Love Lost

By the Big Friendly Walrus

Craig felt the pull of the hooks piercing his cheeks, stretching his skin from his face. He didn't know how long he'd been here, naked and strapped to this cold metal chair, but he knew it had been a long time. He'd hoped that time would make the pain of the hooks lessen, but it didn't. He still felt the icy coldness of each and every one, the sharp pain of each hole, the near-tearing of skin from meat.

There was a sudden new coldness as he felt part of the chair slide away from beneath him. A metallic whir told him what was coming next. Another probe. Another drill slicing through flesh and bone, testing who knows what. His pain threshold had certainly been tested, and he'd failed time and time again. The familiar bone-chilling terror seized him by the throat as the whirring got louder, and just before the flail started ripping into the flesh of his anus, he screamed the one name that gave him any comfort in this cold, painful place. The one name that could save him.

"Ashley!"

------

Time was liquid here. Craig had no idea how long he had spent in this horrible place. Days? Weeks? Months? It seemed like eternity.

Craig slowly opened his eyes and saw the last things he'd ever see.

A small claw-like appliance was hovering over him. Craig tried turning his head, but the clamps holding it in place prevented that. He tried closing his eyes, but they were propped open by hooks.

It moved forward with a small humming. Craig let out a scream. The claw reached forward and dug forward, gripping the eye and pulling it out with a jerk. Craig howled in agony. He saw through his remaining one the eye firmly caught in the hook's grasp, the placenta poking out like a mouse's tale in the mouth of a greedy cat.

The claw retreated. A drill came out. Craig knew what its purpose was. It moved forward with a whirring noise and plunged into the eye, tearing and shredding it into a pulpy mass.

Craig let out a scream of agony. It was as if all his sins; his bi-polar rage and his his lecherous behavior and mistreatment of women were all being paid back.

The blindness made it all the more unbearable. He heard a low humming in the corner of the room and the sound of the drill coming down.

This time it went for Craig's crotch.

Craig screamed louder than he had ever done before.

------

Ashley got off the plane. Joey Jeremiah was running towards her. "They've found Craig," he panted.

"Where is he?" Ashley asked.

"The hospital." He held out his hand, and Ashley bolted out towards him.

Mr. Simpson silently watched them go. He knew this wasn't for him. He'd wait.

------

Ashley silently read the medical report on the trip over as Joey drove. It was horrific: nearly one quarter of Craig's body was missing, and the remaining parts all showed signs of systematic torture. It was a wonder he was alive, but his kidnappers appeared to have gone to great lengths to ensure his survival.

Letting him die would have been more merciful.

They raced through the hallways of the hospital, making a beeline for the secure wing, where they knew Craig would be kept. A doctor attempted to stop them outside Craig's door, but Joey cold-cocked him. Ashley palmed the door open and raced to Craig's bedside.

Empty eye sockets turned to her as his one remaining arm stretched a fingerless hand to the sky. "Ashley? Ashley? Why won't you save me, Ashley?"

"Sssh, Craig, I'm right here," she said, taking his battered hand in hers. "I'm right here."

"Where are you Ashley? Why can't you save me?" Craig whimpered again, voice hoarse.

"Can't you hear me?" Ashley asked, biting back tears.

"Ashley, why won't you save me? Where are you?"

"I don't think he can hear you," Joey said, putting strong hands on Ashley's shoulders. "I don't think he can hear anything anymore."

"His ears are fine," she whispered.

"I know."

Ashley lowered her head and sobbed into Craig's palm as he continued desperately crying out for her and not hearing an answer.

THE END