440 Investigation (1/2)
It was another chilly and narrow room. There was also a single ghastly light and a cold voice in the darkness.
”Name.”
”Charles, male, nineteen-years-old, unmarried, loved before and didn't regret it, save the mother not the baby, not a Virgo, salty, don't want a card…” Under the light, the young man with messy hair could not stop talking once he opened his mouth—until a hand slammed onto the table angrily.
”Answer what I ask! Stop saying that useless sh*t!”
”Okay, okay.” Charles grinned. ”I was afraid you'd get bored.”
”Probably not.” The voice in the darkness was mocking. ”I heard that you want to join us but from what we know, you're not even an official musician.”
”But I've had high education!” Charles said earnestly. ”I graduated from the Angloian Royal Academy of Music! Full marks! Broke the history department record! And I'm multi-talented! I can sing, dance, draw, write, and do you want to hear me sing—”
Slam! A hand slamming onto the table cut him off. The man in the darkness huffed. ”Ask and answer. Don't tell me unrelated things.”
”Okay, okay.” Charles nodded and sat straight like a little kid at school.
”You used to work in the technical department of the Royal Research Institute. From what I know, you were the personal assistant of grandmaster Newton. What were you responsible for?”
Slam! Someone hit the table again. It was Charles. The man in the darkness was shocked as Charles pressed onto the table in fury.
”You don't understand! That old thing isn't a human! He's inhuman!” Charles pointed at himself. ”Look at me. I graduated from a Sacred Ivy League! Ever since I started working for the old *sshole, I just help him order delivery food, buy wine, buy hoses, write reports, get reimbursements, and wipe his *ss! And that guy just goes around playing without taking me with! Isn't he an *sshole? I get pissed whenever I think of him! Sir, I'm…” Charles kept rambling on for five minutes before the examiner realized and forced him to shut up. Affected by Charles, he felt like his brain power was decreasing as well. He sat dazed for a long while before continuing.
”You're a first-class engineer registered with the Sacred City?”
”Yeah.” Charles nodded like a chicken pecking at corn. His expression was pure. ”I actually bought the fake certificate from outside the school! It's only eighty dollars for one and there's a picture too! Sir, would you like one too?”
”Shut up!”
Fifteen minutes later, Charles returned to his room and collapsed onto his dirty bed. He started picking at his toes. It had been seven whole days. Ever since he woke up, he had been laying here. He had no clue how he got here or where 'here' even was. For seven days, someone would come and bring him three meals per day. He would eat and sleep, sleep and eat. He had to report if he needed to go to the bathroom.
Other than the people who escaped from prison with him, he had not seen any of the other Revolutionaries. It was completely like being in jail. He even had the same roommate.
”Hey, you're back.” The badly injured man on the bed looked up and said, ”Internal investigations are annoying, right?”
”Yeah, but it's okay.” Charles pretended he was still talking to a bearded man and said with a smile, ”Everyone's nice to me.”
The moving bloody mess stiffened as if he was shocked. He quickly shook his head. ”Don't worry. Mr. Constantine thinks highly of you. This is just for going through the process.” As he spoke, his blood flesh trembled and let out sticky pale purple liquid. The distorted face opened and closed. There was static in his voice. The room was covered by some sort of flesh and it smelled like decay. The walls trembled like the stomach lining of some beast.
Without speaking, Charles lay on the bed and closed his eyes.
Deep breath.
Deep breath.
Deep breath.
He opened his eyes. The flesh on the ceiling moved like thousands of smiles put together. Charles put on his covers and curled up in darkness.
”F*ck,” he murmured.
F*ck…