Skinned Alive

Sevir woke up before his eyes opened. There was indistinct whispering somewhere and his upper body was burning with an itch. The itch rose to an unbearable throbbing and sting. Sevir’s gut twisted at the thought of opening his eyes and witnessing the extent of what had happened to him. The pain was like sharp nails gnawing all over his body, making his head numb. Yet, he did not move. There were two sounds around him, a steady dripping beside him and a few whispers in the distance.

A squeaky voice said, “this is not sufficient. We need double.”

“No lynching from the transport.” Zihao grumbled.

Sevir’s brows pulled together and relaxed immediately, hoping they did not see his movement. His gut twisted into knots.

“We have some time ahead of us. We can take some more.” The squeaky voice suggested. Sevir held back a sigh. Their breathing, the shift of their clothes, the movement of a hand as it brush against some cloth, were as clear as the mind numbing pain.