The Vivisectionist (53 page)
He fought to get his eyes back open, but they kept slipping closed again. It was peaceful here, and he wanted to sleep, but something nagged at him—something he had wanted to do before falling asleep. He imagined reaching up and pushing his eyelids open with this fingers. That worked—he was able to see, and blinked the world back into focus.
“You are certainly a fighter,” said the man who sat next to the boy’s right hip.
The boy wanted to rub his eyes, but looked down and saw that his arms were tied down—strapped to the chair. It felt like every time he opened his eyes he had to re-learn everything he knew about the world.
“Too bad you didn’t fight more earlier,” continued the man. He looked at his watch and adjusted a dial on the side of the timepiece.
“I, thought. I thought you were,” stammered the boy. “I... you were.”
“Yes, I told you it was over. Don’t worry, I didn’t lie again,” said the man. “I’m just waiting on someone, and I expected they would be here by now.”
“Who?” asked the boy. He felt the need for more information. He thought maybe if he understood what was going on, he would be able to save himself.
“Don’t worry about it,” said the man. He looked up and stared into the boy’s eyes. “By the way,” he said, “I never really introduced myself.”
“Some people call me ‘Baal.’ That’s if they see me as half-man and half-animal,” the man explained. “When I was your age, people called me Jack, and I was once in a situation remarkably similar to yours.”
“Really?” asked the boy.
“That’s right. But that was over thirty years ago. I was strapped to a chair, just like that, and a killer tattooed my leg while he prepared to kill me,” said Jack. “I still have the tattoo. I’d show it to you, but it’s really hard to see. It’s white ink.”
“How’d you get away?” prompted the boy.
“My friend saved me,” answered Jack. He sounded distracted as he looked at his watch again. When he looked up at the boy again, he was smiling. “Okay, sorry, time’s up.”
Jack reached up to the IV bag connected to the boy’s arm and dialed it all the way open.
“My… friend?” the boy slurred. Suddenly his fingertips and toes felt like they were being stung by bees. He tried to jerk away from the sensation, but his limbs wouldn’t work. His lips began to tingle and his left ear heard a crashing wave, but his right only heard his own breathing.
Before the boy’s hearing failed completely, he heard Jack say one more thing: “Goodbye.”
His right eye closed and his left lid was falling. Just as he lost his vision he thought he saw the door behind Jack open. It didn’t matter any more. Seconds later the boy’s heart beat for the last time.
Ike Hamill -- 9/9/2008
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The Vivisectionist
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Ike
Lynne’s new job seems simple enough. All she has to do is look at dead people and spot the ones who might come back to life. Ever since Gregory burst out of his cheap coffin at his own funeral, you can’t trust a corpse to stay dead. Lynne only has one problem—Gregory seems to think that she is going to bring the end of civilization, and he has the resources to track her down. Running for her life, Lynne meets up with two other women and the three set off to save the world.
For thousands of years a supernatural killer has slept in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. An amateur ghost hunter has just woken him up. Now that he stalks the night once more, he’s traveling east. Although the monster’s actions are pure evil, he may be the only thing that can save humanity from extinction.
- Chapter 1 - The Boy
- Chapter 2 - Jack
- Chapter 3 - The Boy
- Chapter 4 - Ben
- Chapter 5 - The Boy
- Chapter 6 - Stephen
- Chapter 7 - The Boy
- Chapter 8 - Rescue, July 5th
- Chapter 9 - The Boy
- Chapter 10 - The Hotel
- Chapter 11 - The Boy
- Chapter 12 - Ben
- Chapter 13 - The Boy
- Chapter 14 - Kate
- Chapter 15 - The Boy
- Chapter 16 - Jack
- Chapter 17 - The Boy
- Chapter 18 - Stephen
- Chapter 19 - The Boy
- Chapter 20 - Jack
- Chapter 21 - The Boy
- Chapter 22 - Stephen
- Chapter 23 - Jack
- Chapter 24 - Stephen
- Chapter 25 - Jack
- Chapter 26 - Stephen
- Chapter 27 - The Boy