Black Room

BLACK ROOM

A DARK STORY

TERENCE IS DREAMING HE IS ON A TRAIN TO EL CAIRO. HE IS TRYING TO GET OFF THE BUNK, BUT HE CAN'T. SOMETHING IS HOLDING HIM BACK. IT'S NOT ONLY HIS FEAR,THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM, BUT A KIND OF LEATHER STRAPS ATTACHED TO HIS WRISTS. HE FEELS GLUED TO THE BERTH. ANGUISH OVERCOMES HIM...NOW HE CAN'T BREATH....HE'S SCARED!. HE MOVES IN HIS SLEEP RESTLESSLY TRYING TO SCAPE WHAT HE THINKS IS IMPENDING DISASTER.

HE WAKES UP WITH A START...OH MY GOD!....HE'S LYING ON A COLD METAL TABLE, LIKE THE ONES USED IN MORGUES, IN T.V. SERIALS. A MORTUARY TABLE...COLD, UNCANNY, FRIGHTFUL.

HE TRIES TO MOVE... HE CAN'T. HIS ANKLES AND WRISTS ARE TIED UP WITH WHAT IT SEEMS STRONG SILICON STRAPS.

HE LOOKS AROUND IN SURPRISE. HE IS IN A HIGH VAULTED CEILING, ENORMOUS,DARK ROOM. THE ONLY LIGHT COMES FROM A COUPLE OF SPOTS PLACED JUST OVER HIM, IN AWKWARD ANGLES. THIS QUEER LIGHTING MAKES THE FEW SHADES LOOK VERY LONG, IN THIS ALMOST EMPTY ROOM. IT HAS BLACK SMOOTH WALLS AND BLACK SMOOTH CEILING, AND IT'S BARE VOID, STARK; APART FROM THE TABLE WHERE HE'S LYING, AND A WHEELED NARROW SIDE-TABLE FULL OF SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS , TEST TUBES AND SYRINGES.

HE TRIES TO UNSTRAP HIMSELF ,BUT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. HE BEGINS TO SWEAT. THIS IS INCREDIBLE!...IT'S ENERVATING!... WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?...HE OPENS HIS MOUTH TO YELL, WHEN A DOOR OPENS AT HIS RIGHT. IT'S MORE LIKE A CREVICE OF EXPANDING LATEX ON THE WALL.

THROUGH IT COMES A SHORT BEING, DRESSED IN A DARK GRAY RUBBER CATSUIT. HE LOOKS... HE LOOKS LIKE A MIDGET... LIKE AN...ALIEN!. OH GOD! HE HAS BEEN ABDUCTED!

TERENCE IS REALLY SCARED BY NOW. HE'S SWEATING PROFUSELY. WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO TO HIM ?!...THE MIDGET HAS COME CLOSER AND IT'S STANDING BY HIS SIDE. HE IS MANIPULATING SOME OF THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE SIDE-TABLE. WITHOUT SAYING A WORD, HE STARTS TO UNBUTTON HIS SHIRT AND HIS TROUSERS. HE PASSES HIS COLD, DAMP, SLIPPERY SKINNY FINGERS ON HIS CHEST. HE STOPS ON HIS BELLY AND HE POKES IN IT WITH A LONG ,POINTING DEVICE, ATTACHED TO A SMALL BATTERY.

TERENCE CRIES OUT LOUD...THAT HURTS!...IT HURTS SO MUCH, HE CAN BARELY BREATH. HE FEELS DIZZY AND NAUSEATED WITH FEAR... WHEN HE THINKS HE CAN'T STAND THE PAIN ANYMORE, THE ALIEN TAKES THE INSTRUMENT OUT OF HIS BELLY AND PUTS IT BACK ON THE SIDE TABLE. IMMEDIATELY HE LIFTS UP SOMETHING LIKE A FINE WIRE.

IN THE MEANTIME,A STREAM OF BLOOD POURING OUT OF HIS STOMACH, IS RUNNING BETWEEN HIS LEGS . HE FEELS THE WET,STICKY TROUSERS GETTING COLD AND DAMP WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. HE STARTS TO CRY. THE GRAY BEING HOLDS HIS HEAD TIGHT AD SHOVES THE WIRE INTO HIS NOSE....OH NO!...BEFORE HE CAN REALIZE WHAT'S HAPPENING, THE WIRE IS POKING HIS BRAIN....HE FAINTS...

WHEN HE COMES BACK TO HIS SENSES, HE'S ALONE. THE ROOM IS QUIET AND WARM NOW. TERENCE HEARS THE RUMOUR OF A MACHINE CLOSE BY. BUT THAT'S ALL...NO SIGN OF THE MIDGET OR ANYBODY ELSE. HIS BLOOD,NOW DRY, IS FORMING A CRUST ON HIS BELLY. HE FEELS LIKE CRYING AGAIN....HOW'S HE GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE?

HE TURNS HIS HEAD TO THE SIDE-TABLE. THE FREAKY INSTRUMENTS ARE GONE. ONLY A PAIR OF STAINED RUBBER GLOVES, A COUPLE OF TEST TUBES AND A USED SYRINGE , REMAIN.

WITH GREAT SURPRISE HE REALIZES THAT HIS WRISTS ARE FREE!. SO HE BUTTONS UP HIS SHIRT, HE COMBS HIS DISHEVELED HAIR WITH STIFFENED FINGERS, AND TOUCHES THE BLOOD CRUST WITH AVERSION. HE LIFTS THE RUBBER GLOVES AND CLEANS THE MESS THE BEST HE CAN. CURIOUS HE LOOKS AT THE REMAINING TEST TUBES AND SYRINGE. HIS BLOOD AND TISSUE ARE STILL ATTACHED TO THE NEEDLE . WITHOUT THINKING MUCH, HE TAKES IT FROM THE TABLE... HE NOTICES SOME SIGNS OR SYMBOLS PRINTED ON THE SIDES, SO HE BRINGS THE SYRINGE TO HIS EYES.....HE STARES IN AWE....UNBELIEVABLE!...HIS HEART STOPS POUNDING....HE GASPS FOR BREATH....

THE SYMBOL ON THE SIDE OF THE SYRINGE IS A BLACK TRIANGLE WITH A RED SPOT IN THE MIDDLE. IN SMALL LETTERS HE READS....MADE IN U.S.A.