Page 106 of Death is Familiar

Since I’d learned of my passenger, I’d felt the overwhelming need to run, to escape, to get some distance between myself and the world around me. But now I was pinned in place with nowhere to go. There was no escaping me, my situation, or the strangers in the strange white room where all I could do was move my head.

Even though it was futile, I pulled at my restraints with renewed vigor. My hands and feet weren’t of use to me if I was dead. I needed out, even if I was missing a few parts.

Out. Out. Out.

Click, click, click.

“Madame.” The man’s terse tone caught my attention, as the woman released her hold on a long plastic tube, which, when I followed the line, found connected to my arm. I was hooked up to medical equipment, an IV, a heart monitor. And the woman had just adjusted the roller clamp upping the dosage ported directly into my arm. What the hell had I gotten myself into?

“She is going to hurt herself, Warden.”

The world wobbled, went blurry, slow. I was losing consciousness, again. This wasn’t a fight I was going to win. Feeling the world drift further and further away, I knew I wanted escape, but not like this, with no guarantees I’d be allowed to wake up.

As I sunk deeper, eyes closed, breath slowing, I’d finally made sense of the words being sung.

“Three, Three, wonderful, Three. You’re everything we ever expected you to be.”

†

The arguing continued. So did the singing. I caught snippets, but the words lapsed over me in no distinct voice, all of it blending together.

“Did you want what happened to one to⁠—”

“One came first, by a minute or two. But she is a number, both tried and true.”

“What we did before didn’t work. I need you to trust me.”

“Three is devout and caring and smart. She’ll fill the role, with kindness, with heart.”

“Their roles are pre-written. There can be only one.”

“Two is the longshot.”

“No, absolutely not.”

“As close to a sure thing as there can be, three is the choice for you and for me!”

“Mads was a fool! He broke the rules!”

“Sacrifice must be made by those they love most. Life to create life, for key to become host.”

Host. Host. Host. Host. Host. Host⁠—

†

“Ah, there you are, my love.” The bearded man’s face, and his muddy brown eyes, were far too close to mine. “I apologize but Madame was quite concerned for your wellbeing. You won’t hurt yourself now, will you?”

Not wanting the threat of being put under again, I shook my head.

“Good.” Running his hand over my hair, in that strange affectionate way, he stood. “It pained me to see you struggle, but we couldn’t risk you hurting yourself.”

“Where. Am. I?” Each word grated against my throat.

“Precisely where you need to be.”

“Home!” A childish voice chimed.

The man turned over his shoulder, I couldn’t see much from where I was laying, but I could make out metal bars bolted to an exposed cement beam. Floor-to-ceiling, if I had to guess. They were holding someone else down here captive with me. “Hush Three, we don’t want to startle her.”