Toxin

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝑜𝓊𝓇

Johnathan and Charlotte were walking home from school, but Johnathan had a secret plan.

"Charlotte," he called her, and she hummed softly. "If I hurt you, even though I don't want to, would you forgive me?" He asked, and Charlotte frowned.
"Well, if you didn't mean to -"
"No, I meant it. But hurting you was a side effect of doing something to you."
"Yes, I would forgive you. Why are you asking me that?" She asked.
He gripped her hand firmly and led her in a different direction.
"Where are we going?" She asked, but Johnathan didn't reply. "You know, I hate you right?" She mumbled "no you don't" he replied.

They stopped in front of a black hut, hidden among the trees. "What is that?" Charlotte asked, whispering as she gazed at the dark structure.

"You like experiments, don't you?" He whispered, looking down at her, and she nodded. Johnathan pinched his nose and covered his mouth with his hand. Before Charlotte could ask anything, a white gas filled her vision, and she started coughing violently. "What do you fear, Charlotte?" His voice echoed.

She felt someone shove her roughly inside the hut, and the door slammed behind her.

She was plunged into complete darkness. She couldn't see anything, not even her own hands. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She felt a surge of panic and terror, as if she was buried alive. She stumbled around, trying to find a way out, but she only hit the walls and the floor. She felt something crawling on her skin, something cold. It only multiplied whenever she moved. She felt a wave of nausea and pain. She was trapped in a nightmare, and she couldn't wake up.

----

"Charlotte!" She heard a familiar voice call her. She opened her eyes and saw Johnathan hovering above her. She was sweating and panting. She felt dry tears on her face.

"What just happened?" She asked, getting up in a sitting position. "You!" She pushed Johnathan, "You did this to me! Why did you throw me in there? You know that I hate the dark!" She pointed at the hut.

She suddenly gasped, recalling the events. "You mentioned an experiment! What gas is this?" She yelled. "Calm down," he said, immediately making her silent.
He placed his hand over her shoulder. "Breathe," he whispered, and when she started breathing normally, he started explaining.

"This gas is a fear-inducing gas," Johnathan said, making Charlotte interested in the gas, forgetting about her emotions.

"How does it work?" She asked, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Firstly, do you forgive me?" He asked. "Of course I do. This is really interesting. How does it work?" She asked again, moving closer to him.

"See those blue poppies?" He pointed at the blue flowers beside the hut. "I mix them with Carbogen I took from the school lab and they both affect the amygdala, the part of the brain that is in control of emotions, especially fears, which causes hallucinations" he answered, she looked at him in amazement.
"You are brilliant!" She smiled widely, and he couldn't stop his small smile forming on his face.
"What did you see?" He asked.
"Well..." she looked at the hut. "When I entered there, it looked darker than now. And I felt...like I was cold and it kept increasing" she gulped, recalling the events.
"Maybe because my aunt locks me up in the dark and the room is cold." she looked at the green grass, and he nodded slightly.

"Did you try it...on yourself?" She asked, looking at his eyes. "Yes," he answered. "What did you see?" She asked, and she saw his pupils dilate because of fear she thought.
"None of your business," he stated. "Come on, we have to go to our houses." he got up and started walking, leaving Charlotte behind. She sighed and followed him.

"Why don't you want to tell me?" She asked, feeling a little sad because she tells him everything and he does not.
"I don't like talking about my fears," he gulped lightly, trying not to get angry at her.