Death and All His Friends

Brainwashing

Key Eight: Brainwashing:

How long has he been in here? Time has no meaning here. It could've been decades for all Allen knew. A dreamy smile spread across his face. Ghostly hands rested all over his body. He can hear the voices again.

Submit. Surrender. Give yourself over. Surrender. Surrender. Surrender.

Fingers trembled his spine. Allen let out a soft moan. He couldn't move. The hands were holding his arms and legs in place. Not a tight grip but the angel was held in place. He started to close his eyes again. Tendrils spread out in his limbs. One of them caressed his cheek while another wrapped around his neck. A thicker one shoved its way into his mouth. He started to feel a gentle tug on his genitals. Those voices filled his head.

That's right. Just relax.

Allen looked like a limp little doll in a sea of sweet pink.

Relax. Relax. Relax. Relax.

This wasn't right. But somehow...

Allen couldn't put a name to this feeling. A ghostly hand caressed his chest. Fingers dipped into the skin. The tips touched his heart. He let out a little muffled gasp.

"Ah!"

More tendrils wrapped around his body. They started moving up and down. The one in his mouth started to go further down his throat. The voices kept talking to him.

Give yourself over to me. Relax. Relax. Relax.

He took in slower breaths. Feather-like kisses touched his neck. His heart rate started to slow down. It felt like something was replacing his blood. Somehow, Allen was okay with this. One tendril started to caress an optic nerve as it teased his innocence eye out of its socket. His breathing muscles began to relax as well. The whole time that voice whispered in his ear.

Relax. Relax. Relax.

His heart slowed to a stop. Then his breathing stopped. Allen suddenly went still. His whole body went limp in the invisible hands.

The open version of him was dead.

Allen opened his eyes moments later. How many times has he died here? He's lost count by now. There's not that voice anymore. It's so.... Quiet. Is he missing an eye? He doesn't move to check. He can't move. The angel didn't have a body. He was still there. He was still him. Right? There was something he was supposed to do. What was it?

Shhh. Don't worry about that.

The angel started slowly closing his eyes. That's right. Nothing really mattered anymore, did it? Allen's eyes were closed as the tendrils dug deep into his arm. It wasn't going to be long. It would only be a matter of time.

The angel fell asleep again. Was he ever awake during all of this? Does he exist at all? He had to. He was here. But where was here? Who was he again?

Shhh. Don't think about anything. Just relax. Relax. Relax. Relax.

Kisses rested on his invisible cheek. Airy hands ran over his body. Allen closed his eyes again. He disappeared again. The cycle was about to begin again.

Somehow, Allen didn't mind it. That voice was whispering in his ear again.

Just give in. Relax. Relax. Relax.

The angel felt himself slipping away into the deep again.

Yes. It feels good to submit, doesn't it?

"Yes." And then he was gone again.

Road sat in her room. She had been monitoring the progress for days now. The first round of sessions would be over tonight. However, she wasn't done yet. This was just the first session. It would take about four or five to make it stick for good.

She took a sip of her drink.

"Very good, Allen," she said. "I can't wait to see you tonight." A small, cold smile spread across her face. It was about time to go now. Road rose to her feet and walk out of her room. She was going to need more toys to test it out anyway.

That evening, Road made it up to the top floor. She stood outside of the tank and pressed the buttons on the door. She stepped back as the lid popped open. Allen lay in the fetal position inside.

"Rise," his mistress commanded. Allen slowly stood up. His eyes were empty. He had a broken, serene smile on his face. Road walked up and caressed his cheek. He felt so cold. Almost like a living corpse. This didn't bother her. He would warm up eventually. Road held out her hand.

"Come," she said. Allen struggled to climb out of the machine. He could barely stand up. His mistress had to try and hold him up. Road broke into a huge smile.

"Let's go," she said. She held out her hand. Allen took hold of her hand and followed her out of the lab. She nearly had to pull him along. He couldn't speak yet either. That was going to take a while too. Road didn't mind. There was plenty of time to get Allen through the basics again. And then she was going to fully break him in.

His mistress smiled to herself the whole way. All of that was music to her ears.