The Long Sleep

“Welcome everybody to the most significant event of the twenty-first century!”

It was like a dream.

“What we are about to do here, live, will forever change the course of human history!”

A bad dream.

“Today, we conquer death!”

I remember hearing him, far away and wrong, like I was hearing it through a bad cell connection.

“The man laying before you has been dead for 67 days, preserved in a cryogenic freezer.”

It felt like I had woken up from a long sleep. I tried to open my eyes, but they stayed shut.

“In a few moments, he won’t be dead anymore. He’ll be reborn!”

I yearned to go back to that endless sleep, but I couldn’t do that either.

“Through the miracle of T-cells, his ailments have been repaired. With a single jolt of electricity. He. Will. Live!”

A spasm went through me, and my body bolted upright.

“Now, this isn’t just electricity causing a body to spasm. No, this is the real deal. He’s alive.”

My eyes opened. I could see the audience through the wrong end of a broken telescope. A crowd of doctors.

“Now, could you tell us how you feel, sir?”

My head turned to look at the speaker. He had the greasy hair and greasy smile or a used car dealer or snakeoil salesman. It didn’t take much to guess which he was. I tried to speak to him. There was a low, guttural, growl that seemed much closer than the man. His smile faltered.

“Not to worry folks, I’m sure it takes awhile to get your bearings after being dead.”

There was a chuckle from that. I tried to speak again, but the growling only got louder. He put a hand on my shoulder. I remember wishing I could go back to sleep as I felt my body lunge and bite the man’s throat. I saw blood spray across the room as I tore at his jugular.

He was the first, but he wasn’t the last.

I just want to go back to sleep.