9

The doctors at the hospital told me it was a miracle I had survived the burns that I’d experienced. I wish I could attribute my survival to something so benevolent.

There’s not much I remember from my stay there. Some of the burns went so deep, that my nerves had been completely severed. The smoke I’d inhaled had caused some minor brain damage as well, leaving me barely conscious of what was going on around me. I slept a lot. There wasn’t much else I was able to do. At one point a woman came in and left a small doll in my hospital bed. I had fallen asleep again before she left.

When I woke up, I felt Her hand gently stroking my head. My thoughts were moving with renewed clarity, and I could feel all my limbs again. When She saw I was awake, She kissed my forehead. “I was so worried about you, slave. I couldn’t bear to stay away when I heard you’d been hospitalized. But don’t worry. Everything’s fine now. I’ve fixed everything. You should be grateful that I was in such a generous mood.” She hopped off the bed, and pulled me up. “Come on now, we’ve got lots of work to do!”

No one in the hospital stopped us as She led me out. The same black limousine I’d ridden in after my funeral was waiting for us outside. During the whole ride, She smothered me in kisses and adoration, but I ignored most of it. After having that last chance of hope snatched away from me, I couldn’t even bring up the energy to feel revulsion.

It didn’t take long to figure out we were driving back to the theater. When we arrived, all the seats were filled by people dressed in bloody suits and dresses, staring at the stage with motionless grins. Instead of having me take a seat, She led me onto the stage. After giving me a quick kiss, She whispered, “It’s almost time for your starring role. Just wait here until I get back.”

She ran out of the theater. I considered trying to escape, but before the thought could realize itself, the doors were opened again. She came in with another man on her arm, and a spotlight appeared on them. Then the spotlight moved onto me, shining into my eyes with blinding light. I could hear Her speaking to the man, saying, “Now’s the time for your starring role! Time to slay the monster and save the damsel!” She handed him a knife, and then appeared on stage next to me, screaming at the man to save Her. He ran onto the stage, pulled by strings that I could glimpse in the light. I knew what was coming next, which likely was the only reason I was able to dodge aside before he could stab me. I could see in his eyes the desire to stop, but the strings continued pulling him on, forcing him to press his attack.

When I had been in his place, the man I’d killed had begged and pleaded for his life. But only a fool would think that She would be merciful. There was only one way to survive here. The man stabbed at me again, and this time I took the blow, letting the knife get caught in my side. The pain was horrible, but nothing compared to what She had made me experience. With him so close, I punched him in the face as hard as I could. Then I hit him again, and again. Even when he fell to the ground, I continued punching him, breaking my hands on his skull. I couldn’t bring myself to stop. Not until his face was crushed, and the strings inside him vanished.

The audience burst into startling applause, and She hugged me from behind. “You did it!” She gleefully said. “I always knew you would.” She grabbed my hands, squeezing the broken bones just hard enough to make me cry out. “Of course, anyone worthy of my love would be capable of performing in such an easy play.”

When She let go of my hands, the bones had healed. It was a crude fix, and every motion of my fingers caused intense pain. Still, they could move, and that’s what mattered. She pulled me to my feet, and began to walk backstage. She paused for a moment to look back, and said, “Well? Aren’t you coming? I still have many things for you to do tonight.”

I hesitated for a moment, and then followed her back behind the curtains.