The Gradual Massacre (GBS2G4) [Round 6: Tidal Cove]

Originally posted on MSPA by Ixcalibur.

---

Thane thrashed and railed against the bindings, projecting angry thoughts to any receptive mind in the immediate vicinity. He had been stupid to believe that he could trust anyone in this competition, well actually no, he had never really trusted The Countess, he had had no reason to. He had acted on a calculated risk and unfortunately his calculations had turned out to be a little off. He had believed that she would act more logically than the rest of his competition, but here he was trapped in the consequences of The Countess' illogical actions. Pain coursed through his body as the machine sliced into his body, but he lacked the resolve to do anything about it. There had been a small pinch at the back of his neck that he had not thought anything of at the time, he had had more pressing issues, thinking back he considered it more than likely that it had been some kind of mild anaesthetic, not enough to take away the pain because where's the fun in that? Just enough to stop the subject from thrashing.

For a little while he just lay there and endured the pain, until he was suddenly dragged back to reality by a glimpse of a young boy with strawberry blonde hair and a shining golden soulblade. The figure stood over him, staring hatefully into his corrupted eyes. Thane was transfixed. What he was looking at was not possible. This boy was dead, he could not be here, and alive. But Thane refused to acknowledge the possibility that he was a hallucination; if there was one thing that Thane was then that thing was 'in control of his own mind'. The boy was still there, glaring silently at him. Then a peice of machinery elsewhere in the room loudly clattered to the floor and when Thane's glance returned to the boy he was gone, vanished as though he had never been there. Thane slumped back against the cold metal slab, his mind racing. For the moment he could do little more than wait for the machine to finish.