January/ 8/ 2006 : California Institute of Technology
Maria sighed as she walked across her university’s campus, completely exhausted by today’s events.
Unlike the other economics students who had already finished their term papers and were happily relaxing, Maria had to go out and find a whole new source for her report. At the very least, her professor was kind enough to extend the deadline given the fact that the most important component of her paper literally vanished into thin air.
On top of that she was still responsible for organizing her sorority’s fundraiser which would have been easier if she didn’t have to take care of more than 8,000 people stuffed inside a pile of boxes in the basement.
“I should have just killed them. Then at least this situation would be hella easier.” She moaned to herself as she walked back to the house after a long day.
She checked the time on her flip phone; it was a little after 11:30 which meant that she had just enough time to pick up food for herself, plus a few thousand others.
****
Gerome awoke to the sound of his fellow inmates sleeping on the cardboard floor. Cynthia’s room was now completely silent, her violent sexual antics having long ended. Now the only sound was that of her gentle breathing, which in a strange way reminded Gerome of the wind that once blew outside his cell. It surrounded him, shook the box, and kept him awake. It was inescapable; Just like Cynthia or Maria are to him now.
He heard the door open. It was Maria; she looked absolutely exhausted and was carrying an oversized plastic bag overstuffed with canned food. Quickly and nimbly she tiptoed across the room and grabbed the shoebox and its cover before darting out of Cynthia’s room and shutting the door.
Gerome shut his eyes as he awaited the inevitable, then opening them; he was smugly satisfied by the continuum of darkness in front of him. Why doesn’t she just kill us already? Thought Gerome as he heard another door open and shut, and a large heavy lock set into place.
His box was set down and the lid removed. He was in the basement again, only this time he was on the floor and not on the table.
Looking around, he saw that the others were only just regaining consciousness, and that Maria had walked away. This was the best opportunity for escape he had in a while, and he had to take it no matter the risk. Freedom was quite literally a foot away.
He climbed up the front of the enormous sneakers and hid behind the knot of the empty shoes. Looking out he saw her lining up all the boxes that contained people into neat rows, and removing there lids.
A chorus of screams cascaded across the room as one by one she removed the lids, exposing the hundreds of people inside to light; many of them having been without food, water, and a proper bathroom for more than 12 hours.
Maria’s attention turned back towards the only shoebox in the room. Gerome, realizing that if he stayed here he would be discovered, and so he made the only choice he had. He jumped into the shoe.
Gerome landed softly on the insole and ran straight to the interior of the worn piece of footwear right as Maria’s shadow descended upon him.
“The bitch is back!” “Run!” “Get us the hell out of here!” Screamed and howled his former cellmates and guards as Maria’s soft delicate looking fingers lifted the old adidas from the box without so much as an apology for their plight or any kind of remorse.
At least tell us it’ll be alright; tell us you’re going to take care of us. Don’t just stand there and say nothing, he thought as Maria walked up and out of the basement, and to someplace else where the shoes along with Gerome were finally deposited.
As the vibrations of Maria’s footsteps faded into the distance Gerome realized that for the first time in over 6 years he was free from anyone. Sure it may have been under the worst possible circumstances, but he had his freedom. Excited he ran out from the mouth of the shoe and into a world of possibilities.
****
Cynthia yawned and stretched her body. Checking the time she realized that it was a little after 1:00 AM. She didn’t sleep for long, but it was the best sleep of her life.
She laid back on her pillow, looked up at her hand, and thought hard about the things she had done; about the men she had killed and traumatized earlier. Why did she do it? Obviously it was out of vengeance, to take something away from people who only took from others. However, as she played back the pleasure and frustration filled events from yesterday, she couldn’t help but feel that it was for a different reason.
Upon reflection it seemed like she did it out of instinct; a part of her must have saw how vulnerable such wicked men were, and the second she had the upper hand for once in her life that dark amoral part of her made sure such an advantage was not wasted. Or, perhaps she simply did it for the thrill of destroying something she despised; after all, she did hate criminals, especially male criminals. Either way Cynthia was both disturbed and relieved to find that she didn’t really feel anything other than satisfaction from what she did to those bastards.
Cynthia looked over to the bedside table. It was covered in various objects a normal girl her age would have. Lipstick, tissue paper, some pocket change; you know, the average things. Only one item among this mundane collection stood out, a 2 inch tall man cowering underneath a wrinkled tissue paper; his uniform stained with his own blood and waterlogged from his earlier encounter with Cynthia.
She turned on her side, lowered the blanket, and faced the man. Cynthia often slept in the nude, and she imagined that the sight of a living breathing wall of a person was something that would cause quite a bit of conflict for him; especially after what she did to him a few hours ago. If only she could hear his indecision, his thoughts of passion or fear as he gazed upon her voluminous form and all its deadly, yet tempting curves.
Then her stomach growled causing the man to cower further into the tissue paper, apparently under the assumption that she planned on eating him.
Cynthia got up and out of bed; feeling the need to eat. “Chill out boy, I’m not going to hurt you.” She said in a soft silvery voice to her whimpering voyeur.
“Yet!” she spat with mocking indifference while putting on an extra-large T-shirt, which on her diminutive figure looked more like a nightgown, and then walked out of the room.
It was late at night, and barely anyone was up. There were a few hardcore studiers and insomniacs, but other than them the Alpha Beta Omega sorority house was unoccupied. This meant that Cynthia didn’t have to worry about appearances since all of her sisters were fast asleep in their rooms; completely ignorant to the suffering of thousands of lives beneath their very feet.
She picked up an egg salad sandwich and a bottle of Heineken out of the fridge, and was about to return to her room when she noticed the light was on in the basement.
****
Maria looked out at the thousands of people who stood, sat, and cowered before her from their respective containers; her every move scrutinized and examined by hundreds of thinking feeling individuals.
It was almost nauseating. To be the subject of so many people’s thoughts, to have her actions so carefully monitored and interpreted by every last person. In a way it was like being a celebrity, only the screaming masses were pleading for food and basic human dignities rather than entertainment.
Stay calm. That’s the only way you’re going to resolve this crisis, she told herself as she turned away from the city of people behind her and took a deep breath.
“Ok. Let’s think of this like a business,” she muttered to herself, relying on her knowledge of corporate management to get her through. “First Order. Then food.”
She turned to face the people, and clapped her hands as loudly as she could; immediately silencing the crowd. “First things first. I want all the guards, doctors, and everyone who isn’t incarcerated separated into their own groups.” She ordered while putting on a strong face.
Maria was unsure how to proceed from this point. She couldn’t just move the guards because chaos would surely arise, she couldn’t just move prisoners around because she had no idea how many of them were members of gangs that may or may not be friendly with each other, also many of them were women and there was a very obvious reason why she couldn’t move them into a container filled with men.
Of course there was one option that continuously tempted her, and that was to kill them; every last one of them. After all, the entire world already considered them dead, and in their current state they might as well be; who is she to argue with destiny? It would also be humane, painless even; just a simple flick of the wrist or a single step would be enough to end their lives without any suffering. Afterwards Maria could return to her life, major in economics, and go on to change the corporate world just as she planned.
But at what cost? Her humanity, her morality, Her sanity? Absolutely not. The cost to herself both emotionally and spiritually was far too great, and in Maria’s mind there was nothing in this world that is worth single handedly committing an act of genocide for.
I hope they thank me for this. I hope…at least one day I hope… they realize how much I’ve had to undergo because of them, thought Maria as 3 distinct knocks were heard at the door.
“Hey! It’s Cinni, is everything ok down there.” She said from behind the door.
Maria sighed and pushed all thoughts of killing out of her mind. Finally someone I can rely on, she thought then walked up the stairs and opened the door.
“What’s going on down here?” said Cynthia in a curious chipper tone as she walked down into the basement wearing nothing but a loose fitting shirt, and a pair of light blue panties.
“I’m trying to figure out how to keep everyone alive.” Said Maria taking a seat on the stairs and holding her head in her arms.
Cynthia looked out across the floor of the basement. Spreads out in rows was the collective population of the prison, more than 8,000 people; all of whom had their miserable eyes locked firmly on the two giants. It was possibly the saddest thing either of them had ever witnessed, and if it wasn’t for the fact that they were in a basement the sight before them would be indistinguishable from a concentration camp.
“I kind of see the issue.” Said Cynthia walking down the stairs and right up to the boxes.
Maria followed close behind, thinking that perhaps their combined minds could find a solution if they worked together.
Unlike Maria, Cynthia felt like a rock star. She always loved being the center of attention, so for her the feeling of thousands of tiny eyes ogling her oversized body was that of excitement and lust.
Of course she was still hesitant to do anything. The situation right now was extremely delicate, and Maria’s decision to separate them based on a prisoner/guard dynamic has only served to re-open old wounds. She had to admit it was a clever idea, but this was a prison not a corporation, and any attempt to alter the status quo would inevitably result in backlash.
“So… who wants food, huh?” said Maria while holding an open can of baked beans.
Within seconds the temporary peace Maria had created was destroyed, and the air was once again filled with the disorderly shouts of the disparaged prisoners and guards.
That was not one of my better ideas, thought Maria as the people erupted into hungry mobs, some attempting and nearly succeeding in scaling the boxes that contained them.