We apologize ahead of time for the typos you will find. We can't seem to find and editor to look it over first .
*****
I was sound asleep when the door to our prison opened, waking me up. The lights were rudely turned on, making me moan and squeeze my eyes shut from the brightness. Before I had even adjusted to the light, I was pulled roughly from the top bunk. I found my footing and squinted to see what was going on. Becca was up as well, struggling to see as I was. Pistol guy was in the doorway and two new men held Becca and I.
"Take them to lab three. I'll meet you there in a few minutes," pistol guy said.
It was early morning, probably before five from the look of the dim light outside as we passed windows on our way to lab three. My eyes finally adjusted as I was pushed barefoot down the cool tiled hall. I had slept in a tank top and my boy shorts and that was all I had on at the moment. They didn't let us even get dressed. Becca was pretty much the same.
When we arrived at lab three, we were told to take a seat. The two guards stood by the door with rifles and waited for pistol guy to show up. Both guards were black men. One had his head shaved; the other had his hair cut very short, just giving him the appearance of darker skin on his head where the hair was. Both of them were young and strong. They stared at us, ogling our bodies in only are underwear. About five minutes later the door opened and pistol guy walked in with another man in a white lab coat. He seemed like he was in mid-sentence when he came in.
"... it's not ready for human testing yet... it could be dangerous," he was saying.
"Dangerous? What could happen? Either it works or it doesn't," Pistol guy said.
"We don't even know the source yet, what if one of the compounds is poisonous?"
"Nothing in that cave is poisonous. Stop making excuses and get to work. We have two perfect test subjects for you, what better time to find answers. Our employer is getting impatient. They want results not excuses. Find the source and use them to do it."
"Fine," the lab coat guy said and turned toward us.
Pistol guy turned and without saying a thing, left the lab. The man in the lab coat was older than any of the other men on the island that Becca and I had seen. He was balding, skinny and had pasty white skin that looked like it had never seen sun. He ignored us for about five minutes as he walked around the lab opening cupboards, refrigerators and drawers, gathering his supplies and setting them on a large counter in the center of the lab. Becca and I sat on lab stools and the two black guards stayed standing at the door.
The white lab guy finally raised his head and looked at both Becca and I. I think it was then he noticed our state of undress, for his pasty white face suddenly went bright red. He gathered himself before speaking.
"Mr. Berret tells me you two have been here before and have had several experiences with the compound, the source of which we are trying to find. Is this true?"
Berret must be the pistol guy. Now at least I had a name for him. Both Becca and I nodded our heads.
"He also tells me that you came back to this island for the water you thought was the source. He also says you crave the effects it has on your female bodies and yearn for it. He says you'll be more than willing to help me find the source. Is this also true?"
"Partly," Becca began. "We came for the water, we crave it but we do not want to be your guinea pigs."
"I see, but you do want to feel the effects again? If I offered you some of the cave water, would you gladly accept it?"
"Yes," I blurted before Becca could answer.
"My, my... without hesitation. Even with these men here, knowing what you will do to them when the effects take over?"
"Yes," I said again, looking at him and turning to look at the two young black men by the door.
I could only imagine the cocks that hid behind their black cargo pocket pants.
"Then if you are so eager to have the water, you'll have no qualms sampling various compounds to discover the same effect."
Neither of us spoke, neither denying nor accepting his statement.
"Very well, let us begin."
He turned and opened the refrigerator again, taking out several plastic cups with lids. Inside I could see a clear liquid moving and darker objects in the liquid.
"We have taken a sample of every plant from the cave. These samples have been placed in unpolluted water. If the compound comes from one of these plants then the water should be contaminated with it as the cave water is. Who wishes to sample the first one?"
I raised my hand quickly and Becca kept her hand down. The lab man smiled and brought over the first cup. He handed it to me and I popped the lid off, looking down at a green leaf and part of a root from a plant from the cave.
"It should only take a sip," he said.
I looked at him then to Becca, before raising the cup and sipping the cold refrigerated water. Nothing happened. Nothing at all.
"Okay, one down, many to go," he said.
Becca tried the second one, nothing happened when she drank the water either. Back and forth this continued with the lab guy taking notes each time.
**
An hour passed. Every time I brought that plastic cup to my lips, I hoped for the effect I craved to take over my body. I was slightly aroused even without the water, just thinking about finding the right sample. Over and over nothing happened and the lab guy took notes and tossed the cup and the plant in the trash when we didn't react.
After the first hour, we had exhausted the plants and started seeing different rocks and then bugs appearing in the water we were to drink. Both Becca and I hesitated when we saw our first bug, not wanting to drink. Becca was the first to sip the water with a bug in it and I knew why. Not wanting to miss out on my chance, I started not even looking into the cup before I took my sip.
Berret, the pistol guy, came in after another hour and stood by the guards watching us sip each cup as we sat on our stools, perfectly obedient.
"I told you they would be more than willing. Look at them, both just praying their sample is the right one. Can you imagine what this is going to do for the world!" he said, laughing.
"You know, there is a chance we may never find the source. It could be a combination of several things in the cave, the permutations are endless. We don't need to find the source to begin mass production," the lab guy said.
"I know, but our employers want the source so it can be synthesized off this island. If we don't find it we have to remain here and harvest it from the water."
"They may have to be content with the alternative. This is the last five samples left," the lab guy said, motioning to what was on the counter.
He came around and handed me one of the five. I didn't look and took a sip, still hoping for the effect to seize my body. Back and forth the last five samples were sipped and nothing happened to either of us. Talk about a letdown. I was so worked up the longer we sampled the water, thinking the odds were getting better and better the next one would be the right one. As I drank the last one, I sighed audibly and loudly when nothing happened.
"Well, that's that I suppose," Berret said. "Take them to the cafeteria; the men should be done eating. Feed them and then bring them back here for the next phase."
"Next phase?" Becca asked.
"Yes, my dear... it's time to move onto potency."
**