Skirted Spies: Season 1

Episode 11-3: Transparent Troy

Before I can get another word in, the entire room of people clears out and enter into the previous place that has the viewing glass. They stare at us from a distance, each putting on a pair of tinted goggles. Amelia was standing at the front of the group, pointing at a console in the room. She says something, but I can't read lips. Another scientist starts moving towards a console, and he gently rests his hand on a red lever, waiting for Amelia's signal. My ears twitch in anticipation, and I regret not asking her if this is going to hurt or not. I look to my right to see Clyde, his eyes are closed peacefully and his arms resting on the chair like he's at a relaxation spa. How can he be so calm right now?

I look back at the viewing glass just in time to see Amelia's mouth move. It doesn't take lip-reading skills to know that she says, "Now!"

The switch flips, and I'm greeted to the deafening sound of the machine's engine roaring up. It becomes so loud, my ears lower down as far as they can get. After fifteen seconds of non-stop gear-grinding, I feel my skin begin to burn. It's like having a sunburn at first, but it gradually gets much greater. Soon, I might as well be on fire. The heat is so intense, and the pain is unspeakable. A quick glance at Clyde's container shows that he too is suffering the same fate as I. His mouth forever opened to let out his screams of agony. I'm certain that I am screaming too, but the grinding engine would not let us hear it. I look down at my arms, the fur burning up and the skin boiling until it slides off like tender meat on a barbecue grill, showing bones underneath.

I'm not too sure about threshold factors, but I swear that I've reached my limit at how much pain it is possible to feel. It reaches the top notch, unable to reach any higher on my sanity levels. Finally, I feel nothing. I can still see the skin peeling off, but I can't feel it. My fingers collapse on themselves, breaking and contorting into horribly disfigured appendages, but there is no pain. The engine roars loud still, but there is another noise now present. It's a distorted, warping noise that you'd hear on some sci-fi show. Something like a portal opening. Lastly, my vision doesn't become blurry, it just goes completely white.

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McAllen, Texas: Hearth & Barker Residency

I remember every single moment of that hellish machine, but for some odd reason, I feel warm and safe. It's reminiscent of my childhood, when my dad would sit me on his lap and read to me, or when my mom would have me snuggled up next to her at the fireplace dipping her home-made cookies into a cold glass of milk. I open my eyes to see that I am laying down on my side on a very soft bed. The covers rest on top of me so gingerly, creating the perfect temperature for comfort. But there is something odd about this scene.

Across from my bed is another bed, but it's empty. Where's Clyde? I try to sit up, but the covers are much heavier than I thought. I place my arm between the covers and my body, barely noticing how furry the inside of it is. I push up, the blankets finally falling off, and that's when I see it. It's an arm! A grey-furred, beefy arm, and it's connected to a colossal dog sleeping next to me on the same bed. It's Clyde's arm. He has his arm wrapped around me while he sleeps.

With his arm and the blankets uncovering my body, I notice that I only have underwear on. I clasp a hand over my mouth to stifle a yelp as I come to the conclusion that Clyde is most likely dressed the same way. I carefully position myself to silently get off the bed, placing one foot down on the carpeted floor, then gently moving the other. I look around the room, it's apparent to me that we were stuffed into some local apartment complex while we were out cold. After all this commotion, I completely forgot about my initial problem. I raise a hand to my face, smiling at the sight of a fully-fleshed hand staring back. It worked, I'm not dying!

"Jeez, put some clothes on you pervert," Clyde says behind me. I spin around quickly, slightly startled to see him awake already.

"Clyde, it worked!" I yell, my smile is so big that it's a pain to present.