This was the Blog Battle Entry for July 2020 and the prompt was Wretched.
Tenya’s Awakening
Tenya clamped her already closed eyes tightly shut, morning light is unbearable after a heavy night out on the town. She rolled over onto her side away from the window. Promptly falling out of bed flat onto her face. Wincing in pain she pushed herself back up onto the bed. Keeping her eyes shut she tried to block out the pain, she failed. Tenya could tell what didn’t hurt over her whole body, what a night this must have been. Trying to remember what happened only made her headache worse.
Slowly, carefully Tenya started to flutter her eyes open. In front of her was a smart but plain silver looking tap and white basin set into a white and spartan looking counter top. Stumbling forward an off the bed she washed her face and drank the cool, soft water eagerly from her hands. It felt good but it didn’t stop the pain penetrating all over her body. She had been on many a night out with the tribe as they called each other but had never felt this wretched before.
Tenya looked around, where was she? This wasn’t Deans’ room, or his bed which was where she was usually found the morning after the night before. This was like a cross between a hospital and a hotel room. Slowly her senses returned she could smell the sterile, clean air. The floor was cold underfoot, finished in vinyl floor tiles that folded a few inches up the wall like a lab. The walls were clean, spartan white, the bed and sheets white, it was like being inside a ping pong ball. The only thing to break the white was the single long mirror behind the tap and sink. There was not a single personal effect in the room, nothing to tell her where she was or even who’s room it was she was in. What she thought was the window was the single bright striplight in the ceiling above.
Also, what was she wearing? It was like she was wrapped in bandages all over her. They were bound tightly round her, no wonder she hurt all over if this was what she was wearing. She stared ahead into the large mirror in front of her. She felt… well that was the thing. She thought she should be feeling apprehensive, frightened about what was going on.
But nothing.
Her stiff body walked as best as it could over to the door. “The best way to get answers” She said to herself ” Is to find someone and ask them!”
She pulled at the bar type handle attached to the smoothly finished but no doubt stainless steel door. Nothing. Locked solid, she pulled with some strength but it didn’t budge.
Tenya went back to the bed and sat stiffly on it , staring at the mirror. Her head and body still hurting, as she gained more of her senses she started to realise that even though she was the same person she was yesterday, with the same thoughts and memories she also felt very different. But she couldn’t put her finger on why. She tried to think back to the night before, it seemed normal, met the tribe at the station hostel she remembered laughing but wasn’t sure why. She remembered faces, names but it was as if something had been taken away from the memories. Something was missing.
So she sat. Staring, something was going to happen at some point surely?
For a long time nothing did. So she sat.
Minutes, hours, maybe days passed Tenya didn’t know. The pain receded slowly, all that was left were the body bandages. Looking at her left shoulder in the mirror she could see where the bandage was tied, pulling at it she freed it and slowly unwrapped her body. Finally the last of the bandage was off, laying in an untidy pile on the floor and she stood in front of the mirror. It was then something caught her eye, stepping closer stopping to look carefully she ran a finger down a feint scar that travelled all down her body. Looking at her arms she saw the same scar, down her legs too. Staring in disbelief the young woman thought she should feel fear, it was like she had been peeled.
But nothing.
Putting her weight on her arms as she gripped the counter top looked up and realised whoever did this was on the other side of the mirror. In a state of forced aggression she hit out at the mirror, slamming repeatedly with harder strokes until the mirror splintered. The mirror stayed in place no matter how hard she hit it, it did not fail.
Watching as he had done for days now, Morten looked on at the young woman unleashing her aggression on the mirror. A dry smile just caught his lips.
“Unimatrix Morten, shall we sedate her?” A smaller less well built man rushed up to him protectively and asked in a soft, rushed tone.
“You don’t think she’s going to get through that do you?” Morten asked his associate calmly not taking his eyes off Tenya, his voice deep an gravelly.
“We must be careful, the modifications we have enhanced her body with will…”
“Will be perfect for assassinating our friend Dean Starren.” Morten finished. His head slowly turned, as the far side of his face came into view the half metallic face glinted darkly in the dim light, pierced by the red brilliance of his cybernetic eye. “After all she’s one of us now!”
© Simon Farnell 2013 – 2023

Well, Awakening Process not easy and joyful … 🙂
Spirituality Awakening
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Very intriguing! You kept the mystery up nicely. I was wondering whether she’d been involved in a car crash or a fire at the beginning, but the sterility and lack of humanity of the place soon betrayed that idea… I’m curious to know who the men on the other side of the mirror are, and why this Dean needs to be assassinated!
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Thi is the thing with short stories. They could be so much longer. Thanks for reading and for showing an interest 🙂
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you evil, evil chap!! ending it that way!
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Well you know… It’s kinda how it goes 😀😂
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Ohhh, what a wonderfully dark, yet definitely enticing story! Are you going to continue? I sure hope so 😃
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I could continue so many of my short stories… Some I would really like to maybe this one will one day who knows?
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Hi simon! This was super! A great ending!
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Thank you so much Carol and thank you for coming by 😀
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What a great piece of a larger puzzle. I feel like we need to know why we hate Dean and what will happen to him.
Well done building the suspense. I liked the beginning descriptions a lot.
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Well this is it – so many ways to take it from here.
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Love that sharp sudden ending.
This story should be accepted by someone somewhere for an SF magazine, on-line site or anthology.
Well done Simon.
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Thank Roger, you never know – maybe one day
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Always keep that thought in your head and heart Simon. You’ve got the talent there 👍
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I hope so 😂😂
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For certain! 👍👍👍
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Ooh, love that twisty ending!
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Thank you, I love to put in a twisty ending
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Very nice building up of mystery with an answer that leads to more questions! Sounds like Tenya had several parts replaced, but I presume the ‘glass’ on the mirror can withstand her pounding despite my presumption she might be super strong now. It’s interesting to consider how this faction will get her to cooperate, although I suspect it will be by deception. My Brit English has some gaps, so is the reference to her ‘feint’ scar just another way of rendering ‘faint’? Intriguing read!
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I think you spelled it right and I didn’t. Thank you so much for reading and commenting 🙂
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Ahh Simon, good to see you back on the BlogBattle. This one gives a different edge to finding a coin in the bottom of a glass as a reluctant recruit. Makes you less keen to overdo the booze too! Good bit of uncertainty tension going on with Tenya too. It sounds like you’ve got a WIP in the making!
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Fantastic piece! Thanks for sharing!
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