"You can't eat me. You can't!"
The bald man struggled against his bonds. His partner, the large black man crouched in the corner, paid him no heed. He was busy mixing a large bucket of spices into a vat of water. The bald man looked desperately around the small, metallic room for any means of escape or any way to knock some sense into his partner. The black man had clearly gone mad, but by what means the bald man didn't know. His partner had gone into the small room to investigate the activities of a woman, but something had gone wrong; when the bald man followed later, he was attacked and tied to a chair, and it became clear that his partner meant to kill and eat him.
"Listen to me, you can't do this! Snap out of it! Help! Help!"
"Be quiet," said the black man menacingly. He walked slowly toward the bald man, a meat cleaver in hand. He knelt down, held the blade parallel to the floor and began to move the knife in slow semicircles from one ear, up to the crown, and down to the other ear. A taunting sneer appeared on the black man's face.
"Tell me why I can't. It would be so easy," said the black man in a voice that wasn't his own. The bald man realized his partner wouldn't come to his senses anytime soon. His only hope was that the black man would taunt him until someone came to the rescue.
Meanwhile...
Michael walked briskly through the halls of the apartment complex, rifle in hand. His task was serious but he was certain of its necessity, so his stride remained steady until he reached Alexis' door. After a prompt knock, he raised the rifle to his shoulder and took aim.
The door opened and there stood Alexis, his love. Before she had time to register shock, the gun went off, planting a round in her chest. Michael stared into Alexis' eyes as she nodded grimly.
They sat on the couches in her small, gray apartment. Alexis sighed deeply.
"I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this," she said quietly.
"It needed to be done," replied Michael stiffly. Alexis sighed again. Although her wounds had been stitched up and she would heal well enough in time, there was still enough physical pain to distract her from the more grievous emotional wounds. She had only known Michael for a short time, but they were deeply in love, and although both knew this was inevitable, it brought neither any joy.
"I suggest you try not to breathe, your immune system is very weak," said Micheal, his voice softening slightly with emotion.
"But Michael, it hit where...you know, my...estucion is...it enters...I-"
This was too much for Michael. He stood up and said in a raised voice, "If a man loses his estucion, it's not just...everything is different! Sleep, drink, even eating!"
"Daddy?" said a small boy from the sunlit balcony.
"Just a moment," replied Michael in a simpering imitation of a child's voice.
"Daddy?"
"I'll be right there in a minute!" mocked Michael.
