Atrophy Read online

Atrophy

  Britt DeLaney

  Copyright 2015 Britt DeLaney

  Acknowledgments

  This one's for Gary, who started me on my journey.

  Atrophy

  She didn't look like much.

  The orderly, with the unlikely name of Mr. Graves, pushed his cart into the room and shut the door. The woman looked nearly dead already, her body settling, pushing down into the mattress. Dried spittle gathered in a clump at the side of her mouth, and her lips were cracked and dried from hours, or perhaps even days of breathing with her mouth open.

  Graves sighed as he flipped open her chart, giving it a quick skim. Oh, he did love a good congestive heart failure. Slow and lingering, unless there was a cardiac event of some sort. In this case, it had been quite drawn out already, and her "Do Not Resuscitate" order guaranteed no one would come bounding in once she coded out. Ah, good. The priest had even been in to give her last rights. This was going to go well.

  He reached under the towels on his cart, pulling out the small wooden chest hidden beneath the stack. His fingers lovingly traced the intricate designs in the lid, before he opened it almost reverently. He glanced back over his shoulder at the woman, then up at the machine monitoring her failing heart. Not much longer now.

  He moved to her bedside, setting the box carefully on the small table at her bedside. One by one, he removed the bottles and vials from the box, lining them up with great care on the swiveling metal table he'd pulled across her body. His nose wrinkled a bit as he did - death was close, and the stink of a failing body could be quite nearly as bad as a corpse. He glanced at the monitor again, just to be sure, noting with relief that her heartbeat, while faint and fluttering, was still evident.

  "I believe I'll use the crimson on you, my dear," he said. "Or should it be the cobalt? Cylindrical, pyramid or fluted? Hmmmm...."

  He pushed the bottles around. "I suppose I should save the crimson for someone a bit more-" he looked down at her- "interesting." He stared at the bottles and vial for a long moment, finally sighing in resignation. "Oh, very well. I haven't much time, anyway."

  He moved closer, leaning in almost as though he were a lover, ready to bestow a kiss. The woman didn't stir. He reached for the crimson vial, unstoppering it and waving it about in the air for a moment. His eyes slid to the monitor.

  "In just a moment, my dear, you'll breathe your last. You'll unfetter from this earthly plain and move on to the great mystery. Oh, don't fear! You mustn't fear a thing, my darling. I'm not here to interfere in any way. I'm merely here as an observer. A collector, if you will. My hobby takes me to realms others cannot even imagine!"

  The woman's breaths became more and more shallow. Finally, with the tiniest jerk of her body, she exhaled for the final time - directly into the vial beneath her nose. Graves quickly put a stopper in it, lifting it to his face as he did so.

  "Ahhhh! I underestimated you, my dear! Such depth! Such passion! And do I detect a hint of-" he paused to sniff delicately- "unrequited love? Mmmm. Touching. So deep, and an added level of purity to it. Perhaps a love child involved, eh?" He glanced down at the woman's body. "Pity that by the time I have questions, it's too late to ask them. Ah, well. This one will be a fine addition to my collection."

  He placed the vial carefully, back in the box, packing the others in around it, then checked his watch. "You know," he remarked, to no one in particular. "There just might be time." He placed the box back under the load of towels, then opened the door and pushed his cart out into the hallway just as the nurse was coming in the door.

  "She's gone, Linda. I just found her."

  The nurse gave him a smile and a nod, and then headed in to tend to her patient. Graves, on the other hand, turned his cart toward the elevator, taking it up two floors to the indigent wing. A new patient had been brought in just a few days ago. Deep in a coma, his limbs were in a severe state of atrophy and constriction. His face was skeletal, twisted, and his body contorted into what would surely be a rictus of pain, if here were able to feel at all. He was completely unknown, and if anyone ever did want to claim him, they wouldn't recognize anything about him, as wasted as he was. He was ideal.

  Graves closed the door softly behind him, addressing the man in the bed.

  "Well, hello. I'm here to do you a favor - oh, no need to thank me! I shall release you from your earthly bonds, sending you into a journey where your flesh need no longer hinder you. I realize that your body could go on for years, but we both know that's not what you want, don't we?"

  He kept up his conversation as he lined up his bottles, choosing the cobalt blue after a bit of perusal. "Think of me as aiding in your immortality. I capture your very essence, as the life flows from your body, and who knows what wonders that could contain? Were you an adventurer? An activist? Was your life filled with purpose, with passion, with conviction? Who would know that, seeing you this way? But I'll know. Oh yes, I'll know. Your life will be savored as only I can savor it!"

  He leaned over, reaching for the extra pillow that was lying on the chair. It was difficult doing it this way, but nothing else would look natural. It simply required some extra finesse to capture the breath with the vial under the pillow. There shouldn't be much of a struggle out of this one, in the condition he was in. He smiled as he slid the pillow over the man's face, then leaned in to press down.

  Suddenly, a hand, strong as iron, gripped him by the throat. The pillow slid away, revealing wide, fevered eyes keen with intelligence. Graves struggled ineffectively, flailing his arms, clawing at the hand, but nothing could break its grip. The man pulled him closer, till his fetid breath wafted under Graves' nose. Graves would have recoiled if he could. He smelled death, but in such volume and tinged with such pain and darkness, he found himself gagging. His eyes grew wide as he tasted the acrid scent of loathing and contempt and the twisted sickness of this creature who breathed the darkness out and fed on the suffering he could inflict. He knew in an instant that this was an ancient thing, even more ancient than he was.

  He was dying.

  He felt the life draining from him, sucked away like dust in a windstorm, feeding into the mouth of the creature, leaving him shriveled and contorted. His features were now a twisted mask of agony with no resemblance to the man he used to be. His final breath left him in a rush, unbottled, captured only by the gaping maw of the evil that held him.

  The man rose from the bed, quickly changing clothes with the unrecognizable husk that used to be Graves. He glanced at him with a bit of a smirk before he grasped the handle of the cart and turned it to the door.

  "Thank you for aiding in my immortality," he said with a mocking half-bow. "Now....who's next?"

  And whistling, he opened the door.

  About the Author

  Britt DeLaney is an author and seasoned professional blogger. In addition to her novels, her work has also appeared in anthologies, magazines, and feature spots on numerous online outlets. In her spare time, she writes steamy Fanfiction, watches too much Netflix and eats too many Pop-Tarts. She is currently writing her ass off.

  Britt DeLaney.com Author Blog – Check here for the latest updates on books and projects!

  Britt DeLaney on Facebook – Facebook.com/AuthorBrittDeLaney

  Britt Delaney on Twitter @MsBrittDeLaney

  Other Books by Britt DeLaney

  Windsinger: Book One of the Elemental Destinies

  Meet the Elementals – a magical race that inhabits our world imbodying the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. Cecy is a “Twixter,” the half-human offspring of an air elemental, who doesn’t always fit in with the rest of our world. In addition to her magical heritage, Cecy bears another gift, one which will lead her to Brad, a scientist who is studying a very strange phenomenon – one that might
signal a far deeper problem and a danger to life as we know it. Together, they stumble upon a mystery that affects them both, and discover that playing it safe means nothing when love and desire are in the air.

  Sky Woman: Book One of the Seeder Saga

  Miranda "Miri" Reynolds was a fun-loving college student until she found herself transplanted to another world, as part of a cure to a genetic issue that's been plaguing the planet for over a century. After a rocky start, she's given refuge by a family of three gorgeous and determined brothers, all of whom have their eye on the beautiful "Sky Woman." When a secret is revealed that makes Miri a target, will the brothers of Falenua house be enough to protect her? And will Miri be able to overcome her own misgivings about their culture and find happiness - and love in - her new home?

  Rain in the Moonlight: Book Two of the Seeder Saga

  Ajan is a Hunter, hired to another planet by the ruler of the mountain people to find and capture the leader of an opposing faction. His plans go awry when he encounters Rain, a rebel woman from the river valley who stirs him in dangerous ways - even though she seems intent on killing him. His people are known for their high sex drives and strong, primal reactions - Ajan isn't sure if he will he be able to control himself around Rain long enough to bring his target in. When secrets are revealed that make him question his mission, he finds himself working alongside Rain to get to the bottom of an interplanetary mystery that will change everything between them.

  Changeling: Book Three of the Seeder Saga

  Lizzie is an Earth girl with a past that's a mystery, ever since an accident wiped out her memory. When she's abducted by Indar, a handsome alien and member of the Seeder corps, she learns that her father was embroiled in an intergalactic mystery. They'll have to work to solve a puzzle that spans time and space – that is, if they can keep their hands off each other long enough. Along the way, they'll encounter Miri, Rain and their men – all of whom will do their part to help them figure out who is threatening mankind across the galaxy.

  Someday In Dublin

  Amy travels to Dublin on a whim, desperate to escape her life. With the help of a friend, she assembles a list – an Irish ‘bucket list’ of sorts – for her whirlwind weekend, planning every single detail…except for Michael. When they connect at a crowded pub, sparks fly until a secret changes everything between them. Can they find their way back and find what they need in each other?

  Eight Nights At Sea

  Zephyr Jamieson is a devilishly handsome pirate, sailing the seas of a magical realm. He encounters a beauty named Rina, a woman with a body that sets him aflame and a secret that she cannot tell. Rina barters passage aboard Zephyr's ship for herself and her secretive twin brother with the only thing the pirate captain appears to be interested in. Can eight nights at sea lead to more? Or will her secret tear them apart?

  Erotic Novellas by Britt DeLaney

  Captured By The Hunter

  Drella is on the run from an arranged marriage. Her groom engages an intergalactic Hunter to track her down – and this is no ordinary Hunter. Jodan is from a race of people who have special sensory skills – skills that make him a formidable foe…and a complete force of nature when it comes to bedding women. Can he bring her back to face her wedding day despite their overwhelming attraction to each other?

  Hard Labor

  Lexa Bradley got the beach house when she and her husband split. The problem is, the thing needs a lot of work. She hires a contractor that can give her what she needs – in more ways than one. She soon discovers that Jake is very good with his hands and when it comes to satisfying a woman, he knows how to get the job done.

  Ready In Red

  It’s Valentine’s Day, and a girl shouldn’t be alone with only Netflix for company. Val gets pulled out to a bar by a friend in need, only to find a hot and friendly bartender who makes her very glad she remembered to wear her matching red lingerie that morning. She’s primed and ready for a steamy night, and Zach more than delivers.

  Naughty Or Nice

  Olivia just finished working an eleven hour retail shift on Christmas Eve, and all she wants for Christmas is to get off her aching feet – and to get off. Being single at Christmas can lead a girl to desperate measures, and when Olivia makes her wish to the Santa at the Mall, she gets fulfilled like she’s never been before. Will Santa find her naughty? Or will her Christmas turn out oh-so-nice?