A Series of Unfortunate Events Part: 40

[Starring at the watch in his hand, Nic chokes back his tears for the last time.
“Let’s go. We can’t sit here and hurt forever. That’s prolly the only thing my old man ever taught me.”]

2012

“This has become far too much of a reoccurring thought: Where the hell am I and what is going on?”
Render hardly manages to keep his thoughts concealed in his head as the only thing that exits his mouth as he thinks this is a pathetic groan.

A deep growly voice draws Render’s concentration momentarily.
“I imagine you are wondering where you are. Those shock sticks are quite effective at disruptive of a man’s ability to remember his former actions”
“Wh- why?”
“Easy. You have extraordinary abilities and I am going to find out how this country can best utilize them. No games, no lies just going to honestly figure out how you are wired up to be so, darn, EFFECTIVE.”
Sgt. Reaver begins to chuckle lightly at his seemingly villainous speech.
“I’m sorry for the odd and cliché entrance, I thought it would be kind of fun. Anyway, I am not one to really explain much to any one subject, but you have an interesting enough ability where I am highly interested beyond my normal scope of desire to learn what is going on”
“I swear I said I wasn’t going to be anyone’s guinea pig”
“You aren’t a guinea pig Mr. Reyes. You are an artifact that should be studied.”
As Render’s vision once again clarifies itself from a blur, he finds himself strapped into what appears like an electric chair of sorts. The room is dark and judging by the he faintly illuminated objects in the room, he’s in some kind of a hotel.
“I am guessing this is like hotel California or something?”
“No sir. You will check out of here when you have provided us with the knowledge we need.”
“Us?”
“Oh yes, we are all familiar here. It’s quite fine. You will remember soon enough who we all are.”
“Ok this is just bizarre. You tell me you are not about the cartoonish villain shit but you are damn near speaking in riddles to me. You really ought to have yourself a nice cool tall frosty ice cold glass of SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
Render jerks forward in the chair and focuses his thoughts to render himself into a different material. He begins to glow as though becoming red hot. The straps begin to start smoking and shortly ignite. Almost straining to emit the words, Render stares at Reaver’s partially visible face with a glowing vengeance.
“All- you- had- to do. Wa- was not to kill her. And you would have saved your life.”
As he peels through the burning straps and stands on the carpet igniting the carpet as he moves. Sgt. Reaver backpedals into the darkness further and out of his sight.
“Don’t run you coward. This is just the beginning of your end”
“A cool glass of water right?” Another voice comes from the darkness.
“What do you intend to gain from a cool glass of water. Yes. Just water. I don’t think water will do you any good right about now, my friend. You have to concentrate too hard when it comes to water. It flows too freely. It is, unbridled”
“Who the hell are you? What’s your fixation with water you freak.”
“Just think…Water my friend. A cool glass of water right? …A cool glass of-“
Before the strange voice could finish their last statement, Render begins to choke on what seems to be his own saliva, the flames almost instantly are extinguished and shortly it starts to sound like he is gagging on water. Reaver steps forward holding out a bucket just in time for render to vomit what seems like liquidized flesh. The strange voice interjects amidst the now frantic chocking and instructs Render on how to right the situation.
“Go ahead, drink it all back in and then I’ll save you from your dilemma.”
Without hesitation Render consumes his own vomit without letting a single drop escape him.
“Now you’re human again. Solid and sound. Flesh and bone. Correct?”
Exhausted Render falls backwards into the smoldering chair.
Hardly able to breathe , Render wheezes out his words.
“Ok, ok, what do you want?”
Reaver’s half illuminated face grins menacingly.
“You…”