11 Chapter 10 – Zack – Iteration 144 (2/2)

Erik dragged him from the cramped bathroom of the farmhouse using the rope binding his feet. They made it to the front porch before they encountered anyone. The man named Ingrid waited on the porch swing. ”I think you're enjoying this too much, Erik.”

”Watch yourself, Ingrid, or I'll put you on the naughty list.”

”No you won't,” Ingrid said. He studied her over his steepled fingers. ”You are loyal to the Creator in your own perverse way. Hunting, tormenting, and murdering people is work to you, no matter how much you enjoy it. Doing the same with an Observer is just playing and you know it.”

”Do you really want to risk being wrong?”

”I'm not wrong,” Ingrid said. ”You despised the relationship between Hess and Elza. If you focus your particular fetish on other Observers, then you would be committing the same sin as them.”

”For what Hess did in the last Iteration, he deserves the worst I can do to him. Don't interfere with that, Ingrid. I will make you my enemy.”

”And deprive the Creator of another Observer?”

Erik pointed at Zack. ”This and the other have been useless as Observers from the first. The Creator won't miss their input.”

”I think you're wrong, Erik. I've been man and woman, tall and short, dark and fair, thin and heavy, weak and strong. Every variation of human possible. We all have. Every Iteration sees us inserted into random identities. Except them. Hess always a man. Elza always a woman. The Creator must have a reason for that.”

”And I have the urge to torture this man for eternity. Maybe the Creator has a reason for making me like that.” Erik dragged Zack by the rope, sending him tumbling down the front steps. ”Nice talk, Ingrid, but I got lots of torturing to do. We're going to play with electric next. Ciao.”