Darkened Shadows

Chapter 3

I really need to stop waking up due to passing out from pain a habit of mine. It's getting quite old. Once again, I am not on my cot, but rather, I am on the damn floor. The cot is literally three feet away from where they, presumably, dump me; just walk two more steps.

My throat is completely, and utterly raw. The collar rubs against the burns constantly and there's nothing I can do about it. The wounds are so severe, my healing can't do jackshit about them. I try to push myself off of the floor, but even slightly moving my body moves my wings, reminding me of yesterday's events. "Fuck," I hiss out and decide to just stay on the floor. Why should I make this easy for them? Today's the day, the actual day that I am to become Hydra's mindless soldier.

I've completely given up. After years of petty defiance and smartass remarks, I was done. Last night was my final chance of escaping, and I couldn't do it. I ended up with broken wings and a fast-track to complete erasure. It will take at least a week for them to heal completely, but by that point, I won't even remember why I wanted to escape in the first place.

I sighed from where I was sprawled out on the floor. If only I'd had a normal life. Who knows what the outside world is like? What people who didn't want to use you for personal gain were like? I'd never know. The only I'd know from here on out, was the agenda of Hydra.

The door opens, and in walks Clark.

"Get up."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I have no energy and my wings are broken Clark. If I move, I'll agitate them."

He glares at me, hard. Without a warning he grabs me by my hair and starts dragging me out of my room. My hands fly up to my scalp as I scream. I grab his hand and pull myself up slightly to lessen the pain. All of my nerves in my wings were on fire. I'm kicking and screaming as Clark drags me through the facility. What I said earlier, about Clark being the closest thing I had to a friend? Fuck that.

He shoves open a set of doors and throws me in front of him. Before I could process anything more, a group of guards were on top of me and picking up my sore body. I was tossed into a chair and strapped down. Ankles, wrists, across my chest and biceps, and lastly, my forehead were all secured to the chair. One of them removed the collar from around my throat, seeing as it isn't needed anymore. Even though I knew this was coming, I still wasn't ready for it. I tried to move, but it was futile.

The men part from around me and there he is: Gloughter. He has that stupid, evil, shit-eating, ever-present smile on his face as he walks toward me, hands behind his back. "The time has come 51437, for you to become perfect." The way he said perfect runs a chill through my body.

He grabs a helmet type thing from the table next to me. It's connected to the chair with several wires. It's also connected to a machine that I've only heard of: the Mind Wiper. Without another word, he fastens the helmet on my head and makes sure it won't come off. After he's certain that it's stable, he steps back and bends over to look me directly in the eyes.

"Do you have any last words as a stupid, rebellious teenager?"

I spit in his face. "Fuck. You."

He jerks away from me and snarls. "So be it then."

He walks over to the machine and starts it up. I can see him out of the corner of my eye, flipping switched and turning dials. A buzzing can now be heard throughout the room: electricity. I start to silently cry. I might as well be dying. Either way, I won't exist for much longer. Soon, only Shadow will walk these halls.

My pity party is interrupted by my head splitting in two. I didn't notice Gloughter finish his process and activate the machine. More electricity than I have ever experienced before was now concentrated solely on my brain. I couldn't see anything. The pain had taken over my vision. My mind was an inferno. An absolutely brutal and throat-ripping scream forced its way out of my mouth. I couldn't feel any other part of my body. All I was, all I could feel, was my brain. Not even my head, just my brain. Nothing else existed anymore, I didn't know where I was, or why I was there. All that existed, was pain.