“Alright kid, get to work. We ain’t payin’ ya to sit on yer ass all day.” A tall man walked over and put his large hand on my shoulder, gripping it tightly. It was a gloomy day in the crime and grime ridden town of Buckrow, Illinois, and work was slower than usual. I had forgotten I was even here; my mind is always in another place.
“S-sorry sir, was just in my own world again, y’know?” I stuttered in embarrassment. I didn’t want to get on Mr. Degreusi’s bad side, he could bend me like a paperclip.
“Yeah, well, get out of that world of yours for now, you’ve got a request from the Warden.”
I sighed. The Warden always asked me to go run errands that his assistants could easily do themselves, he only makes me do them because he believes I’m worthless otherwise. I’m not necessarily tall or muscular, but more so on the scrawny side, so he’s got me there, but I have a few upsides.
“I’d get going kid. I know how quick you are, shouldn’t be a problem gettin’ there in a couple a’ minutes.”
Mr. Degreusi began to walk away, but turned around almost instantaneously, almost as if he had just heard a shotgun fire off behind him.
“Ah, right! Richard, take this with you. Don’t know what it is--thought you could figure it out. You’re brains and no brawn, after all. I wouldn’t show nobody that thing though, might, uh.. intrigue some people or somethin’.” Mr. Degreusi chuckled lightly and lumbered back towards his station. I looked at the device for a while and I was honestly puzzled; I had no idea what this thing was. It had a long antennae and a weird crosshatched circle on the front that emitted static noises. On the side of the device was a button that did nothing when I pressed it. Did he really just find this thing and decide to give it to me? That’s a little odd, but Mr. Degreusi has never been known to do anyone wrong. I’ll figure it out some other time.
I looked up at the sun to see what time it was and figured it was about four-thirty in the afternoon. If I run by my place to drop this device off, I’m sure I could get to the Warden’s office by five o'clock at the latest and I wouldn’t have to carry this thing around everywhere. After pondering for a bit, I ultimately decided on keeping the block of steel with me while I traveled. Even if Degreusi found this thing, well, who knows where, it seemed too important to leave by itself, especially in this town. I plopped it in my side satchel and began sprinting down the trail to the Warden’s office.
---
The office towered over me as I approached it, like a giant encased in stone and iron. The lobby at the front of the building was open to the public so I walked right in. It was crowded as always; people were requesting changes to the town, yelling at officials, or just loitering for no reason at all. Finding a way through the crowd was such a burden, so I did what any small kid would do: I snuck around them without attracting any attention so I wasn’t asked about my motives. I made my way up to the receptionist at the front desk. She was a tall, slender woman with red hair and freckles. She couldn’t have been older than her mid twenties.
“Hello there, sweetie. How may I help you?” She asked with a soft voice.
“I am here for the Warden. He sent me for some errands?”
“Oh yes, you must be Richard! This way, please.”
I followed the woman through the door in the back of the room. It was permanently locked and closed off to the public so people couldn’t barge in to see the Warden without an appointment. When the door shut, the girl shut it tightly and locked it quickly. She sighed heavily.
“I get why you lock the door, but why is it so urgent? What can the people do anyway?”
The lanky girl stopped in her tracks. She turned slowly towards me in such a way that could only be described as surprised, but she kept a smile on her face to keep her real feelings hidden.
“No reason! Just for safety measures is all, hehe. My name is Alice, by the way! Nice to meet you.” She kind of hesitated before speaking again, wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead. “The Warden’s office is the one at the very end of the hallway. I think you’re old enough to find your way there by yourself!” Alice giggled nervously. I could tell she was still thinking about the question I asked moments earlier. When I turned to thank her, she was already gone. I shrugged and stepped forward, confronting the large door to the Warden’s office. I turned the knob, pushed forward, and entered.
What I saw kind of took me by surprise. It was a very large room with a redwood floor and tiger carpet surrounded by oak walls with very intricate designs on them. Hanging on the walls were animal head trophies and other bizarre creatures I couldn’t quite make out. In the back was a cobblestone fireplace with pictures of what I would assume were family members on them, but it seemed off. Lincoln wasn’t in any of them, and a few had red stains--wine, maybe? Ketchup? Whatever it was, he should be more cautious when he eats or drinks. As I looked around, my eyes met up with the back of the Warden’s chair. He spoke with a very stern but smooth tone.
“I’m glad you could make it, Richard. Please sit down.”
I sat down in the chair in front of his desk. He turned slowly and looked right into my eyes. His were fierce and determined, and I was honestly intimidated. I wanted to break eye contact but I simply couldn’t.
“Hello, Mr. Lincoln. What can I do for you?” I tried to sound comfortable, but I noticed a shake in my voice. He was way too intimidating.
“Yes, let’s get right to business, eh? I have called you in today to--” he was cut off by the door opening. It was Alice.
“I am very sorry to interrupt Abraham, but a brawl just broke loose in the lobby. Could you please break it up?”
Mr. Lincoln stood up immediately and ran out the door without hesitation. Alice followed. Now, with those two gone, I was alone in the massive room, my only company being the crackle of the fire. I sighed heavily. What exactly was going on out there? Who knows. I’ll just wait for him to return.
Just then, I heard a noise from the device I had received earlier from Mr. Degreusi. I took it out of my satchel and looked at it. I heard a voice coming from the crosshatched portion.
“Richard! Can you hear me? It’s Tim. Tim Degreusi.”
I was shocked. How was he talking to me? Was this device magic?
“What? Mr. Degreusi? How are you talking to me right now?” I asked in astonishment.
“What I gave you there is a voice transmitter device. I have the second one, so we can communicate long distances with them. I gave it to you because Lincoln has been on my ass for years, and I knew I couldn’t show my face around his office if I wanted to keep my life. Listen, can you do something for me?”
I didn’t know what to say. I was sitting in the office of the most important man in the world, and Mr. Degreusi was asking for favors? What was I supposed to do?
“Mr. Degreusi, with all due respect, I don’t think--”
“It doesn’t matter what you think right now, boy!” He cut me off abruptly. “What matters is that you help me out here. I know how selfish that sounds right now, but please just trust me this one time.” His voice sounded extremely sincere, more so than I have ever heard it sound before. I sighed heavily.
“Alright Mr. Degreusi, what is it?”
He shuffled a little and leaned in really close to the voice transmitter. “I need you to sneak into the security room and find Lincoln’s logs for me. I know this sounds bizarre, but just let me explain.” He cleared his throat. “Lincoln’s logs are tape recorders that he recorded a very long time ago in private, but no one has ever found them, and there have been lots of conspiracies about him and these logs. I need you to get into the security room and find them ALL for me, do you understand?”
I swallowed hard. I could feel my forehead gathering sweat like crazy. I stuttered, “y-you mean… right now?”
“Yes, Richard, while Lincoln is distracted. I caused the commotion in the lobby that got the poor sap’s attention, now all you need to do is find your way to the security room.”
I tried to think all of this over, but Mr. Degreusi sounded extremely stressed and desperate, so I snuck down the hallway to the security room as fast as I could. As I rounded the corner, I heard Mr. Degreusi say one final statement before cutting off.
“If we can get these logs, we can prove to the world who Lincoln truly is.”
---
Hallway after hallway I ran, corner after corner I turned, and no sight of this damn security room. This place was much larger than how it looked on the outside, I’ve passed about forty or so doors now and they seem to keep coming.
I can’t stop now. The sound of Lincoln yelling my name blasts down the hallways, but it’s faint enough for me to know that he isn’t close. I’ve got some time. I begin to round another corner when I hear talking down the hallway and I luckily caught myself. As I peer around the corner, I see two large men guarding the security room, both wielding large guns of some sort. They looked as if they were buckshots, so turning the corner would be the death of me.
Just then, I heard Lincoln’s voice close behind. Panicking, I looked around for somewhere to hide before Lincoln came, and luckily, a potted plant was sitting against a wall near one of the doors. Sighing in relief, I jumped behind the large plant and thanked Lincoln’s interior decorators for cliche hiding spots. Just as my thought ended, Lincoln came storming around the corner and I stopped breathing completely; I was basically invisible at this point. I suppose all the books and comics I read educated me on where to hide.
I peeked through the plant to see Lincoln yelling at the guards. It really wasn’t hard to make out what he was saying, his voice was very booming and carried very far. I listened in.
“You haven’t seen a small boy run by here? That’s impossible! He had to ‘uv come through here eventually, all of the doors are locked!” yelled Lincoln in a fit of anger.
“Boss, trust us, no kid came through here, okay? Else he’d be dead or knocked out, or worse.” sneered the Left Guard.
“Worse? What’s worse than death?” Lincoln was confused.
“Gettin’ in a tussle with me, y’know? Ahaha!” chuckled the big guy, his partner laughing along with him.
“Ugh, well either way, leave your stations and go find the kid, will you? Do something useful.” Lincoln stormed off, the two large men trailing behind him.
I can’t believe it was this easy. I didn’t even do anything and the guards are gone! I gave a sigh of relief after a few moments of them being gone and left my hiding place. Being very careful and looking both ways, I turned the corner and darted for the security room. Surprisingly, it was unlocked, and I quickly slid inside, closing the door behind me and locking it. I turned around and gasped loudly, freezing in place.
Lights. Screens. Buttons. Everything I only thought was impossible was sitting right in front of my eyes, like the children’s fiction books I read as a child. It seemed so surreal, but I was truly here, standing in front of these futuristic techno-machines.
All of a sudden, I heard a noise and hid. I hadn’t even realized the people sitting in chairs before the massive screens. One of them turned around and looked in my direction, but quickly turned back, obviously not seeing me. I sighed heavily. What are these creeps doing in here? I decided to watch them for awhile. After a couple of minutes, one of them stood up.
“Pete, I think someone is in here” said a very short woman in black, looking around nervously.
“Chyeah, us” laughed Pete. “No one can get in here, Darla. We’re guarded, remember? Just chillax and keep looking at the Screens.”
Darla seemed extremely on edge, and for good reason. She knew I was here, but just wasn’t sure where I was or, furthermore, what I was. She kept quiet and sat back down.
Now was my chance. I scurried along the wall very slowly and gently. Screen after Screen I passed, heart rate increasing tenfold after each one. As I pass each Screen I can see people in matching uniforms just… sitting there. Staring. Not making a sound. What could these screens possibly be? As curious as I was to find out, I wasn’t about to get caught. I don’t want to think about what they do to people who trespass in here. Pushing that thought to the back of my mind, I continued sneaking.
I finally made it to the other side of the room after what felt like a year, this place was much larger than I thought; maybe a football field in length? I couldn’t tell, but it held hundreds of Screens and even more people watching them. My curiosity was quickly sated, however; from the angle I was in now, I could clearly see one of the Screens to my right. I may have been satisfied, but a little on the disappointed side. The Screens were completely blank! Just a gentle blue light emanating from them, appearing much brighter from the sheer size of these things. In mid thought, I noticed one of the people stand up and walk towards me. I hid behind a trash can and thanked the Gods for letting me be small.
“My eyes are killing me… I need a break.” A large man lumbered by, dropping his goggles in the trashcan I was hiding behind. He went inside a door that said “Do Not Enter.” Clearly he didn’t get the memo.
I decided to reach in the can and pull out the goggles. I examined them thoroughly. they were generic lab goggles, save for an antennae and little plunger-like parts that grabbed onto one’s face. I considered the consequences, but ultimately put the goggles on.
The plungers connected to my face and the antennae began to blink, followed by the lenses turning on and lighting up. Everything gained a reddish tint and distorted outwards. I looked around and noticed the screens now displaying pictures that I couldn’t quite make out. I didn’t want to chance anything, so I stayed put and tried to take the goggles off, but they wouldn’t budge. They were plastered to my face and no matter how hard I pulled, the plungers gripped tight, as if they were superglued to my cheeks and temples. After a few moments of struggling, the large man came back through the door he entered awhile ago. I rolled behind a table and waited, cursing at how ridiculous this job is.
“Wait a minute, where are my goggles?” The big lug said aloud, a few people turning in their chairs. “They were in this G.S. Can only five minutes ago, I know it! I dropped them off before I went in the Chamber.”
People were looking around and gasping, not knowing what to see. It was almost as if he just admitted to something that police had been investigating for years.
“Carlos, you know those cans and that room are for emergencies only! You must keep your goggles on at all times” said a scrawny old man about twenty or so feet away. “Why did you even take them off?”
“I got tired, okay? These things are supposed to keep you awake forever, but after only a week I feel extremely groggy. Damn things are just as useless as I thought.” Carlos kicked the table that I was hiding behind and sent it rolling, displaying me in front of everyone. I froze in terror, and so did they.
“... I uh… I’m not the only one seeing this, correct? That’s a kid? Right in front of me?” Carlos questioned in confusement. “I don’t, uh… I don’t remember anyone under the age of twenty-one being able to work in here.”
People jumped up one by one, pointing at me like I was hanging on to a cliff by dear life.
“Intruder! No one is allowed in here unless permitted! What are your means?” a very tall woman yelled at an extreme volume. She was standing right in front of me, pointing directly at my face. “Well? Are you going to answer?”
I gulped hard. I really thought I was going to get through this, but I guess not all fairy tales have a happy ending. I could feel myself choking up. “Um, I-I was just… I just wanted…” I couldn’t get any words out of my mouth. I was completely mortified. What was going to happen to me?
“Gah, he has my goggles! Look!” Carlos pointed to the intricate device on my face, which he very apparently had a strong emotional connection to. I wasn’t sure how to react. I was so afraid that all I could do was stand and watch.
“Mrs. Garrison, what do we do?” asked Pete from the back. The tall woman shook her head in disappointment and looked directly at me. “Send this one to Lincoln” she demanded with a cold tone. My stomach dropped and my heart burst out of my chest. I really was in for it, and I could only imagine what he’d do to me.
“Hehe, with pleasure” snickered Carlos. He pulled out a double pronged baton from his back pocket and came towards me. “Don’t worry--this will only hurt a lot.”
He activated the baton and rammed it into my side, sending an extreme electrical shock through my body and knocking me out cold.
---
I woke up to the sounds of water flowing and wind blowing. Waking up this morning was horrible; I had been sleeping on a moss-covered rock the entire night. I stood up, supporting my back with my hands to suppress the pain. I was welcomed to a beautiful view off of a cliffside, the sun setting perfectly over the horizon and birds fluttering about. As I gazed at the view, I heard some rustling behind me, like an animal crawling through brush. I turned promptly to see Mrs. Garrison appearing out of the trees, holding a long suitcase. It was lined with gold and silver and had a matte black finish across the entirety of the body. She stopped and looked at me.
“So how are ya, kid? How’d you sleep?” she asked me with a very sarcastic tone.
“Why am I out here? What do you want with me?”
Mrs. Garrison chuckled. “It’s been awhile since we’ve had to do this. Don’t worry, he’s almost here.”
Just then, Lincoln stepped out of the trees looking as intimidating as ever. He walked up to Mrs. Garrison and stopped.
“Is everything good to go? Not a soul within miles?” Lincoln asked. I shivered at the question; why would they need people to evacuate the area?
“Yes sir. Your girl is ready to go” Mrs. Garrison proclaimed excitedly.
Lincoln nodded and bent down, picking up the suitcase. He opened the locks and put the suitcase on the ground, pulling out a massive double-barreled shotgun. My heart dropped into my stomach. There’s no way he would do this, right? I was terrified out of my mind. I watched Lincoln stand up and point the gun at me with both arms, looking through the sight. Time froze around me. This all seemed so sudden and unconventional that it could have been staged, or even a nightmare, or--
My thoughts were caught off by a flash of light. Mrs. Garrison had taken a photo of me with what looked like a handheld camera, something I had never seen before.
“Don’t worry kid, I was just getting a picture of you for safekeeping. Nothing that you should be worried about” Mrs. Garrison said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She walked over to Lincoln and nodded her head. “The picture is developing as we speak, sir.”
Lincoln sighed and closed his eyes. “It’s been awhile since we’ve had to do this. It may seem inhumane, but I’m sure you understand. What happens in the security room stays in the security room” he said calmly yet firmly. The mixture of attitude he’s displaying is frightening, to say the least.. I guess he finds peace in harming others. I took a step back and tried to run as Lincoln pulled the trigger, expelling a spray of lethal bullets in my direction. Pain shot through my back.
The birds chirping and the leaves rustling were silenced by the sound of a gunshot firing, followed by a body hitting the ground.