Hudson was seen sitting in a small white room, a metallic square table to his left and an empty chair on the other side of the small table. His right hand was handcuffed to his chair, as he stared at the ground. his hair was still wet after they let him take a shower, as well let him seek some medical attention for the cut across his head. He was wearing a new set of underwear and pants under his hospital gown. He listened to the ticking clock above him and began to tap his foot impatiently. 

The door suddenly opens as a woman wearing black pants, a white button up, and a brown vest and tie. She set down a folder onto the table along with two water bottles. 

"You must be thirty. I'm Detective White, but you could call me Michelle." She sits down across from him. She opens the folder and looks inside. "Mind telling me what happened in the forest Mr. Young?” Hudson looked at the water bottle as he felt water dripping down his face. He looks down at his feet.

“You wouldn’t believe me…”

The detective looked puzzled, but asked anyway. 

“I’m here to listen okay? I just need to hear your side of this story.”

“Lauran took me to the forest after the wedding, she told me there would be a beautiful garden inside…  after a while we found it. We laughed, we played, it was like a dream. We realized it's been five hours, and we're about to leave, but-  But, when we're gonna leave. We were attacked by this thing. It was a monster made from nightmares. It stabbed her with its hands and cut me across the face. We ran and ran, till she collapsed and couldn't run anymore… She told me to run before she died then and there, lying against a tree. I kept running as that thing kept chasing me… it was only till I jumped over a stream of water did it stop. The sky was dark, and… and I was arrested."

The woman stayed silent before looking up at Hudson.

"Tell me what really happened Mr. Young. And you have not been there for hours, you two have been missing for nearly two weeks." 

Hudson’s eyes widened, he looked around the room in panic.

"That can't be right! We were just in there for a few hours! And that is what happened! I almost died today! Lauran died today! I can't even think of making this up!"

"Mr. Young, please do not raise your voice. What you are saying is hysterical. There is no garden in the forest. Look."

She placed the folder onto the table and showed an array of satellite images… there's not a single opening, no garden. Just trees…. The trees, the trees were alive. He saw them move. They're fooling everyone one.

"T-That's not right. Lauran and I were there! She said Hank and Jenna told her about it!"

"They must've just been referring to folklore, about the Eternal Garden. It was never real, there's no evidence that the garden ever existed. I should know, I even used to look for it as a kid."

"No you don't understand, miss! I took pictures of it! It was beautiful, Lauren and I even laid on the flower beds! I just need my camera and I'll prove it! I promise you! It should be in my old jacket!"

The woman shakes her head.

"You didn't have a camera in your jacket Hudson. You are only making this worse by lying."

"I'm not lying! It must've fell when I was running away!"

She raises an eyebrow, but nods.

"Maybe just drink some water and calm down. Okay, let's say everything you say is true. There is no evidence saying you didn't kill Lauran. With blood found on your shirt ,unfortunately, her family is determined you killed her."

"But I didn't-"

"I get it. I could see that now, you’re not the type of person to kill someone, you’re too… What's the word? Squeamish, scared. In the triel… I can't say this is better than prison, but you need to do this…” 

Days later, six hours into his trial Hudson is seen sitting at the witness stand. Everyone’s eyes staring at him with disappointment, rage, and bloodlust. He was back in the forest with monsters around him once again. Over at the Plaintiff’s table sat Lauran’s sisters and lawyer. He was one word away from going to what some people called hell on earth. He couldn’t, he’s too weak for that, he and his family know that… even if they think he killed Lauran. 

He looked down at his feet as he grew goosebumps just remembering the forest…  He truly had no choice. No one would believe what he knows…

“Mr. Young, how do you plead?” The court asks him. Hudson clenches his hands as he looks up at the judge.” Hudson remained silent as everyone stared at Hudson in confusion. The judge then speaks up. “We'll need your testimony on the stand.”  He remained silent. “Solemnly swear to tell the whole truth. So help you son, now raise your right hand.”

Hudson raises his hand.

“Father your honor, may I explain? My brain has lost it. I would never want to hurt lauren. I've a good heart, but albeit insane. I saw a monster kill her, and try to kill me too. Maybe I did kill her? But I don’t believe I did.” Everyone began to mumble to each other. “There was a monster in the forest, it stabbed her and cut me across the face. I tried to save her! I really did!” 

Everyone began to talk between each other louder before the court went silent as the judge’s mallet was heard.

“I’ve heard enough. Condemn him to the infirmary.” Two guards grab Hudson by the arms and begin to pull him out of the stand…

That was six weeks ago. He was recently sent into a private institute, a private Laboratory of Graceous Labs. two armed guards were seen walking beside him as he wore a branded uniform. A white T-shirt with white sweatpants. However his shoulders had something printed onto it. It read…

00

“Um, is all of this really necessary?”  Hudson asked the two, but they said nothing. Suddenly they stopped in front of a steel door. One of them grabbed his arm, as the other went ahead, and opened the door. His eyes widened at the sight. The room was all white. There was a single mattress in the corner, and a large wooden chair in the middle with shackles and wires attached to them. “No, no, don't put me in there!” 

The guards pull him into the room, before pushing him down into the chair. As one of them held him down, the other began to strap him down.  Hudson tries to pull himself out of the shackles, but the chair wouldn’t budge. He suddenly felt someone place some sort of helmet on his head. Hudson watches as the two guards step out of the room. Hudson looked around the room, he looked to his left to see a large mirror on the wall. The floor and walls were covered in white padded cushions, suddenly the door opened back up as a man in white stepped in.

“Hello Mr. Young, you may have multiple questions.” The man walks around the panicking Hudson, as he places his hand on the remote tied to the chair. “You’ve been donated to Graceous Labs for a new set of experiments. We noticed two things, one, you’re a criminal, murdering a woman in cold blood.” He picks up the remote and stands in front of the young man. “Second… you’re insane, you believe monsters exist, and that it killed that woman? That gave us the opportunity to have you under our jurisdiction for these experiments.”

“Experiments?”

“Yes, however, before we start them… we need to cure that broken brain of yours.” The doctor presses a blue button on the remote. In an instant, Hudson began to scream from the top of his lungs as electricity flowed through his body. Sparks flew from the chair as Hudson's body jerked around before the doctor pressed the button shutting it off. Hudson breathes slowly as the doctor looks him in the eyes.

"Answer me this. Was there a garden in the forest?"

"Y-Yes I was the-" before Hudson could finish speaking he was electrocuted again. As sparks flew from the chair the doctor looked down at the man, with a smug smile.

"There is no garden in the forest." He then shuts off the current. Hudson began to pant, as some of his hair was fried from the electricity. "My name is Dr. Kane. We'll meet again tomorrow, patient Zero."

The door opens behind him as he walks out leaving Hudson all mess. 

Day after day, night after night. Hudson would be shocked over, and over again for believing what he saw… this kept going for what felt like years. 

After a few weeks, Hudson remained silent, which earned him more shocks for not responding to questions and orders. Slowly, his brain grew more and more fragmented. He began to stare at the ceiling for hours. And speak silently to himself, as if he was talking to a friend.

Unknown to everyone, he captured a virus, one of a monster in his blood. His blood grew darker and darker by the day, as his skin grew paler and paler. 

'When will this end? Why don't they just kill me?' Hudson thinks to himself. Why is he still breathing? He should've died long ago. 

Doctor Kane suddenly walks into the room. Hudson began to panic as he struggled around in the chair.

"Calm down or I'll shock you early." Hudson hesitantly stops. The doctor brings in a chair before looking at the mirror. "You're probably aware by now the mirror is a one way window, correct?" Hudson nods. "We've been observing you this whole time for a reason… to tell you the complete truth. We've started the experiment the day you were put into that chair. We noticed something when we first took you in. You were infected by something. Black blood cells were seen in your system, and I was expanding. That was till we started electrifying you. It slowed down exponentially."

"W-What are you talking about?"

"We need to break you before we complete the experiment…"

"W-what?"

"With the harsh truth." He grabs the remote and hovers his finger over the button.

"Wait! I beg of you, have mercy on me. I was just a boy! I plead, have sympathy for me!"

"Silence patient zero. Here's the truth, the thing you hoped, but feared to hear. There is a garden in the forest. There was a monster in the garden. And your girlfriend was killed by a monster." Hudson’s eyes widened as he began to tear up. Doctor Kane presses the button…

—

He was in the garden, surrounded by the beautiful, yet haunting flowers. He brushes his hand through the field as he sees a silhouette in the distance. His feet felt heavier with each step towards them. 

"Everyone is against you here… they give all they got to break you." A deep voice tells him. "And you gave your all to live, till you were down." Hudson looks to his right to see a void of darkness with white beady eyes. 

"What are you?" Hudson managed to ask. 

"The infection, just rest Hudson." The void whispers. Hudson chuckles weakly. Hudson kept walking towards the silhouette in the distance as the void watched him. Hudson stops two feet away from the figure, who is still facing away from him. He reaches out for them…

"Lauran?" The figure turns around, revealing Lauran, as beautiful as he first met her. Hudson began to tear up before hugging her. Hudson softly falls to his knees as she wraps her arms around him.

"Shh, it's okay Hudson… you're safe."

"I'm tired, Lauran… I'm so tired," Hudson muttered. The void watched the two embraced, before looking towards the trees. They succeeded in breaking Hudson’s mind… but they didn't know he wasn't the only one inside.

Back to reality, Hudson’s body was lifeless as he slumped over in the chair. 

A guard walks into the room alerting Doctor Kane.

"Doctor, the kids are walking up in their respective rooms."

"I see. Get their injections ready," Doctor Kane looked at the lifeless Hudson one more time before he shook his head. As he walked out of the room, Hudson's eyes, now void of all color, rolled up towards the door… and blood, dark as tar dripping from his lips, as his teeth bared his teeth in anger.

Hudson’s story ended that day, as all that was left now… was a fragment, turned to a monster