Challenging Frequencies

Shocking

The table was old, creaking, a book placed beneath one of the legs in order to keep it from wobbling. He caressed the aged oak with his fingertips, smiling sweetly to himself as he hummed. He wasn’t alone for long, a woman joined him. He looked up at her, though her face was made of shadow. He squinted, trying to remember, but she was gone. Even her voice hardly sounded correct. He was forgetting something. 

“It’s so nice to see you smile again.” She had said, multiple voices dancing in unison, pretending to be the right one.

He only smiled wider, his eyes straining from the sensation, “I have to keep up my smile now that I’m famous.”

“Ah, even that fancy radio voice!” She giggled, slowly taking his hand into her own as she gently touched his palm with her soft fingers, “You’re like a whole new you, darling.” She seemed to examine his hand, practicing palm reading was one of her many hobbies.

“Ya know I’m still Al, ma.” He chuckled, bending forward to kiss her hand as his old accent slipped through, “Noth’n gonna change that.”

“Yeah… my lil Al…” She looked away, the shadows shifting wildly, her expression impossible for the man to read, “Do ya think you’ll move to a big city? Maybe find a lil wife in a big ol’ house somewhere? I could come visit. Wouldn’t that be someth’n?”

Al could never dash his mother’s hopes, knowing her dreams were lofty when it came to success. But he couldn’t lie to her, so politely he replied, “I don’t think I’ll ever wanna leave ma. You’re my home. Ya know that.”

She again felt so distant. Had he said something wrong? He was never good at face to face interactions. The doctors were quick to call him mute as a child, and now as a young man; he had a lot of catching up to do. Social cues were a total mystery to him. He squinted, trying so hard to see through the darkness. The shadows did not budge. His mother was a stranger, yet, she was the most beautiful being in the world. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but as he did he felt something on his face. He reached up to check himself with his hand, but it was stuck in place. He looked down, his mother’s hands turned into something else. Tentacles, or were they cables? He blinked a few times, reality began to melt, and he felt his skin heat up. He tried to pull away, but the shadow held fast to him. Then his arms were jerked behind his back, tied impossibly tight. He held his breath, his eyes pressed closed. His body was unbearably hot. 

“Waking up?” A low growl entered one of his ears, making it press back.

He was too sensitive, the room spinning. He felt like he was going to throw up, “W-what…” He finally managed to open his eyes.

He was no longer at home, laid in a large plush bed, his shirt ripped from his figure, arms tied behind him so tight that his flesh bruised. He managed to make sense of his surroundings after a long moment, his ears only pressing more firmly against his scalp, “What did you do to me?” He was nearly breathless.

“I simply got you ready for our reunion. You’ll thank me later.” Vox replied.

“Coward.” Alastor panted, pulling hard to release himself. 

He couldn’t budge his restraints, and worse yet, he couldn’t think straight. He had been drugged, his body in overdrive. It was like being in multiple heat cycles all at once. No reprieve from the aching it caused. No break from the dehydration as he pooled slick liquids onto the bed. He looked down at himself, his bare chest also bruised up. His precious bite mark had been covered with a sort of blue collar, which hugged to his skin much too tightly. He then noticed that he was completely nude. That only made his body shutter, anxiety building up inside his core.