A/n: Okay, so this isn’t from a prompt. It’s a story that I started…maybe last month…and it stalled out. So I have some of it and the rest is kind of a mystery to me. It came out of a marathon of Alien movies, but is not fanfiction. Alien mostly just inspired the sound of feet scrabbling over the floor. Which is terrifying.
One time, I heard tiny feet in my kitchen and found a huge tarantula wandering around inside my house. And then found I can still scream like a little girl. *shivers* I even hate the memory. Anyway, enjoy!
The woman stared into the camera with a smile so large, it looked as if she were wearing a mask. She slid a glass jar into the frame on the table in front of her. The words ‘Anxiety Jar’ were painted on the front. She tapped her nails on the glass top. “With the help of Andromeda’s latest formula, it’s easier than ever to put on your happiest face. Every purchase comes with a perfect little jar to write…to write…write write write!”
The woman picked up the jar and slammed it onto the table. “Write!”
Again, “Write!”
Still smiling.
The jar shatters under her hand. Everyone watching the advert got to see the blood from where the glass cut into her hand. Live.
Still smiling.
Audrey stirred. The image on the screen jumped and the advert started again. She groaned. Her face itched where it wasn’t numb. But when she tried to scratch it, she found her hands strapped to the bed under her.
Not right. She was spending her life in a cell, not chained like some animal.
Audrey forced her eyes open and the first thing she saw was the woman with the unnatural smile. The second thing she saw was that it was her. They still aired that advert in spite of the fact that because she had a bad reaction – that they filmed – she ran off screen and stabbed a producer in the neck.
Hence the life in a cell. Except that she wasn’t in a cell right now because she’d signed a contract.
Audrey pulled her arms. “Hello? Doc?”
The lights went out, throwing the room into darkness except for the screen still on where it was bolted to the wall. Her own smiling face filled the screen.
“Write!”
Audrey clenched her eyes shut. “Hey, the experiment I signed up for was supposed to be physical, not mental. So what’s with the psych-bullshit?”
The advert began again.
A scream rose up from somewhere outside the room. Either part of the ‘experiment’ or someone fucking around because the power had gone out. “I’m strapped to a fucking bed, think I can get a little HELP in here?!”
Audrey pulled on the restraints and got exactly where she thought she would – nowhere. “Anyone?!”
“…to put on your happiest face.” The woman on the screen said again.
Audrey didn’t like any of this. The way the darkness was so thick that it swallowed all of the light from the screen only a couple inches from it. On that screen, she was screaming, “Write!” and smashing the jar. It reminded her of how it felt to go crazy.
As far as she knew, Audrey was one of only three people who suffered severe episodes directly due to Andromeda Juice. When the advert was recorded, it was her third episode. Lives didn’t have to be lost that day if they’d just listened. If they’d stopped the program. If they’d found the other bodies in her house.
Audrey tugged on the straps again. “I relinquish my consent! You can stop this, now.”
Another scream.
“I get that you assholes need a laugh sometimes, but this is over. Now!”
Deep red emergency lights flooded the room and the hallway. There was a small window head-high in the door. Audrey could make out a shape on the other side. Someone standing outside. Someone in charge that could help with whatever the fuck was going on.
“Hey! Hey, I need some help in here!”
The head moved close enough for Audrey to see the wide grin on his face. It was Dr. Harris. He looked pleased with how things were going and that was what made Audrey think that this was all part of some psychological experiment or study.
“Hey, asshole, I’ve got a lawyer on standby right now that is going to love tearing you apart over the contract I signed.” Audrey pulled on the restraints again.
Dr. Harris didn’t move anything but his eyes and suddenly she was positive that this wasn’t a part of the experiment. Something was very wrong with the doctor. He raised both arms and pounded them on the door. The large smile didn’t so much as twitch as he beat on it.
The door was locked with a card that only the medical personnel had access to. Why wasn’t he using his? If he wanted in, it would be as easy as scanning the card. Instead, he kept pounding on the door.
Maybe this was a part of the experiment and they’d injected her with something? Something that was currently causing crazy hallucinations or had locked her in a nightmare? Hallucinations would explain why they’d tied her down so much. Wrists and ankles. Audrey had never been a violent inmate – or person. She was only there to pay for the deaths she’d caused while on the Juice.
Happy, sunshine voice, “Every purchase comes with a perfect little jar to – ”
Dr. Harris was still banging. Still smiling. Audrey shut her eyes, going still as she tried to force the hallucination to change or go away completely. After about a minute, the banging stopped. She opened her eyes and Harris was still there. Still smiling and still watching her.
Slowly, he turned away from the window and started down the hall and away from her. Audrey took a deep breath and let it out slowly. After waiting to make sure he was gone, Audrey began trying to work her hands out of the restraints.
Someone screamed.
On the screen, her hand was dripping blood.
Choosing Creation Over Destruction 