Gonzo
10-19-2008, 05:43 PM
I wrote this when I was 14/15, lemme know what you think. It was the GCSE creative writing assignment for any Brits on here.
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Answering the Man
‘Seven – Two – Triple Four – Double Six?’
‘Yes.’
‘Show me.’ 7244466 thrust his left arm forward, the man in the grey suit’s gaze falling upon the seven digits tattooed along the artery in crisp, black ink. ‘So… You have been contained for… six months, is that correct?’
‘Yes.’ 7244466 wondered why the man was bothering with these questions, he already knew the answers.
‘I am merely enquiring to assure my employers you retain your…memories.’ A ghost of a self-satisfied smile flitted across the man’s face. 7244466 nodded, understanding now. They needed to ascertain whether or not he was still sane. Well, let them, he thought to himself.
The man brushed a spec of dust only he could see off of his suit, and then glanced at the window, which was shaking slightly as a train rumbled past.
‘It bothers you. Why?’ 7244466 had followed the man’s gaze to the window.
‘Excuse me?’
‘Well, it obviously bothers you… I was just wondering why.’
‘The fact that it does – or does not, I’m not saying it does – is not pertinent to the matter at hand.’ The man said. 7244466 chuckled to himself, seeing the man flustered.
‘Don’t worry,’ 7244466 smiled, ‘I’m just winding you up.’
‘Are you?’
‘Judging by your social skills, I’d say I wasn’t the one kept on my own in an empty room for six months.’ 7244466 said, smirking slightly. The man looked mildly affronted.
‘Excuse me, but I –’
‘I’m kidding.’
‘Oh.’
‘Aren’t you going to ask me some more questions?’
‘Oh right… erm…’ The man seemed to have lost all momentum. ‘Where was I… ah, yes.’ He shuffled the papers on his clipboard, and pulled out a pen. He started scribbling furiously, while muttering under his breath. ‘Test Subject: Seven – Two – Triple Four – Double Six…Age…?’ He looked up. ‘Age?’ He asked again.
’22.’ 7244466 replied. The man made a note on his clipboard.
‘Family…? Ah, of course not.’ The man looked up, smiling his self – satisfied smile once again. 7244466 glared at him, although there was no real malevolence in his grey eyes. It was more a look of casual reproach, as if getting worked up wasn't really worth the effort.
Blood rolled down his nose from the messy wound on his forehead. The crimson bead balanced, poised, on the tip of his nose, before dripping to the floor. This happened several times. His very own Chinese Water Torture. How nice.
A low moan escaped his lips, before morphing into a dull rasp, fading away to a low hiss, then nothing. His eyes fluttered for a few seconds, then burst open, taking in his surroundings. Four whitewashed walls. No windows. There was a door; unfortunately, the builder seemed to have forgotten to attach a handle on the inside. Maybe 7244466 was lucky that whoever had built the place had installed an air vent. Or maybe that wasn’t so lucky. Considering his situation.
By now, 7244466 would’ve expected some sort of memory, explaining why he was here. Nothing came. Just a gentle, yet uncompromising, blanket of black in his head. He waited. Still nothing came. He gave up. He decided it was about time he attempted some movement, so he tried to wiggle his fingers. After a couple of attempts, he saw them moving out of the corner of his eye. So far so good. Now for toes… right foot first. No luck. Try again mate. You can’t lie about forever. He felt the digits on his right foot flex, then wiggle. He switched his attentions to his left foot, and movement came easier this time. He closed his eyes momentarily, preparing himself for the next step.
He put his hands palm down on the floor beside him, and pushed. His elbows cracking with the effort, he slowly raised his upper body, the tendons in his neck sticking out, he was shaking, he realised. He brought his knees under himself, and then pushed up one final time, finding himself standing. Rather unsteadily, it turns out. He collapsed to the floor, whimpering with pain. The pain was quickly replaced by hot, vivid anger at his failure to remain upright, his failure to support himself.
Breathing deeply, he rolled over, planting his hands, and pushed firmly. Swearing rapidly under his breath, he blocked out the searing pain in his arms, and staggered to his feet once more. This time, he held himself up with willpower alone, his eyes burning fiercely with concentration. You – will – not – fall… You – will – not fall… He repeated it over and over again, like a mantra, until his legs stopped shaking.
‘…are as yet unknown…excuse me, are you listening?’ 7244466 was shaken from his reverie by the man rapping loudly on his clipboard with a pen.
‘What? Oh…erm…’ 7244466 trailed off. The man gave him a rather severe look.
‘Do try and concentrate,’ he admonished, looking sternly over his clipboard at 7244466, ‘we have important work to do.’
One of us does, thought 7244466 to himself. Out loud, he merely replied with a meek ‘Okay.’
‘Our reports tell us you suffered several injuries when the…experiment…started. That is correct?’ 7244466 didn’t need to reply, the twisted mass of scar tissue that warped his forehead was sufficient. The man smiled again, although, as before, it didn’t reach his eyes. ‘And then…you were tested.’
Screams filled the room, echoing off the walls, waking 7244466 more effectively than a slap across the face. He rolled over, scrunching up his eyes and covering his ears, the sound was so great. As suddenly as it had started, the screaming stopped. He took his hands from his ears, and slowly opened his eyes. Nothing. He rolled back onto his side, shivering, pulled his frail, loose garments tighter around him, and tried to get back to sleep.
‘How did you feel, when you heard the screaming?’ Asked the man. 7244466 smirked, and shook his head.
‘I was wondering…wondering when we’d arrive at a question you didn’t know the answer to. In other words, an important one.’ He smirked again. It had the desired effect, infuriating the man.
‘This is no time for games, or delusions of grandeur. You are a test subject, 7244466, a guinea pig, and you will answer my questions.’
‘Very important then, you getting answers out of me?’ 7244466 grinned impishly. He was enjoying himself, much to the man’s discontent. 7244466 could see a flicker of panic in the man’s eyes every time he smiled. It seemed the man feared him gaining confidence.
‘I need your answers!’ The force with which he said the last word took 7244466 totally by surprise. For a second, a mad, desperate look came over the man, only to vanish as quickly as it had appeared.
‘I can’t give you your –’ Said 7244466, smiling.
‘Answers.’ The man said through gritted teeth. Suddenly, he was on his feet, screaming. ‘I NEED ANSWERS! YOUR ANSWERS! WITHOUT THEM, I AM NOTHING.’ He literally spat the last word, flecks of saliva spraying over 7244466.
‘Exactly.’ 7244466 smiled. ‘You’re The Man. It’s about time you found something out for yourself.’
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Answering the Man
‘Seven – Two – Triple Four – Double Six?’
‘Yes.’
‘Show me.’ 7244466 thrust his left arm forward, the man in the grey suit’s gaze falling upon the seven digits tattooed along the artery in crisp, black ink. ‘So… You have been contained for… six months, is that correct?’
‘Yes.’ 7244466 wondered why the man was bothering with these questions, he already knew the answers.
‘I am merely enquiring to assure my employers you retain your…memories.’ A ghost of a self-satisfied smile flitted across the man’s face. 7244466 nodded, understanding now. They needed to ascertain whether or not he was still sane. Well, let them, he thought to himself.
The man brushed a spec of dust only he could see off of his suit, and then glanced at the window, which was shaking slightly as a train rumbled past.
‘It bothers you. Why?’ 7244466 had followed the man’s gaze to the window.
‘Excuse me?’
‘Well, it obviously bothers you… I was just wondering why.’
‘The fact that it does – or does not, I’m not saying it does – is not pertinent to the matter at hand.’ The man said. 7244466 chuckled to himself, seeing the man flustered.
‘Don’t worry,’ 7244466 smiled, ‘I’m just winding you up.’
‘Are you?’
‘Judging by your social skills, I’d say I wasn’t the one kept on my own in an empty room for six months.’ 7244466 said, smirking slightly. The man looked mildly affronted.
‘Excuse me, but I –’
‘I’m kidding.’
‘Oh.’
‘Aren’t you going to ask me some more questions?’
‘Oh right… erm…’ The man seemed to have lost all momentum. ‘Where was I… ah, yes.’ He shuffled the papers on his clipboard, and pulled out a pen. He started scribbling furiously, while muttering under his breath. ‘Test Subject: Seven – Two – Triple Four – Double Six…Age…?’ He looked up. ‘Age?’ He asked again.
’22.’ 7244466 replied. The man made a note on his clipboard.
‘Family…? Ah, of course not.’ The man looked up, smiling his self – satisfied smile once again. 7244466 glared at him, although there was no real malevolence in his grey eyes. It was more a look of casual reproach, as if getting worked up wasn't really worth the effort.
Blood rolled down his nose from the messy wound on his forehead. The crimson bead balanced, poised, on the tip of his nose, before dripping to the floor. This happened several times. His very own Chinese Water Torture. How nice.
A low moan escaped his lips, before morphing into a dull rasp, fading away to a low hiss, then nothing. His eyes fluttered for a few seconds, then burst open, taking in his surroundings. Four whitewashed walls. No windows. There was a door; unfortunately, the builder seemed to have forgotten to attach a handle on the inside. Maybe 7244466 was lucky that whoever had built the place had installed an air vent. Or maybe that wasn’t so lucky. Considering his situation.
By now, 7244466 would’ve expected some sort of memory, explaining why he was here. Nothing came. Just a gentle, yet uncompromising, blanket of black in his head. He waited. Still nothing came. He gave up. He decided it was about time he attempted some movement, so he tried to wiggle his fingers. After a couple of attempts, he saw them moving out of the corner of his eye. So far so good. Now for toes… right foot first. No luck. Try again mate. You can’t lie about forever. He felt the digits on his right foot flex, then wiggle. He switched his attentions to his left foot, and movement came easier this time. He closed his eyes momentarily, preparing himself for the next step.
He put his hands palm down on the floor beside him, and pushed. His elbows cracking with the effort, he slowly raised his upper body, the tendons in his neck sticking out, he was shaking, he realised. He brought his knees under himself, and then pushed up one final time, finding himself standing. Rather unsteadily, it turns out. He collapsed to the floor, whimpering with pain. The pain was quickly replaced by hot, vivid anger at his failure to remain upright, his failure to support himself.
Breathing deeply, he rolled over, planting his hands, and pushed firmly. Swearing rapidly under his breath, he blocked out the searing pain in his arms, and staggered to his feet once more. This time, he held himself up with willpower alone, his eyes burning fiercely with concentration. You – will – not – fall… You – will – not fall… He repeated it over and over again, like a mantra, until his legs stopped shaking.
‘…are as yet unknown…excuse me, are you listening?’ 7244466 was shaken from his reverie by the man rapping loudly on his clipboard with a pen.
‘What? Oh…erm…’ 7244466 trailed off. The man gave him a rather severe look.
‘Do try and concentrate,’ he admonished, looking sternly over his clipboard at 7244466, ‘we have important work to do.’
One of us does, thought 7244466 to himself. Out loud, he merely replied with a meek ‘Okay.’
‘Our reports tell us you suffered several injuries when the…experiment…started. That is correct?’ 7244466 didn’t need to reply, the twisted mass of scar tissue that warped his forehead was sufficient. The man smiled again, although, as before, it didn’t reach his eyes. ‘And then…you were tested.’
Screams filled the room, echoing off the walls, waking 7244466 more effectively than a slap across the face. He rolled over, scrunching up his eyes and covering his ears, the sound was so great. As suddenly as it had started, the screaming stopped. He took his hands from his ears, and slowly opened his eyes. Nothing. He rolled back onto his side, shivering, pulled his frail, loose garments tighter around him, and tried to get back to sleep.
‘How did you feel, when you heard the screaming?’ Asked the man. 7244466 smirked, and shook his head.
‘I was wondering…wondering when we’d arrive at a question you didn’t know the answer to. In other words, an important one.’ He smirked again. It had the desired effect, infuriating the man.
‘This is no time for games, or delusions of grandeur. You are a test subject, 7244466, a guinea pig, and you will answer my questions.’
‘Very important then, you getting answers out of me?’ 7244466 grinned impishly. He was enjoying himself, much to the man’s discontent. 7244466 could see a flicker of panic in the man’s eyes every time he smiled. It seemed the man feared him gaining confidence.
‘I need your answers!’ The force with which he said the last word took 7244466 totally by surprise. For a second, a mad, desperate look came over the man, only to vanish as quickly as it had appeared.
‘I can’t give you your –’ Said 7244466, smiling.
‘Answers.’ The man said through gritted teeth. Suddenly, he was on his feet, screaming. ‘I NEED ANSWERS! YOUR ANSWERS! WITHOUT THEM, I AM NOTHING.’ He literally spat the last word, flecks of saliva spraying over 7244466.
‘Exactly.’ 7244466 smiled. ‘You’re The Man. It’s about time you found something out for yourself.’