S t o r m Cloud

F o r t y T h r e e

「 F  O  R  T  Y T H  R  E  E 」

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" Get up."
The daunting voice of my guard bellowed as he banged his gloved fist against the metal of my cell door. Flinching I rose to my feet. The bare pads of my feet touching the coolness of the concrete flooring offering me some sort of relief to the ache of my skin. Hobbling forward I stood before the latch of my door. The creaking of latches being unbolted ringing in my ears as the small viewing door slid open revealing my guards hollow eyes. " Supper." The latch below opened at my feet as a tray was slid under hitting me in my toes. Internally wincing I bent down to grasp my tasteless food. "You've got 30 minutes to eat that before I come back." He said before closing the viewing latch. "Can you leave it open?" I asked trying not to stutter, the warm toned light from the hallway offering a form of comfort. Rolling his eyes he snapped it shut leaving me in my barely lit cell. The clouds had blocked out the sun today, like everyday in Gotham, but yet it all seemed darker. The electrical buzz of the full light above my head leaving little to the imagination. "Dick." I mumbled hobbling back to the makeshift mattress resting upon the floor. Taking the food in my hands I ate. Understandably the food was bland, barely containing any flavour. But it's not like I'm inside a five star hotel. These people only job is to keep me alive. To keep everyone in here alive until it's our time to leave, or were disposed of in their barbaric practices.

Scarlett was yanked from her cell by her hands dragging her forward, never letting her walk on her own. The two guards accompanying her becoming more and more familiar as their fingers dug into her  forearms forcing her forward as she stumbled over her own feet trying her hardest to remain slightly composed, to not show weakness. It was the same walk she usually did into Dr.Arkhams choice of office. Except this time he seemed to have just wrapped up dealing with another patient. The mans crazed look in his eyes turning to curiosity as he eyed Scarlett as the two were forced past one another. The mans classing hanging on the top of his nose as he rambled utter nonsense. 
" Don't mind him dear." The doctors voice rang "The mans got a deep fascination with conundrums." The doctors eyes barely meeting hers as he fiddled with the machine he had took a liking to using on her in their previous session. Scarlett was forcefully pinned down to the same surgical chair as usual, latched in place restrained from any movement. Her struggles still futile as the doctor began to set her up for her session. His hands forcing her mouth open to stick a piece of leather in her mouth. Her eyes wide as tears began to flow as she knew what was coming. The sinister hum of the electricity warming up, pulsing through the two prongs he positioned into her temples.
"Shall we begin." He asked cheerily as if he was a child in a sweet store. A sob leaving her lips as the sound of the switch being flipped was the last thing ringing in her ears.

Electroshock therapy, one of Doctor Arkham's most recent practises. He says that it makes his patients more compliant, but all it does is makes us feel like a fried vegetable, vulnerable unable to make our own decisions. The burning of my mind felt like a red hot branding iron being forced down my throat, the ache in my temples seering hot as i felt my head growing more and more foggy, like my mind was vibrating sending my senses into the numbing pain of pins and needles. The ringing in my ears as the warmth stopped flowing into my skull. My thoughts no longer pieces together to form anything logic. My flayed limbs falling limb as I slouched in place. The sweat coating my skin growing cold as the ringing in my ears continued to a sickeningly high pitched pace. "Patient AA02487SQ has been neutralised." The Doctor spoke as he recorded his research. His hand grasping my forehead lifting my limp eyes to him, a small light in his other hand shinning them into my pupils. " Pupils dilated" he said as the scratching of a pen filled the room. " Slight bleeding from the nasal passageway, a little disorientated. Beginning questions on patient." The scratching stopped followed by the sound of a pair of clicking heels. " Scarlett dear, can you hear me?" He asked, my eyes trailing to his questionably emotionless eyes. " Can you—." He began before I sent a small spray of bloodied spit onto his uniform. " I'm going to—." "Ask me questions? See if I've improved? See if I remember anything? See if I'm sane?" I retorted as he accepted the tissue from the woman who I could not make out properly, my vision still partly blurred. "Correct. How are you feeling?" Scoffing I slouched back into myself. " Just dandy." My sarcastic comment not going down well as he let out a sigh. " Scarlett. I cannot help you if you do not let me." His voice filled with pity. "Oh no, you aren't fooling me mr. Not again, not that string of shambles you've been using on me. How are you helping me huh?" My back straightening as I leant forward looking him deep into his iris hidden behind his tinted glasses. " You're a sick man." I spat pointing a accusing finger from my restraints. " You're not helping anyone. You sir, you're—." "That's enough of that." A woman said as I felt the cold metal of a syringe being embedded into my neck. " No—Get off me. What was that?!?" I asked frantically falling into a fit of panic. I can't forget. They always make me forget. I tried everything focusing on anything in the room to help my consciousness. To fight whatever is in that chemical they religiously inject into my body. At first it worked, counting the tiles, the cracks even how many times I blinked in a second but then it slowly began to wear off, the chemical taking full control leaving me in a swirling storm or emotions. My fragile consciousness at the centre fighting to hold on. It felt like fragments of my memory where falling away, my head feeling as if cotton was stuffed inside it. Like I had a permanent common cold.
But a person can only take so much isolation, lack of nutrition, exercise and physical torment. It was like something inside me snapped. Whatever it was, was what that pathetic doctor wanted. He'd achieved a small part of his goal, unlucky for him he didn't realise the consequences he'd just unlocked.

All that physical trauma wasn't good, I'd even bet he hadn't realised the mental trauma he'd put upon me. Not until whilst under the influence I attacked one of the guards. The reaction is received was a coy smile of fascination as the doctor scruffily took down his notes, my head pressed into the coldness of the tiled flooring as my regular guards held me down, their hands digging into my flesh. My outburst had gotten me time in solitary punishment. One of the guards feeding me through a tube through my nose. A guard sneered at me with vulgar insults of torment. " My job is to keep you alive sweetheart." He'd taunt as he'd press the foul food throw the tube that led up into my nose. " You're bitch ass is going to be treated exactly how you deserve to be." His hand gripping my cheeks as I'd glare into his eyes. " You're nothing, you'll wish you're dead once I'm done with you." His hand falling to my thighs sending a harsh smack across them causing me to wince at his physical contact. My head throbbing due to the feeding tubes that was down my throat. " You're pretty little face won't save you now." " Don't give me those eyes."
" Come on sweetness I liked it when you'd beg, beg for me."
His taunts only making me drown in the thoughts that I had whole heartedly began to focus on. The way I was going to make him feel once I got out of here. His rough hand slapping my cheek leaving behind a scorched red mark " I said beg." He screamed in my face leaving small speckles of spit splattered on my cheeks like freckles. His face so close our lips almost touching, his brown eyes a blaze as I drew my head back doing the only thing that came natural to me. Our heads colliding as I swung back in my chair. His groan of pain leaving a devilish smile upon my face, blood coating my bottom lip, smearing across my teeth as he sprung to life viciously grasping my hair in his hands yanking my eyes to meet his. " You're going to wish you hadn't done that." He seethed before grasping the syringe connected to the wire forcefully depositing the syringes contents into my body. The stinging sensation making me feel like I was being suffocated. But that bloodied smile never left my face.

He was going to regret ever hurting me.