copyright Jean L Hays
The Eye of the Beholder
“Will it hurt?”
“Yes.”
He looked down at her bloated, misshapen body, lying naked on the operating table. In his mind, he planned the surgery and his new, glorious creation came into view.
Cut away disgusting fat.
Replace sallow skin with sparkling chrome.
Graft incorruptible titanium onto weak, brittle bone.
Shave hideous, stringy hair.
Swap out dull, corpulent eyes for powerful, far-seeing ones.
He saw her rise out the blasphemy of flesh, with the purr of servomotors and the sensual hiss of intake valves.
She swallowed, then nodded. “But you’ll make me beautiful?”
“More beautiful than you could ever imagine.”
The Green-Walled Tower 
November 5th, 2014 at 2:31 pm
I’m very afraid she’s going to turn into a horror, and it will hurt.
Claire
November 5th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
Yes, beautiful to him, but not necessarily to her.
November 5th, 2014 at 2:44 pm
Wow, what luck to check in to a Fictioneer…did not expect to. Has a Mary Shelly element to it…I read Frankinstein recently so maybe that’s why…the ability to create something…a semblance of a someone to one’s liking. In his case he was a horror and it was a terrible mistake…but I think your girl will be Miss January.
November 5th, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Miss Robotic January, perhaps. 🙂
November 6th, 2014 at 4:17 am
I like that…you can make her a banner she can wear 🙂
November 5th, 2014 at 4:16 pm
Chilling 🙂
November 5th, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Yikes!
November 5th, 2014 at 5:51 pm
Awesome 🙂
Hint to those planning surgery – agree definition of beauty before hand!
Well written.
KT
November 5th, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yes? Love the word servomoters.
November 5th, 2014 at 8:28 pm
Dear David,
Your title sent me back to the classic Twilight Zone by the same title. Very different story, equally as chilling. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
November 5th, 2014 at 9:01 pm
Thanks Rochelle,
That title sounded so familiar that I went back to make sure I hadn’t used it before. I haven’t seen that Twilight Zone episode although I love that show.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:17 pm
Oh David,
That episode’s a classic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dloBl_kIMk
Enjoy
November 5th, 2014 at 11:20 pm
Sounds like she is lying under the scalpel of Dr. Vannecut (The house on the haunted hill (new))
November 6th, 2014 at 9:17 am
Someone like that, I’m sure. A man not afraid to experiment with the lives of others.
November 7th, 2014 at 12:07 am
I agree, that is why we bengalis have a taunt, “As long as it is some one else’s kid the more we spoil him the more fun it is!”
Have you seen “Painting of Dorian Gray” I felt so sad for Dorian.
November 6th, 2014 at 12:42 am
She’ll still probably look better than Cher or Dolly Parton. She’ll be “RoboChic!” Very clever well-written story.
November 6th, 2014 at 9:15 am
There’s putting a positive spin on it. Maybe she can start a new trend. 🙂
November 6th, 2014 at 1:32 am
Well they do say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She’d just better not look in a mirror again. This took scary to a new level and some terrific, graphic descriptions. Nice one. Well not nice … but..
November 6th, 2014 at 9:15 am
Thanks, Sandra. Yes, his idea of beauty is much different than hers, I would guess.
November 6th, 2014 at 4:29 am
Dear David,
My mind went immediately to a modern-day Dr. Moreau. This was a gruesome glimpse into an all too real possible future. Tis better to die than to linger on in pieces…
Well told.
Aloha,
Doug
November 6th, 2014 at 9:13 am
That was the idea, a visionary who’s idea of beauty is grotesque to others. Hopefully it won’t become a reality, at least not too soon.
November 6th, 2014 at 10:48 am
Good story! Thanks for the follow on Mondays Finish the Story!
November 6th, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Ah.. it sound like the disappointment will be worse than the pain.. those surgeons never do it right.
November 6th, 2014 at 5:09 pm
For her sake, gad there aren’t any mirrors around!
November 6th, 2014 at 7:41 pm
I love the visual appearance of this. It makes me think of reading computer code. Contextually, it lined up like code. This is a beautiful and scary story all at the same time. Brilliantly done! 🙂
November 6th, 2014 at 10:40 pm
Terrifying and riveting, David. Nice work this week.
Marie Gail
November 7th, 2014 at 2:08 am
David, Great description and very creepy.
A bionic woman. I wouldn’t even agree to plastic surgery let alone bionic surgery. I don’t think she’s thought about this long enough. Well written. 🙂 — Susan
November 7th, 2014 at 7:37 am
The silent movie Metropolis came to mind on that, but with a twist. Dave you creeped me out, man! Bravo!
November 7th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
Beauty being in the eye of the beholder I fear she is in for a surprise!
Fun read, thanks.
November 7th, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Bizzarre! Love it 😀
November 8th, 2014 at 9:58 am
So sinister and creepy. Me like it!
November 9th, 2014 at 12:20 am
Very much Twilight Zone-ish.
Though I happen to think it also describes what goes on with Korean fashion models at the local pibugwa…
November 11th, 2014 at 10:16 pm
They’d probably do it if it was in fashion.
November 10th, 2014 at 3:19 pm
So, this is a scene from “Nip and Tuck?” You really did a good job with the prompt – Color me impressed! Nan 🙂
November 11th, 2014 at 10:15 pm
Thanks, Nan. This is some extreme nipping and tucking, to be sure. 🙂
November 11th, 2014 at 9:04 am
boy! USA kidnapped you from blogging world!
November 11th, 2014 at 10:14 pm
apparently. 🙂 I’m struggling to keep up with everything.
November 12th, 2014 at 11:12 am
My grandsons who love transformers (and all things horror) just might approve 😀