Jinx

I wake to the sound of the electric sliding door opening once more, but because of the mask, it honestly feels like I'm still dreaming. Just like yesterday, three sets of footsteps could be heard, wait... This time I'm hearing maybe four? I immediately tense up at the thought, but right as I do so, I feel both my shoulders being grabbed abruptly by two separate people, forcing me back down onto my back against the hard surface.

"The left one, yes?" A man's voice could be heard as I wonder what he's saying. But right at that moment, I feel my thigh being grabbed. Wait, don't tell me-!

"Yes." The female voice from yesterday interrupts my thoughts as I feel a sharp object being pressed against my thigh. I clench my fists in preparation for it as I can no longer move my body thanks to the two people on my sides. And in the next moment, I feel the object begin slicing into my thigh.

"Aaaah!" I can't help but cry out inside the mask. But despite my cries, the object continues to cut deeper and deeper into my thigh, disregarding my cries completely, however the worst part is still to come. I catch my breath for just a moment as the object soon meets my bone. "Hnnng!" And soon after, the object begins to cut through my bone, sending vibrations through my body as with every stroke, my heart begins to beat faster and faster with the pain refusing to settle for a second.

"Hold still!" I try to break free, trying to get away from the pain, but my upper body continues to be held down along with my left leg as I'm left to deal with this excruciating pain, my cries growing more feeble by the second.

"Come one, faster! Before her leg heals!" The woman speaks once more, and at her words, the man using the object begins to cut into my leg at a faster pace, sending even more vibrations through my body as I feel my blood splattering all over me. Please, just make this stop!

"Hahh!~" Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he finally got through my bone as he quickly cut through the rest of my leg. I honestly could barely feel the difference, if anything, I felt relieved after he finished with the bone that the rest felt like nothing. My heart continues to pound whilst I pant, trying to catch my breath. I couldn't even hear any of the words that they were saying at this point as I was too busy dealing with the lingering pain, and soon enough, the group of people left the room.

To be honest, it could've been worse. They could've taken an arm or another leg as well, and in a way, I'd prefer it if knowing that they won't need another leg for a while. So once again, I'm left with the thought of what's in store for tomorrow. But after ten or so minutes, having finally relaxed as the pain has completely subsided, the door once again opens. I honestly couldn't care less at this point, just take all my limbs if you need a leg.

"Hello." But just then, the familiar, soft voice of the woman from yesterday enters my ears, but once again I couldn't understand the meaning of her words.

"They didn't bother to clean up? Hahh~" The only thing I could understand is that sigh of hers, filled with resignation, something I'm all too familiar with. But suddenly, I felt my left thigh being touched, the area where the others had cut from. "You're very brave... Here, let me-" I feel something soft and wet begin wiping over my leg. Is she cleaning me?

"H-Hang in there..." I try to mimic her words she said yesterday. Honestly I'm unsure why I said it, but her voice sounds so much different than the others that I find self wanting to express my thanks to her.

"Hehe. Thank you." But instead, I was met with a laugh followed by more words I couldn't understand. Despite that, I still appreciate her calming voice. "Hopefully this can all end soon..." Her next words were much quieter than before. Could it be she didn't want me to hear? I don't really get it though. I can't even understand her.

After she finishes cleaning my leg and the area around me, I feel her presence soon leave me. Can't she stay for a bit longer? But as I think that, her footsteps begin to trail off the further away she gets.

"Thank you." At my words, her footsteps pause for but a moment before she continues, the door now closing behind her. It's only a guess, but I like to think that those words were her way of saying thanks, what I was trying to say before. I know now that what I said before, 'hang in there,' was entirely different.

"Thank you..." I mutter the words once more through the mask as if to ingrain those words into my memory. I wonder if she'll come again tomorrow after the next harvest?