Confinement – by Monika Hocks

The guards howl of pain was almost drowned out by the sickening crunch of metal on bone.

Donnie, who’d kept his eyes shut the entire time, opened them now to discover the guard lying at his feet. A river of blood oozed from the shattered mess that used to be his face.

Somewhat dazed himself, Donnie looked down at his hands and saw that he still held the stun-rod, although one end was covered in blood.

Well that’s handy, he mused. A bit over-the-top, perhaps, but handy.

Using his foot, he nudged the guard tentatively in the side. Aside from widening the already substantial pool of blood under the mans head, the body didn’t react.

Donnie inspected the stun-rod admiringly and then looked at the door. Guards rarely travelled alone; like dogs, they were pack animals. He had to get out of there, fast.

Marvelling at his own brilliance, he peeled off Panix’s outer garments and put them on over his own. He’d considered taking the mans undergarments as well, but changed his mind when he saw the yellowed y-fronts and sweat-stained shirt. When he was done, he looked exactly like what he was: a guy in pyjamas with someone else’s clothes over the top.

Ah well. If anyone questioned him, he could always respond with the truncheon.

The door opened onto a long empty corridor, broken only by doors much like the one he’d just come through. Donnie mentally flipped a coin and turned left. If he was lucky, he’d be out of this hell-hole and off to the pub in no time.

He peered into the odd room as he went via the letterbox in the doors.

Inside one, a man was strapped down to a slab with electrodes connected to his head. The cables led to a large screen on which a pornography movie was playing the same scene repeated over and over.

‘Subtle,’ said Donnie.

Inside another room, a woman was suspended from her ankles, wearing a strait-jacket.

She laughed madly, drooling slowly into the bucket beneath.

‘O…kay,’ murmured Donnie and pushed himself up and continued on.

He arrived at another room. This was empty except for an operating table and a smaller table on which evil looking instruments were neatly arranged on a purple sheet.