F.E. Higgins - The Black Book of Secrets (Tales from the Sinister City, Book 1)

When I opened my eyes I knew that nothing in my miserablelife prior to that moment could possibly be as bad aswhat was about to happen. I was lying on the cold earthenfloor of a basement room lit by a single candle, no morethan an hours burning left. Instruments of a medical naturehung from hooks in the beams. Dark stains on the floor suggestedblood. But it was the chair against the opposite wallthat fully confirmed my suspicions. Thick leather strapsattached to the arms and the legs were there for one purposeonly: to hold down an unwilling patient. Ma and Pawere standing over me.

Es awake, crowed Ma excitedly.

Pa dragged me to my feet. He had me in an iron grip,my arm wrenched up behind my back. Ma held me by thehair. I looked from one to the other. Their grinning faceswere only inches away from mine. I knew I should not lookto them to save me.

Another man, concealed until now in the shadows,stepped forward and took me by the chin. He forced openmy mouth and ran a blackened foul-tasting finger aroundmy gums.

How much? asked Pa, drooling with anticipation.

Not bad, said the man. Thrupence apiece. Maybetwelve in all.

Its a deal, said Pa. Who needs teeth anyway?

Someone, I hope, replied the man drily. I sell em fora living.

And they laughed all three, Ma and Pa and Barton Gumbroot,the notorious tooth surgeon of Old Goats Alley.

Once the money for my teeth was agreed with Bartonthey moved quickly. Together they dragged me over to thesurgeons chair. I kicked and shouted and spat and bit; Iwasnt going to make it easy for them. I knew how BartonGumbroot made his living, preying on the poor, pullingtheir teeth, paying them pennies and selling them on for ten times as much. I was racked with fear. I had no protection.I was going to feel it all. Every single nerve-stabbing twinge.

They came close to succeeding in their evil quest. Mawas struggling with a buckle around my ankle, her handsshaking from the previous days drinking, while Pa wastrying to hold me down. Barton Gumbroot, that loathsomemonster, was just hovering with his gleaming tooth-pull,snapping it open and shut, open and shut, tittering and salivating.I believe to this day his greatest pleasure in life wasinflicting pain on others. So much so that he couldnt waitany longer and before I knew it I could feel the cold metalof his instrument of torture clamped around a front tooth.He braced himself with his leg on my chest and began topull. I cannot describe to you the pain that shot through myskull, my brain and every nerve end in my body. It felt as ifmy whole head was being wrenched off. The tooth movedslightly in my jaw and another white-hot shooting painexploded behind my eyes. All the while Ma and Pa laughedlike maniacs.

Rage swelled in me like a mountainous wave. I heard aroar worthy of a jungle beast and I was taken over byseething fury. With my free leg I kicked Pa hard and sharpin the stomach and he collapsed on the floor. Barton, caught by surprise, let go of the tooth-pull and I grabbed it andwalloped him around the side of the head. I unstrapped myother leg and jumped down. Pa was groaning on the floor.Barton was leaning against the wall holding his head. Macowered in the corner.