Lament

The room was cold. A chill crept its way down my back.

"Let me ask you this; are you innocent?"

I ignored all my bad feelings and focused my brown eyes on the monster before me.

"No."

His response surprised me. His eyes terrified me. They were endless pits filled with an emotion I was not familiar with.

"…"

I met his gaze and waited for him to elaborate.

"…"

Unnerved by his stare, I broke eye contact. Instead, I turned my eyes to the police report in my lap.

"So you claim you actually did it. How interesting…"

His confession threw me off.

"How so?"

His voice was like an omen. It spoke out in volumes then left the room in a morbid silence. I swallowed back the fear that spread through my bones.

"It's not every day I get someone so honest."

Honesty was something I was not familiar with. In my line of work lies were as common as blinking.

"…."

Silence was another uncommon occurrence. People like to go into detail when they try and prove their innocence or their guilt even. But his pleas remained silent.

"And so quiet…people usually burst into tears the moment I question their innocent…"

But he was different…so quiet…

"..Hn.."

I tensed as he tilted his head. It was the first movement he had made besides talking.

"Hmmm…may I ask you a question?"

I forced the terror that bleed into my expression away. Never let them see you at your worst. Instead, I tunneled my fear into anger.

"Why don't you lie? And try to save yourself?"

"…."

I narrowed my eyes. He was making my job more difficult than it should have been.

"Well, it wouldn't matter anyway…they have a witness…."

I crossed my legs and hoped I crossed the line. Making monsters angry was the only way to bring out the truth.

"…"

His silence aggravated me. Anything right now would be nice. Any sort of information on at least why would be golden.

"He claims that you forced him to watch."

It made me sick to think people like him existed.

"….."

Again, his silence aggravated me.

"Well? Aren't you going to deny it?"

Of course he was, he was a monster and for some odd reason they never wanted you to think the worst of them.

"…No, he's telling the truth."

His voice was casual as if he was stating his favorite color. It was sickening. My stomach turned.

"You mean you forced an eight year old to watch you murder hundreds of family members? Including your own parents?"

I stared into his eyes waiting for his response. His eyes stared back at me with that unknown emotion that screamed out to me.

"Yes, I never denied killing them so what are you getting at?"

What am I getting at? He was a hopeless case, handed down to you because you're a rookie, Yumi.

"So why didn't you kill him?"

Our eyes locked in a silent struggle.

"…Who?"

I lifted a brow in surprise as he broke eye contact and gazed at the ceiling.

"…Itachi, we both know who I'm talking about."

I narrowed my eyes. Or do we? Are we talking about the same little boy? Or are we talking about the empty shell of a man that sits before me?

"…."

A sigh escaped my lips and with it all my strength. His refusal to answer my questions exhausted me.

"Aren't you going to answer?"

His gaze shifted back to me. His glare was petrifying.

"…That doesn't have anything to do with defending me in court."

That voice that seemed so sure of itself was close to losing control. His monotone was lost and now his voice was hard and cold.

"That doesn't really matter anymore, since you claim that you're not innocent and they have a witness."

I steeled myself against his gaze and ignored my shaking hands.

"Then why not leave like everyone else."

Leave? And go where?

"…Because I'm not everyone else."

And I have no choice.

"Too true."

I frowned at the smirk that crept on his pale face.

"…How can you joke when you just killed your entire family?"

His glare disappeared and was replaced with that same emotion I just couldn't figure out.

"You do realize that the only thing you have to look forward to now that you have confessed is a quick and painful death?"

A strand of my hair, a light red, fell into my eyes but before I could push it away the monster before me reached up and tucked it behind my ear.

"..Yes….I've always know that."

My eyes widened as I stared into his. That emotion, the screaming and tormented emotion in his eyes. It was pain.