,” Lily playfully corrected, “But you’re right. I trust him with my life. He treats Jono like a king, too.”
“Dylan’s face lights up at the mention of Jono’s name,” Josh added. That made Lily feel incredibly happy for just a brief moment. It was obvious how committed they were to each other, but nevertheless, Lily remained the protective big sister. Every tiny bit of reassurance that Dylan wasn’t going to break Jono’s heart was appreciated.
Interrupting their cute moment, a familiar face swerved around the corner by the lift. Without a second thought, Lily shoved Josh into the nearest room and shoved the door closed behind them. Awkwardly, she had pushed him into the ladies’ restroom.
“What the heck?” Josh was baffled.
“That was my cousin,” Lily responded, “I can’t let her see me. She’ll ask too many questions.”
“Sammi?” Josh processed, “Why is she here?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t want to find out,” Lily explained. Sammi knew nothing of the supernatural world, and both she and Jono wanted to keep it that way.
The door swung open. Lily’s heart stopped. Sammi obliviously strolled in. There was no escape now.
“Oh, hey Lily,” she beamed, “What are you doing here?”
Feeling his hands quivering with more and more vigour, Freddie knew they were getting closer and closer to whatever was down below the hospital. He had his own theories – was it a laboratory? Perhaps it was something else entirely, but Freddie felt both excited and very nervous to find out.
He knew Yasmin felt similarly, too, even though she was keen to keep her guard up. Freddie felt protective over her regardless, even though he was fully aware she could hold her own. They had been through so much together, after all.
They were reaching the end of the corridor, with a doorway signposted on the right by some bright, glaring lights reflecting out. Freddie focused on his senses. The air felt sterile, like in an operating room, and he could hear gentle vibrations coming from the room on the right. It sounded like machinery.
Bizarrely, Freddie spotted a silhouette approaching out of the light. Slowly, their face came into view. Blinking over and over, Freddie couldn’t believe what his eyes were telling him. It was Sammi. Freddie wasn’t sure why he could see her – she shouldn’t have been there. She looked paler than usual, and her cutely innocent face was covered in fur. Like a werewolf.
“Sammi?” Freddie muttered.
“Sammi’s not here,” Yasmin corrected.
“But she’s…” Freddie looked up again, pointing at nothing. She wasn’t there.
“It’s not just me,” Yasmin mentioned, “That makes a change. We’re both having visions. It’s not safe for us here.”
“But we’re so close. Whatever it is, it’s round that corner, I’m sure of it,” Freddie insisted.
“Only one way to find out,” Yasmin bravely suggested. Freddie didn’t feel so confident, but Yasmin held her hand out, ready for Freddie to take. They needed each other.
Freddie took her hand and they cautiously approached the light. Freddie’s hand was sweaty, but he couldn’t help it – he was petrified. The bright lights were difficult to adapt to, but Freddie’s eyed adjusted quickly.
Around the corner was a hi-tech operating theatre, unlike anything Freddie had seen, even on TV. There was equipment scattered all around the room, alongside an extravagant operating table in the centre, complete with Velcro restraints.
“This is unreal,” Freddie commented, keeping his voice as low as possible. He was fascinated by everything he could see. He couldn’t begin to imagine how much they could do that regular doctors couldn’t.
“This could cause so much pain,” Yasmin had a more pessimistic view, though Freddie assumed it was more realistic.
“Um, Yasmin,” Freddie spotted two figures appearing behind her. Two tall people in long lab coats, with surgeon masks covering their faces.
Yasmin spun around, backing away. The door was too far away to get out. As they backed off, Freddie reached the far wall, landing on something uncomfortable. Taking a look, he saw a circular red button – something that always spelt trouble. Immediately, the bright lights turned red, and a voiceover sounded, repeating one word: “Lockdown.”
They were truly stuck.
If all else failed, Jono could at least find one positive about Brett’s mission: the chance to practice his hearing even further. He, Dylan and Drew were far too scared to go inside the hospital room with Brett, so Jono wanted to fuel the fear and be productive.
“You don’t need to press your ear to the wall,” Drew advised. Jono slowly backed off. He was still a novice.
“He can do what he wants,” Dylan defended, “Whatever works for you.”
“It’s hardly subtle,” Drew continued.
“He has a point,” Jono conceded, not intending to go against Dylan, but he didn’t want to look stupid.
“Alright Drew, you can be the alpha,” Dylan was frustrated. Jono didn’t mean to have that effect, and instantly, he felt guilty.
“Hey, you’re doing so well. You’re the best teacher, and the best alpha,” Jono reassured, holding both of Dylan’s hands, “I’d be dead without you. Literally.”
“Good to know you don’t think I’m a complete failure,” Dylan smiled from behind his anxiety.
“Listen in lovebirds, he’s talking,” Drew advised. Jono focused on his ears, still holding Dylan’s left hand with his right – he didn’t ever want to let go.
“Hey, are you awake?” Brett sounded cautious. Jono could hear clearly despite the thick wall between them – he was impressed.
“Who the hell are you?” the girl was taken aback.
“Someone who can help,” Brett calmly replied. It was like he had become a brand-new person all of a sudden, “I just want to know what happened. What you saw.”
“You won’t understand,” she defiantly responded.
“You wanna bet?” Brett maintained, “You’re a werewolf, right?”
“Werecoyote,” the girl corrected, “How do you know us?”
“I know Dylan Drummond,” Brett answered, “We want to help.”
“Not even Dylan Drummond can stop them,” the girl rebutted, “But I’ll tell you, because Dylan and his entire pack are at risk. I know they’re scared. I can hear their breathing outside.”
“Jono felt exposed. He hadn’t considered that she would be able to hear them as well.
“What happened to you?” Brett queried.
“They took me, the scientists. They’re real, and experimenting on supernaturals,” she detailed, “They want to create a monster.”
“Why?” Brett enquired.
“I didn’t get to ask questions, I’ve heard whispers,” she continued, “But they are changing a human, and using us as test subjects.”
“Where are they?” Brett continued. This was the most important question to Jono – they needed to know their whereabouts.
“Here, below us,” she chillingly said, “You can’t get there. The boy and girl here beforehand beat you to it. The werewolf and the nix. They’ve gone down the lift already.”
“Freddie and Yasmin,” Jono whispered in realisation.
“Get yourself out of here, save your friends, and run,” the girl warned. A shiver ruptured down Jono’s spine. That was a warning – they were in danger.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed. Doors slammed and locked. Staff looked around in confusion.
“Lockdown initiated,” an automated voice informed. Jono glanced to Dylan – they were both horrified. Something had gone seriously wrong.
Flustered, Lily wasn’t sure what to say. Usually, she had an excuse for everything, but she had been blindsided. Sammi looked her usual cheerful, naïve and low-key annoying self, but she shouldn’t have been there. It made everything so much more difficult.
Ultimately, she had no logical explanation for being at the hospital. Sammi lived in the same house as her, and if she spoke to her parents, Lily knew they would never lie for her; they already hated having to keep secrets from Sammi. Everything they had kept from her would be revealed, and Lily was not ready for that.
“Oh, we were just here to see....” Josh tried to make up an excuse, not managing it as fluently as Lily usually did, “…my cousin.” Perfect. Sammi barely knew about Josh’s background; in fact, details had been kept thin on the ground in general.
“I’m sorry, are they okay?” Sammi bought it. Lily felt relieved. They had covered their tracks.
“Yeah, he just had a nasty fall. They’re keeping him in overnight as a precaution,” Josh continued expertly.
“I bet you and Dylan are both worried,” Sammi added. She thought they were biological brothers – obviously nobody had informed her that Josh was adopted.
“Dylan’s not…” Josh began to clarify before Lily flicked his back. He needed to play along for the story to remain believable – Dylan was in the building, what if she saw him later? They had to cover his back too, “…here right now, because he’s getting coffee.”
“And by here, you mean the ladies’?” Sammi playfully teased.
“That’s my fault, I was messing around and pushed him in,” Lily interjected, helping out.
“Alright, you heading home?” Sammi wondered.
“Not yet, I’ll see you later,” Lily brushed her off. Sammi smiled before leaving them alone.
“That was close,” Lily breathed a sigh of relief, “Let’s go.”
Lily led the way back into the corridor and down towards the lift. Yasmin’s scent was the strongest there.
“They’re not here,” Josh stayed the obvious.
“Duh,” Lily responded, “But they were, can’t you smell it?”
Catching the corner of her eye was a glimmer of light, reflecting from a key sticking out of a keyhole next to the lift buttons. It intrigued Lily – if a lift needed a key, it was to hide something away. She turned the key and the lift began to jolt downwards. The scents grew stronger and stronger. Wherever they were headed, Yasmin and Freddie were there too.
Beginning to stress out, Yasmin was desperately looking for a way out. They had found the scientists, and both Yasmin and Freddie were well on their way to becoming their next victims. Her body was quivering uncontrollably as they approached; it was like they radiated fear. A tear slid down her cheek. She felt like she was going to die. Her hand was tightly gripping Freddie’s for some sort of support, and he was gripping back. They were using each other as a comfort blanket, but both were as terrified as each other.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Yasmin couldn’t help noticing the distinctive sound of trickling water. Her hand felt wet. She had assumed it was sweat from the nerves, but it can’t have been. Glancing down, Yasmin’s hand was drenched. Suddenly, Yasmin’s fear turned into motivation. She had an idea.
“Hey,” Yasmin confronted, “We might be scared of you, but you don’t know who we are, or what we do.”
“You are a nix,” the left scientist spoke, not that Yasmin could see its face from behind the surgical mask.
“Yes, but you can’t stop me thinking. Using my initiative,” Yasmin continued, “Like this, see?”
Yasmin swung her hands around, firing a gust of water from each one. The scientists tried to bat it off, but Yasmin knew how powerful a weapon water could be – it got everywhere, giving them the perfect distraction. She pulled Freddie by the arm and sprinted out. Her legs had never moved faster. She couldn’t bear to look back, she just needed to get to the lift. To safety.
“Wait, Ed and Caroline,” Freddie pointed out as they reached the lift and Yasmin furiously pressed the button.
“They said they’d meet us here,” Yasmin was trying to think of a solution, but it was difficult to be logical, “Why isn’t this damned lift arriving?”
The scientists were pursuing them. They were coming, slowly but surely. They were against the clock. Yasmin pressed the button again, but it wasn’t coming.
“Where’s the key?” Freddie frantically questioned.
“Shit,” Yasmin remembered, “I left it behind.”
“Yasmin, Freddie,” Ed called over, he and Caroline re-joining them at the lift, “We hit a dead end, did you find anything?”
“You could say that,” Freddie remarked, looking back to the continually approaching scientists.
“Holy shit,” Ed sprung into immediate worry.
“The lift is moving,” Freddie commented – he must have heard the mechanisms clinking, it was out of Yasmin’s earshot.
Yasmin was stressing. They had nowhere to go except the lift, and it seemed to be taking its time. The scientists were almost upon them, still moving at a snail’s pace, as if they weren’t able to move faster. Or as if they had no reason to.
Ding! The lift finally arrived. Yasmin spun around, ready to make her escape. A hand reached out and pulled Yasmin back. Instinctively, she sprung back to defend herself, but inside the lift were Lily and Josh – rescue had come.
“You took your time,” Yasmin breathed a sigh of relief as the doors slid shot behind them all.
“What did you find?” Josh questioned, wrapping his arms tightly around Yasmin. His touch felt so warm and cosy. She never wanted to lose it.
“They have a whole lab, with shit unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Freddie fed back.
“We gotta get out of here,” Ed decided.
“About that,” Yasmin recalled, “The building’s in lockdown.” The group fell silent. Ding! The lift arrived back up. Yasmin wasn’t sure what to do, but they needed a plan – fast.
Pushing against the main exit, Dylan was having no luck. The locks were too strong for even three werewolves to break through – nobody could get in or out.
The fear in his body was insurmountable, and he now felt claustrophobic in the knowledge that there was no way to escape. The others weren’t answering their phones either; Jono had been trying to call Lily, while Dylan had tried both Yasmin and Josh’s phones several times – they had no signal.
“Still nothing,” a worried Jono reported back. The concern was painted directly across his adorable face.
“She’ll be okay,” Dylan comforted. He needed to be optimistic for Jono, but he was worrying himself. His friends were in danger. His brother was in danger.
“Come on, we can cover the building in a few minutes between us,” Drew proactively suggested.
“Split up and risk losing everyone else? No way, we need to stick together,” Dylan thought. Drew wasn’t seeing the full picture, and it was frustrating Dylan. His stress levels were off the chart.
“It’s okay, we’re all safe,” Dylan heard the relieving sound of Yasmin’s voice. Everyone else was stood by the reception desk, looking flustered and exhausted, but Dylan was so thrilled to see them safe.
“Mom, what are you doing here?” Dylan was confused.
“No time, we need to get out because I don’t think we’ll be alone for long,” Caroline warned.
“You found them?” Jono questioned. A name wasn’t even needed – everyone knew who he meant.
“More like they’re finding us,” Josh responded, making Dylan quiver in fright.
“Where’s the control panel?” Freddie queried, “I think I could take a look, I know a thing or two about tech.”
“Let’s ask,” Ed took charge, marching over to the reception desk. Dylan followed, intrigued, “Hey, you.” Hiding behind the desk was a young man, ducking out of view as if he were terrified.
“I don’t know anything, I promise,” he nervously defended.
“You’re the receptionist, you know everything,” Ed impatiently hit back, “The control panel for the door. Where is it? I’m the sheriff, give me an answer.”
“I thought she was the sheriff,” he confusingly pointed at Caroline. Dylan was getting more and more baffled.
“Answer the damn question,” Ed hurried.
“Okay, it’s just behind me,” the receptionist gave in.
In the corner of his eye, Dylan spotted them. The first time he had seen them since after the party. The scientists had found them.
“Incoming,” he reported. Freddie began to fiddle with the switches. Did he know what he was doing? Dylan wasn’t convinced, but Freddie was smart; smarter than he let on.
“The subject has been acquired. Testing is complete,” one of them spoke. It was robotic, yet the movements were distinctly human.
“Subject? What is the subject?” Dylan questioned, standing in front of his pack, protecting them. The scientists stopped just a couple of metres in front.
“Our experiments are complete. The subject is ready,” it reiterated.
“What is the subject?” Dylan demanded to know, shifting his eyes to glare their dominant colour of red.
“A human turned supernatural,” it answered. Dylan caught eyes with a worried Jono. Their experiments had been a success, “A human that goes by the name of Samantha Chadwick.”
“Sammi,” Jono’s jaw dropped. Freddie paused his work. Everyone was stunned into silence.
Approaching slowly from behind was a more human-like figure. A face Dylan recognised well. Almost too well. It was Sammi, except her usual chirpy face spelt out darkness and terror, all with a single look.
“Sammi, come here, we can help,” Lily encouraged. She didn’t respond – she looked lost.
Sammi turned to the receptionist, who was still quivering behind his desk. The entirety of her eyes shone a bright orange, and within seconds, he began to vaporise. He cried out in pain as his body vanished from plain sight and into atoms.
“What is she?” Dylan queried, trying to keep composure, ensuring Jono was kept behind him. He wasn’t going to let him be next, but they were cornered. No way out.