She screamed out for help in the small cube she found herself in. It was dark, and she only found out that her prison was made of glass when the security guard on the ledge above her, shone his flashlight down on her morning meal that he had just thrown to her. The light illuminated her cell for just a second before she was returned to the darkness. In that moment she saw her small bed on the ground covered in blood-stained sheets, and the morning meal laid in front of her. She was given a packet of yogurt and a spoon.
12 hours have passed since she woke up in this silent block of glass, and in that time all she could think to do was scream and bang on the glass walls. No one responded to her screams, or her banging. The only person she had seen since she had been in her cube, was the security guard on his ledge to give her her meal. She doesn’t know why she’s here or how she got here. She does know that her name is Iris Tomak. She remembers being at the mall with her friends, Ellisa Shruck and Freddy Edwards, as her last memory.
As she touches the bloody wound to her head, which was most likely the cause of her not being able to remember how she got here, the door on the ledge above her opened again. This time, a plump woman with dark brown hair walked out, her flowy white lab coat trailing behind her. She pushed a button on the side of the wall and Iris’s glass cage began to move upward until she was face to face with the woman. The woman smiled and pushed another button which sent her and Iris down a conveyor belt and into a giant room basked in light. The light hurt Iris’s eyes. She hadn’t seen so much light in hours. The lady was still looking directly at Iris.
“You’re confused.” the lady said. Iris glared, but said nothing to the woman. The conveyor belt came to a stop. “Welcome to Nifheiml Labs. Welcome to Norway.” she smiled.
Iris didn’t understand. Norway!? She was shocked. She was just at the local mall, just outside Denver. How could I possibly be in Norway!? She couldn’t understand how she came to be in Norway. She couldn’t understand why she would even be taken to Norway.
“You are special, if you can believe it.” the lady chimed in, almost reading her thoughts. “According to many of our calculations, you have a mineral in your blood that has healing properties. We already tested your blood when we got you and it matches with our calculations. Whether it works or not, still needs to be determined.” she said the words so precisely, as though they would make this entire situation okay.
“You took me to Norway for my blood?” Iris asked, less confused and more angry. “Can’t you just make medicine out of like herbs, or something?” Iris was practically screaming. She was boiling with rage.
“You have the universal healing properties we have been looking for for decades. It can heal anything and prevent any kind of disease, at least that’s what we hope it can do.” the lady looked at Iris. “So now tests will be done to see if the healing properties of your blood actually exist and work how we think they will.”
“Tests? What tests?” Iris can feel her throat tighten. Her anger turns to fear. Are they going to dissect me? Cut me open? Drain my blood? Iris’s heart pounds.
“Blood withdrawals, injection tests, vital tests, etcetera.” the lady grabs a clipboard and begins flipping through the pages of it.
“It can’t be me!” Iris shrills, as her heart continues to pound.
“It is. We traced the blood of people all around the world, and found you to be the only compatible blood that aligns with our research.” The lady pulls a switch which lowers them down to the floor of the room. Once on the ground Iris is immediately met by another thin, older-looking lady with long blondish-silver hair, and wearing a more formal long white coat with glasses.
“I’m Dr. Heijmick.” the lady announces. Just then a short, fit, young man with slick-backed dirty-blond hair walks to Dr. Heijmick’s side. “This is Nelson, my assistant.” she informs. Iris looks at Nelson before he runs off to prepare a long medical table at the other side of the room.
“Thank you, Ebba. You can go now.” Dr. Heijmick says as the plump lady pushes a nearby button, shoving Iris off the conveyor belt. She pushes another button which ascends her to the top of the room again.
“Iris. Correct?” Dr. Heijmick asks and Iris replies with a nod. “Okay Iris. I am the head doctor of this facility and as such, I will be your doctor today. Now, let us get you situated and placed in restraint.” Dr. Heijmick grabs a control tablet off a table near her and presses a button that brings Iris’s glass prison over to the long table that Nelson is still prepping. Nelson walks over to the box, arms extended, and Dr. Heijmick clicks a button, opening the door. Nelson storms in and slams Iris’s arms to her torso. Iris screams and kicks but Nelson is short and sturdy. He runs her to the long table, thrusting her down as Dr. Heijmick wraps metal restraints on Iris. Iris continues to scream. Dr. Heijmick grabs a gasmask next to the long table and thrusts it on Iris’s face. Immediately, Iris begins to drift off as a flavorless gas fills her lungs.
Her life flashes before her eyes and she wonders if this will be her new life. A guinea pig for scientific experiments, her blood being stolen from her to give to the highest and most diseased bidder, her life stuck in glass prisons. Iris’s eyes grow heavy and she nods off.