For Your Entertainment
“No- no please!” he shouted into the darkness, only answered by his own echoes. “I’m innocent I swear!-” his voice cracked. A noise came from beyond the darkness. Wide eyes shifted, his head jerked, trying to find the source of the noise. Sweat trailed down the side of his forehead. Sparkling under the bright lights only focused on him. “Please!” Another noise, a voice-
“How much do you think we’ll get for him?”
His wrists flexed against the rope. “I don’t want to be a part of your stupid show!” This time he leaned forward when he shouted. Pulling away from the chair, struggling against the rope. “Let me go! Let me-” Tears sparkled under the spotlights. A sob filled the otherwise empty room. “Please-” He looked down. Eyes glued to the floor as his tears dripped onto the concrete. “What did I do-”
“Nothing, no one will realize he is gone. There are hundreds of other cops training at the school, one dropout isn’t going to alarm anyone.”
More tears slid down his face, even as he squeezed his eyes shut. “What did I do to deserve this-” In this empty room, this dark room, even his whispers were heard. He looked back up. Eyes narrowed at the camera. “I was framed. I didn’t get a fair trial, I wasn’t allowed a lawyer!” The chair creaked while he continued to tug at the ropes.
“Well, I suppose we can use the little dropout for target practice?”
He fell silent. No longer struggling, no longer screaming or crying. “Is this what society has come to? Using death for entertainment?” He relaxed back into the chair, arms limp in the restraints. “What are we but barbarians?” This time, when he closed his eyes, it looked like he had fallen asleep.
“Sure,”
The shot echoed. Blood dripped from the hole in the man’s chest. Still, he sat there silent and eyes closed. Waiting for death. Waiting for the blood to seep out of his body.
It didn’t take long for him to take his last breath.
“Cut!”
Clapping filled the silence. “Wonderful!” The man in the director’s chair stood, continuing to give a standing ovation. “Jennifer, you can cut out all that blabbering, can’t you?” He glanced over to a woman at the computer; a curl in his lips as she nodded. “Great. I was afraid we’d have to grab another one. Do you know how much it costs to frame people now? My lawyer just keeps raising her rates.”
There was a murmur in the room. No one felt bad, per se, this was normal now, but the stench of death still reeked just as much as it did the first time.
“Alright, let’s get this shit cleaned up.” The man waved his hand in the air dismissively. “Literally, did you not let him use the bathroom beforehand? You know much of a pain it is to clean shit off of this floor- not that I’d know of course,” he laughed. “I get paid too much for that.”
Everyone glanced at each other, waiting for the other to take up the job.
He sighed. “Just bring in another one of the prisoners. Just tell them if they clean it they’ll get to go free.” He started to walk towards the hallway lined with doors, just stopping in the doorway to look over his shoulder. “But don’t actually let them free.” His laugh was nothing but a cackle that echoed down the endless hallway
~~~
After a few games of drawing sticks, poor Jeff was left to fetch a prisoner. They weren’t actually prisoners, as this was counted as community service. Much easier to give out community service than to continue to overcrowd prisons.
Hands shaking, he curled his fingers around the doorknob. He took a moment, a breath before he opened the door. “H-hey-”
Many sets of eyes darted towards his form. Almost glowing in the dim room.
Did humans’ eyes glow?
Jeff froze for a moment. Trapped like prey under the gaze of its predator. Then a jingle of chains snapped him back to attention. “We- we have a job for one of you. If you do it, you’ll be free.” Sweat beaded on his forehead, shining ever so under the blinking fluorescent lights.
“I’ll do it.” The voice came from the darkest corner of the room.
Jeff walked over, ignoring how his legs shook with every step.
It was a woman, a small frail one no less. This would make it easy.
Jeff breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, good. I’ll let you out and you can come clean up the mess.” He pulled a key out of his pocket, hands shaking so hard he dropped it once, twice. But the lady was patient, she only smiled up at him while he unlocked her chains.
All Jeff remembered was the click of a lock. Then in a blink of his eye, he was face down on the ground. Warmblood trickled down his cheek, a cut caused by the impact.
Her breath was on his ear. “You treat me like a killer, what reason would I have to not be one?”
Something cold touched the back of Jeff’s neck. Something sharp.
“I didn’t do anything!” he cried out. No longer did his body shake, instead he was frozen to the ground. Unable to move, unable to escape.
“No, but compliance is violence to the disadvantaged.” She pressed the knife harder against his skin, now drawing blood. “Besides, it’s about sending a message. I’m sure you understand.”
His last breath was the start of a revolution.
