Lance is the Readers’ Choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today. (In the case of a tie, the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules.) Without further ado, here’s the winning entry:
The Light
by Lance
Dan felt the searing pain burn into his retinas, but was unable to look away or close his eyes.
How long have I been lying here like this? Though unable to move, Dan was becoming more aware. The discomfort of the blinding light was unbearable. Yet, as the seconds ticked on, and the intensity of the glare did not let up, he was somehow able to realize other input.
Cold steel.
He could feel it now along his back, buttocks and legs. The unforgiving metal, so sterile, so uncaring, created an inhuman barrier, keeping his body in this position under the intense light.
Why can’t I move? The thought managed to surface in Dan’s mind as the combination of blinding glare and iciness on his backside fought for control over his senses.
A noise.
Clinking metal against metal sounded from nearby, just beyond his peripheral vision. The illumination upon his face was so intense, that the rest of the space around him might as well be cast in darkness.
Someone started humming a tune. They were very close now. A strong antiseptic smell wafted across Dan’s nose. Unable to speak, unable to move, he could only lie still and allow his mind to race as the sensory input continued its onslaught.
I’m alive! He frantically screamed in his mind, but the words wouldn’t come. Just then, intense heat and unbelievable pain wracked his body as a scalpel was drawn deeply from his sternum down to his navel.
Great story. Congratulations.