The Mad Scientist

John's POV: A muffled voice called to me, it sounded distant, like a million miles away. With each passing second, it got closer. "John..." It was a soft call, who is calling me? "John," they called again. "John, can you ____ me." I couldn't make out what he said, I was sure it was a man's voice. "John, can you ____ me?" He sounded much closer now, "John! John? John, can you hear me?" I knew this voice, it was Viktor. Things seemed clearer, I could see now. "What is this? Where am I?" I asked looking around. We were in my basement, but there was a lot of equipment in it. Had he put scientific equipment in my house? "You're back. You're safe now. You died but I brought you back." "Viktor..." Viktor is a big Russian man with white hair and a bushy beard. He always wore a hat, and his accent is strong. And he was very profound in his work, he was a scientist. "Da, you remember?" "Yes, I- I remember." I tried to recall what had happened, "It was a nightmare, weird things had happened. You killed me and Lennie fell off a skyscraper, he was yelling at me, blaming me." "That was real, well, not that last thing. He's still alive and well. I did kill you, however." "You- What? You killed me? I remember you stabbing me to death!" "Lift your shirt, John. That happened." My eyes widened as I lifted my shirt. "Viktor- what is wrong with you?!" I take a step back looking in horror at the stitched-up wounds in my stomach, "All of that was because of you." "Correct, you were dead. All that was- Well the afterlife I suppose. What was that like?" "What? What was it like? Death? You're asking me what death was like?" "Da, I want to know, I'm curious. What did you see? What did you feel? Where did you go?" "What do you want me to say? I was welcomed by God at the gates of his palace? Or that I was reincarnated into a new body?" "I suppose I'd like to know if the Hindus were right, or perhaps the Christians. By your tone, I'm guessing neither. Were you a... ghost? Or just some afterlife?" "You're sick. You are insane!" "No, not crazy. Willing to do what's necessary." "You want to know how it felt? It was terrible, empty, nothingness. Endless... Nothingness. I felt alone, yet, all these people I knew were there, but... It wasn't them- Not the way I remember." "Interesting... Who was there, John?" "Amy was, and- and Marty, they'd talk to me, and a few others but I can't remember." "You spoke to Amy and Marty? What were they like?" "Different..." I said looking at all of the equipment, What is all of that? "Different how?" "They sounded like them but they didn't act like them, the way they talked." "Intriguing, you'll have to tell me more when you meet them again." "What?" I chuckled nervously, "I'm not meeting them again, Viktor." "John, we need to learn more, we've figured out how to cheat death. We're on this cusp of eternal life!" "I'm not going back to that place, you're not subjecting me to that.. Hell, again!" "Relax, John. It won't be long." "Like last time?" I winced. "Last time? You were in there for two days, it wasn't long." "I wasn't in there for two... I was in there for 2 months!" "John, I killed you two days ago. How are you feeling, are you feeling confused?" "I'm-" I paused for a moment, "I'm not confused. I know how long I was in there!" "Subject is distraught, heart rate is normal, BP is normal. He's stable, this is a mental symptom perhaps from his conscious being away from his body." He said as if talking to someone else I ran my fingers through my hair, "but- I-I'd been in there so long." "John, listen to me. I know you don't quite understand, but you weren't in there very long, I specifically made sure of it. I need to understand what it's like, I need your help." He pleaded. "No, no! Absolutely not! I won't do it!" I said angrily. "I brought you back, you owe me your life." I crashed my fist onto the table, "I owe YOU my life? YOU WERE THE ONE WHO TOOK MY LIFE. You did that, you didn't save me." "John, look what we can do, we can figure out how to master this. I can bring back the dead." "No, no, no." I shake my head slowly, "Not you... Not you.." I pounce at my once so-called friend knocking him to the ground and wrap my hands around his neck, "YOU CAN'T HAVE THIS POWER, NOT YOU!" Viktor hit me, "St-op!" He gasped for air in an attempt to mumble, "Without me, you-'ll- never- get her- back.." My grip loosened and then Viktor took in a deep heavy breath. I felt my face loosen as confusion struck me, "What- What did you just say?" "Your beloved Sarah, she's dead. I'm the only one who can save her." He said "What did you do." "I had to take some precautions, she's the only thing that matters to you, without her, you're- well you're nothing, you understand?" "You're sick!" "No, I'm just a guy with a plan, without a plan, without study, without order, there is anarchy. You were about to murder me in cold blood, John." "Says the one who stabbed me to death." "With a plan, I kept your body on ice, gave you the proper blood. I knew what I was doing." "And if it didn't work? What then?" "It wouldn't have failed." "You don't know that!" "Listen to me, comrade, here's what's going to happen: You're going to do everything I say, once my research is complete. I will bring your wife back. As you said, in there, time seems to happen differently than out here. Who knows what time will do to her. Sooner you comply, sooner you get your wife back," He sticks his hand out for John to shake, "deal?" John hesitates for a moment before saying, "I'm going to kill you, I'll do what you want, but once I have my wife back there will be nothing stopping me." The scientist just smiled as he shook my hand.