Inktober #29: Injured

"Mr...Hawthorne, is it? Thank you for coming down to the station."

"My pleasure, officer."

"We're happy to see you've recovered, Mr. Hawthorne."

"From what I understand it was a rather sticky situation, but I am glad to be here as well."

"And you've been told why we called you in?"

"Yes."

"If you wouldn't mind...so we can get a clear idea of where to begin."

"Of course.

The rain is coming down hard, enough to make you shield your head and take cover under whatever awning you can find. The ionization is already in the air, you can feel the charge building. Soon enough the static storm will begin and anyone out won't remember a thing in the morning, if they survive at all. The shielding in this area broke down years ago, and none here have the political power to get the right people to do the right thing. All you can do is watch from the insulated windows of your insulated home and hope the repairs you made yesterday will hold.

And you can watch the people in the street, and hope for them.

I am in my insulated room. I am checking my repairs around the window. I glance out at the street. I am distracted by a knock at the door. I walk to open it as the beginning theme of 'Port Limel' is playing on the set. I open the door as it ends.

It has no face.

What is standing there does not make sense.

Its body is tall and short. Limbs extend beyond where they should and are simultaneously a completely normal arm reaching into the doorway.

It has a suit of black. It wears casual workout clothing. There is a red scarf around its neck.

Talons from a bird clawed hand reach around my neck as I stumble back to the tune of the intro to 'Port Limel'. Its shadow reaches behind to close the door behind it as it holds me there and a thousand-needle tentacle wraps around my mouth to stop my scream.

It throws me to the floor and my head is turned to see Richard Pendergast, the actor, I forget the character's name, running through the storm into Rita Lenari's arms, the actor, I forget the character's name, before a cloaked figure shoots him in the back and the end credits of 'Port Limel' start playing. Another one is on next. I wonder if I'll live to see the finale.

I feel the axe tear into my skull. And again. It is eating my brain like a slice of pie. One slice fills it and it looks out the window to see Richard Pend...no. It takes a picture. No. There is a flash. There is a storm. Rita Lenari will lose her memory in the morning, if she sruvivs at ll.

I can see hr as I li in the stret. The rin is fllng. A red scrf trails from me arnd the norner. It is ther. Itis ther. There is light.

There is more light. It is gone. I can see the staff around me, hear the whizzing tools. I tell Dr. Abergast, no. I tell Dr. Abernathy what I remember as he sits calmly by my bed and the hum of the protective field sounds like the intro to 'Port Limel'. I try to remember that the scarf I see isn't real.

I go home. The door is busted. The seal on the window needs fixing. Another storm soon. I can see where my cranial fluid left a stain. That at least was real.

And now I'm here."

"And now you're here. Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne, for your recollections. As you might understand, we're still trying to piece together the reality of your situation from the obvious changes undergone to your memory from the injury."

"Of course."

"And it sounds like there's still some damage surrounding the memory. I'd like to put you down for another stay with Dr. Abernathy to see if we can't pull anything else out if you don't mind."

"I would appreciate that."

"Good, good. After all you appear to be the only witness to these murders, and only survivor of this perpetrator's assault."

"Yes. I need to start remembering."

"We'd like that too, Mr. Haw-"

"I need to start remembering."

"Yes, Mr. Hawth-"

"Please. Please. I need to start remembering."

"Mr. Hawthorne?"

"I need to remember the scarf isn't real."

"Mr. Hawthorne I need you to calm-"

"I don't hear it. I don't hear it."

"I'm going to call Dr. A right away okay?"

"That isn't real. You cannot be."

"Hey can I get-....help..."

"You cannot be. You cannot be."

"What...the..."

"I see it. I see it. It's there. It's there. It's there. The talns on its hand are in yu, do you see it? Mr. Pendgrast? It lks pie. Brain. I mst repair the window. What a lng red scaf. I'm runng through the ran to Rita Lenari. A thousnad-needles in my eyes. It likespie. Itliks. Dr. A? I am injured.

Dr.?...

You're...I'm....there's..."