1-6:The politics of thought

She woke with a killer headache and instinctively felt between her legs.

The arm was restrained. As was her other one.

She opened her eyes and winced from the sudden dazzlingly bright lights before her. Her ears were being assaulted by screeching sound from somewhere in the room.

‘All right,’ she yelled, closing her eyes as tightly as she could. ‘For crying out loud, turn it off!’

No-one responded; it was entirely possible they didn’t hear her.

On and on the sound went, screeching up and down. She couldn’t see anything past the lights, her senses were on overload. Nothing was getting through, not the surface she was lying against, nor what was restraining her.

Suddenly the lights and sound stopped. The room was plunged into darkness.

She shook her head, unable to see or hear, but glad of the sudden quiet.

‘Hello,’ she thought she said; she knew her lips moved, but heard nothing.

Again the lights went on. The noise followed.

‘Fuck,’ she yelled. ‘What do you want?!’

The noise and light continued for what seemed like an eternity, then stopped again.

She shook her head and glanced around, eyes still unable to focus. A new rectangular source of light became evident; a doorway had opened.

Two shapes, perhaps human, walked quickly into the room and pulled her head upwards.

She tried to focus, to lift her head away, but it was held firm.

She was slapped hard across her face. The force wrenched her head to one side and her cheek smacked into the wall.

Before she knew it, her bonds had been removed and she was being dragged along a corridor, blinking madly.

‘What’s this about,’ she asked in a whisper.

Neither of the guards answered.

She tried to get her legs beneath her, but they were too weak. Her senses began to report that she was horribly and sickeningly hungry.

A doorway was opened before her and she was thrown inside.

Her body went into shut-down and everything went dark once again.

* * *

Sudden cold woke her; she was soaking wet.

She opened her eyes and saw water. Struggling slightly she realised someone was holding her head beneath the surface.

She fought as best she could, but her strength was gone; her body weak from lack of protein and constant abuse.
She gulped, trying desparately not to breathe-in the water, but it was not enough.

Convulsing she fought one last time, and was yanked upwards out of the water, choking and spluttering; water had gone down into her windpipe and she was unable to clear it on her own.

She was dumped onto the floor and pain exploded in her abdomen; someone had kicked her stomach.

The water exploded from her throat and she gasped, gulping air.

She heard boots walking around her.

‘You were caught,’ said the voice in a monotone, then repeated: ‘You were caught.’

Daisy gulped air and shook from fear and confusion. What was all this?

‘We have you now,’ said the voice.

Was the voice female?

‘I’d let the others at you, but there are rules,’ said the woman derisively. She continued to circle, then repeated, ‘you were caught.’

‘Caught,’ whispered Daisy flatly. ‘Caught?’

‘Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time,’ said the woman, continuing to circle. ‘And now we’ve got you.’

‘What is this,’ Daisy whispered, now blinking far faster than was normal; the shock had caught-up with her and her body was shuddering uncontrollably.

‘You were caught and now we have to make an example of you,’ said the woman.

‘Why?’

‘Why?’ said the woman.