A Human Guide on Illnesses and Ailments
Ok, let's throw a bone and start the story. Since I can somehow write in this jumbled up mess of a language, so, might as well make sure everything is written down. My chances of survival are equal to zero. My strength isn't that of a survivor. A medical student barely keeping on the run cannot serve as a reference for survival tips. At the very least, I hope that reading what happened to me might teach those that come to find this diary.
Closing the diary, I rested my head on the fallen log behind me. I was nothing more than a few steps from the spot where I had landed on that marsh. Right, introductions are in order. I'm Arthur. Last names aren't important when you're pretty much lost. And given the fact that I started writing with a bunch of weird symbols that I have no recollection of learning, I pretty much assumed that something very wrong was happening. Time for a quick flashback.
Before this madness began, I was at Intensive Care handling the patients' reports as usual. The smell of hospital air, the constant beeping of cardioscopes, the scent of foods cooked within the specifications, and the smell of medicine created an environment I was quite fond of. The airconditioning worked amazingly too, which was good since we had to keep the temperature within adequate parameters. You wouldn't see me complaining about airconditioning in the summer heat.
Wearing a pair of blue jeans and a green shirt underneath my medical coat (interns from med school didn't get the surgical attire you usually see in medical shows), I went from room to room interviewing the patients and conducting physical exams on each of them. As one would expect, dealing with people isn't easy. There are always the ones complaining, and the ones causing a scene, but there are also the ones that thank you for visiting them. It is rewarding to hear a "thank you" from a patient you managed to help in some way, shape, or form, regardless of them making a fuss or not.
At any rate, I had just closed the door on a rather noisy lady that wouldn't stop saying "ouch" as soon as she was left alone. She wasn't in pain, that much was certain. Whenever we left the room, she would start screaming ouch. However, once we were present, she would just shut up and stare at the ceiling. We suspected that she had some type of psychiatric condition, however, our main concern at the time was making sure her pneumonia didn't get back to the point of passing a tube to make her breathe.
One of the nurses approached me while I finished taking my notes in my diary. She was the head nurse of Intensive Care, meaning that her words were the rules. According to her, she had been in that place for twelve or thirteen years.
"Hey there, would you please go fetch the ultrasound device? The doctor needs it to check a possible thrombosis," She asked kindly while I replied with a thumbs-up before making a run for the machine. Due to some circumstances, that machine was kept in the room adjacent to where the doctors slept. Luckily I didn't have to enter the room since that place had two different entrances.
And that was when everything started to get weird. Opening the door, I met with a black curtain. Not a literal curtain, more like no light could enter the room. There was a lamp right above my head, and yet, no light could pass by the door frame. I raised my hand to try and touch it, however, someone must have passed by, because I was pushed into that black room.
And thus, the next thing I know I'm landing face-first on a pile of mud.
And that's my big adventure to reach a muddled swamp that can kiss my ass. According to some shows my father used to watch about surviving in nature, you needed to know the way north as well as search for an area that pointed to human activity. Once there, you should secure food and water to try and survive until help came.
Another option would use my phone, however, the damned thing fell out of my pocket and into the swamp water when I landed. Meaning I was stranded and in a bad spot with no means to communicate to anyone. Therefore, I decided to sit down and think for a bit. I must have sat there for an hour or so, trying to build up the courage to leave and try to navigate the dense fog around me. A little thing about myself is that I'm a bit of a coward when doing things for myself.
Ok. Should I go right? Left? Or just walk straight ahead? I mused while looking around. Suddenly, I saw a foggy silhouette in front of me. I rushed towards it without as much as a thought.
"Thank goodness, I didn't expect to run into another creature so soon!" I screamed while running towards the silhouette that seemed to run away from me. "Hey! Wait! I?!"
In my attempt to run after them, I ended up tripping on some branches and fell into the water. There were a bunch of trees underwater, and my coat got stuck. So, I had to leave it behind. Swiming upwards, I dragged myself out of the water. However, it didn't take long for someone to try and hit me with a net. The damned thing had iron weights on its edges and one of them hit my head since they tossed it too weakly.
I fell into the water due to a small concussion. But, the lack of oxygen made me wake up once more. I swam in the opposite direction before someone hit me with something on the back of my neck. My entire body went entirely numb as my vision started to blur and I blacked out.
The numbness in my limbs and body slowly faded into nothing as I regained consciousness. My body felt sore as if I had been struck repeatedly by blunt objects. I opened my eyes and saw something that made me scream while backing away. Except, the only thing that came out of my mouth was a wheeze as I felt the air passing directly through my larynx without any resistance. But, that wasn't important at the moment.
Scrambling away I faceplanted into iron bars with a loud thud, because my arms and legs being restrained by ropes. The reason for my panic was a scarred man looking at me through a set of bars. Multiple cuts deformed his lips and mouth, and he kept humming in a weird rhythm while staring at me with a terrifying grin. It was as if he was expecting me to do something.
You could compare him to an orc or something of the sort from the Lord of the Rings. One of his eyes was missing and he had multiple burns on his hands. I don't even know if those things could be called hands, the bone deformities suggested repeated trauma and healing turning them into contorted masses of dry skin and scarred tissue all over its surface. I kept backing away while trying to scream for help. But the only sounds I made were wheezes and gags as I choked on my saliva. Even my coughs were messed up.
The creepy man kept smiling at me while humming. However, he didn't move away from his spot. Squinting my eyes, I realized that he had an old-west shackle on his neck. Since he isn't moving, he must be chained? So, I'm safe? I concluded while trying to calm down as my heart seemed to want to jump out my throat. That was when it clicked. My voice!
I tried to reach for my throat, however, there was a rope connecting the knot on my hands and feet. So, when I tried to do so, I pulled my legs along with it and fell face-first on the bars again. Realizing the knots, I struggled to free my hands. It seemed that whoever tied me up wasn't too worried about me getting free. Because the knots came undone after a few tries. The creepy old guy started to clap and hop in place while making a bunch of noises while I felt a strong need to run away from him. Sadly for me, I couldn't even stand up. I was in a cage and the thing was small enough for me to crawl, but not to stand up.
"I said that a Hummer turns into a regular human once we get their voice away," A new voice said from behind me.
Finally! Another human! One that speaks! I thought while turning around. However, much to my surprise, the one speaking wasn't a human. Nope, that was a little pony with a Mad Max beard and a scar over his eye. He was purple-ish with a violet mane. He also had a mount on his side where he held a machete. Standing by him, a winged pony with a white coat and black mane was staring a tad much at me. I forgot to mention that my clothes were gone, yep, butt-naked and caged.
"Do you think the boss will approve? She is always talking about quality control. You scarred him when applying the restraints," She said while I touched my neck and felt the scarred tissue. Not a surgically precise scar, no, that was a monstrosity that made me question how I was alive. And yes, I did catch on the "quality control" part.
"Trust me she will thank me in the long run. You saw how the others started to pay attention to him while he was drugged. He might be in good condition, but I doubt it has anything to do with him having an owner. No tamed Hummer would willingly make those noises at a pony. This one is wild, therefore, dumb. If he was a smart one and wild? We would be dealing with a Maestro. We would have offed him back at the swamp. Not to mention we would have to move since their hunting grounds are filled with traps and other humans," That last bit of information caught my attention.
Noises? Wait. I can understand them, could it be that they didn't understand me back then? Also, I am not dumb! I concluded while adjusting myself to the furthest corner of the cage, it was a miracle that I could even sit in it. Glancing around, I examined the poorly lit room. To be more precise, I was inside a tent. Whoever, or whatever these things were, they had set up a temporary camp over a swamp or forest area. The air was too humid to be anywhere else. And seeing as I was knocked out while in the swamp, I only had one option.
There were a LOT of cages around me. Therefore, I started counting while considering my situation and plan of action.
Two, four, six...twelve, sixteen, twenty. This tent is massive, there could more around that I can't see. Now, for the main question, do I run? Or stay? I have no idea where anything is and I have no means to survive outside of this thing. However, these ponies already mutilated me. They might kill me on the, no. I'm safe since they see me as merchandise. As long as I play along, I get food and the guarantee of being alive. I concluded.
Suddenly, the sound of a bell ringing in the distance made all of them turn away from me. Both ponies had a huge smile on their faces as they trotted away. Hugging my legs, I stared at the strangers walking away before looking back at the other human that simply went to munch on what I prayed to be the leg of an animal. Damn you anatomy lessons.
Ok. First, muster up the courage to do something. Second, gather information, maybe memorize a map or something. Third, see where they store food. Fourth, see the keys to the cage. Fifth, get rid of the watcher. Sixth, Steal food, tools, and a compass while escaping. Yeah, right. My best bet is to play dumb until I can run away. I would probably freeze up during a heist. Not to mention, I was too clumsy to sneak around. Give me a thread and needle and I can sow someone back together, but pulling a Splinter Cell? Nope.
Either case, it's too soon to try and run.
Suddenly, I heard a thud coming from my side. I felt an urge to vomit while my entire body went stiff. A mangled up corpse had been thrown inside the tent. Its limbs were shattered. The ribcage was exposed as if the muscles and skin had been forcefully torn from them. Some of its organs were on the floor. The body type indicated it to be a female. I was used to seeing corpses. I was ok with it, however, what had me turn pale was what happened after the corpse landed.
The Human that had been singing to me had been free and he charged the corpse. The ponies laughed and praised the thing as he tore the carcass into a jumbled up mess. I took the opportunity to move away and vomit.
I need to run.
Author's Note
Ok. This ought to be bad.
Let's see how I can handle this one. Thank you so much for the reading! Let me know what you thought of it as well as try giving it a shot on how things will go!