The Color Red
Chapter Four: Delusion

As Red slept semi-peacefully in his red adorned room, tossing occasionally, Purple was attempting to break free of his ropes. He had waited what the remains of his pak told him to be four passings, and Red had still not come. Although he dreaded a visit from Red, Red's coming would also mean food and liquid. Neither of which he had in awhile. Red's last visit brought no food, so Purple was running on a major energy depletion. He estimated he had little more than three days left… to live. If only, if only. Only three more days of this was something Purple could easily handle, but Red would be down, and he would nurse him back to some form of health, only to start the whole process over again.

Purple was exerting what energy he had left into convincing his muscles to move. Purple wondered if he would ever be able to move or feel his hands again. He kept wiggling his arms, and trying to worm his way out of the ropes. He couldn't tell if he was making any progress, he couldn't feel his hands. He hoped he was.

Can something please go my way for once? Even something as small at this…

He kept wiggling his arms until he felt a new sensation. Instead of the feeling of his shoulder blades being pushed together, he could move is shoulders forward! He did what he thought was the movement of putting one of his arms in front of him, and touched his face.

I'm free… I'm free!

Purple could feel the blood attempting to rush back into his hands, but he couldn't yet feel his hands. He tried to sit up, using his wrists more than his palms, and leaned against the wall, trying to comprehend what he had just done.

I broke free! I can escape this hell that has been my life. I can tell the world what Red has done to me, I can… I can… I can't see. Why can't I see?

Purple remembered about the blindfold and gag, and quickly removed them. He blinked as he noticed that not much had changed. Everything was still black. He still couldn't see anything. He sat still for awhile, just pleased to be in a different position from the one he tried to change four days ago. Then he remembered why he was blindfolded and gagged. He had escaped not four days before. Why didn't he remember that little piece of information? Had it been longer than the four days his pak told him? Round and round he went with himself. Was he insane yet, or not? Was all this in his head, or was it really the hell he believed it to be? He wouldn't know whether or not he really was insane unless he got back up to the main compartment of the Massive. But that would be so hard. The very reason this labyrinth was abandoned was because it was that… a never-ending maze of hallways and passages. And it was also the very reason Red brought him down here.

Well, he had to try. He had to. He was still an Almighty Tallest, no matter how thin and gaunt he may have appeared. No matter what Red told him. No matter how helplessly lost he might get. Purple knew it wouldn't work, but he had to try one more time. He closed his eyes, and mentally told his pak to send out a signal to main control room. He had tried this countless times before, but Red had damaged his pak almost beyond repair. Maybe that was the reason he was going insane?

No. I am NOT going insane. I've stayed wonderfully sane these past few weeks. I don't know of any other Irken who could handle what I've been through.

And sick and twisted as it may be, he was almost proud of surviving this long. He sighed as he realized that no one would come, no one would be coming, and the only company he would have until the day he died (most likely at the hands of Red) was his Royal Highness, the Almighty Tallest Red. He almost laughed.

"The Almighty Tallest Red. Ha! If only they knew…" Purple whispered softly to himself.

Red….

Red rolled over, swatting away an imaginary insect.

Red.

Half awake, he mumbled something to the effect of, "Go away."

RED! Get up now, you moron! Purple is getting away!

Red sat straight up, almost instantaneously awake.

"What?"

Purple is getting away.

"Ha, that's impossible… Actually, I haven't gone down to see him in awhile, I wonder if he's still alive?"

He's alive… Trust me.

"You know I do, Mixzzy… you know I do…"

Mixzzy