Soul Eyes

CHAPTER TEN

Tharun's eyes opened, filled with sleep crud. When had he passed out? After Atrocious had left, looking very unhappy, Horror had continued his cruel torture. Tharun now donned tubes running from one arm to a different machine from the projecting one. These were not your standard tubes, they were large in diameter, boring holes into his arm. A green substance traveled through the tubes and into his body. Tharun had asked what it was but Horror would not answer any of his questions. He did not feel anything abnormal but based on the most recent experience, nothing good would come of this.

Horror rolled around the room on his chair, moving from one station to another. He would jot down a few notes and move on before repeating the process. Tharun tried to lift his head, forgetting about the strap holding it in place.

"So what about the bathroom?" Tharun croaked out, his voice hoarse from finally caving and screaming.

Horror chuckled and answered without looking up, "You have a catheter in."

"Okay but I've got to take a shit so what do we do about that?" Tharun asked bitterly.

Horror rolled over to the table, lifting a bag filled with brown sludge that had been hanging from the table, "You also have a rectal tube. I gave you some pity and knocked you out before inserting it."

Tharun wanted to vomit.

"You're sick, you know that?" Tharun grimaced, the visual now stuck in his mind.

"You don't know the half of it," Horror replied.

He took another blood sample, storing it with the others he had collected.

"What are you going to do with all that?" Tharun asked, using the time to glean whatever information he could before Horror got bored with his current project and administered more pain on him.

"You are one of the mouthiest patients I've ever had," Horror shook his head. "And you haven't really cried yet."

"Do what you will," Tharun sighed. "Just tell me what it is. I'm going to die here anyway right?"

Horror nodded, "This is true but for safety reasons, I won't divulge that information."

Tharun closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, he assumed Horror had given him some knock out medicine because he was getting on his nerves. Good.

Tharun was back in the still pool. He was the only one there. Why had he come here if Slaith had not summoned him. Tharun turned in circles looking for a hint of who or what might have brought him here. Only blackness filled his vision. So, Tharun began walking in a random direction, his fcalves gliding through the water that merged back together without a ripple.

Tharun did not know how long he walked. His legs did not tire and his stomach never rumbled. Just when he was about to close his eyes in an attempt to wake up, a blur of a memory flashed around him. Tharun followed it, trying to pin it down mentally. The memory slowed but did not stop, cruising at a steady pace around him in circles. Tharun watched as it unfolded.

He saw himself on the table. Horror was coming back in the room after dispensing the tray of skin he had sliced off of Tharun

"Were you born looking like that?" Tharun heard himself ask. Horror was placing the bandages.

Horror slapped him. Tharun flinched watching that, remembering how much that had stung.

"I used to be human you know," Horror said softly, standing over him. "My adventures have led me to this body and I do not regret a bit of what I have done to get here. Maybe, if you come around, Atrocious can teach you a thing or two."