Across the Norm by Mohamed Ashraf

Author:Mohamed Ashraf
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Psychological Thriller, Short Story Collection, Scary Stories, Dark Noir, Paranormal, Disturbing Tales
Publisher: Introverted Soul Collective Press
Published: 2023-04-29T00:00:00+00:00

Multitudinous

It was the strangest morning ever; I had never felt so uncomfortable waking up. I could see a direct light straight over my head, almost blinding me. Something felt different; this was not my usual bed. It took a minute for my eyes to readjust and focus.

This was neither my bed nor my room. I looked around and saw that I was in the downstairs basement of my house, but it looked different. I was so disoriented, but I could make out what looked like a large machine and some tubes, beakers, and chemicals. I had no idea what was happening, but I intended to find out.

“Doctor Jackson, good morning. You’ve been out for quite some time,” a voice echoed coming down the stairs. It sounded recognizable, but I couldn’t make it out.

“Who’s there? And what in God’s name is happening in my basement?” I inquired with a raised voice, as the man came down the stairs. He was wearing some sort of protection suit with a surgical face mask; I couldn’t make out who he was at all.

“I don’t know if you will remember, Doctor Jackson, but you’ve been in a coma for the past 3 months,” the man said as he looked over the heart rate monitors and screens next to my bed.

“What?! What happened?! And why am I here?!” I shouted, before feeling weakness accompanied by a cough.

“I’ll explain everything. Three months ago, you were involved in an accident in your laboratory. Nobody was able to tell what happened, but some deadly virus broke out, and the building was Ground Zero. You were horribly affected, and they had to seal off the lab. Doctors were hopeless, so your family preferred that your body be brought here in a make-shift lab, where we could monitor your status; and hopefully, you would wake up, eventually.” The man kept avoiding looking me straight in the face, so I could never get a good look at him.

“This doesn’t make any sense... Surely, I would remember this—but my family, my wife and children. Please, I have to see them!” I struggled to get up, but he instantly and gently pushed me back.

“I’m sorry, Doctor, but this is for their own good. If you even come close to them, you risk infecting them. It has to be this way.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do?!” I was overwhelmed, confused, and angry.

“You’re a brilliant biochemist, Doctor Jackson. If anyone can figure out a cure for the virus, it’s you. You have to stay here and conduct your experiments until you figure this out. When it’s done, you can cure the infected and get back to your family.” The man started moving back towards the staircase; his voice was completely cold and monotone, though it sounded so unbelievably commonplace.

“But—Can I at least talk to them? On the phone, video call, anything. I just want to hear my daughters’ voices...” I pleaded.

“I’m sorry, Doctor. As far as the world is concerned, you were responsible for this breakout and the lives it took.

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