My name is Emmitt and what I’m about to tell you is something that still haunts me to this day. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I need to tell someone. I signed papers saying I’m legally not allowed to tell you, but I don’t care anymore. I don’t know if I can’t go on any longer like this. 

I suppose I should start from the beginning. I’m a marine veteran. Upon returning to civilian life, I had a hard time adjusting. One thing led to another and I ended up becoming homeless. I’m not proud of it, but I’m not going to deny it either. 

Anyway, after living on the streets of L. A. for some time, I’ve gotten to know many of the other homeless there. We formed a sort of community. Not all of them make it however, many die for various reasons, whether it’s drug overdose, starvation, or some kind of disease. A few of them I had become good friends with. Pete and I had become very good friends. He too was a veteran. He, unfortunately, died of a heroin overdose. Then there was Linda who was just a bit crazy. But she was harmless. I’m not quite sure how she died. Then there was poor Ricky, he committed suicide. Hanged himself over the bridge. Unfortunately, that’s not unusual with the homeless community. Regardless, no one really gives a shit about us. 

Anyway, it had been over a day since my last meal and I was rummaging around in the dumpster for anything I could scrap up. Once again, I’m not proud of this, but my pride is irrelevant. 

It was then that I was approached by a rather strange man. He was in a black polo shirt with thick glasses and khaki pants. He offered to buy me lunch if I heard his offer. I couldn’t deny how hungry I was so I took him up. 

We arrived at a decent place and after we ordered he told me about an opportunity he’d like to offer me. An opportunity that paid very well. I asked him what was the catch, he said I just had to subject myself to a little experiment. It wouldn’t be anything serious, just a drug trial that’s all. He said the drug wasn’t dangerous or anything. I was going to decline when they told me how much they’d be paying me. I reluctantly accepted.  

From there I was taken to a large laboratory that kind of had an insane asylum feel to it. White walls, white tile flooring, and a very sterile smell to it. I was taken into a room and I had to fill out paperwork and sign a nondisclosure agreement. Another man came in and gave me a full psych evaluation. He seemed very pleased with the results. He went over them with me and said that he determined that I was suffering from not only PTSD, but depression, and anxiety. I told him to try being a homeless veteran and see what mental disorders he’d suffer from. 

Then a woman came in and brought me to a room with a type of bed table that had straps. I felt a panic rise in me as I looked over at the nurse. She told me the straps were a precautionary step to prevent injury. She handed me a patient gown and told me to change. 

She left me alone as I changed out of my rags and into the gown. I took a seat at the table bed and waited for what seemed like forever before several people came in including the nurse. A tall thin balding man with rectangular glasses seemed to be in charge and went over what they were going to do. They said they were going to inject me with a drug they had developed that could help with several mental disorders including the ones I currently suffered from. Of course, this drug is in its early stages of development. They were testing for any possible side effects which seemed very dodgy. I thought they had to work out possible side effects before going onto human trials. They assured me it’d be harmless.

I reluctantly went through with it, not that I felt I had a choice in the matter. I felt as if at this point there was no going back, at least that’s how they made it feel. They strapped me into the table and then came back with a syringe filled with some kind of black substance. I felt a very unsettling feeling creep over me. That substance, whatever it was did look as if it shouldn’t be inside anyone’s body. Before I could object, they held me down and I felt the prick of the needle and a very cold sensation course through my body. Other than that I didn’t feel any different. They took me and put me in another room to monitor any potential side effects. 

I don’t know how long I was left in that room. There were no windows or clocks. I fell asleep some time afterward. I woke up to a man in a black suit leaning against the wall. A man I hadn’t seen prior to now. He seemed mildly amused. “They gave you the injection, did they?” 

I nodded warily. Wouldn’t he know if he was with the organization? He seemed like someone important. He had slicked black hair and a pale complexion. “Of course they did. If they didn’t, you wouldn’t be talking to me.” 

I had no idea what he meant by that. “Do you work for them?” 

“I’m an interested third party,” he said with a smile that made me feel uneasy. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret. What they gave you won’t cure your ailments. In fact, they have no idea what it does. That’s why they gave it to you. They’re hoping to figure that out.”

A sudden nauseating feeling came over me. What did he mean by that? That couldn’t be true? That had to be illegal. How could they get away with that? I felt very sick. I don’t know if it was because of what they injected inside me or just knowing that I was a guinea pig for whatever twisted experiment this was. Who even are these people? Why didn’t I think to ask that? The man leaned in a little closer with a wicked smile. “but I know exactly what it’ll do to you. You’ll see soon enough.” 

The man let out a laugh before leaving the room. I don’t know how long I spent in that room. It felt like weeks. I kept waiting for something bad to happen. I thought I was going to experience pain or some kind of horrific side effect. However, nothing strange seemed to happen after the meeting with that man. 

Eventually, they finally decided to let me go. True to their word, I received compensation. It was enough money to really make a difference in my life. With it, I could start a new life. I decided to really try to improve myself. Turn a new leaf. Maybe the drug did work. I was actually starting to feel better. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. And then I ran into my old friend Pete and I felt my blood freeze.

The End.

Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…

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