Paralyzed Motion

Finally, the day came. Amy had been paralyzed from the neck down for three months. After the FTL (Faster Than Light) Train crashed, paralyzing her, she was sent to a new hospital for paralyzed patients in Florida. She had been sitting in the same hospital room ever since. But it was all about to change. With the help of a machine she will move. "How's my favorite patient?" Dr. Isaac asked as he entered the room, "We have to get you ready for the surgery." "Surgery?" Amy asked. As far as she knew the machine would attach to her body, not go inside it. "We just have to insert a small connection to the brain stem, so that you can control it. It won't hurt a bit; you'll be under a sedative the whole time." The nurse rolled Amy on to her back and put a mask over her nose and mouth. Amy's vision faded. When she woke up there is a metal skeleton strapped to her arms, legs, feet, and fingers. Her fingers traced the metal spine that disappeared into the top of her neck. "Now before you can stand up, we need you to get used to using the device." says Dr. Isaac, "Your family is waiting in the waiting room. Once you're done you can go home." "Now, can you move your fingers for me?" the nurse asked. Amy wiggled her fingers. This went on for a few minutes until Amy could stand, walk, and pick up objects with ease. She skipped into the waiting room where she met her mother and sister with a hug. While Amy and her sister, Sarah, chatted excitedly. Amy overheard Dr. Isaac say something to her mother about it being a prototype.

Later that night, after going to her favorite restaurant for dinner, Amy went with her cousin, Ryan, to bike on the trails by the river. "I'm so glad you can move again. I missed having you here to hang out with." Ryan said, "Oh yeah, I forgot" He put his hand in his pocket and withdrew a whittling knife and a small wooden creature. "For me?" Amy asked. "It's a Panda, your favorite." He said, holding out his hand so she would take it. Amy reached for the figurine but instead grabbed the knife and plunged it into Ryan's chest. "What just happened?!" Amy exclaimed as she drew the knife carefully from the wound. "I don't know! You're the one who stabbed me." Ryan said as he frightfully got up and started running away. Amy's hand suddenly raised the knife and threw it at Ryan's head. The knife hit its target and Ryan fell to the ground. Amy ran up to him and was confused at what had taken place. She had killed Ryan, but she had not wanted to. He was like a brother to her and never did anything wrong. She hadn't wanted to kill him or even harm him. Then what had she done? She then remembered those three long months in the hospital and felt the cold metal against her skin. The machine that helped her walk had made her move. She hadn't done anything, it had. She decided to throw Ryan into the river so that she would not be blamed. Of course it wasn't her fault, was it? She rode her bike home and went straight to her room. She cried. Why was this happening? Before she could dry her eyes and go to the TV room, she heard a knock and the creak of a door hinge. "Are you OK? I heard crying." Sarah said as she walked into the room, "Do you want a hug?" Amy nodded. It was just what she needed. She approached her sister with open arms, but instead of wrapping them around her she grabbed Sarah's head and turned it quickly to one side. Sarah fell into a heap on the floor, dead. Amy couldn't believe her eyes. Whatever had caused her to kill her cousin had done the same to her sister. Sarah was only nine. Before Amy could start crying she marched down stairs. She couldn't stop herself. She went in to the kitchen and reached for the cupboard where she kept the matches. It was going to burn the house down. She tried to stop it but she couldn't. She tried to make her feet stop walking towards the living room a puddle of oil streaming behind her but she couldn't. She had entered the living room where her mom was sitting. "Mom" she yelled, "The machine on my back has taken control. I can't stop. I've already killed Ryan and Sarah. I don't want to kill you." By then Amy had dropped the bottle of cooking oil and started lighting a match. Her mom ran towards the door but was stopped by a punch from Amy's arm that knocked her out cold. The match dropped and the house went quickly up in flames. Amy ran from the fire. She could move freely again and had to do something so no one else would be killed. She had only one choice. She unstrapped the machine from her body, except for one hand. She reached to the back of her neck and found the part that connected to her brain. She breathed one last breath and pulled.

Later, the firemen found the bodies of Amy, her mom, Ryan, and Sarah. The machine was nowhere to be seen.