Artificial

A sudden stop. A sickening crunch. Ear-splitting screams.

Flashing lights. A wailing siren.

Lights rushing over me. A steady beeping. Beeping stops. One long, held out note.

***

My head was full of cotton. My limbs felt so heavy. It was so hard to open my eyes. I wanted to curl up and go back to sleep. I tried to tuck my legs up against my chest but my feet didn't move.

I pried my eyes open. Above me was a bright light, like at the dentist. I looked down at my legs and my heart hiccuped. Past the knee length medical gown, my ankles were held down with metal bands. I tried to move my arms but they were held down too.

I began to panic. My body jerked up and down. I lifted up my arms and yanked them over and over again. With a snap, the band on my left-hand burst. I gasped and pulled on my other arm. It also came out far too easily.

I could sit up now. I leaned forward and fiddled with the bands at my feet. They were locked down tightly and wouldn't budge. I kicked out and the bands creaked. I jammed my fingers under the smooth metal and pulled. After a moment, the first loop flew off. Then the second. I was out.

My bare feet hit the linoleum and I slid off the hard bed I was on. As I walked to the door, something struck me as off. I stepped forward, then back. Instead of the usual soft, clammy sound of my feet on the floor, there was a clicking noise. And I couldn't feel the temperature of the floor. As I began to think about it, words began to appear on vision.

ROOM TEMPERATURE: 69 Degrees Fahrenheit.

I gasped and fell against the bed. The railing of it dug into my back but I didn't feel it. Instead:

PAIN. Please discontinue activity causing PAIN.

"No!" I swatted in the air like I could get the words to go away. I stepped away from the bed and ran my fingers through my hair. It was slicked back and still down. I couldn't feel the texture. More words appeared:

Remembering TEXTURE.

There was a jolt through my arms like they're being electrocuted. Suddenly I could feel my hair. I dropped my hands and ran to the door. I rattled the handle. It was locked. "Let me out!" I screamed. I hit the door. When the sound of metal on metal echoed through the room, I knew what was off with my feet. I looked at my shaking hands in terror.

My arms were in plates covered with a soft, flesh-colored rubber as if to camouflage whatever horror lay beneath. I peeled it back. My eyes locked on the metal. I turned my hand over slowly. On my fingertips were little, white round circles. One for each finger.

I began to hyperventilate. Between gasps, I tore at the plates on my arms. One was pried clean off, revealing a mass of circuit boards and wires. I dropped the plate and rammed my shoulder into the door. The hinges groaned. Another message appeared on my eyes, but I ignored it. I hit it again and the frame cracked. Once more and the door flew open. I peered down the hall. It was sterile like the room. I ran.

Identical doors zoomed past me. One opened just ahead of me. An older man stepped out, white lab coat on his shoulders. He yelled as I ran past. "Stop!"

Not for the world. My feet echoed through the hall. A green exit sign glowed like a beacon. I pushed open the heavy door with ease and emerged into a dark parking lot. A single street lamp glowed in the distance.

Before I could run farther, however, a sharp pain cut through my head. I gripped my head and fell to my knees. My fingers dug into my scalp. I didn't even know I was screaming. There was a snap and the pain dissipated. I lost control of my body and I fell forward onto my face. The door behind me opened. The man I had seen in the hall came out. He walked around me and crouched so I could see him better.