Six

Chapter Four

(Chapter Four)

"What did you do to me?" I hiss through clenched teeth, a wave of anger washing over me.

"Just a little tweaking, my dear." The doctor replies with a light laugh, his intense eyes following my every move.

I woke up a little over an hour ago, and haven't been able to do anything since. The bright lights shining down on me and the tightly connected walls leave me feeling anxious, a hot sweat breaking out on the back of my neck. My fingers continue to trace the freshly stitched flesh on my upper arm, the pain only growing worse as time drags on.

I lean back further in my chair and begin to rock, the legs scraping obnoxiously across the tiled floor. The doctor's face instantly twists into a look of disgust, his eyes darting down to the direction of the sound.

"Stop that," he whispers cautiously, his voice beginning to break.

I can't help but let out the start of a laugh, my eyebrows rising in mock surprise. "Oh, am I being loud?" I reply with a snort, rocking more quickly now. You could cut the tension with a knife.

His fingers curl into a tight fist, the knuckles whitening. I smile wider.

"Whoops."

The doctor is lunging at me without a second to spare, his meaty fingers easily wrapping around the width of my neck. The air is stolen instantly, a blazing fire now lit inside my lungs as they struggle to find more oxygen.

My head feels as light as a balloon drifting through the windy skies, black dots scattering across my eyes as they struggle to focus on my surroundings.

"Stop!" I slur, desperately heaving in a gush of air that refuses to enter my lungs.

The doctor leans down, our eyes now leveled. "Play nice and I'll return the favor." His fingers release me, an overwhelming sense of relief washing over me immediately.

Dropping to my knees, I continue to suck in the thick air around me, my body gradually beginning to refuel itself.

He takes a seat across from me again, the tension only thickening. I watch curiously as he suddenly grabs at a thin device sticking out of his pant pocket, his fingers tapping at it with a strong sense of urgency.

"Is it time?" He whispers into it, his entire expression transforming in the blink of an eye. It's as if a new person has replaced him. His eyes now reflect fear, but of whom?

The doctor slides the device back into his pocket with careful precision, his hand now signaling me to get up and follow in his lead. I don't hesitate for a single passing second, my wobbly legs pushing to keep up with the doctor's quick pace.

We walk through a long and skinny hallway for what feels like hours, the curved walls stripped bare and scrubbed to the lightest shade of white I've ever seen in my entire life.

Anxiety begins to sit in as the tunnel suddenly grows smaller, the dimming walls beginning to cave in all around us. I feel like vomiting.

We stop at a dead end. The doctor, him unfazed by the abrupt stop, pulls the device out of his pocket once more, his fingers tapping at it wildly.

I'm unable to look away. The once blank wall begins to curve in, a large black rectangle sliding forward. It eventually stops, a metal knob popping out and into the hands of the doctor. I'm left speechless.

"What the-"

A devilish smile twitches at the corner of his mouth, his wide eyes brightening at the sight. "It's a nifty little trick, huh?"