***Winner of the Wattys 2016 for Hidden Gems***
The Edgewise exists everywhere and nowhere. A sanctuary to all realms, should you find the door. Managed by one Macklemore Edgewise, proprietor, guardian of the between places, and barman of mystery...
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There were things; things floating in viscous liquid, things suspended from hooks and chains, things on chrome tables, surrounded by bloodied instruments. Calponia couldn't look at any one thing too long without it searing into her synapses. She was going to have a lifetime of nightmares from walking down this hallway.
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Its walls were made of glass; these grisly scenes were proudly on display. A display to make her knees shake as the vampire in his white lab coat and opaque goggles nudged and shoved her into her own little room on display, where two other vampires waited for her, bustling around a chrome table. They laid out clean instruments with shining edges, needles and knives and empty vials. All waiting for her.
Calponia gulped and swerved backward. It was a knee jerk reaction, trying to run, but she couldn't help herself. The lead white coat caught her by the scruff of her neck and flung her onto the table as if she were a stubborn cat trying to avoid a booster shot. She didn't have time to gain her bearing before his assistants blurred in her vision, cuffing her in place with flexible metal straps.
"Ah, there we go. Assistant Kreve, prepare the sample tubes," said the goggle eyed one, his smile wide and full of sharp teeth.
"Yes, Dr. Vanak." One of the lackeys blurred away as the other cinched her straps tight, leaving her with no wiggle room. Her head was tilted upward, giving her an unwanted level of vision.
A whimper escaped her throat as her eyes slid to the room across from her, and the thing on display. She couldn't tell what it once was, not exactly. Some thing that was once hairy, she could tell by the skin flayed from it and pinned to the wall behind it. The skinless thing met her gaze, still horribly alive, nothing but madness left in its lidless eyes. Calponia squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the urge to throw up. She was pinned on her back, it would have nowhere to go but on her chest or on Dr. Vanak if managed to aim.
She knew she had no luck.
Counting to ten, she carefully opened her eyes, pointedly staring at the blank ceiling. Mostly blank. The cleaning crew missed a few splatters. She forced her gorge to settle. Her eyes slid to the remaining assistant as he swabbed the side of her neck. Dr. Vanak approached her with a monstrous needle as his other assistant returned with a tray of empty glass vials. The doctor loaded one into the syringe. A tremor started in her limbs.
