The Anthem of the Castaway

Betrayed By the Enemy - No Surprise There

A few days pass and I feel myself getting healthier. My muscle mass has bulked up more even though I haven't exercised. My mind is more clear as well. It helps that I've slept well the whole time, having only short nightmares periodically.

My mind wanders to what Wolf is probably dealing with up in heaven. I wonder if he is ready for the big escape. I feel that I could be ready any day now.

My thoughts are interrupted when I see the woman return to my cell. This time she hosts an upset expression. She removes a syringe and needle from her shirt pocket and approaches me while a man comes in carrying chains.

'I'm sorry I couldn't keep the promise. I tried.' She tells me as she sticks the needle into my arm. Within a minute or two I feel drowsy and just lazily watch the two as they stand there. She leaves and the man seizes one of my wrists roughly. He shoves a sharp rod through my wrist, causing me to wince and pull my arm back. He maintains his grip and clamps the cuff over the metal rod, locking it into place on my wrist. He does the same with my other wrist, then attaches simple cuffs without the rod onto my ankles. I watch as he leaves my cell, quickly replaced by the woman.

"I know you said you didn't want any more drugs. This is just a standard anesthetic. It will just make you drowsy, that's all." She tells me out loud. I lift my head to look at her for a moment, but then sink my head back into the comfort of the pillow. She places and IV in my arm and attaches it to the chains running from my hands to the wall. She reaches through the bars and hangs the bag on the outside of the cell, then she turns and leaves without another word.

'I didn't know you told her you didn't want anymore drugs.' Father says to me in a mind link. Feeling drowsy, I wait a second before answering.

'I wanted to be stronger and in the right mind.'

'I'm proud of you.' He tells me.

I smile again and am tugged once again into a mostly dreamless sleep.

A few more days pass but I feel my wrists becoming increasingly inflamed. My cough starts again and this time I am coughing up much more than blood. I have no energy, not even enough to keep my eyes open for more than a few seconds.

I feel the IV get pulled from my arm and the woman starts obsessing over me. I hear her speak with Father for a minute, but then I fall back asleep.

I awake again to find her standing over me. I feel slightly more awake this time, but much less healthy.

'Don't let me die.' I tell her in desperation.

'I'll try my hardest.' She responds.

Instead of responding to her, I talk to Father.

'What happens if I come back with human wings?' I ask him.

'The war starts all over.'

'We can't let that happen.' I tell him before drifting off into sleep.

Once again I awake, but the woman is not here. There is another IV in my arm, but it feels hot and itchy.

'Go to the underworld.' Father tells me.

'What if I have the extra wings?' I ask him.

'You won't. Remember you are reborn in the underworld in your exact state.'

'Good.' I tell him. I feel myself drifting off again, but this time I know it's different. I know I'm not going to wake up.

I sit up to try and exert myself more. The best way to ensure the underworld rather than heaven is to deliver my death faster. I stand up, and when I feel dizzy, I quickly bend down and touch my toes, then go back again. I keep repeating this task until I collapse onto the blankets on the floor. I feel my heart beat harder then slow to almost nothing. I close my eyes and envision the depths of the underworld, completely denying the existence of heaven. Finally my soul slips from my body and I'm left to relive my years of existence on fast forward replay.