Hatchetfield Stories

You're Hurting Her

Can you believe I'm writing a children's book lmao

TRIGGER WARNINGS:
-Torture
-Tasers
-(Past) Injuries

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The alien wearing Paul's skin dragged Emma out of the hospital despite her struggles. Her leg felt like it was about to fall off, and she was on the edge of hyperventilating.

Hell, for the past two weeks, there hadn't been a single night she slept well, kept up by hospital noises and nightmares. 'The infection could be contained in Hatchetfield,' they kept telling her whenever she woke up screaming. Well, that was a lie. Because right now, she was surrounded by people she'd seen die right in front of her.

She was taken back over the bridge connecting Hatchetfield to Clivesdale, which they apparently let down again, to the HFPD, where Charlotte's husband, Sean... no, Sam, that was his name, was waiting for them, a grin on his face as he unlocked a cell and she was thrown inside.

Her leg burned, and when she looked down to avoid Paul's gaze, she saw red soaking through the bandages.

"Emma," he said softly, gently, like he wasn't going to kill her. She hated how normal it sounded. She hated how his voice saying her name made her feel all sorts of emotions. "You've hurt us enough. And actions have consequences."

Not elaborating, he turned around and closed the heavy cell door.

That was when the dam broke. Emma sobbed, screaming in frustration. For a few seconds, before he started singing, she thought he'd made it. She thought he survived. But he didn't. And neither would she.

*** *** ***

She was left alone for hours, left to let her mind wander about what they might do to her. Shit, it would hurt, wouldn't it? They'd kill her, but not before dragging out her pain, making her pay for trying to save the world.

When they finally came back, she immediately got to her feet despite the aching of her left leg. They still towered over her, of course.

Paul walked into the cell first, followed by Sam. Her breathing hitched when she saw him hold a taser, and though she hoped it was just to intimidate her, she could see in his eyes that he was excited to use it.

What she didn't expect was to see her professor walk into the tiny cell. "Emma," he said firmly. "We're taking you to my lab. Do not try anything, or we will kill you." Emma flinched when Sam grabbed her from behind, cuffing her wrists together behind her back. "Understood?"

Emma nodded, knowing she wouldn't be able to do anything against the horde of zombie fuckers that was probably waiting outside to make sure she made it to the lab. She'd seen the restraints dangling from the table the last time she was there, but hadn't thought anything about it. Maybe if she would've realized her professor wasn't completely sane then, she wouldn't be in this situation.

She limped along with them as they led her out of the police station, to the professor's house. Her leg protested, but she bit her lip and fought back the tears that threatened to fall.

When they finally arrive at the professor's house, she was brought to the lab immediately, forced onto the table, her wrists tied above her head, and her ankles spread out. The restraints were tied enough to cut off the circulation, and it didn't take long before her hands started to go numb, but that was the least of her worries right now, because though Paul and professor Hidgens had left the room, Sam was still there, pointing his taser at her.

She couldn't move as the pain spread through her entire body. Her back arched and she tried to curl up to protect her stomach, but her body disobeyed. Not that she could curl up anyway, with the restraints tying her to the cold table. She could hear Sam laugh as she lay on the table helplessly, just wanting the pain to stop.

It felt like hours before he pocketed the taser and left her alone with tears streaming down her cheeks. Though the worst pain faded quickly, her leg ached, and the position she was in certainly didn't help, neither did the fact that she couldn't get her painkillers.

If anything had gone according to plan, she'd probably be in Colorado by now, exploring her new house. For two weeks she'd thought Paul died blowing up the meteor. But even in her nightmares, he wasn't one of them. 'My own personal hell,' he'd called it. And now he's one of them, singing and dancing with the rest of those zombies. And he would turn her into one of them too, wouldn't he? He'd kill her, while singing some stupid bullshit song about how the world is 'better this way'.

Emma flinched when the door opened, and her professor entered, holding the door open for Paul, who sat down next to Emma. His eyes were dark blue and seemed to be glowing as he looked at her.

He smiled as the professor handed him a small blade, and went to unbutton her blouse, leaving her in her bra, shivering on the cold metal table. She tried to convince herself she was only shivering because of the cold, and not out of fear.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Why not just kill me?"

"Emma, dear. You've caused us so much harm," professor Hidgens said. "Actions have consequences." Emma winced as she felt the blade rest on her exposed skin, squeezing her eyes shot. "Paul. Go for it."

She tried to convince herself the scream that left her mouth was one of warning, not caused by the unspeakable pain as he sliced into her abdomen. Her back arched, and she was convinced her shoulder could pop out of its socket any minute.

She only opened her eyes when she hear Paul yell. "Stop!" His free hand shot out to grab his own wrist. "You're hurting her!"

The brightness of his eyes dimmed, then came back. She could see the fight between the two inhabitants of his body. Of course, she was rooting for the real Paul.

Professor Hidgens stood up from his chair. "Paul," he spoke, trying to grab the scalpel from Paul's shaking hand. But Paul was faster, and he stabbed the scalpel deep into the professor's chest, killing him instantly.

When he turned to Emma, his eyes were normal. He rushed to undo the restraints. "Emma, I'm so sorry."

"Paul? You're... you?"

Paul laughed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I told you I'd never be in a fucking musical."

"But you were."

Paul hugged her tightly, though careful not to hurt her. "And I hated every second of it. Come on, let's get you patched up."

Emma nodded. Although the fight was far from over, at least she had Paul by her side again.