Sheldon’s feet. Sheldon struggled to see but couldn’t. He
lay his head back against the headrest and whimpered.
The sound of the tool doing its work terrified Sheldon. He heard
the cutting tool ripping the flesh on his right foot and was traumatized by the
sharp pain from this barbaric act. He screamed through the ball gag, shaking
his head side to side. The saw’s noise quieted and his sharp pain transitioned into
a burning and persistent throb. He closed his eyes and whimpered. They’d
mutilated him. It hurt so much.
With a gloved hand, the man with the torture devices picked something
up, then showed Sheldon his toe. “Can I make him eat it?” he asked, waving his
messy red prize.
Sheldon passed out.
He surfaced a second time, his head now floating in serene
comfort. He opened his eyes, and snapped them shut to block out the piercing
bright lights. He thought for a moment and had a faint recollection of a heavenly
vision. He opened his eyes slowly and peeked out from under his lids. An angel
sat on the white sheets at the foot of his bed.
“Hello, Dr. Sheldon,” said the angel. “My name is Bonnie.”
He opened his eyes wider and shifted his head. It could move
freely. He was in a hospital room. He was saved!
He tried to touch his face only to have his hand fall short.
His wrist was secured to the bed rail.
“I’m so sorry for what those animals did to you, Dr.
Sheldon,” said Bonnie.
Oddly, Sheldon felt relaxed, calm, even talkative. He lifted
his head up and looked at his foot. It was swathed in white bandages. Blood
leaked through from the inside, and there was a red stain where his toe used to
be. He switched his gaze to Bonnie and started blubbering. “What have they done
to me?”
“They’re watching us right now, Dr. Sheldon.” She tilted her
head toward a large mirror on the wall.
The reflective surface faded. As if he were looking through
a window, Sheldon could see the crazy man and Sid standing on the other side. The
maniacal butcher held up his blowtorch and, laughing, turned it on. The window
transitioned back to a mirror.
“Oh, God.” He tensed up in fear.
“Dr. Sheldon,” said Bonnie in a no-nonsense tone, “I’ll have
to give you back to them if you don’t cooperate with me. Say yes if you
understand.”
“Yes,” he said with resignation.
“Good, now, why are the Kardish here orbiting Earth?”
“Who are you?” he asked.
Bonnie looked over at the mirror and back to Sheldon.
“Wait.” He looked at the mirror in panic. “I don’t know. I
swear. I don’t know.” His tone was pleading. “All they want from me is to make
them crystals. That’s everything they’ve ever communicated about. Their
instructions are always about more capable crystals, made in ever larger
volumes. That’s it. There is never any communication other than more, faster,
better crystals.”
“Look at me, Dr. Sheldon. You’re doing great. Now, how do
they get these communications to you?”
“It’s the oldest technology imaginable.” He stopped talking
to the mirror and shifted his attention to Bonnie. “I find an envelope in
different places a few times a year. Each contains directions and diagrams
written on paper. And you know what’s weirder than that? After a couple of
days, the writing disappears. Poof.” He tried to use his hands to act out his
words but his restraints reminded him that his freedom was limited. He continued
undeterred. “I’ve tried different methods for capturing and recording the writings
before they fade, but the pictures and vids are always blank. It’s the
damnedest thing.” He shook his head.
“How many crystals have you shipped to the Kardish?”
“That’s sort of a tricky question. I don’t ship them
anything, and they don’t keep everything.”
She paused for a moment as she looked at the mirror. “Please
explain.”
“I buy crystal flake from Victoria Wellstone. She’s a member
of Crystal Fabs’ board of directors, owns a
lay his head back against the headrest and whimpered.
The sound of the tool doing its work terrified Sheldon. He heard
the cutting tool ripping the flesh on his right foot and was traumatized by the
sharp pain from this barbaric act. He screamed through the ball gag, shaking
his head side to side. The saw’s noise quieted and his sharp pain transitioned into
a burning and persistent throb. He closed his eyes and whimpered. They’d
mutilated him. It hurt so much.
With a gloved hand, the man with the torture devices picked something
up, then showed Sheldon his toe. “Can I make him eat it?” he asked, waving his
messy red prize.
Sheldon passed out.
He surfaced a second time, his head now floating in serene
comfort. He opened his eyes, and snapped them shut to block out the piercing
bright lights. He thought for a moment and had a faint recollection of a heavenly
vision. He opened his eyes slowly and peeked out from under his lids. An angel
sat on the white sheets at the foot of his bed.
“Hello, Dr. Sheldon,” said the angel. “My name is Bonnie.”
He opened his eyes wider and shifted his head. It could move
freely. He was in a hospital room. He was saved!
He tried to touch his face only to have his hand fall short.
His wrist was secured to the bed rail.
“I’m so sorry for what those animals did to you, Dr.
Sheldon,” said Bonnie.
Oddly, Sheldon felt relaxed, calm, even talkative. He lifted
his head up and looked at his foot. It was swathed in white bandages. Blood
leaked through from the inside, and there was a red stain where his toe used to
be. He switched his gaze to Bonnie and started blubbering. “What have they done
to me?”
“They’re watching us right now, Dr. Sheldon.” She tilted her
head toward a large mirror on the wall.
The reflective surface faded. As if he were looking through
a window, Sheldon could see the crazy man and Sid standing on the other side. The
maniacal butcher held up his blowtorch and, laughing, turned it on. The window
transitioned back to a mirror.
“Oh, God.” He tensed up in fear.
“Dr. Sheldon,” said Bonnie in a no-nonsense tone, “I’ll have
to give you back to them if you don’t cooperate with me. Say yes if you
understand.”
“Yes,” he said with resignation.
“Good, now, why are the Kardish here orbiting Earth?”
“Who are you?” he asked.
Bonnie looked over at the mirror and back to Sheldon.
“Wait.” He looked at the mirror in panic. “I don’t know. I
swear. I don’t know.” His tone was pleading. “All they want from me is to make
them crystals. That’s everything they’ve ever communicated about. Their
instructions are always about more capable crystals, made in ever larger
volumes. That’s it. There is never any communication other than more, faster,
better crystals.”
“Look at me, Dr. Sheldon. You’re doing great. Now, how do
they get these communications to you?”
“It’s the oldest technology imaginable.” He stopped talking
to the mirror and shifted his attention to Bonnie. “I find an envelope in
different places a few times a year. Each contains directions and diagrams
written on paper. And you know what’s weirder than that? After a couple of
days, the writing disappears. Poof.” He tried to use his hands to act out his
words but his restraints reminded him that his freedom was limited. He continued
undeterred. “I’ve tried different methods for capturing and recording the writings
before they fade, but the pictures and vids are always blank. It’s the
damnedest thing.” He shook his head.
“How many crystals have you shipped to the Kardish?”
“That’s sort of a tricky question. I don’t ship them
anything, and they don’t keep everything.”
She paused for a moment as she looked at the mirror. “Please
explain.”
“I buy crystal flake from Victoria Wellstone. She’s a member
of Crystal Fabs’ board of directors, owns a
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