Prologue
Chest heaving, struggling to catch my breath, a pain unlike any other I had previously known, climbed up from the balls of my feet, wrapping around my calves, contorting and straining the muscles beneath my skin.
I envisioned the feeling as a long slithery snake-like creature covered in spikes, similar to those of a porcupines exterior. Taking advantage of my vulnerable position, naked, splayed, as I lay face down burrowed between four large duck feather-filled pillows, and only a thin cotton sheet keeping my nether regions covered.
Twisting and turning between tendons. Travelling up and up enveloping me in the wake of its evolution, swirling around my hip bones, the sensation of sharp spikes penetrating my soft tissue.
Staggered, shaky breaths caused the ache to worsen and linger. Alone and yet, I “still” starved my screams in the depth of tear-soaked pillows.
“I’m cursed to endure this... this? For how long” I gauged against hysterical sobs... like a canal about to break its banks after a heavy rainfall, the currents left a reverberating hum, and I wondered how long I could continue.
Rising, rising to the vertebrate and teasing me past the point of consciousness. Previously I have been able to hold on to a point where I could feel it in and around my shoulder blades, but I haven’t encountered past that juncture.
‘Just a little further now’ I thought until it won and I lost my power to keep consciousness.
‘Come on’ I screamed into my pillows, the heat of my excursion smothering back at me, warming my mouth, cheeks and then Darkness.
