Wednesday 11 May 2016

The Cell

For audio click here 
This is part six of the postman, for part 1 click here part 2 here part 3 here, part 4 here and part 5 here
But I think it works as a stand alone story too.


Karel was in the same cell, sitting on the same bed and looking at the same dirty water stains on the ceiling, as he had been a few hours earlier when old ‘hairy nostril’ had come to ‘save’ him. He was back in his prison overalls, here was dried blood on his socks and the combination of blisters and tiredness made him want to chop his feet off. He wished he could have a bath, warm him tired, cold body, but there was little hope of a even shower, let alone anything more grand.
He tried to think through what had happened. If he’d just kept under the cover of the trees instead of going onto the road, he’d have evaded his captors and would be on his way to freedom now. He cursed himself and his feet for the umpteenth time. Of course they’d be out looking for him. Why had he been so foolish? But then it dawned on him, it had been all a game. They’d set him free just for their amusement, sent him running towards some non-existent border, given him hope just so they could cruelly snatch it away and crush his spirit.
He looked around the grim cell and shook his head. He’d fallen for it, but then again who wouldn’t have?  He couldn’t let them win. He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. He’d been moving all night, he’d love to sleep, but the pain in his feet and the adrenalin coursing through his veins would never allow it.
The ceiling appeared to be moving, the cell spinning. He could feel sweat gathering on his head, his body felt pinned to the bed by a great weight. He tried to haul himself up, it was a real struggle. As he managed to sit up he felt it coming, travelling at great speed. It rushed out of his mouth like a stream train emerging from a tunnel.  A great wave of sick covering the walls, the floor, even reaching the ceiling. It was like his whole body was leaving him.
When there was nothing left, he collapsed back down on the bed and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Water woke him. A great stream of water. Two men in hazmat suits were standing at the door with a fireman’s hose sluicing the room from top to bottom, Karel included. He’d wanted a bath, but he hadn’t imagined it quite like this. He covered his face with his arms as the water powered into him. Then the door slammed shut leaving him dripping wet on a soaking mattress and an inch or more of water on the floor. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered on the bed.
It wasn’t long before the door opened again and the policeman with the dangling nose hair came into the cell.
“Come with me,” hairy nostril said, but there was none of the kindness of last time. Karel paddled to the door where he was met by a brute of a man who grabbed his arms, pulled them behind his back and cuffed him. The policeman went ahead while Karel hobbled behind being guided by the towering figure.
It was the same interview room, the same recording equipment, the same beautiful, yet evil face smiling at him. The only difference was that a puddle of water was gathering at Karel’s feet and he was shivering.
“Are you ready to help us now?” the woman said. Hairy nostril sat up straight next to her. Karel’s eyes glanced from one to the other. He knew now that it had all been a ruse. The woman watched him, she understood his thoughts.
“Thought he was your friend did you?” The woman said through her laughter. “Poor little boy. Thought you were going to get away.”  Her laughter stopped. She lent into him so he could smell her perfume. It was one of those orchid ones, an ugly, flowery smell that suited her perfectly. “You’d better start playing ball,” she spat each word. “Or you’ll go the same way as Fritz.”

Karel was still shivering but now it wasn’t the wet that made him shake. It was the cold, dead eyes of the beautiful woman opposite.  


8 comments:

  1. but this is a different audio

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    1. Ah that will serve me right for trying to do it at 5.30 in the morning. Damn you insomnia
      Will fix it now

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  2. Insomnia, you say... have you tried "giving up caffeine, eating earlier in the evening, cutting down on alcohol, drinking too much alcohol" ?

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    1. I have and none of them work, what I need is for Czech Police to come and arrest me

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  3. No, problem. I can call the Prague police and suggest you are a dangerous member of an antiestablishment revolutionary group and they had better monitor your facebook/twitter/skype/blog/instagram/tinder avtivity carefully:-) when are you going to Prague? :-D

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    1. that is the big question. :-)

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    2. According to this http://garethsshortstoryblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/that-will-teach-you.html
      you should be getting back right now - 6 months have passed! :-) Anyways, expect Czech police at the airport:-)

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