Memory of the Sun

The walls closed in on her, blocking out all memory of the sun. Mary couldn't remember what it was like to walk down a sunlit path, or sit beneath a tree with her love. The images were like a painting splashed with turpentine, all runny through her mind, leaving her hands covered in slime whenever she even attempted to touch their surface. She was just another number, a chew toy for the creatures that lurked in the dark hallways of her prison of space and steel.

The sound of scratching shuffles and the smell of rotted flesh signified the beginning of her day. The wall in front of her melted away like sticky tar and two creatures in the outside hall, tall black shadows wearing clothing made of flesh, still fresh and slick with blood that ran down their wavering black bodies. She stared at the clothing as a point of hope, knowing that someday she would adorn their bodies and finally be free.

"Get up," one of them said and Mary complied. The other creature remained silent, just like all the rest. Only one of them ever spoke and in her mind he was the Creature, something real and more dangerous, while all the others were just things. He ran his finger down her cheek and over her mouth, leaving a smear of blood that mimicked a the wry smile she used to have. The creatures grabbed her arms and started forward, down the cold black hallway, illuminated in red by a panel over their heads.

Mary walked between them, her bare feet barely touching the ground, which was a blessing, since they had long ago been scraped free of skin, leaving only dried blood and bone. They never healed her feet after their games, and Mary could only guess at the reasons. Not that she did much guessing anymore.

The creatures led her down the hall, past identical doors of solid steel. The further the walked, the louder it became, like a zoo of barely human monkeys screeching out in pain. She swallowed and continued to stumble along, and the two shadow beings smiled down at her with hungry grins.

"We have something special planned for you," the Creature on her right said. "You like surprises..." Cold water splashed Mary's mind and an image of a rose appeared in her head, crisp and white and scented with Spring. It's clearness made her body ache, unaccustomed to anything but dull scraps of a long forgotten life.

"You like surprises." John pulled a rose from behind his back and pressed it in Mary's hands. She looked down at the flower and ran her hand over the top, feeling the smooth silk of the petals tickle her fingers. She looked up and saw him smiling like a child, his dull blue eyes and thinning black hair as clear as the last day she saw him.

She blinked a few times, as memories flushed her head, clear and brisk like air around her. Mary backed away, dropping the rose to the ground as she starred at her husband.

"No." She shook her head. "This isn't real. You aren't real."

"What are you talking about?" John stepped over to her and placed his hand on her cheek, but she shied away from his touch and looked away.

"Mary, what's wrong?" John's voice sounded just like it used to, like the time he comforted her after her mother's death. Oh god, she remembered her mother. Her favorite confidant, who taught her to be strong and always had time to just chat like school girls over glasses of iced tea. And her father, who gave her the courage to go after her dreams, no matter how far they seemed at the time.

And her brother, the hot headed goof who would always be her best friend, even after John came into her life. And John. The only man who ever made her feel like a woman, who loved her freely and who she loved in return, until she thought she would burst.

"I..." She wrapped her arms around John, taking in his scent of whiteout and aftershave, leaning into his chest like a child. "I missed you." She started to sob and he held her close, bringing his head on top of hers.