Scales

Chapter 3: No Escape

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Blade dropped his head down in defeat. After he had been caught by the strange creature, he had been dragged back to the secluded cabin. A few of the monsters with similar green and brown scale patterning had dragged him down to the basement. The sterile, white room had even more medical equipment in it than before. Blade had been strapped down to a silver table in the center of the room. He had tried to break free, but the leather straps were too strong.

As he laid on the cold metal, Blade tried to relax so he could think of a way to escape. Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore the pounding in his head. It felt as if his brain was getting ready to burst. Memories of his family and past kept invading his thoughts. His father's deep brown eyes that were just like his. Cooking banana pancakes for breakfast with his mother. The middle school play that made him want to become an actor. He needed to get out of here and back to his life. With a deep breath, Blade pulled against the restraints again.

"You can stop that. They're not going to break."

Turning his head to the side, Blade saw a tall man standing on the other side of the room. He walked over and stood above the table.

"What's going on? Who were those monsters that pulled me down here?"

"Monsters?" The man laughed lightly. "Oh Blade."

Rotating his shoulders in a circle, the man shook his head from side to side. Suddenly, the man began transforming. A forked tongue came out of his mouth, his hair retracted into his head, and his skin began shimmering in ebony and silver colors. The tip of a tail arched over his shoulder and black leathery wings sprouted from his shoulders.

"You're one of them," Blade gasped. "What are you?"

"Well, some humanoid figures call us reptilians, but we prefer the term superior beings. My name is Vortex." The reptilian creature leaned over Blade's prostrate body. "Now stay still, and this won't hurt much."

"What won't hurt?"

Vortex snapped his long, bony fingers. Three reptilians with blue and yellow scales and white lab coats came into the room. Without speaking, they began to attach white round pieces to Blade's temples and forehead. When they were finished, they stretched thin black cords from a large machine into the white circles on Blade's head.

"We're finished, sir."

"Good, start the process," Vortex replied.

One of the reptilians pressed a blue button on the machine. A searing pain immediately shot through Blade's head. Crying out, he writhed on the table. Finally, Vortex held up his hand, and the reptilian hit a green button. The burning slowly receded from Blade's brain.

"Did it work?" Vortex asked.

"Ask him."

Vortex looked at Blade. "Tell me who you are."

"What?"

"Tell me who you are."

"My name is Blade. Why are you keeping me captive? I've done nothing to you," Blade protested.

Lowering his head, Vortex sighed. "It didn't work. Go again until he remembers."

"Please, wait! No!" Blade pleaded.

The reptilian doctor hit the blue button again. As the blinding pain restarted, Blade screamed. He was back in his prison with no possible hope of escape.