Second Nature

“We need a doctor in here quick! She’s flat lining!” I heard through the daze and blackness that had washed over me. There was no warning, no life flashing before my eyes, there was just blackness that consumed my whole body like a suffocating blanket. I couldn’t tell which direction the nurse shouting was coming from, or where the slowing beep was coming from; all I know is that when I stopped hearing that then I won’t be hearing much else. Ever so slowly, despite my fight, the sound faded and faded until it simply left. And that was how I came to the end of my life. Well that life.

I could feel before I could see when I came around. I could feel the coldness of my skin, the stiffness of my muscles, the heaviness of the blanket that lay against my soft flesh. Quickly realising that my worst fear hadn't come true that I hadn't exited life this time I quickly opened my eyes expecting the blinding white lights of the hospital room and a crowd of faces around me but that wasn't the case, all I saw was blackness. I blinked a couple of times until I suddenly saw everything around, from the deep grey walls, to the ghastly printed black velvet curtains and the massive black wooden bedroom furniture. It was as if suddenly the light had been turned on.

"Is this where you go to be judged?" I mumbled to myself before sitting up and pushing my unusually long hair from my face, catching myself with my long finger nails causing me to hiss.
"Sharp are they not?" I soft voice came from the corner of the gothic room. I froze instantly. Someone was here and I don't even know where here is. I looked around the room partly trying to find the owner of the voice, partly to find something I could use as a weapon. "There is nothing in here for you to use so you may as well give up looking for that. As for where I am look clearly. Follow your senses." The voice spoke again a my eyes quickly shifted around the room. "You are using just one sense, that is no good to help you find me." The voice came out as a bored tone. I slowed my scanning down, unintentionally breathing throw my nose as I caught a smell of men's aftershave coming from the left of me. I focused my attention to the side before zeroing in on a shadow leaning against the wall. "Good." The shadow sounded pleased as he made his way closer to the bed. Realising there was nothing in the room that I could use as a weapon I decided my best bet was to kick, scratch and bite if necessary. Scooting to the other side of the bed as far away from this taunting figure as I could I scanned the room to locate the door, hoping with all my might that it wasn't locked. "No needed to be scared. I saved you dear. I'm not going to hurt you. Allow me to introduce myself." The figure spoke as he walked around the bed backing me into a corner. "Zachary Quinn." His pale white skin on his face glowed as he stood mere centimeters from me, hand out stretched waiting for mine to shake. He looked at me expectantly as I stood there staring at him trying to think of how I should get this creep away from me. I slowly held my hand out to his to shake giving my opportunity to knee him in his weak spot and give him a swift twist of the arm and kicking the back of his legs so he fell to the floor, his shoulder out of socket, his breath leaving him and giving me my chance to get to the door as the guy recovered on the floor.

I flung the door open, my adrenaline running wildly through my veins making me not question my own strength as the door slammed against the grey walls with a loud thud and clank as two guys stood there, smiles on there faces as they looked from me to each other. "I forgot just how strong fresh ones were." The shorter one spoke, as the taller one smiled nodding. "Allow me." The small one pointed to hand as he gently took it, kissing the back if it. "I'm the real Zachary Quinn, and you dear Blake Darling, have just passed the biggest test of your life." He smiled still holding my hand as the guy from the room walked out holding his shoulder, glaring at me.

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