“I had planned on letting you recover a bit more before questioning you,” Jim’s father said with false concern, “but it seems you are too impatient to wait.” He reached over and placed his hand on my forehead, closing his eyes for a minute before he let go.
“It appears you are nearly recovered, but not completely - so I think we will take this slowly.” It took me a moment to realize he was indicating that the creatures should come and stand by the table, there were three of them, though I could have sworn that only a moment ago there was only two, or was it four? It was like my mind was clouded in some way.
“Now,” Jim’s father said with a cruel smile. “You already know what awaits you if you fail to answer so lets start from the beginning, how did you escape being under their control?”
“I don’t know.”
“You had better not be lying to me, explain.”
But there wasn’t anything to explain, other than I had arrived late to work that morning and that I was simply driving around with my partner checking into all the bizarre accidents.
“Well,” Jim’s father said in a speculating tone of voice. “I suppose you could have been missed since the initial control was set in place before you arrived, but that still doesn’t explain how you are able to see the creatures or how you managed to free Jim from their influence.”
He gave me an expectant look and since I knew he would harm even his own son I answered. “I don’t know why or how I managed to free Jim.”
His flat stare of anger told me that he did not believe me. “You’re lying. Not only should it be impossible for you to free someone, but you shook off the drugs, you can see the servants,” he indicated the creatures with a wave of his hand. “And you freed Jim from their influence. So I’ll say it again… how did you do it?”
“It’s the truth, I don’t know.” But his angry look told me he didn’t believe me and seconds later I was once again hit by the dark lightening that had been used on me before. It was every bit as painful as it had been the first time. Several times he asked me the question and each time I was punished since he did not believe me that I was telling the truth.
“Please,” I finally begged him, my voice harsh and hoarse from the screaming. “If I posses some power that lets me see them or to free others… then I am unaware of it.” I cringed, expecting to be punished again, but to my surprise he merely grunted.
“That is possible, I suppose.” He looked straight into my eyes, “We’ll find out if you do posses any power.” He smiled cruelly, “You might even be useful.” He snapped his fingers and the skeletal creatures turned to face him.
“Place her in a cell and be sure to use the proper restraints.”
I had no strength to resist once they un-strapped me and started taking me out of the room, pausing when Jim’s father spoke up again. “Remember, this time, if you do escape - Jim will not be spared the punishment.” Upon finishing the creatures dragged me out of the room and started down the stairs.
I still didn’t know what was going on, nor did I understand why they were so willing to harm their own son. Just the thought that they might have used that horrible dark lightening on him was enough to make me sick. A short while later and they had me before what had to be a cell door, moving to grab what appeared to be some shackles hanging on the wall.
What the hell? Since when did anyone use restraints like that? They looked like something out of medieval times! But nothing could have prepared me for what happened when they were put on; a set on my wrists and a set on my ankles. The moment they were done, it was as if something in them was stealing my strength and I felt dizzy from the effect.
Then the door was opened and I was rudely shoved inside, stumbling and falling to the floor. I knew, that so long as the chains were on, stealing my strength, I would be stuck in this horrible place. I managed to turn over and look back at the door, just in time to see it slam shut with a boom that seemed to send me spiraling into darkness…
And then… I was lying on my own bed, staring at the ceiling for a long moment before I turned my head to look at the alarm clock to see that it was almost time to get ready for school. There were no restraints on my wrists and ankles, and the room was none other than the one in the apartment where I currently live.
