By Alina Povelikin

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The Covid-19 Pandemic left many individuals isolated and unemployed. Still, I would have never considered a career path as a Mad Scientist…

Chemicals bubble in transparent vials as tubes stretch across a vast glowing room. Concave white walls surround a luminescent sea of green, and the ceiling extends forever into the darkness of eternity. Squeals, growls, and shrieks echo through the facility, but no noise escapes. The cellophane walls glow a chartreuse-like color and fade away at the touch of a feather, bringing into question whether they were ever there, to begin with. The beauty of the facility is often disregarded, as the eyes which enter it hardly ever see the light of day. One must not be fooled by the mystical green fog that slithers and flows through the frigid air like a snake in search of prey. This very same fog is a bystander in the face of pain, suffering, and tremendous horror. 

A mad scientist grins as he latches a tube into the throat of a still figure. He pours a vibrant green concoction into the end of the pipe, clapping his hands eagerly. What once was used for the good of society has now become a game. The limp fawn lays on the table motionless as a mysterious liquid pulsates rapidly through it. The scientist scribbles an illegible sentence into his notepad and scans the room frantically.

He rushes to his desk to grab the specimen; it is now completely green, the ideal condition for experimentation. He removes the tube from the young fawn’s mouth and straps a gargantuan contraption around it. 

He then squints his eyes so as to not be a witness in his own crime… But- Oh! How long he had waited for this very moment. The fawn shakes uncontrollably until it shoots up, knocking the hefty helmet off of its head. 

He-e-lOoo my MaaAs-TeR it whispered softly. YES! YES! The mad scientist exclaimed. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard nearby. The scientist’s heart dropped. What was he to do? How would he return everything to a state of normal within the next few seconds? He rushed to the front of the room, locking the door instantaneously. Perhaps the footsteps were not headed toward his room, he pleaded. As the steps grew louder, he could reassure himself no longer. Knock, Knock, Knock! 

He was greeted by Mrs. Delaney, who rolled her eyes upon entry. “Newton! The boss is expecting your results from specimen 124508 pronto! I’m here to collect the paperwork.” “ahh yes. About that…” muttered Newton, offering a sheepish smile. MaAsTeer! the fawn screeched in the background. Mrs. Delaney raised an eyebrow, alarmed. “Newton! Are you hiding something? What was that?!”

“No! No, of course not! I am just.. uh.. watching television and did not want to be caught off duty. I’m incredibly sorry Ma’am,” he said bowing his head apologetically. 

The woman shook her head, finally exclaiming “alright, whatever, I’ll let you off easy this time, but I’m expecting those papers ASAP. That means 3 hours tops, mkay?” 

“Uh, y-yes of course! Good day, ma’am!” The plump woman strode off, annoyed as ever. 

Newton fell to his knees, gasping in relief. It was now time for him to forge the data for the young fawn: specimen 124508, that is. Fawn! Get over here. NOW. YEeesS Sire.. The fawn hobbled over to the scientist, staring directly into his eyes. 

“Fawn! I am about to inject you with Dawn’s dish detergent. I want you to record your symptoms on this paper and I will return shortly. You got that?” YEeEes, I thInK so SirEee. The scientist poked his head out of the door once more, scanning the hallway for human life. He then injected Fawn with the vibrant blue detergent and left the facility to enjoy a rather peaceful lunch break.

Eventually, Newton trudged down the winding hallway, stopping at room 326; ‘Dr. Delaney Ph.D.’ it read, across a small golden plate on the door. Looking down at a large stack of papers, Dr. Delaney mumbled “come in.” She looked up, taking off her new pair of red cat-eye glasses. “Ah. So, I assume these are the papers I requested 3 hours and..” She paused, looking down at her watch “ONE minute ago” she finished. “Yes, I am truly sorry Ma’am, I was making some finishing touches; You know how it is.” “No, Newton, I do not know how it is. Indulge me, please.” “Oh, well. Nowadays, so many scientists have taken to killing their animals for fun. It’s hard being one of the last remaining-” “It was a RHETORICAL question, Newton,” her voice boomed, as she shook her head vigorously. “Oh, in that case, I suppose I’ll be on my way. See you around Delaney?” he responded nervously. “Oh goodness me, I sure in heaven’s hope not.” Dr. Delaney replied. She really scared Newton sometimes, but his questionable relationship with Dr. Delaney was the least of his problems. For instance… Had he seriously left Fawn unattended once again?! As the thought surfaced in his mind, the mad scientist rushed back to his room, slightly panicked. The door creaked open.

Fawn was nowhere to be found.

Process

Last year, my English teacher prompted our class to create a Sci-fi story that exposed real-world problems. Given my vast love for animals, I settled on addressing the controversy of animal testing. I began by drafting a highly descriptive paragraph depicting the story’s initial setting. This helped me envision a clear layout of the rest of the piece. Within a span of one or two weeks, I had typed out several drafts on a Google Document and received feedback from my peers.

This year, I was looking through past assignments when I stumbled upon The Scientist and the Fawn. I decided to revisit this creation, given how much I had enjoyed writing it in the first place. Then, there came an opportunity to present an individual composition in our Girls Write Now Core Group session. I immediately knew I wanted to present this piece in order to receive more extensive feedback. I presented an excerpted version, but was pleasantly surprised by the responses I received from other mentees and mentors. This ultimately inspired me to submit the piece for the 2023 Girls Write Now Anthology. I am so incredibly grateful for all the wonderful feedback I received along the way, and have learned that revisiting past pieces may serve as a great and comforting learning experience.