Symphony

“Ooh. That was a good one!” She spoke without turning. The collectors on her head were balanced just so, and they were perfectly tuned to the screams that billowed from the courtyard.

“Indeed.” he concurred. He smiled faintly as the sound waves vibrated down the tubes and zinged along his nerves until he nearly shuddered in delight.

Below, the experiments continued. Peeling. Drilling. Severing. Each patient was unique, so the physicians took their time. Sometimes it took days to find the right combination of methods to extract the perfect key. They knew immediately when it worked. The air itself would shiver in harmony with the screams, and the pair on the balcony would flush and smile.

The screams never lasted long. Even the strongest succumbed. Then the physicians would remove their gloves and rend the flesh from the bones. Long strips were dried on racks, saving the meat for the lean winter months. But now, in the hot summer, they licked the bones like lions, rasping the remaining morsels with their tongues, gnawing the bulbous ends until they cracked and oozed slick tender marrow.

Above, the couple withdrew as their minions fed. They removed their headgear, plugged the goggles into the projector, cast off their stiff uniforms and closed the drapes. Lying on their backs on the low bed, they clasped hands when the screams filled the room in a grotesque symphonic soundtrack to the mutilation on the surrounding screens. “Aaaahhh” he sighed happily. “Indeed.” she concurred as he rolled toward his companion and they began to make love.

Inspired by Nightmare Fuel