The moment she left i began to feel quite ill.
Nausea crept up my throat and I could feel the fire of stomach acid sear through my throat.
I ran for the sink, i clenched onto the rim of the sink as tears surged from the corners of my eyes.
I scrunched my eyes closed when i opened them the bottom of the sink was coated with a thick red substance.
Yet it hadn't come from my throat. I realized what i experienced was a minor case of nausea followed with a bit of reflux which is why i was confused to see blood in the sink.
It didn't make it any less disgusting.
The mirror said it all.
I sprung my hands of the rim of the sink and nearly leapt 3 feet in the air.
The mirror showed my eyes pooling with dark crimson and the pools overflowed and cascaded down in long streaks across my face.
This had to be a nightmare. Surely this had to be some sick dream.
I touched the dark wetness on my face.
I rubbed my finger tips together that were now coated with the stuff.
It didn't smell like blood.
It smelled of sweet something sweet, it smelled something like cool aid and cotton candy with a hint of rose hips but it wasn't sticky it was a smooth and solid substance.
If it wasn't blood what was it?
Was this a trick? Was someone pulling a prank on me?
No, that couldn't be because the council wasn't here.
There wasn't anyone else here that had a sense of humor.
Whatever had just happened to me it had been very painful.
This pain had rippled through my entire body.
It was almost as if my body was rejecting something.
What was i rejecting?
Meanwhile i realized that meeting with that rebel wonder had accomplished absolutely nothing.
She thought i was misogynistic bigot.
Maybe i could change what she saw, change the image she had in her head. Maybe I could negotiate with her. Maybe we could come to some kind agreement; A compromise perhaps.
I'd have to summon her here again.
I could be amiable. I could be friendly.I could show her my good side.
I didn't really feel like being nice but i could always pretend. I could pretend to be a friend. I could pretend that i was looking out for her. Yes i could pretend that i cared.
There were other ways to persuade her but the kind and gentle approach seemed best.
I washed the red stains off my face and cleaned the sink of any evidence as well.
Something told me in a abandoned corner of my mind that I shouldn't speak a word of this to anyone.
In the meantime I needed to get some sleep.
So I headed home and I then had one of the most restful nights of my life.
I awoke the next morning and I thought that messy little incident was just part of my dream.
I laughed at the notion of blood in my eyes and the red ring in the sink.
Perhaps it was just a dream after all.
I took my station within my office yet again.
"Bring her in". I spoke into the intercom from behind my grand oak desk.
This was going to be a good day or at least I thought so.
"Remember Be nice. Being cruel isn't going to get you anywhere. Be kind and casual. Don't be nervous. Stand up straight. No not too straight now. Oh bother! Why am I so nervous? There's nothing to be nervous about. She's just a girl. A lowly one at that. She's just a pitiful, dirty, little slave girl.
She's might think she's clever but if she was actually smart enough she would have escaped already.
So far she's been caught, not just once but numerous times.
Even if she was a absolute genius she'd never escape this place.
Maybe I could convince her to stop, persuade her to quit running away. Oh I hope this works.It better work. If it doesn't I might have to resort to stricter measures and far harsher methods. I hope it doesn't come to that".
I felt a pang of guilty foreboding in my chest.
She came with two guards, escorting her on either side, one on the left the other on the right.
I motioned to her with a flourishing wave of my hand to have a seat.
"I think perhaps we've gotten off on the wrong foot, you and I."
I gave her warm congenial smile the kind you'd give someone who'd just come for a long awaited visit.
"Really? How So?" She raised her eyebrows in a intellectual fashion.
"Well I'm a reasonable man, a logical one most of the time, yet most importantly I'm a fair man. I like each worker that comes here to be treated with absolute fairness.
Of course I don't just consider people like you to be merely workers, I consider you to be members of this society, members I'd love to welcome with open arms."
"Your point?"
"Well I'd really like to help you."
"Help me with what?"
"Help you fit in here. Perhaps fit in isn't the right phrase. I want for you to be comfortable, be at ease, happy even with your new life here".
"If that's the case you haven't done a very good job of it".
"That's only because you just arrived and I haven't had a chance to work my magic just yet".
"I've been here for 6 months".
I could feel perspiration creeping down my forehead.
"Oh it's been that long already has it?
Well it just so happens that there's a certain grace period that's given to those who've been here for 6 months or less. This grace period allows the new member to be given a second chance if you will. So I can give you second chance. Would you like that?"
I was lying through my teeth yet again.
I tended to run my mouth off when I was nervous. It didn't happen often because I was rarely nervous about anything.
She answered me with nothing but silence.
"Well then if you would like a second chance I'd be more than happy to give it you. You have only to give me one thing in return."
"What would that be?"
"Cooperation".
"So in other words you want me to be a quiet, silent, ever obedient and completely subservient little robot or else I might just disappear just like the rest of them."
This is precisely what I meant. Yes you catch on fast girl. You really are ever so clever but are you smart enough to see through my next ruse.
"No not exactly. Look you might think that you're in a pretty dire and helpless situation here but you actually have more power than you give yourself credit for.
You can end this insubordination.
You can quit all this running away.
Cooperate with me and I will give you safety, protection even comfort.
I can promise you that no harm will come to you. So what do you say? Do we have an a accord?"
I was using a rather complex mind charm on her hopefully it would win over her stubborn willfulness.
"I wish...I could say...yes...but I'm afraid...I can't do that. Giving into you and your demands...the cost would be too high...the payment would be for me to give up my freedom. To give up my freedom...would be to give up hope. I must keep fighting... for the hope and for freedom. Besides I know you have no intention in helping me.
You don't even have a single care for me."
I could feel her will draw itself from my power.
"I'm not demanding anything from you. I'm merely asking you. I am asking you to choose obedience, choose life, choose comfort, choose cooperation. If you do not cooperate I will not be able to help you; without your cooperation I can do nothing.
Choose what's right and I promise you won't regret it."
This type of mind control was something I had learned under the rule of my superiors, the aliens we referred to as Them.
I could the feel the subtle flow of bliss enter my brain and it rippled through my entire being.
I'm not proud of it but I admit I loved the feeling of ultimate control; It gave me quite a rush.
I could feel her mental barriers fall away ever so slowly.
I knew she was nearly ready to submit to my power.
I could see a massive mushroom cloud billow outwards to create gigantic explosion in my mind's eye.
There was a voice that followed it and the voice was singing.
Poor little Prisoner stuck behind a desk.
Red Rings and red tears in the sink.
Coffee spills and nausea, hardly any rest.
Are you obsessed or are you depressed?
Are you heartbroken by what you left behind?
Humanity is not a weakness and feeling is not a crime.
Take your pills drown them down with red champagne.
Tastes of cotton candy and Kool aid.
Great leaders aren't born they're made.
Go on living your life a slave to your own desires.
Slave away for your thirsts and passions that are nothing but vast illusions that melt in the rain.
Yet still your eyes are blinded by the red light that shine within your irises.
Freedom comes from hope and hope comes from knowing that freedom will come soon.
Close your eyes and float away. my will is not for you to take.
You have made a grave mistake.
The song was a feminine melodious tune that presented itself as a tragic ballad.
Yet still this was just a mental image but somehow I feel the heat radiate from it.
My blood felt like boiling lava and the noise stabbed straight through my eardrums like slim daggers.
My insides burned and my stomach felt like it was being twisted inside out.
Once the image disappeared from my mind I was left with a vast emptiness.
The only feeling left was a throbbing in my forehead.
Great I had a headache.
"Are you alright?"
I heard a voice soft with compassion but harsh with concern.
I opened my eyes but everything was fuzzy and out of focus.
"What are you?" I realized I must have stumbled back against the wall behind my desk because somehow I found myself nestled up against the plaster.
"Somebody you shouldn't mess with".
"I wasn't going- I wasn't- I was not going to m-m-mess with you.
I-I-I just wanted you to cooperate.
Is that really t- t-t-too much to ask?"
"It is when my very freedom is at stake.
You seriously expect me to give up my only hope in this world just so I can serve your sorry ass? I'm not a slave I'm a person.
Just like those other people that keep disappearing, they're people too.
Yet you don't care. All you care about is power."
I shot up from my position against the wall and towered over her with a mean spirited glower.
"What makes you think I want you to serve me? What makes you think I even want you here in the first place?"
I snarled at her in a barking manner.
"So you admit it ,You don't care.
I'm surprised you even had the courage to say so."
"What is that supposed to mean?!
Don't you get it, I could have you killed!
Disposed of! Gone! Kaput!
Since we're on the subject of honesty and courage, I'll have you know I'll be glad to see you go, in fact I'll be gold darned relieved when I see you leave! I'll be happy to know that I won't ever have to set eyes on you again!"
"I'll have you know that you have my pity.
You are a sad pitiful man that is so drunk with power you can't see how lonely you are.
You are so intoxicated by all this wealth and luxury you don't even realize that you're just as much a slave as I am.
Don't you understand that you're just being used.
You're being played like a fine violin and you don't even know it."
I place my hand forcefully under her chin in a threatening fashion.
"You shut your mouth girl.
You know not what you speak."
My voice was harsh and hushed.
"If you hate me so much go ahead kill me or are you too afraid to get your hands dirty?"
She smiled up at me not in a scornful way but in a genuinely heartfelt sort of way.
There was no challenge in her eyes only sadness.
I shoved her away and summoned the guards.
"You may go. However if I do not have your full cooperation by this time tommorow I will no choice to dispose of you.
Either way it will be a happy occasion for me.
If you submit and obey, good.
If you refuse even better.
Oh don't worry my dear I'll wear my best suit for the occasion and it shall be all... in black.
I'm afraid there won't be any funeral but it's the thought that counts right.
If you choose to stay I'll be here but if it is your wish to leave enjoy your last day.
Good day Miss Nella".
