Before She Wakes

The B.E.A.S.T. building looked as innocuous as the bank across the street. Its gleaming windows, tinted against the afternoon sunlight, winked amidst a blue sky. Seven stories high, the building had swinging doors and a polished front lobby, guest suites on the fourth and fifth floors, and a secured basement area where the expensive equipment was stored. There were no roses or thorns, she thought. No ominous music or armed guards. These were modern day sciences, not the fairy tales her parents told her. Nevertheless, her stomach was in knots.

The crosswalk symbol blinked, and she walked across Redding Road and turned left onto Holloway, where the entrance of the grand building awaited her. She’d spent countless hours researching the place- B.E.A.S.T. stood for Bio Engineering, Appropriation, Sensitization and Transformative Research. Simply put, they made monsters. Founded twelve years ago, the company’s benefactor was rumored to be a billionaire with some peculiarities of his own. Rumor had it the man suffered from some terrible, degenerative disease process that led to his research appropriating animal genetics and integrating them into the human genomes.

Others claimed the man was contracted by the government, tasked with creating some new form of super soldier. Either way, the why didn’t matter that much to Delilah. All that mattered was the cash payout at the end of the experiment. With money like that, her brother and her could live comfortably for awhile.

Delilah and her older brother, Owen, were orphans. She hated the term- it was antiquated- but she’d heard it for years. Their parents died in a car accident five years ago, leaving Owen, who had only just graduated high school, to put his college education on hold. Owen refused to let his sister become a ward of the state; so, he worked two jobs- sometimes three- to put food on the table, and insisted Delilah attend her regular classes, promising her a better future- someday. Lately Owen was faltering. His own health suffered, and his long-term girlfriend left him. It seemed her brother was always on the verge of being terminated by one of his employers for falling asleep too often. Poor Owen was sinking, and it was time Delilah did something about it.

The best part of the clinical trial at B.E.A.S.T. was its non-disclosure. The second best part was that with parental consent, minors sixteen and older could participate. A couple of forged signatures later, and Delilah was selected amongst the top ten candidates. Completing the background and screening had been difficult, especially under her brother’s keen eye; but she’d managed to keep the whole thing a secret, and today was the day it would pay off. Today was the final stage of the trial, and tomorrow morning, her bank account (which stayed near empty most of the time) would have more money in it than either of them made in a year.

Thinking of this helped her to calm down, even as she took those final steps through the lobby, punching the elevator buttons for the fourth floor. She’d declined the guest suites until today- the lab technicians insisted guests remain on site and under observation during this last stage of the experiment. They’d enumerated with lots of scientific jargon, but from what Delilah could piece together in plain language, it was strictly precautionary.

Daniel grinned at her from the clinic door, his tall, lean figure draped in a crisp white coat. Daniel was gorgeous, if not a few years too old for her. His chocolate skin practically glowed, and he had the kind of long, dark eyelashes the women envied. His teeth were nearly as white as his coat. “There’s our girl,” he teased, shooting her a wink.

Delilah was used to being the poor kid in school- when she admitted it to herself, the attention from Daniel felt nice. At B.E.A.S.T., she wasn’t the poor orphan with thrift store clothes. She was an integral part of the clinical team- on the cutting edge of a scientific breakthrough in genetics. When this experiment proved itself successful (and it would, they’d assured her), her face would be all over the media outlets. She would buy her brother a better car, one that was in working order. She’d make payments on the utilities to make them current- or even pay far in advance so they never had their electricity shut off, again.

She’d buy large, extravagant bouquets for her parents’ graves, and leave them there- the graves had become just as shabby as the house.

Just one more day, she thought.

Daniel followed close behind as they walked down the narrow corridor to the observation rooms. This was where the final injections would occur. Lawrence, the program director, had explained it like this:

The participants were receiving regular, genetic modifications via scheduled injections. Slowly, their DNA material was “primed” for the final introduction, or the last injection phase. Each of the ten candidates would fall asleep, thanks to a sedative pill they were given just beforehand. The first stages of the transformation would be painful, they’d advised, and the sedative would ensure they were comfortable during the process.

Next, the technicians would collect updated lab samples on each of the specimens, comparing the new, altered DNA to their old variations. Most of what Lawrence said was over her head, but she understood what transformation meant. When the experiment ended, Delilah would be a shapeshifting human. The fun part, she mused, had been the selection process. Delilah was able to choose her own alternate form, and she’d chosen a white tiger. There were only five to choose from at this stage of the process, but B.E.A.S.T. was already planning their expansion once final approval was given. Hence, after this experiment.

Delilah didn’t mind that the results were, at present, irreversible. She didn’t like who she was anyway, and the thought of becoming something fierce and lovely was intoxicating. She’d have the freedom to shift at will, giving her the ability to assume either form when it suited her the best. Perhaps when the bullies chose to taunt her about her shabby house or her worn shoes she’d shift and give them a healthy dose of reality. She nearly giggled thinking about it. She’d already noticed she moved faster, with better coordination. Her fear of heights had abated these past weeks, and she’d begun to crave red meat like never before.

Even Owen had noticed, in his distracted state, and Delilah had assured him it was probably just hormones. The mention of hormones and in his sister in the same sentence was enough to get him to drop the subject altogether.

Daniel laid a hand on her shoulder and reached past her, scanning his access badge along the doorframe. The locking mechanisms clicked, and the door hissed open, admitting them both.

“Here we are,” he said. “The guest suites.”

Delilah stared in shocked silence, taking in the lovely quarters. The space was a large sitting area, furnished with top-of-the-line furniture, polished wooden tables stacked with reading materials, and a fully stocked kitchenette. An industrial coffee machine gleamed on the countertop, and a bowl of fresh fruit, ripened to perfection, stood beside it. A dozen armchairs, plush and decorated with throw pillows, had been positioned throughout, and a pool table occupied the opposite end of the room, beneath a massive, flat screen television.

“This is lovely,” she whispered. For the first time since the beginning of the trial, she regretted having to remain at home instead of here, in luxury. If it hadn’t been for her stubborn older brother, she could have; but Owen would never allow her to risk herself for science, and she’d elected not to ask him.

“The third door on the right is your suite,” Daniel whispered, producing a shining pair of keys. Delilah accepted them, hardly believing her luck. She vibrated with excitement at the prospect of owning her very own living space, free from broken pipes and warped floorboards.

“Thanks,” she managed, blinking back tears. Daniel patted her shoulder and left the way they’d come. Delilah remained in her place, drinking in every detail. The other participants were probably in their own rooms, now, resting up for this evening’s injection. Lawrence encouraged them all to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated. Come to think of it, a nap sounded wonderful. Delilah had been awake most of the night. She found that the darkness inspired her to go walking, a task she used to be afraid of. Theirs was not the safest of neighborhoods- but with her newfound speed and her uncanny strength, Delilah felt invincible. She’d snuck out every night for the last week, lurking around corners and leaping from fire escape to fire escape. It was intoxicating, this feeling of freedom. In fairy tales, monsters were always hideous and malevolent- but she found this new identity liberating and lovely. No, humans were the real monsters. It had been humans that had stolen the little lunch money she had; humans had teased her about her clothes and kicked her shoes. The fairy tales were wrong, she thought. Monsters were real, but they weren’t fanged creatures with the propensity for blood. They were people with bank accounts and wearing suits; they were the boys in gym class and the girls on the cheerleading squad.

The lock snicked as she inserted and turned the key. The door opened smoothly, revealing a suite as plush as the rest of the living space. A luxurious bed with an honest-to-goodness canopy occupied the left wall, flanked by small, wooden dressers with lamps. A large area rug covered the ivory-colored carpet, and tiny windows with scalloped curtains allowed the afternoon light to filter in. A media center stood along the wall opposite the bed, with racks of movies and a game system. A mini refrigerator stood nestled among snack shelves beside it. This was luxury, she thought, bouncing up and down.

That night, the participants ate dinner in the common area. Delilah was thrilled to meet people of all ages, from sixteen, like her, to an elderly woman in her seventies. Each of them had stories of their own- reasons for the change. The other girl- the one her age- confided that she’d chosen to become a wolf. Delilah could almost imagine her in her wolf form- dark fur the same color as her hair. Yellow, narrowed eyes in lieu of her brown ones. This girl was familiar, almost like peering into a mirror. The elderly woman wanted more time- the transition provided participants with a longer life expectancy. A few of the others simply wanted to make history, or shock relatives. A couple of them wanted to disappear without fear of recognition.

Lawrence walked in as dinner concluded, resplendent in his usual crisp suit and tie combination. Sometimes Delilah wondered if it was Lawrence who was the mysterious benefactor; but if he was, he wasn’t likely to admit to it.

“Ladies and gentleman, tonight you will undergo the final phase of your transformation. Keep in mind this is a major biochemical reaction occurring within your organ systems, and at a cellular level,” he warned. “The process will be uncomfortable, and there may be after effects.”

“Such as?” asked the elderly woman. The boy beside her rolled his eyes.

“Good question, Gladys. Your reflexes will differ from the usual baseline. You may discover you are faster and stronger than before. Your sleep schedules may also change, as many of these animals are nocturnal creatures. You may experience dietary changes, too, but don’t be alarmed- you won’t find it necessary to kill for a good hamburger,” he said with a smile. Laughs all around.

“I can change as I please?” another man asked.

Lawrence nodded calmly.

“Yes, Ivan, you will be able to precipitate the change at will.”

“What about the money?” the other girl asked, and Delilah thanked her silently for being brave enough to ask the question.

“Your compensation checks will be deposited via wire transfer at exactly midnight oh-one. Funds are available the same day.”

A collective breath was released. In just a few hours, Delilah would be more formidable than the monsters who tormented her for years after her parents’ passing. She and Owen could make a nice life for themselves- he could enroll in college classes and she could save a little for her own education, too. She’d come close to forfeiting the experiment so many times, fearful of the results, or of discovery- but now all she felt was excited. She wanted the last injection now.

“Now I encourage you all to head back to your personal suites, take the pill on the tray at your bedside, and lie down. When you wake, you will have made history.

They left the dinner mess where it was and retreated to their rooms under the friendly gaze of Dr. Lawrence. Delilah practically jumped into the oversized bed, scooped the pill off the nightstand, and swallowed it with the water left beside it. She lay back on the pillows, staring up into the sheer canopy, imagining herself as a lovely white tigress, strong and swift.

"Make me a monster," she said drowsily to no one at all.

Sometimes, she thought, monsters were more beautiful than humans. But she'd discern that for herself, soon enough . . . when she wakes.