In the Belly of the Beast

34

Fear was taking over. Geoffrey's nostrils flared and his chest heaved. It was impossible to get enough air. He felt as if he were drowning.

There was something in his mouth – a tube. No, not a tube in the regular sense. It was fleshy and round and had a soft end. It seemed to be pushing its way farther and farther down his throat. He needed to relieve himself, he realized, but when he let go of his water, a strange, ammonia flavor burned his tongue.

He gagged and choked, but the tube would not be expelled.

He wondered if his wrists were bound. He could not move his arms. He no longer felt the throbbing pain from the wound she'd torn into his hand with her teeth.

But she didn't have teeth. Hadn't had choppers for over forty years. A knife. Maybe she'd had a knife.

Who the hell cared anymore?

He only knew that he'd awakened feeling like someone was ramming that damned tube down his throat. He'd barely managed to voice his cry for help before it choked off his voice completely.

God, what had she done to him? How had she done it?

At the end of thirty minutes, the man looked at the lady.

"It's time," he said.

They rose in unison from the table where all three had been sitting silently, expectantly.

Sam had no clue what they were waiting for but he couldn't help but pick up on the electric air of anticipation that passed between the man and the woman.

It seemed to Sam as if she grew younger and more beautiful with each passing minute. The trio began their journey down an endless hall. It seemed endless to Sam for with each step, he experienced a growing sense of dread. The excitement he'd felt had melted away as quickly as an ice cube in a boiling cauldron.

The man's hand rested on Sam's back, palm side against the space between his shoulder blades. It was as if he felt the man's skin pressing his own through the material of his shirt.

Slowly they walked, their steps unhurried. Whatever they had waited for was now complete. Sam sensed it.

Step after weighty step. They came to a door at the end of the hall. The light was not so good here. The brightness of the kitchen fixture faded as they made their way down the hall. As they stood in front of the door, its dim glow barely touched the darkness. Here the rays were gray and weak.

The lady looked at the man and smiled. She reached for the knob and with a twist, the door opened.

Their silhouettes could just be made out – woman, boy, man. Sam stared with wide-eyed unbelief, his features awash and faintly red from the alarm's glowing LCD.