Don't Speak

Mr. Humphrey

I open my eyes to find Julia still unconscious next to me. Blurred vision and a headache overcome me. I have to sit back using my right hand for support while my left hand holds my head. When I'm finally able to realize that we're in a dark room I panic.

"Help! Help! Please!" I start yelling. No reply, no noises, just me and Julia in a silent room. There's a loud echo and I realize it's the big steel door opening. A man with a white mask on walks into the room. I start backing up until my back is pressed against the wall. The man gets really close and holds his finger up to his mouth. I start crying and he grabs my hair making me screams. "Don't speak!" he says in a deep raspy voice. I shut my mouth and fall onto the ground.

Julia wakes up and I grab her and cover her mouth before she can scream. I can tell she's crying my the wetness that covers my hand. I move my hand and hug her. "Julia, you need to listen to me. Stop crying. Don't say a word, and do whatever he says." She nods her head and wipes her eyes. There's the echo of the big door opening and the man walks in again.

The man walks over and grabs me by my hair once again and pulls me to my feet. I let out a scream and Julia screams as well, "Stop!" she yells. I put my finger to my lips. "What did I say!" the man yells while yanking my hair. I cry out but he continues to drag me to a chair in the corner of the room. He sits me down and yells for me to stay put. Too scared to do anything but obey him and sit quietly, holding back my sobs. The man disappears into a closet in the room. I hear some clanking then the man emerges from the closet carrying a box.

I look around the room and see Julia softly weeping on the other side of the room. When the box opens and I see what's inside I gasp. The man pulls out thread and a thick needle. I reach up and feel my lips and start crying. "Oh, don't cry hun. It's better this way" the man tells me. After he finishes threading the needle, he comes towards me with another cloth. He presses the cloth to my face and the last thing I see is the man with the mask, holding his finger up to his lips. "Shh, don't speak."

When I come to again I slowly start to see the figure of Julia sitting upright in a chair facing me. As my vision clears, I notice something peculiar about Julia's mouth. There's more thickness to her mouth now. Then my vision clears and I notice its thread, weaving in and out of her lips. I went to scream but realize mine are sewn shut to. The pain overcomes me and tears rush down my face. Then the horribly loud echo from the big steel door make my ears ring. Still dizzy from the substance on the towel I slowly turn my head towards the man with the white mask making his way towards me and Julia.

"Now how's that? You can't talk now! So much better this way, don't you think?" he says clapping his hands together, "So, for a formal introduction, I'm Mr. Humphrey. I like clean and quiet people" he adds putting extra emphasis on the quiet.