Sleepless - A BFB Grimdark

Part Six - Her

It was all so loud.

Even under the thick layer of ice encompassing her body, the noise would not stop. The faceless beings knew her name. Did they look at her with...pity? Disgust? She wasn't sure. She just knew she couldn't move, and they were doing something to her leg. She wanted to scream, or at least be able to move anything in her body, but she couldn't. It felt like hours were ticking by as they played with her wire bones, reattaching them to her dismembered leg. She felt the same happening to her outstretched arm as they reattached her hand. It hurt, it hurt like hell.

The cold feeling of paper mache settling, then hardening into something she could feel and move was soothing, at least. Alas, it didn't help the damn buzzing of lights. Everything in the room felt so magnified. The buzz of lights, the creaking of cabinets, each breath and mutter and whisper from the faceless beings. Thoughts of shutting them up filled her head, fueling her boiling blood further. Finally, they left, leaving her with only the buzzing. Her outstretched arm was forced under restraints once more, but they left her leg out.

The first trickles of water down her face were like heaven. In a matter of minutes, she could move her jaw again, letting her relax her sore muscles. She worked her jaw, letting the rest of her thaw. The ceiling tiles came in and out of focus, all while the light shone down to the side of her face, no longer blinding her. She ran her tongue over her lips. Even with the ice, she still felt painfully dry. Time passed, letting her move her fingers, her legs, and after what felt like an eternity, she was freed from her icy prison. She grumbled, finding the restraints tightened around her limbs, allowing her less room to move. She continued to stare at the swimming ceiling tiles as they warped ever so slightly.

"Damn, not even the ice could knock you out?" Book's breath hitched as the voice came around. She looked but saw no one around her. "Hey, hey, chill out. I'm just here to help," Book ground her teeth. From right above her head, Pencil looked down. Her nose was back, but she still had that same smile from when Book apparently hurt herself. Book growled.

"What do you want?" She barked. Pencil rolled her eyes and held her hands up defensively.

"Yeesh! Temperamental, are we?" She said. Book heard another set of footsteps approaching from behind, and past the lamp's light, she could barely make out Match.

"Well, duh, Pence-Pence, she's always been, like, high-strung," Match stroked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You act like she wasn't, like, in our team at all!"

"Well, technically, she wasn't. She was just an alternate, anyways," Pencil said. Book squirmed, trying to free herself again.

"Are you two just here to jeer me or do you want something?" Book glared up at them as they stared down at her.

"Well..." Match began. "We, like, thought we'd keep you company," Match leaned over, letting Book see a bit more of her face. Something about her felt...off. Like her eyes were the wrong shade of brown. Book tried to thrash around, much to the group's amusement.

"Aw, you're really trying to escape?" Pencil snickered. "That's cute! You're not nearly strong enough to tear through those things on your own..." Book gnashed her teeth. Match and Pencil wavered in her vision, along with the rest of the room. It was as if she were underwater.

"Leave me alone!" Book yelled. "I can get out of here! I don't need your input!" She thrashed and tried to bite at the restraints. The two only continued to giggle at her, their laughter wracking at her brain.

"She looks like a turtle on its back," Match teased. "Shame we can't, like, help any~,"

"But if we leave her here, she might resort to eating her own arm!" Pencil continued, that same stupid smile plastered on her face. "She's pretty pathetic, you know," The two laughed, and Book swore their voices were...changing. They sounded like multiple people at once. She yanked at the restraints, tears beginning to prick her eyes as she squeezed them shut.