The Highwaymen: Greyest Night

Chapter 3

As they open the heavy door, a small can flies in. It bounces a couple of times before rolling to a stop at my feet. My eyes go wide as I recognize the can or rather grenade. As soon as it stops I see a bright white light and hear a loud bang. My ears begin to ring, and all I can see is the white light. All of a sudden I feel hands on my arms. I struggle to break free to, but their grip is like a vice. I cannot shake free. They pull me forward and I feel myself spinning. When I stop there is cold metal against my back. My body feels tied down and I can no longer move.

As my sight and hearing begin to return to normal, I realize that I am in a different room now. As I look around I see several people wearing white clothes with rubber gloves and masks. Several tables are in the room including ones with wheels which are next to me. They have knives, needles and several surgical tools. A small box on a stand of its own is close to the table. It makes a beeping noise very often. I begin to jerk and tug to get off of the table, but my arms and legs have been restrained by thick leather straps. I wonder if those claws could cut them, but I cannot move enough to get to the straps. I feel I sudden sting in my arm and look over to see one of them drawing blood while another is injecting some light colored substance into my other arm. For some reason now I feel light-headed. The room begins to spin. If I was not restrained to the table I believe I would fall off.

"Alright, you know the drill," one of them said with a nonchalant  attitude, " skin 'em, kill 'em, and throw him to the beasts."

"But sir," a somewhat younger man said, " this one still looks human." He pointed at me as he said this. The other man looked me in the eyes as he walked towards me. In his hand he held a scalpel. He took the blade and stuck it into the center of my chest. I cried out in agony as he moved the blade slowly down my chest splitting my skin apart. "No, he is far from human," the man said as he stuck his hand inside of my stomach. I can feel my body being stretched and ripped. My heart is racing and the pain is too much to bear. Suddenly he rips his hand out of my chest pulling blood and guts with it. In his hand I see a small mass of muscle that thumps rapidly. Blood pours from it. The machine makes one final beep that seems to never stop. The pain slips away, as does my vision. And then there is nothing.

* Later*

I open my eyes and see the bright blue sky. My body is warm and the sun shines on my face, yet the grass under me is soft and cool. I push myself up and lean back on my arms. A cool breeze brushes against my skin. All is calm. I can see nothing but this empty field around me for as far as I can see. Where am I? Am I dead?

"You're not dead," a voice suddenly breaks the silence. I jump up upon hearing it. Behind me stands a girl. She is probably 5'5''. Her hair is pitch black and flows straight down to her knees. Her eyes are black as well and her dress is red with flowers on it. It reminds me of what Japanese people wear. What was it, a kimono? "Though I don't know how," she continues, "you survived your heart being ripped out. It seems you are quite resilient, but you have to wake up now."

"Why," I ask confused, "am I not awake now?"

"You have been like this for 3 days; if you don't wake up soon you really will die," she said. She walked toward me and grabbed my left arm. She squeezed it digging her nails in and shaking me as she screamed, "wake up, wake up!"

I closed my eyes for a second. When I open them, I am no longer in the field. I feel a sharp pain in my left arm. I look and there is see a wolf, or is it a dog, more like a werewolf, biting into my arm. Instantly, I ball my right hand into a fist and smack whatever it is in the jaw. It whelps in pain and lets go. As I stumble to my feet the beast scurries into the darkness. Once I have my bearings I look down at my chest. I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of it all in one piece. I can feel my heart beating as well which makes me wonder if am somehow immortal. That's just ridiculous though, although it does appear that all of my wounds have healed.