Pain flowing through my body wakes me up. I feel my muscles twitch, making me softly groan. Why was this happening?

The last thing I remember is Eros telling me Lily was gone, and... what happened? Something about… a ball? Everything in my head seemed fuzzy. Usually, my thoughts were fast and crystal clear, with no obvious flaws. Now, though, it seemed murky and slow. I couldn't even keep a thought in my head for more than a few seconds, even less know, what it was about.

I bit my lip, as an attempt to keep my head straight. It worked, but only slightly. I needed to get out of here… where was I again? Opening my eyes, I looked around. Or, tried to, at least. I couldn't. Not a mental thing blocking me. A physical thing.

Pointing my eye upwards, I see bits of metal sheets wrapped around my forehead, with a small hole in the middle. I could only guess that the rest of my body had the same treatment.

Time to get out of this place.

Yeah, this isn't a place I would want to stay put in. The floor a meter or two under looked fluid-like, as if it was liquid.

A problem we will overcome when we get to it. First off, though, we need to get ourselves out of these straps.

Thinking we should give it the same treatment as the robe from last time?

Why not?

With that, I begin my Shapeshifting. Like last time, the plan was to make a hand at the stomach and use the hardened nails to cut through the restrainment. Well, I would possibly need to make a couple of them, to get completely out of this thing.

But, I never had the chance. Just when I began solidifying the Pattern, one of the most painful electric shocks I had ever felt went through my body. I tried to scream, but my throat closed in on itself, stopping air from coming in and out. The electric shock stopped, but that didn't matter much. My muscles keep twitching and my throat was as closed up as before.

As I was doing my best to get my breathing up and running, preferably before I would black out from lack of oxygen, an inhumane laugh came from behind. It seemed sadistic in nature as if my suffering was giving the source of the laugh pleasure.

The laughter continued, slightly muted but still there, as I began hearing wet squelches. Looking to my left, one of the most hideous things I have ever seen came into my view.

It was a bipedal humanoid creature. More of a monster. It had no eyes, ears, or nose. The whole head was just for a massive, drooling mouth, which seemed to nearly go all the way around the head. It had no clothes, but that didn't matter. It had no skin to cover. Everything, from the bones to the muscles to the tendons, could be seen. It seems to pulsate ever so slightly every second or two as if something was around inside it. If I had the ability to, I would have vomited from the sight.

My assumptions about the floor being fluid-like had been correct. With every step that the hideous creature took, silver-looking, thick fluid would crawl up the legs of the creature. It would move around the whole body, even going inside the massive mouth, before going to the floor yet again.

“You”, the creature uttered, plasma falling out of its mouth like drool. “You are an outstanding example of your species.”

By this point, my throat had returned to normal, and I was able to breathe.

“Wha-”

I didn't even get to utter the first word before the electricity returned to me, this time feeling like it had increased by, at least, a tenfold. If the metal around me didn't hold me in place. I would be laying on the ground.

The creature didn't say anything, as I was getting my breathing back. A few times, a long tongue would stick out of the mouth, seemingly cleaning it lips, like it was awaiting a tasty dessert. When I finally could breathe yet again, it began to speak.

“Oh, what a shame it is. What a shame. You look so delicious! So… perfect in preparation!” The creature moved over to my right side and softly moved its long, featureless fingers across my arms. “Not soft, not though, but an elegant blend of balance.” It moved over to the middle of my body, with its head near my own. Too close for comfort. “And would you look at those eyes. Eyes that show contempt but also submission, rage but also terror, sadness but also vigilance. So complex, yet so simple.” Its tongue moved out of its mouth and slowly began closing the distance to my eyes. “A taste wouldn't hurt you, would it?” I tried closing my eyes, but couldn't. My eyelids refused to obey, and the sharp, elongated tongue was but centimeters away. I could feel the warmth emanating from it, and began the acceptance of the invietable before it suddenly retracted entering its mouth yet again.

It sighed, or whatever you would like to call an elongated screeched. As it moved a meter or two away.

“But, but, but. The creator has ordered, and I must obey, no matter what it may be. Do you know, whats that's like, little meat?”

I kept my tongue still, not wanting the pain again.

The creature laughed again, but differently than last. The laugh came not from the mouth but from the body itself. It would fold in and out, squeezing air-pockets around inside, making a loud, shrilling noise.

“You learn, oh so fast so fast. A shame. If you would just disobey, I could have a little taste of this delicacy. But, I should have expected nothing else, from one so obedient as you. You learned to be still so much faster than the pretty, little lady.”

Wait, pretty little lady?

No, it cannot be.

My eyes moved around, trying to detect even the slightest sign at who it was talking about. No matter what, no matter who else it might be, I would pray it wasn't Elora.

The creature stood still seemingly studying me, waiting for me to react vocally. Seeing I didn't, it seemed to sigh.

“This could have been so fun. So delicious. I just want you to give me a little taste. Is that too much to ask? Just tiny, tiny, tiny bite. You won't even feel it… after some time. The pretty lady allowed me to have so many, many bites. She didn't even feel it. Do you want to see?”

It was then I almost missed my ability to vomit, so I could express the revolting things the creature in front of me did. It took its hand right hand, and slowly put it inside its own chest cavity, pushing the organs away. It seemed to enjoy this, with those noises that came from its mouth. It pushed the hand further down, making almost the whole arm disappear inside before pulling out a repugnant-looking device. The device was slightly curved outwards and had an assortment of buttons and levers on it.

After the creature mashed off some of the black sludge of the device, which had been sticking on it, and pressed on one of the buttons.

From under me, a grinding noise appeared, and, after a few seconds, I turned, revealing this so-called pretty lady.

It was Lily.

“See… the pretty lady let me get so many bites. Isn't that right, pretty lady?”

She couldn't be alive. Nearly no part of her body was unhurt. On one hand, her nails had been torn off, and, on the other, the fingers were missing completely. Her right eye was nowhere to be seen, and her left ear had the top ripped off. Her hair had been torn off a few places, and her right leg, from under the knee, was no more. On her skin, teeth mark abundant.

“Speak, pretty lady. Say, how harmless it was. Say, how you couldn't feel a thing. SAY IT!”

No voice came from her. She didn't even seem to breathe. The monster seems to realize this, slapped itself on the head.

“Oh, how embarrassing of me! I forgot to give the pretty lady her voice back!” It pressed a few buttons on its device, and, from the floor, emerged a syringe. The creature took it and walked over to her. It stabbed it into her heart and threw the syringe carelessly away after that. It took a few steps back and waited for something.

I thought it might not have realized her state, but then I saw a twitch coming from her. Then another. Then two at the same time. And, then, she was moving around like crazy. Her single remaining eye opened completely and stared at the monster. It seemed glazed over as if it wasn't focused.

“Tell me, pretty lady. Tell me how it was painless. How you didn't feel a single thing! SAY IT, NOW!”

She answered by screaming. Screaming as if she had seen hell, and knew, what she was in for. She screamed like it was her single goal in this life.

The monster ripped off the front of her throat, and there was screaming no more. Yet the silence was much more deafening.

It walked over to me again. “See?”, it said. “Painless.” I spit on its face. It giggled. “Thanks for this gift. I will treasure it in my heart.” Slowly, its mouth opened more and more. It opened to all sides, revealing row upon row of sharp, shark-like teeth. As I looked into this maw of death, I smiled. Death due to defiance was a good way to die.

But, it seemed that there were other plans for me.

A loud beep emerged from behind the creature, causing it to nearly jump in the air.

“What?!”, it said, clearly shocked and frustrated. “But, but, it's too soon! I didn't even get a taste yet.” The monster's voice made it sound like it was on the brink of crying.

It looked up at me, clearly trying to contain itself.

“It seems our fun has ended earlier than anticipated. Hope we meet again. Stay perfect.”

It pressed a button, before turning its back to me, and walked towards the source of the beep.

From the roof of wherever I was, came down a long bone-like needle. At the end of it facing me, several different holes seemed to drop black fluid. It stuttered for a moment, before moving towards me.

I look up at my forehead and realized the reason for the hole. I tried to Shapeshift, to get out of this situation somehow. But, I couldn't. I couldn't stay focused.

The needle hit my forehead. I screamed. It didn't stop when it hit, entering my forehead.

I blacked out.

“So, mister Trades, how have you been handling yourself this last week?”, a calm voice asked me.

“Wha-What?”, I said, suddenly aware again. Didn't I just-

I pressed my hand against my forehead. No hole. I sigh in relief.

“Mister Trades, are you alright?” I hear the sound of somebody standing up from a chair, and walking towards me. Opening my eyes, I see what looks to be a doctor. Not one such as Brigid, who used Magic, but an educated doctor in a white coat.

“Whe-Where am I?”

And, then I see it. To my right, on the wall, just beside a colorful drawing of a summer tree, there was the answer I was looking for.

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL