“Here goes nothing,” Faraz muttered as he took off. Sneaking into the staff’s wing at night was almost impossible without a friendly guard and some money. Groping the walls and flashing his torch for only a few seconds, Faraz soon found himself in front of the vent. The corridors were long, the night dark, and with the alternate guard absent, the risk was worth it. He went in headfirst.

The world beyond the grate was a labyrinth above the basement floor. A basement that even the chief troublemaker had never heard of. Curiosity and daring — a fatal combination that could prove deadly — urged the boy to move forward. The spin-the-bottle dare of stealing the upcoming quiz’s marking scheme was long forgotten as the new thrill of uncovering this mysterious place took over him. He could hear muffled voices and movement below.

There was a strange stench in the air, one he didn’t stop to figure out. He moved on, torch between his teeth, crawling painfully on the hard stone base. Finally, he saw an outlet, a kind of trapdoor built into the floor above the basement. It had a glass surface. Hastily wiping it, he lifted one end to peek inside.

It was a laboratory. A laboratory in Crescent Boarding School! The setup was bizarre. Long six-foot tubes lined the circular room, each holding animals — rabbits, snakes and monkeys. They were strapped in odd positions, with open wounds across their bodies. Checklists were taped beside each container, as if the subjects were being closely studied.

Faraz spotted Dr Saleem, the principal, pacing the room. He swept glances at the subjects, stopping to speak to the men in lab coats with him. After a while, he clapped his hands and raised his voice.

“Gentlemen,” he began, his voice booming without the usual microphone he used every morning in assembly. “Today is a big day. We are finally seeing an end to Operation Morsep. After 243 days, I present to you the fruit of our efforts.”

A bearded man handed him a rabbit. Dr Saleem injected a tube of bright green liquid into its abdomen.

The bunny squealed and then went still. Dr Saleem set it on the table. At the other end of the room, someone released a grey mouse.

“Hungry, little guy?” Dr Saleem stroked the bunny. “Fetch.”

To Faraz’s horror, the rabbit pounced on the rodent like a starving feline.

“Do you see, gentlemen, how this little animal defied its nature to obey me? This is what I wanted. This is what I’ll get. A decade of living underground, hardly making progress, and now I will finally rise. Not far from here, 200 boys sleep — 200 ready slaves, my army!” He threw his head back and laughed.

“I’ve waited so long to test this on a human. The wait is over. And look — our first subject has volunteered himself, walking right into my trap. Tariq, bring him in.”

A sharp beep echoed. The trapdoor under Faraz’s hands suddenly slid open, and he tumbled into the laboratory, hitting the cold floor. Dazed and terrified, he looked up just in time to see the twisted, triumphant face of the headmaster staring down at him.

“No! Please leave me!” Faraz cried.

“On your feet at once! It seems you were up late reading a storybook again, and now you’re late for school! You have just 10 minutes to get ready,” his mother’s voice rang out.

Faraz blinked. He was in his own bedroom, safe and sound. Relief washed over him — until he realised the clock was ticking. With a groan, he leapt out of bed and rushed to get dressed for school.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 27th, 2025