The Silence

Silence: the absence of sound.

 

It was dark, but the glow from his left made it hard to sleep. He could sense the walls, although if he opened his eyes he doubted he would be able to see them. And maybe he did not want to see them.

His legs were hot, the sweat causing the material to stick. He tried to kick free, but only succeeded in making it worse.

The lights behind his eyes were different tonight. Pink traces, wormholes. Neon blue flashes. Outlines of particles he had never seen.

The high pitched whining in his ears made him wonder if it had always been there. Maybe it had not. Maybe it had. He could not remember. It was hard to stay coherent these days.

Then another sound, indecipherable, but probably real. Probably.

His hand hit something solid, something mechanical. It, in turn, hit something more solid. He shifted away from the sensation, but not far enough to prevent himself inadvertently repeating the action.

He cursed himself. Then lay still.

An hour passed. Then another.

The glow increased.

Then the voice: “I’m going to turn the light on now.”

He opened his eyes.

 

 

 

© JR Bryden, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from JR Bryden is strictly prohibited.