For audio click here
This is part six of the postman, for part 1 click here part 2 here part 3 here, part 4 here and part 5 here
But I think it works as a stand alone story too.
Karel was in the same cell, sitting on the
same bed and looking at the same dirty water stains on the ceiling, as he had
been a few hours earlier when old ‘hairy nostril’ had come to ‘save’ him. He was
back in his prison overalls, here was dried blood on his socks and the
combination of blisters and tiredness made him want to chop his feet off. He
wished he could have a bath, warm him tired, cold body, but there was little
hope of a even shower, let alone anything more grand.
He tried to think through what had
happened. If he’d just kept under the cover of the trees instead of going onto
the road, he’d have evaded his captors and would be on his way to freedom now.
He cursed himself and his feet for the umpteenth time. Of course they’d be out
looking for him. Why had he been so foolish? But then it dawned on him, it had
been all a game. They’d set him free just for their amusement, sent him running
towards some non-existent border, given him hope just so they could cruelly
snatch it away and crush his spirit.
He looked around the grim cell and shook
his head. He’d fallen for it, but then again who wouldn’t have? He couldn’t let them win. He lay back on the
bed and closed his eyes. He’d been moving all night, he’d love to sleep, but
the pain in his feet and the adrenalin coursing through his veins would never
allow it.
The ceiling appeared to be moving, the cell
spinning. He could feel sweat gathering on his head, his body felt pinned to
the bed by a great weight. He tried to haul himself up, it was a real struggle.
As he managed to sit up he felt it coming, travelling at great speed. It rushed
out of his mouth like a stream train emerging from a tunnel. A great wave of sick covering the walls, the
floor, even reaching the ceiling. It was like his whole body was leaving him.
When there was nothing left, he collapsed
back down on the bed and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Water woke him. A great stream of water.
Two men in hazmat suits were standing at the door with a fireman’s hose
sluicing the room from top to bottom, Karel included. He’d wanted a bath, but
he hadn’t imagined it quite like this. He covered his face with his arms as the
water powered into him. Then the door slammed shut leaving him dripping wet on
a soaking mattress and an inch or more of water on the floor. He wrapped his
arms around himself and shivered on the bed.
It wasn’t long before the door opened again
and the policeman with the dangling nose hair came into the cell.
“Come with me,” hairy nostril said, but
there was none of the kindness of last time. Karel paddled to the door where he
was met by a brute of a man who grabbed his arms, pulled them behind his back
and cuffed him. The policeman went ahead while Karel hobbled behind being
guided by the towering figure.
It was the same interview room, the same
recording equipment, the same beautiful, yet evil face smiling at him. The only
difference was that a puddle of water was gathering at Karel’s feet and he was
shivering.
“Are you ready to help us now?” the woman
said. Hairy nostril sat up straight next to her. Karel’s eyes glanced from one
to the other. He knew now that it had all been a ruse. The woman watched him, she
understood his thoughts.
“Thought he was your friend did you?” The
woman said through her laughter. “Poor little boy. Thought you were going to
get away.” Her laughter stopped. She
lent into him so he could smell her perfume. It was one of those orchid ones,
an ugly, flowery smell that suited her perfectly. “You’d better start playing
ball,” she spat each word. “Or you’ll go the same way as Fritz.”
Karel was still shivering but now it wasn’t
the wet that made him shake. It was the cold, dead eyes of the beautiful woman
opposite.
but this is a different audio
ReplyDeleteAh that will serve me right for trying to do it at 5.30 in the morning. Damn you insomnia
DeleteWill fix it now
Fixed
DeleteInsomnia, you say... have you tried "giving up caffeine, eating earlier in the evening, cutting down on alcohol, drinking too much alcohol" ?
ReplyDeleteI have and none of them work, what I need is for Czech Police to come and arrest me
DeleteNo, problem. I can call the Prague police and suggest you are a dangerous member of an antiestablishment revolutionary group and they had better monitor your facebook/twitter/skype/blog/instagram/tinder avtivity carefully:-) when are you going to Prague? :-D
ReplyDeletethat is the big question. :-)
DeleteAccording to this http://garethsshortstoryblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/that-will-teach-you.html
Deleteyou should be getting back right now - 6 months have passed! :-) Anyways, expect Czech police at the airport:-)