Disclaimer: I don't own this.
For There is Nothing Covered
Do you know who I am? Of course you do. You see me every day. You have come to believe that I, too, see you every day- that I am watching you. Of course, that is only partly true- not even I can watch everyone at once. But there are some who I try to watch- you know who you are!
I see you. Yes, you know who I am! I am real, you know. The one you see when you think of me isn't me. No, no, he's just an actor. I could be anyone. And there are some that know this a little too well.
I eventually found him! You know who I'm talking about! Two Minutes Hate- you are practically rabid at the very mention of his name. And why? Because of me. It is a bit frightening- the very idea of someone controlling so much…what if it had been him? Him, in my place? What then?
But I had found him, and I knocked on his door once. He came to the doorway.
"Hello, can I help you?" He didn't recognize me! Isn't that a bit funny? Of course it is.
"I don't know, Emmanuel Goldstein. Can you?" That was even more funny- how did I know his name?
"How do you know my name?" I'm sure he came to this city to escape me and changed his name! Did he ever think that someone would know him? He must have.
"You know mine. You know both of mine." His face was blank, so I continued. "I'm Leon Harlowe."
"You- He got you. He got rid of you too. He got rid of me and you. What do you want from me?" So now he recognizes me, I thought. Well, was he in for a surprise!
"He got rid of you, yes. I got rid of you. They all think I'm gone now, but we're both still here."
"What are you saying?" he said. Of course, he would ask a question he knew the answer to! "You- how did you find me, Leon? That's all I want to know! How come you can find me, but he can't?"
"He did. I am him."
"This isn't funny, Leon." Oh, but it was!
"I'm sorry about everything, Emmanuel Goldstein. I hope you can forgive me. I know that sounds strange, but really, you could be a citizen in my world. You could be very happy. You-"
"How do I know you are telling the truth, Leon?"
"I am watching, Emmanuel Goldstein. How else could I find you? Who else could? Who-"
"You're insane. I knew there was something wrong with you when we were working together, and now that I know it's YOU, just get out!"
" If you were in my position, would you be any less sane than I? I 'm not leaving just yet. When we were working together, you were like my brother. Now, I'm watching you all the time, I'm like your-"
"You are not my brother! There is something very wrong with you, Leon. We worked together a long time ago. I don't care If we were close friends then! This is NOW!"
I moved in closer to him. "Oh don't, Emmanuel Goldstein. Can you imagine the consequences? You know what I'm capable of. I disappeared. I was never seen again. If they found you…"
And then, he pushed me back towards the door, which I crashed into. "I swear, Leon, I don't care who you are! I don't care who you think I am! Just get out of here and never come back!"
"What use will that do? You know you're just going to go somewhere else and never come back here. But I am watching! I will find you again!"
"What on Earth do you want from me?"
What do I want from him? What did I want when I became what I did? What does he want from me? What does anyone want when they are hiding?
"We are all watching you, we all are, and you are watching me too! I don't care where you go, there's only so much land on this Earth! You can't hide! Yes, you know what I am doing but I know , too what you have done! THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO COVER ANYTHING UP! I hope you know that, brother."
"You are not my brother."
"We all are, I like to think. We are not that different. What would you have done? What have you done? We are not different species. We are only of different blood physically; I hope you never forget that."
"Get out of here."
"You know you're going to be the one to do that."
And he walked to the door, and opened it. "You know that there is nothing you can keep uncovered either." He walked out into the city, and I don't know where he is right now or where he went, but I do know that he knows I am right and that he hates it.
And I too know he is right and I hate it.
And what we hate most, the two of us, is that we can only wait for everything to be uncovered- because the time is coming soon, and every second we are closer.
As he slammed the door behind him, the clock on the wall fell to the ground, still keeping time-
Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock…