But Neve can barely move an inch in the confines of the dryer. The dark seems endless like a starless sky. And within seconds, the hauntingly familiar eyes of his captor begin to shift out of focus.Īll boundaries blur into abstract patches of color.ĭylan’s muscles relax, and with a heavy body, he sinks into a peaceful abyss. The prick stings sourly, but the liquid flowing into his veins is sweet and calming. He then pulls a syringe containing a blue serum and plunges it into Dylan’s neck. His vision is flooded with light as the hood of the trunk is flung open.Ī man wearing a black ski-mask reaches in, grabs Dylan by the collar, and drags him closer.

But having survived thus far, already feels like a miracle. The whiplash vibrates through his skull, fogging up his mind. The squeal of skidding tires fill his ears, his balance shifting as the car swerves from side to side.ĭylan recoils as more gunshots follow, convinced with each blast that the next bullet will be the one that gets him.īut instead, he once again collides with the deep end of the trunk as the car crashes into something. Upon hearing what sounded like a gunshot, he is thrust towards the deep end of the trunk. Tonight has deteriorated into a waking nightmare, and he doesn’t know what terrifies him more-dying from the pain, or surviving to feel it.Ĭlaustrophobia is a state of mind, Dylan repeats to himself within the confines of the trunk. The stuffy air becomes thicker, and the inevitability of his doom, bitterly real. And despite his best efforts, he breaks down and starts to sob as they lower him into the ground. He prays for an end to his misery-for his body to go into shock, for him to pass out-but his stubborn mind hangs onto consciousness as he splinters from within. And his howls of agony become deafening as the cadets slam the lid shut, eradicating all light.ĭylan’s strangled voice, his labored breaths, and even the drumming of his heart bounce off the walls, their echo saturating the tight space.

Upon impact, one of Dylan’s cracked ribs dislodges, scraping at his insides. The ground is suddenly pulled from under him.Īnd a wet grunt escapes him as the cadets drop him into the coffin, knocking every wisp of air from his lungs.

Resonance by Nelou Keramati