Harmless Savages

Exedon

My eyes open suddenly, the bright white light of the room burning my retinas. "...Ugh..." I groan as I rub my eyes, hoping to relieve some of their discomfort. I look around me, taking in every detail of the room in which I was held. I was confined to a tiny hospital bed. There was a low hum that filled my ears, along with the steady beep of a nearby machine. I try to stand up, but my attempt is futile, for several needles reside within my arms and wires prevent me from moving.

I notice that across the room from me, there is a simple alabaster chest of drawers. This container seemed to be the only other piece of furniture within the room besides the bed. The next thing that caught my attention was the door - or the lack thereof. This simple detail gave the impression that I was entrapped within the interior of this space, with no knowledge of what the exterior held. Just then, I realized I was being watched due to the fact that there was a large window to the front of me.

Inside, I could see other creatures, none of which resembled me. They were burly monsters of substantial size, with callous pitch black skin. The colossal beasts stared intently at me, observing my every move. As I gawked at the monsters, I happened to make direct eye contact with one of the beings for a long while. The creature would not break our gaze, its void eyes scorching my soul.

As I stared into the abyss that was the creature's eyeballs , I began to wonder, what is this mysterious being? What am I doing here? I pondered these questions for some time, but to no avail; I was more confused than I thought was possible.

********Several Hours Later**********

That night, I decide that it was time to try and communicate with these celestial beings. I open my mouth to speak, but my throat is rough and my words come out as a grunt. I clear my throat and attempt to make words once more and my trachea is on fire. I need liquid to soothe my aching esophagus. "C-Can...I...have...so-something...to....d-drink?" I manage to say, my voice feeble and broken.

I hear a whoosh and in comes a small metallic container, which rests on the chest of drawers. I was baffled by what I just witnessed. How did that bottle get there, and how did the creatures expect me to reach it with all these machines hooked up to me? I start by attempting to remove the two needles that where located on the inside of my elbow, one on each side. I wince as I rip them from beneath my delicate skin. Next, I remove wires that were stuck to my chest with a sticky adhesive. I shifted my body to the right of the bed, my feet hanging over the side. I push off the bed with my hands and land on the cold hard floor.

I was surprised with the feeling of the tile on my bare feet. My body feels incredibly heavy, as if I was carrying the weight of a thousand men on my shoulders. I inch my foot forward slightly, testing my overall stability. With great effort, I am able to make it over to the dresser and obtain the water bottle. I twist open the lid and hungrily take long gulps of water, its contents dripping down the sides of my face. I finish drinking and set the bottle down and wipe my mouth with the back of hand. I hear a click and I glimpse over to my left to see a monster standing before me.