The Lieutenant and the Operative[]
There is only The Box. It is her tormentor, and It is her only friend. It caresses and gropes her bare flesh with ice cold fingers, and whispers affectionate obscenities in her ear. It loves her as long as she is good, as long as she submits and leaves her body open to It.
She has been good, so very good. She feels one slimy hand caressing her throat, while another caresses her belly. She knows what is coming, but she will be good. She will submit.
"Commander?"
The voice is far away, and strange. The Box is afraid. She feels the fingers clench.
"Commander Sharon?"
The Box digs Its fingers into her flesh. It is displeased. She prays that the voice will go away. Please, go away.
"Emmanuelle?"
NO! NO! The voice should not have said that, the voice should not have given her a name! Animals don't have names, names are for people, not for animals! The Box is frightened now, frightened and very angry. It will not give her up, It will never give her up, It will kill her first. She feels the fingers turning into claws, sinking into the soft flesh of her throat and stomach.
"Emmanuelle, if you can hear me..."
NO! SHUT UP! GO AWAY! GO AWAY BEFORE IT...
"EMBRACE ETERNITY!"
Emmanuelle bolted almost upright, bashed her head against something, and fell backwards onto her mattress, gasping desperately for air. Something was rapidly climbing up her throat, preventing her from breathing. She felt it almost at the back of her throat, it was coming out...
She saw the bowl nearby and almost dove into it as something long and slimy surged out of her mouth. When it was finally out, she looked down and saw something that resembled a black snake with dozens of little legs...
"Commander!"
Suddenly, everything changed, and Emmanuelle realized she was looking down at nothing more sinister than the former contents of her stomach. "It was all a dream..."
"Not all of it," Siani replied. She was rubbing her forehead.
"What happened to your head?"
"You did."
"Oh..." Emmanuelle took a breath.
"Are you alright?"
"What the hell just happened?"