Fenris Perrywinkle: The Great Galactic Duel

Chapter I: Bolted to the Ceiling

They come in brief flashes of light. Memories. Like some sort of frantic movie montage. Lights in the sky. Running through a forest. My hand clutching the hand of a woman. A woman that I'm deeply in love with. We are running scared. Something from the sky is chasing us. The lights perhaps? I hear her scream. She screams my name. She is yanked away from me. Upward, upward into the night sky. Darkness. Nothing.

I stare up at the ceiling fan that slowly turns above me. The room is well-lit and a comfortable temperature. The large window beside the couch I lie on is bright and fills the room with afternoon sunlight. This is much nicer than most of the psychiatry offices I've been in before.

Old Dr. Drew's mustache twitches a little as he finishes his notes. He looks over the glasses perched on the tip of his nose at me. "Anything else, Fenris?"

Yeah, that's my name. Fenris Perrywinkle. I still can't decide if the orphanage that gave it to me was some sort of drug den, or if they really just took an instant dislike to me when I showed up on their doorstep in a basket forty years ago.

I slowly shake my head back and forth. "No, that's it. Nothing new I'm afraid. The meds don't seem to be doing anything."

The good doctor picks up the bottle of bright blue capsules on the coffee table between us and squints at the dosage instructions. "Go ahead and double your dosage. I don't see any dire consequences if you do."

I sit up and place my head in my hands. "So, four a day now?"

He swishes his mustache back and forth for a second, then gives a little nod. "Four, yes." He places the bottle back on the table and makes a note of the new prescription on his tablet device. "Any last questions?"

I look up and shake my head.

He nods and presses a button beside his chair. A loud buzzing sound fills the air and the door to the room opens. Three armed guards in full power armor enter and level their energy weapons at me. "Up you go, prisoner 776. Nice and slow now. Let's see those hands."

 * * *

I still have no idea why they have to suspend me thirty feet in the air at the top of the maximum prison facility in northern New Mexico. It's one of those circular prisons that looks like a coliseum from ancient Rome or something.

I grunt a little bit as my arms and legs are pulled in all directions. I feel like some sort of art piece on display for all the other prisoners to look up at and enjoy. Everyone hoots and hollers whenever I have to go to the bathroom. It's like they have nothing better to do.

It must be about three o'clock in the afternoon now, because here comes little Tim. I don't know why, but I always get a kick out of watching him waddle under me and climb that huge ladder of his. Everyone will start chanting his name when he's about half way up. I swear it's the best part of everyone's day.

"Doc says you get two pills now," he says with a notable stutter.

I sigh and nod my head.

"Open up now. No funny business!" Tim presses the capsules to my lips and I suck them down without making a fuss.

I suddenly open my eyes wide and shout "Thanks, Tim!" at the top of my lungs. The little man yelps and clutches his ladder to keep from falling backwards. Laughter erupts all around us as the other inmates begin banging their metal cups against their cages.

"You... you promised!" the little man whined.

I give little Tim my best smile. "I know I did, buddy. But I just can't resist pleasing the crowd."

My little friend cusses under his breath as he starts the long trip back down to the ground. Poor little Tim. I shouldn't tease him like I do, but I get really bored suspended to the roof like this.