Extraction

300 word flash fiction

Its been done before – but here’s my version.

Extraction

The man behind the mask smiled.

“That should do it! Shouldn’t feel a thing. Remember what I said, though; different people react in different ways to the anaesthetic.”

Blinded by the lights above his face, Lex replied, “I’ll have to take your word for that.”

In addition, as he slobbered, dribble drooled from the side of his mouth; a beautiful assistant wiped his chin.

They waited five minutes for the drugs to kick in.

The masked man dived in, pliers in hand. He latched on, pulled, and twisted. Pulled and twisted so hard he almost lifted Lex off the chair. Lex’s head shook from side to side, but the pliers and their owner were not giving in. 

Lex suddenly panicked, thinking he was on a death row gurney waiting for the inevitable.

Pop!

“Got the little bugger. Do you want to have a look?”

Lex shook his head as if to say, ‘take it away.’

“Oh my God, there are people in there. People are living under your tooth. Little ones. They’re living in your cavity. Look, they’re wearing little miners’ hats with lanterns. Some of them have pickaxes, some of them shovels! Ha-ha – they’re waving at me. I can’t believe this.”

Neither can I, Lex thought, motioning to get off the chair. The assistant is forcing him back down.

“You’re still under anaesthetic,” she cooed.

“Oh, they’re angry at me; they were mining your nerve. That’s why you were in so much pain. They were chipping your nerve with their tools.”

“Seanna, give Lex some water; let’s wash those little people away.”

“Rinse and spit, that’s a good man, get rid of all those nasties.”

Seanna wiped his chin again.

“All done, Lex,” the dentist said, “You can go.”

“And Seanna, can you please prepare another anaesthetic? I think mine is wearing out.”