Copper pipes

Preface ∞

Darkness wrapped around the cramped, rust-scented tank, exuding despair. The air hung still, anticipating something dreadful. Helpless screams echoed off the metal, cutting through the silence.

Iron shackles gripped the wrists, and straps tightly bound the ankles. Ragged breaths filled the lungs with the salty taste of fear. Blood pounded in the temples, making it hard to think. A sinister flicker pierced the gloom. An old surveillance camera's indicator, aimed at the captive, was on. The equipment, decades old and dusty, sat cold and silent in a distant corner, like a lurking tarantula. Faint crimson shadows cast across a pale face, highlighting the resignation in the wide-open eyes.

The red light faded, and the transmission cut off. A steel clamp ripped through the skin; bruises ringed the wrists. In a desperate attempt, the captive twisted their arms to reach the sneakers. A lockpick was tucked into the fabric.

Agonizing minutes of blind maneuvers. Painful twists of wounded wrists. Faint clicks of the mechanism. The elbow was pushed forward so hard that the skin at the collarbone nearly tore. The clatter of the latch; joints slipped through the bracelet. The right hand was free.

"Rush to the door; put the theory to the test."

A rough layer of iron sealed the wiring box. Numb fingers slid up and down the jagged seam, looking for a section with open access to the cable.

"Right here."

The distinct sound of the reconnection sent shivers down the spine. A red light blinked and went off again. Returned to the starting position: hands crossed behind to hide the lack of handcuffs. The transmission resumed. The victim angled their head, became still, and fixed a piercing gaze in the eye of the camera.

For a split second, an invisible arrow of terror pierced the cold-hearted viewer.