The cockroach

Introduction:

Guten Tag! Doctor Lucifer Schmitt, my fake name is. Ever since I got here I had to create a

fake name so that I can cover my identity. Well to start off, my name’s Doctor Frank Lucifer. Son of

the Russian Army Force’s general. Brother of one little sister who died tragically. And my mum... well

she died while giving birth to my sister, so I didn’t really know much of her but from what I heard

from my dad, she was a caring mother.

I live in Berlin, working under the German Army. Discovering and learning new things about

science and health, I am the leader of the head group and currently in a big project called “TX

Operation”. Sorry, I can’t tell you what this is because I don’t completely trust you yet but what I can

tell you is that if this operation is successful the world will collapse in front of Germany. No one will

be able to outperform the weaponry of Germany. It’ll be hard to stop it. No. There is no way to stop

it.

Chapter 1:

A swing in the fist, he collapsed. Doctor Lucifer Schmitt, the leader of the German science

department realizes that he’s turning more into a German soldier. Cruel. Unforgiving. Filled with

anxiety he stops, helping his friend up while tears of sadness crawl down from his watery eyes.

“Sorry, sorry, I don’t know what’s happening to me” He whispers while taking a gulp of depression.

“Ever since I’ve been kept here as hostage... They’re still trying to find my identity, and when they

do… I will die.” He struggles to move and collapses in front of his apprentice.

“Sir? Sir? It’s alright I did deserve it! Sir? Sir?!” screeches the boy

Lucifer wakes up in front of his TV and sitting down on his comfortable chair. There’s a note

and today’s newspaper besides him. The note said ‘Doctor, you fainted... please call me when you’re

feeling better’. Nice guy, the apprentice, had always respected the doctor since his arrival to the lab.

The doctor takes a glimpse at the clock and when he does the clock strike 12.

*beep beep* *beep* *beep beep*

“Help… Help…,” said the voice. Lucifer clutched the phone. He had no idea who the

caller was. A girl about 14 years old, judging by the voice. The voice sounded very familiar too,

although he couldn’t quite put his finger on it

“Is anyone there?” he muttered

His voice was slurred and angry. Lucifer glanced at the clock. It was midnight. He’d answered

the phone at once, thinking it would be his apprentice ringing to say he found a new technique to

operate the ‘TX Operation”. The last thing he needed was a prank caller.

“Is anyone there?” he asked. “Who are you?”

The only reply was the unstable crackle of the static.

“And how did you get this number?” Lucifer asked “We’re unlisted.”

Another cough but this time the girl answered.

“I just made up a number and dialled it.”

Lucifer frowned. This had to be a prank. Thursday night, a day before New Year’s Day. Some

girls messing about. If he listened hard enough, he’d probably catch the sound of her sniggering with

her friends in the background. But all he heard was the laboured breathing of the girl at the other

end of the line.

“Didn’t you hear me?” mumbled the girl. “I, I, I need help. Or you’ll regret it.” There was

some weird exaggeration at the last 3 words. But Lucifer didn’t care, and knew that wasn’t true.

Why would an anonymous girl, this late at the night be calling a random person? This girl must have

been prank calling him, just to have a laugh over his reaction. But Lucifer would not fall for it. Lucifer

tensed his hands and said ‘I’m sorry but I think you got the wrong number” He immediately hung up,

without delay taking the newspaper to think about a different subject but before he knew it, he fell

fast asleep after he read the few pages of the newspaper.

Next morning, he woke up much later than he would have normally waked up. He felt

everything rather awkward after the phone call last night, unsure whether or not the events of the

previous night was real, or if it was just a twisted nightmare. He got himself up and dragged himself

to the kitchen, sleepily rubbing his eyes. But when he got in, the air felt stuffy and smelt like rust. He

sniffed the air then opened his eyes and saw the scene. It was too much to register at once. He

stared at the kitchen for what felt like hours before his mind realized the full horror of the scene.

There, sprawling on the floor was his dead cat, Jester. It was lying on the floor, drowned in a

sea of blood, the cat’s fur tangled and covering its eyes. The mouth was fixed in a position of a

scream. Lucifer was afraid that if he brushed away the hair from her eyes, he would see its horrific

eyes, imprinted with the image of transfixed terror. There were random plates and cooking pots all

over the floor and the kitchen was an absolute mess, as if there was a brutal conflict that took place.

The immaculate kitchen that he’d always spent so long dusting and keeping tidy was in ruins, almost

unrecognizable. The jar of white roses by the window was stained red. The picture of his mum

wearing an outstanding wedding dress was soaked with the ruby colour of blood. A cold chill

travelled through his spine. He was struck by confusion. Why, Who, and When... Did this?

The whole day went fast like a blur. Lucifer barely noticed the time go by. To him, time was

meaningless. What value did time have when all the things that meant the most to him was now

forever gone?

That night, Lucifer lay on his bed. Staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep, still traumatized by

the events earlier that day and the phone call he picked up early this morning… He turned to look at

his bedside clock. 3.45. If he was back in Russia 4 years ago, and his mother knew he was still awake

at this time, he would get grounded for sure. But now in Germany, Lucifer, all by himself, was certain

that his mother can’t punish him again. His mother would never talk to him again. His mother-

*beep beep* *beep* *beep beep*

Lucifer's train of thought was interrupted by the sudden ringing of his phone. He snapped

back to reality, wondering who could possibly be calling him in the middle of the night. Again.

"Hello?"

"I told you, that you’ll regret it…"

"Who are you? What have you done?!"

"Why didn’t you help me last night, why did you think it was a prank call?" A chill ran up

Lucifer's spine. How did she know he knew what he was thinking? How does she even know this

number? Question began to cram in Lucifer’s head

"Okay, I don’t know who you are, but I am going to call the police"

"Lucifer, I know you are not going to do that. The police cannot find me. If you tried to call,

you will be dead before they get here. All they will find is your lifeless shell of a body, and by then, it

will be too late."

Lucifer was shivering with terror and he was shaking the phone.

"Oh Lucifer... you poor, poor boy, do you still know that your sister’s alive?”

Lucifer shaking with fear clenches the phone and shrieks.

“What? My sister’s alive? But-but-but…”

"Lucifer, if you made out of the explosion in the house, then surely others will too.”

“Who the fuck are you? What are you? Where’s my sister? And how do you-“

*beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*

The phone call ended. Traumatized, Doctor Frank Lucifer stunned. Then collapsed. Then

everything went black. For the second time.