The clinking of keys shoves me toward consciousness, awakening the burning pain from the unhealed wounds on my chest. The sting of my injuries only reminds me of my pure hunger, evoking a feeling I'd become all too familiar with— dread. I knew what was coming next, but with little to no energy from the earlier experiments, I can only silently pray they'd pass us by. But God never answers the prayers of monsters like me.
Hearing the bolted lock turn, I brace myself for another round of torment. You'd think that after hundreds of years, reliving the same day on an endless loop, I would have grown used to it, become numb to the anticipation of what comes next. But I haven't. The creak of the metal cell door cuts through the silence, a sound that turns my insides to ice and sets my pulse racing with panic.
"Please, I can't do anymore."
Upon the registration that those aren't my whispers, my head snaps up looking for the source. Scrabbling up onto my knees, I make my way over to the bars of my cage, watching in horror as Cierien is hauled out of his own cell by two tall men in all black.
"Take me," I mumble, voice too hoarse from the screams forced from my throat not long ago.
With what little strength I have left, I clear my throat and force out the words, trying to command the attention of the two men. "Take me instead," I rasp, the effort sending a fresh wave of pain coursing through me. "Tell Dr. Adair I can handle it," I add, gritting my teeth to keep from wincing.
The two men barely glance at me, chuckling lowly under their breaths before continuing down the dark hallway. "Please! I can handle it— just leave him be!" I wail, growing more hysterical at the thought of what the Doctor may have in store for my friend.
If it's anything like what I endured today, there's a chance he won't make it. He just isn't strong enough, especially with the amount of meals he's been missing. My cries go unnoticed as the sound of footsteps recede— until there's nothing left but complete and utter silence.
The calm before the storm.
"I promise I'll get us out. I promise I'll end it all."
I repeat it like a mantra. I repeat it until the sounds of his screams drown out my broken sobs.
YOU ARE READING
Patient A-3
RomanceIn the wake of her parents' passing, Avalyn Adair returns to her childhood abode, seeking closure and a better understanding of the events that shaped her younger years. As she delves deeper into the mysteries of her family, she uncovers a shock rev...
