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The Missing Lint
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A Fragment of Memories: My First Victim
~ An Excerpt ~

The remains of my first victim rest in the bottom of a strongbox, preserved carefully, wrapped in a clear plastic bag. A collection of fragments, yellowed with age and handling, the edges brittle and falling away. Along one side were a few brittle scraps of tape, placed there long ago in a valiant but futile attempt at preservation.

From these fragments, come a flow of images. A young child, removed from his crib, taken away. The child, strapped down helplessly across a table, surrounded by a circle of masked figures and dreadful machinery. Above the child's exposed chest, light glints from a blade held ready. Cutting. Blood flows, carefully collected for later use. The ribcage is wrenched open, the child's still-beating heart exposed. The machines are connected and activated. The child's heart stops. Onward the work progresses, with careful skill and calculated precision.

(To be continued...)

Read the rest in the men-tal'-i-ty #5, the Summer 2009 issue, available soon!