Those Who Fall
Five minutes
When she woke up her breathing was scattered. It was a short period after her baby had been placed in the vat. More than any other moment before I knew this all had to end.
"Jane, " I whispered. Her attention was elsewhere probably because she was trying to figure out where she was. "Jane," I whispered again. Victor was over near the control panel and I wasn't entirely sure if he could hear me or not. "Jane," her eyes darted to Victor and then to me."It's time."
I had no idea what the thoughts zooming around her head. The blood near her head was beginning to dry as she tried wriggling out of her brown leather cuffs. She was trying to make the least amount of noise possible until it didn't matter anymore, Victor was starting up the drill. The clamp closed tighter on my head as Victor tilted my head upward. He grabbed the handle on the industrial sized drill.
"Henry! Get over here and do this. I'll strap myself into the chair. Bring that gun when you come over here."
All I could see was the stained concrete ceiling from the pipes attached to it. I could hear the drill getting louder and louder the closer it got to my head. I flinched when Henry put his finger behind my hair line. His fingers were freezing. They were trembling. I shut my eyes so tightly I thought my eyes would sink into my head. The metal of the drill spinning and whirring sent panic through me. I couldn't hear myself praying over the sound of the drill. I wasn't sure if any sound other than the drill was real at that point but when I heard the drill stop and my head clamp loosen I knew she had done it.
My ears were ringing from the drill but then they began ringing even louder from a noise I'd only heard on tv. Immediately after my ears started ringing for the second time my metal restraints came undone. I tolled off of the table, catching myself in the ground. When I relaxed a little from my crouching position I saw Henry flee to a corner of the giant room and saw Victor step toward Jane's body slumped over on the keys. She was breathing but had to holes punched into the back of the shirt she was wearing. Before tackling Victor to the ground I heard the countdown. An automated woman's voice sounded overhead. The countdown to our deaths if I couldn't defeat Victor and bring Jane to safety. I had five minutes.
"Jane, " I whispered. Her attention was elsewhere probably because she was trying to figure out where she was. "Jane," I whispered again. Victor was over near the control panel and I wasn't entirely sure if he could hear me or not. "Jane," her eyes darted to Victor and then to me."It's time."
I had no idea what the thoughts zooming around her head. The blood near her head was beginning to dry as she tried wriggling out of her brown leather cuffs. She was trying to make the least amount of noise possible until it didn't matter anymore, Victor was starting up the drill. The clamp closed tighter on my head as Victor tilted my head upward. He grabbed the handle on the industrial sized drill.
"Henry! Get over here and do this. I'll strap myself into the chair. Bring that gun when you come over here."
All I could see was the stained concrete ceiling from the pipes attached to it. I could hear the drill getting louder and louder the closer it got to my head. I flinched when Henry put his finger behind my hair line. His fingers were freezing. They were trembling. I shut my eyes so tightly I thought my eyes would sink into my head. The metal of the drill spinning and whirring sent panic through me. I couldn't hear myself praying over the sound of the drill. I wasn't sure if any sound other than the drill was real at that point but when I heard the drill stop and my head clamp loosen I knew she had done it.
My ears were ringing from the drill but then they began ringing even louder from a noise I'd only heard on tv. Immediately after my ears started ringing for the second time my metal restraints came undone. I tolled off of the table, catching myself in the ground. When I relaxed a little from my crouching position I saw Henry flee to a corner of the giant room and saw Victor step toward Jane's body slumped over on the keys. She was breathing but had to holes punched into the back of the shirt she was wearing. Before tackling Victor to the ground I heard the countdown. An automated woman's voice sounded overhead. The countdown to our deaths if I couldn't defeat Victor and bring Jane to safety. I had five minutes.