Mary was naked and restrained. Fluorescent lights flickered to life. She squinted her eyes against the intense light. She had no idea how long she had been here now. For an amount of time she could not determine, she fought unconsciousness in darkness to escape her restraints. The lights frightened her because she knew a person would likely follow.

The clang and thud of what Mary assumed was a door release echoed in the room. She realized she could see her breath escaping between the folds of the gag in her mouth. It’s actually quite cold in here, she thought to herself. The creak of an old door preceded the sound of footsteps entering. Mary squeezed her eyes closed tightly and stayed as still as she could.

Voices reverberated off the walls of the room, booming loudly in her ears. Not just one person had come in, but two.

“Throw this one on the table in the back. I’ll grab the shears and a cleaver,” one man’s gravelly voice ordered.

“No problem. At least they get lighter as the night goes on,” answered another.

Mary shuddered as the men laughed together for a moment. A loud bang startled her, and she opened her eyes. From her position she could see nothing more than parts of her own face, high metal walls, and the ceiling. Too terrified not to be curious, Mary raised her head.

She was in a restaurant freezer. Having been a waitress at several restaurants, she immediately recognized it. One of the men was in the back right corner of the room with his back toward her. Mary couldn’t see the second man, but she could hear metal clanging. This was followed by the sound of a blade being drawn repetitively across a sharpening block.

“All done over here,” said the man Mary could see.

“Be right there,” the other replied. “Wanna get a good sharp edge so we don’t have any more issues.”

The man in the back turned and stepped away from the table. Mary fought to close her eyes as the man turned again, this time toward her. Her fear held her gaze in place on the remains on the table the man was working at. A human skeleton, some parts more discernable than others. It looked as though the flesh had been carved from the bones. What remained looked thoroughly cooked.

“Well buddy, we got a live one here,” said the man approaching her.

Mary began to scream but the only sound she made was a muffled whimper. This drew a laugh from the man as he walked closer. She vomited, bile and stomach acid choking her as it leaked through the gag. The man slapped her across the face hard when he reached her, forcing her to swallow the remainder. Tears fell down her cheeks as the man slammed her head back against hard metal.

Footsteps gave away the second man’s entry. Mary desperately fought against the restraints holding her down. She shook as violently as she could to no avail. Her body was strapped down tight. The first man struggled to hold her head as he attempted to fasten another strap across her forehead. The second man’s arrival was defined by a painful downward punch in her left eye.

The momentary daze allowed the first man to secure the strap across Mary’s forehead. She winced as he pulled it so tight, she thought he may crack her skull. She cried out repeatedly through the muffled gag. Her captors just continued to check her restraints and laugh amongst themselves.

“Here,” the second man said to the first. Mary watched the large cutting shears and cleaver pass over her from one to the other. “Butcher her. I’m going to go prep the guy they brought in earlier. Someone just ordered him, too. You can handle this?”

“Sure can,” the second man answered. His grin widened as he leaned in close to her face and licked her cheek. “Ready pretty lady?”

Mary felt the man fondling her right wrist as he worked to undo the restraint. As soon as it fell free, she flailed at him as best she could. He yanked her arm hard and extended it out straight. Mary tried to pull back, but his strength overpowered her. She cried as he leaned down again.

“You’re somebody’s dinner baby,” the man said coldly in her ear.

He stood tall and swung the cleaver down towards Mary’s shoulder.