A Pirate's Life For Me

First Impressions

I'm floating.

Falling.

Landing with a start and a sudden jerk in my chains, blinking around me at the (for once) bright interior of the cell. The old cell. There's no window here. I've been moved again? The door creaks open, my head snapping to the left. I'm in pain. I'm in a lot of pain, I know that. But watching the door is more important.

The doctor walks in, my skin chilling and rising on instinct, and I find myself shifting away, the chains stretching out to accommodate my movement until I'm tucked back in the corner as he walks down the long hallway between us, boots thunking the ground with every step.

Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

He stops in front of me and stares. I wait, shivering. I'm cold. I'm so cold. And I know that I'm in pain.

He screams.

I flinch away, curled in a ball as he shouts at me, mouth twisted in rage, insults raining with the saliva out of his mouth and onto my skin, coating it in a spray of liquid as he unleashes a mass of fury. I clamp my hands over my ears. I can't hear anything but his screaming. I'm crying. I'm in a lot of pain.

The doctor stops. Suddenly. Jaw snapping shut and he winces because it hurt. Instead he waves his hand at the closed door, and disappears from the long hallway, leaving me to stare down the darkened space myself.

It opens. A lady steps through. She's tall for a woman, taller than most men, long, tan, toned legs disappearing up a shin-length black patterned skirt. The skirt dissolves into a white blouse, unbuttoned, a thin chain dangling a charm into her ample cleavage, long, dark hair tumbling in curls around her shoulders. Her eyes, green eyes, squint at me in absolute hatred. Another blink and I recognize her.

"How nice to finally meet you again, Oliver," she growls, starting down the hall. I push myself back into the corner, curl my knees to my chest, hide my face in my hands, but hers are the ones wrapped around my eyes, pulling my head free. She rips my arms apart and I'm chained back again, immobile as she glints down at me, eyes sharp. "After you got Mother killed and tried the same for me, I saw you run after her husband. Figured you'd be dead by now. I'm not going to lie, I'm disappointed."

I squeeze my eyes shut and turn my head away, water misting my face again. "But then I figure, hey. At least now I have the honor to do it myself." Her voice echoes against the slick walls of the washroom, and the hose squirts to life, spraying on my face before she moves it away.

"Pay attention; he's going to drown!"

"Maybe I should kill you quick, sweet. But then again, Mother never got that luxury." The water splashes against my face and I cough, inhaling, throwing my head to the side to avoid the sting up my nose.

"Hurry up, fix him. You went through all that trouble, and he's just going to drown."

"So I'll just kill you slowly, with the water you so dearly love."

"Shut up, I'll fix him."

The water sprays up my nose, in my ear. She smiles, leans down as I squirm away.

"Dude, stop moving."

"Goodbye, brother dear."

Water lands sharp on my eyes as they jerk open. I sit up fast and fall to my side, losing my balance as the ground moves. Rocks.