Mystery Runing

By Deni Chance

After waking up in a strange underground laboratory, alone and with no memories at all, Mystery must do everything in her power to escape, and then survive. After removing odd and terrifying tubes and wires from her body, she flees into the night.
Now, she is on her own. She has no money, no food, not even clothes to call her own. Still, somehow, she must survive. She refuses to be taken prisoner once again.
Through sheer willpower and determination, she makes it through, but not without a whole new set of struggles. Friends and foes await her at every turn, and she’s not sure who she can trust. Especially when she meets a strange and alluring man who claims to be more than he appears.
What will become of Mystery as she runs from her captors and toward a life she can call her own?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iSuperNovel
• Release date: Mar 9, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1- Awake

I felt groggy while struggling to force my eyes open. They almost seemed as if they'd been glued shut with the sticky remnants of sleep. When did I fall asleep? And why had I been sleeping here in the first place? Where even is here?

For some reason, I didn't know where I was or how I got here. And as if things weren't bad enough, to add to the confusion plaguing my mental state, I couldn't remember who I was. What's my name? Who brought me to this place? And what did they want?

No matter where or what this place is, it's not where I belong. This place isn't meant for me. In a way, it felt wrong. Instinctually, I knew I'd never be safe here.

After opening my eyes, peeling them apart with some effort, I glanced at the room around me. It looked like some sort of hospital, but not one I remembered being in before. Not that I remembered much of anything. Still, somehow, I understood these simple truths. Primary among them was the knowledge that I was in danger and needed to get far away from this place as soon as possible.

Looking around, I guessed the whole getting away part might be a little harder than I expected. The room I currently occupied wasn't actually in a hospital, it seemed more like a laboratory. It had strange machines, but I had no clue what they were for. I also saw various test tubes, beakers, and other scientific items, which were recognizable but otherwise meant nothing to me.

On top of all that, the room appeared to be dimly lit with the lights flickering overhead. An alarm was blaring somewhere in the distance as well, which might have been what woke me in the first place. Until now, I hadn't paid much attention to it. The alarm's tones were incessant and nasally as it warned of some impending disaster. I'm not sure what, but it only served to frighten me even more now that I was aware of it.

Another hindrance was the strange tube shoved in my mouth and slithering far too deep down the back of my throat for comfort. Without giving it much thought, I grasped the tube firmly in both hands, and pulled. I might hurt myself, but it would be nothing compared to what the people who brought me here might do if they found out I'd woken up. I'm in danger right now, and escaping is the only way to save myself.

As the tube slid loose from my mouth, I coughed. It had been painful in every aspect, but the moment I breathed on my own, a wave of relief washed over me. Almost as if new life had been breathed into me, and my body instantly felt stronger.

Now, there's the matter of the needles and other tubes connected to my body. Two IVs were in each arm. A long and sharp needle pierced the back of each hand and as well as one halfway between my wrists and elbows. I pulled the ones from my left arm first, and then the right. They bled, but I ignored the bright red liquid, and continued with the tasks at hand.

I also had strange hose-like tubes connected to both of my arms at the shoulders, on my legs a little below my thighs, and one on the back of my neck. These were the most unsettling. What were they for? And what were they doing? Were they pumping something into me? Or were they taking something out?

Pulling these tubes from my body, I expected blood or some other liquid to start spurting or spraying all over the bed. Though, I really shouldn't say bed because I wasn't actually in a bed. It was more like a chair made from uncomfortable metals and tubes, which had me reclined at an odd angle.

Nothing sprayed when I removed the first tube, which was good. However, some sort of strange bluish smoke started to billow out of it. Is this a chemical they were having me absorb through my skin? What were they doing to me? What did they want?

I removed the tubes on my arms and legs first since they were the easiest for me to reach. The one on the back of my neck seemed harder. It snaked through the back of the chair, and it also happened to be the largest. I pulled it as far forward as possible, then gripped it with both hands. It was difficult, but I managed it, barely.

In all, it only took me about two minutes to remove all the tubes, needles, and wires, but in my mind it took a lot longer. The alarm, the flickering lights, and the intense fear were all compounding to make it seem as if time had come to a standstill.

Once freed of the bindings, it was time for me to stand up, but this posed another problem. My legs were weak and didn't want to cooperate at first. To me, it seemed like I'd been here for a very long time. So long, in fact, that my legs forgot they're supposed to bear my weight. What little bit of weight there was.

Work, damn you! I swore in a hushed tone as I struggled to make the incompetent limbs do their intended duties. Walk! Get up and walk! I commanded myself, and eventually, I was able to follow my own advice.

Now, with me on my feet, the time had come for me to escape from this place. However, even something as simple as this posed another yet problem. I had no clue where any exits were for one thing. And another, I was wearing the most ridiculous clothing.

No hospital gown adorned my body. No, a gown would have been preferable to this crazy ensemble. I mean, what had been the point of them putting me in what seemed like the loose equivalent of a two-piece swimsuit?

The swimsuit's top was pure white and made of a stretchy fabric, which moved with me. It had no straps, just a wide swath of the cloth going around my chest and covering my breasts. It functioned, but it lacked any sort of coverage.

At least the thing was comfortable. The bottoms were a little more suitable, as it covered more like small spandex shorts rather than underwear. It could all have been a lot worse, but it's definitely not an ideal situation.

I need to get away from here. I spoke almost inaudibly to myself. But how? This being the question I had to answer first. And based on the feeling in the pit of my stomach, I didn't have too much time to think about it. They were coming. Whoever they were, they might have found out I'd woken up, and were already after me.

I can't let them find me. If I do, they'll kill me. I know they will. Fear surged inside of me as a loud thundering boom echoed in the distance. Had it come from inside the building, or was it a storm raging outside? I didn't know, and it made the edge of fear inside me grow exponentially.

Chapter 2- Exploring

This room, the one I'd awoken in, was on the small side. It contained the strange chair, the machines, and the tubes, but not much else. A large mirror ran the length of the wall on my left, reflecting the room's starkness and my own startled image back to me. On my right stood a plain, slate gray wall, which neither looked sterile nor business like.

Behind me sat another wall identical to the one on my right. And in front of me a lone door broke the monotony of the gray stone. This is another thing which struck me as odd. Why were these walls made of stone? Not concrete, like I would expect to find in some building, but stone. Almost like these walls were underground.

Why would we be underground? I thought of only sinister reasons to build a laboratory underground. You only do something like this if you wanted to hide what you were doing. And if you needed to hide what you were doing, you probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

Only one option. I said as I headed toward the door set in the stone wall. The opening for the door looked as if it'd been meticulously carved from the stone, then they'd fitted a wooden door in its place.

Well, that's not very secure. I said to myself as I titled my head. A flimsy-looking wooden door wouldn't keep many people inside. If it were solid, like oak or something, then it might be different. Or if the door had been fitted better, then it would also have made a difference. However, this door looked as if it'd been added purely as an after-thought.

Choosing not to ponder the thought processes of whoever brought me here, I headed toward the door. My feet were dragging a little, but I gained more and more strength with each step. I hoped that, after a little more time of forcing my legs to work, they would remember what they were for, and allow me to run.

Then again, perhaps slow and steady was best. After all, I intended to sneak out of here, and it would be easier to do if I didn't make a lot of racket by running. The fear tried to urge me to be reckless, and it's hard not to listen to those persistent warnings.

The door hadn't been locked. Clearly, whoever brought me here thought I would stay asleep. If I had, then I wouldn't have been a flight risk. When did they bring me here anyway? Today? Yesterday? A week ago? Or even a month ago?

I didn't even remember what the date was, or what the date had been when they brought me here. What year is it? When is my birthday? Where had I been born? I remembered these things, the questions for them at least, but not the answers. They were still a mystery to me. And one which scared me to no end.

Tip-toeing through the door, I left the first room behind. I noticed those stone walls continued out here as well. This nearly confirmed the fact that we were underground. And hopefully, since we were in a basement or cellar of some kind, this place wouldn't be too big.

How many rooms could there be? The whispered words weren't necessary, but talking helped me to calm down. Especially since I knew no one would hear them with the alarm still blaring.

This second room was much larger, and it appeared to serve multiple purposes. Several desks were scattered throughout the room, but not in any sort of pattern. Almost as if the people who sat at them randomly plopped them down without rhyme or reason.

Computers, lamps, lab coats, and several more beakers covered the desks and shelves in this room. Something struck me as off about this room, though. The beakers, test tubes, and other accouterments were in a state of disarray. As if something or someone came through here and knocked them over. Some were even broken open, which struck me as dangerous and peculiar.

What happened here? I asked myself as I scanned the room. I didn't have the opportunity to stay here and ponder these things, but the question still worried me.

Three other doors were leading out of this room. Urgency and expediency told me to pick one and go, but which one? One door might lead me into the arms of the enemy, and the others might lead me to either a dead end or to safety. The possibilities for all three were present, yet I still had to make my choice. I sincerely hoped I made the right choice the first time.

I chose the door closest to me on the right. Exactly as the one leading me in here, it fit poorly in the frame. I thought it would fall right out if someone pulled a little too hard on the handle. In a way, this worked for me, as it meant I could force my way through it.

However, it also meant I wouldn't be able to stop the enemy from coming through it either. Not even if I barred the door with something heavy. They'd end up just removing the door if I tried something like that, that's how flimsy looking the door was.

This new room appeared to be a locker room, and not a big one either. A short row of lockers lined either side, sixteen in total. And none of them were locked. They were obviously trusting of the people who worked down here. Or so it seemed.

Clothes! I whispered a little louder to myself than before. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to find something to put on over this pathetic excuse for clothing.

I searched the first few lockers all to no avail. They were either empty or only bore a bag filled with documents. When I got to the fifth locker though, that's when I struck gold. Well, sort of.

The locker belonged to a man, so the clothes wouldn't really fit me, but they would do for now. I pulled on a plain black t-shirt, and it fell almost to my knees. Which alone made me feel as covered and modest as a nun by comparison. In addition to the shirt, I found a pair of jogging pants, which were much too big for me, but I tied them tightly around my waist with the drawstring. Lastly, were a pair of boots meant for hiking.

The boots flopped around on my feet when I walked, but it would be better than nothing when I got out of here. I didn't know what the weather was like, and I didn't want to be stuck in the cold with bare feet.

With clothes on me now, it was time to go. And this meant exploring more of the basement. All while the sounds of a storm, or something akin to that, were booming somewhere in the distance.

Before leaving the room, I steadied my resolve. I vowed that I'd do anything and everything not to be caught while finding my way out of here. Confident now, I returned to the larger room, and made my way to the right once more. This took me toward the opposite end of the room than I initially entered through. Across from the containment chamber or prison cell they'd put me in.

I'm getting out of here. I spoke with a firm and determined edge to my voice. I won't let them stop me. Not now, not ever. I'm no one's prisoner. Even if I don't remember who I am right now, I'm certain I'm not a slave or some damsel in distress.

Chapter 3- Escaping

Panic surged through me now. I couldn't fathom how I knew, but the people responsible for all of this, were coming, and they were almost here. If I'm lucky, they might not know I'm awake yet, which might save me in the end. But only if I snuck out of here before they found me.

The door I'd just gone through led to a bathroom. At first, I thought of it as a terrible turn of events that might come back to haunt me later. Then I focused