Surreal Grotesque Issue Five

“Karen! Karen! It’s me! It’s Kent!”

The woman’s head whirled around, looking for the source of the sound. She saw Kent approaching, and tried to run to him but was held in place by the chain attached to her collar affixed to the wall.

“Kent! You’re alive!”

“Karen! Are you all right?”, he asked, stupidly. He could see she was not. She had always been frail, like a little porcelain doll, but now he could see her ribs starting to protrude. A stab of fear for her condition pierced his heart.

As Kent neared Karen he slipped and fell on the courtyard. He could hear footsteps approaching him rapidly but all he could think of was reaching his wife. Awkwardly, he got up on his feet as best he could and tried to run towards her. He closed to within a dozen strides before the footsteps caught up with him, knocking him to the ground. Then he screamed as he felt the shock of a cattle prod on his back, immobilizing him. He heard Karen wailing in misery for him.

“Don’t! Leave him alone! Please, leave him alone!”

As the numbness of the shock began to wear off, Kent felt himself being jerked to his feet by the chain to his collar. As he staggered upright, a voice spoke out.

“Stop!”, Annie commanded. “Let him go to her.”

Kent felt the chain go slack. He moved, half stumbling, half sliding across the courtyard until he reached Karen and felt her collapse upon his body, sobbing heavily in her wretchedness.

She curled up into a fetal position and Kent tried as best he could to surround her with his body.

They kissed passionately and rubbed their faces against each other.

“Why? Why are they doing this to us? What have we done to deserve this?”, Karen cried.

“Karen, you’ve got to be strong.”, Kent replied, trying to put up a strong front. “We’ve got to hang on for each other, understand? Somehow, some way, we can get through this, but you’ve got to be strong! Will you try?”

Karen slowly nodded her head, sobbing, resigned to their fates. Kent looked up at the figures standing around them.

“Ok, let’s get this over with.”, he said, attempting to look and sound brave. He hoped he was convincing.

TO BE CONTINUED....