Within the depths of pain

One thing I took solace in, was the thought that she was simply going to take small samples of each desired thing she wanted from me. I was very wrong. My partially hopeful thinking was suddenly shattered as she spoke just a few words to me. "I enjoy your willingness to help me with this. It truly means a lot to me. But one thing I've learned over time; keep a spare amount of everything I need."

She then wheeled a small cart near my left arm and I looked on it. I saw rubbing alcohol, gauze wrap, and a small tin can. I asked her what was in the can and all she said was something to stop the bleeding. I wondered for a second why she would need to stop any bleeding. The small sample she took wasn't bleeding at all. She stared at my arm for about a minute, obviously in thought. Then a giant, unnatural grin threatened to cleave her skull in half as she showed me some strange pliers. She rotated them slowly, waiting for me to recognize them. I knew I had seen some like them before, but where? After a few seconds of pondering, it suddenly hit me and I began to sweat. Profusely.

Those weren't simple pliers, no. I remembered them from fishing with father. Those were skinning pliers. Suddenly, her words made sense. "I see you've finally figured it out," she giggled. She grabbed the knife she used earlier and made a single, shallow cut, all the way around my upper arm, with remarkable precision. I closed my eyes, trying to prepare myself for the unavoidable pain about to come my way. She gently wiggled the pliers back and forth under my skin, until she got a good hold of it. I took a deep breath, but it was in vain. She suddenly yanked the pliers in the direction of my hand, using both her hands and all the strength she could muster.

I hollered to the high heavens above as the skin was mercilessly torn from the muscle, from my upper arm, all the way to nearly my thumb. I had never in my life felt something hurt so much before. With nothing but sheer grit, I held firm and waited for the tide of pain to subside. Once it was at a tolerable level, I looked over at my arm and my stomach knotted up. A nearly two-foot strip of skin dangled uselessly from the base of my thumb. I could see the muscles leading to my thumb from up my arm. The whole effect was horribly disturbing, to say the least. I started shaking, but with a few calming breaths, I felt a little better. Unfortunately, she didn't intend to let me relax too much, as she started getting ready to tear another strip off of me.

"S-shouldn't you give me more t-time to relax at least?" I shakily asked when I noticed she was getting ready to yank again. She said nothing, just waiting to see if I'd say anything else. After she assumed I was done, she yanked again, the second strip coming off and hanging there, just like the first.

My teeth felt as though they were going to be pushed back in my skull as I grit my teeth through the pain. My whole body shook from the stress. I didn't look at my arm this time, just trying to relax as much as possible. Unfortunately, she didn't want me to have such a luxury, as she pulled yet another strip off my arm, and one right after that, and yet another, not giving me time to breathe between gasps and screams.

"Gotta make sure infection doesn't set in," she stated, then wet some of the gauze with antiseptic alcohol and gently began to dab at each exposed inch of my arm, which resulted in grunts of stinging pain from me. "Now, to stop the bleeding," she continued. I took one deep breath and forced my neck to move so I could see my arm. I wished I hadn't done that. I saw all the muscle between my upper arm all the way down to the palm of my hand. Six bloody strips of flesh hung from my shaking hand, and blood dripped from various places all over my arm where the skin tore blood vessels. Just out of the corner of my vision, she pulled a red-hot nail out of the tin can I saw. She was going to cauterize the wounds. It would burn like a bitch, but it would stop the bleeding indeed. She, with a mother's touch, gently applied the tip of the nail to each source of blood, burning them shut. All I did was clench my eyes shut a small amount due to the burning pain of the nail upon my exposed muscles and vessels.

"All finished!" she exclaimed happily. Her eyes were gently closed and a small adorable smile is what was on her face.

"Thanks..." I told her. I was grateful for the fact that she took great measures to ensure I wouldn't get infected or anything, but the fact that I was thanking her at all is what disturbed me. Granted, I didn't want to just be carelessly tortured, but I didn't want to be thanking her for it either. I didn't know what to do. So I did the next best thing. I waited for her to make the next move.