twenty. text. backdated to monday.

[goryteller]

In the 1940s, rumor has it that a prisoner on the island of Alcatraz was killed by a ghost.

Back in those days (unlike these days), they had isolation chambers called hole cells where the prisoners were kept in near darkness for weeks on end. "Bang bang bang," one prisoner cried and pounded. "Someone's trying to murder me in here." But the guards thought he was hallucinating, as those being tortured with solitude tended to, and so they did nothing. When the prisoner stopped screaming, they were quite content until they opened the cell and found that he was dead. He had markings on his neck. Strangulation. No one else was in the cell.

Ghost stories have a sort of charm, don't they? Whether or not you believe them, I mean. I don't generally because we didn't have imports back then and because the living can be fucking horrible enough. I'm certain one of the guards killed him and thought they had a clever way of covering it up. Which they did.

I wonder what the prisoner's crime was. But I don't even have a name.

I know I would take death as a legacy if nothing else.

Comments

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

Well if you're so determined to impress, I'm willing to listen.

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to list my torture methods, but you're wrong. That's it.

I'd hope that I'd resist the urge, but if I found out who might have taken my life. I'll send you a tape.

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

You're unwilling to present the data, which weakens your argument that I'm wrong to underestimate you. Just so you know.

Aren't you thoughtful? But really, I might decline the offer. A bit crass, isn't it? [Beat.] Do you have any theories, Thomas? On who killed you.

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

No, and I hope I don't gain any. I hope I don't know who he is.

I'll obsess over him, if I do.

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

"He"? You're sure it was a he?

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

Yes.

He forgot to click in his whatever voice modulator thing he used at first. His laugh was male.

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

Have you informed the authorities?

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

I'm not telling anyone. If anyone finds him out, it'll be me.

He's mine.

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

What happened to staving off obsession?

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

I don't want to stave it off, I'd like to satisfy it.

Scratch an itch, rather than ignore it.

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

And if you can't? If someone gets there first?

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

If he's an imPort and he comes back, I guess I'll just find him and slaughter him anyway.

Otherwise? I don't know.

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

And if he's Vulcanus?

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I haven't thought through every single possibility.

For all I know, it could have been you.

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

Isn't that the line of thinking that divorced you from Deadshot?

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

I'm not accusing you, I'm just saying that almost anyone can be a possibility.

I just wonder why they picked me.

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

Whatever the reason, it's surely unrelated to your incredibly offensive demeanor.

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

It probably would be unrelated, you're right. So right.

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

Maybe he's aware of what you've done, back home.

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

And? Is that a decent reason to kill me when I'd just come back?

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

Depends on his intent. It's possible you were merely a message.

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

Me and all the others?

A message to who, criminals?

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

Perhaps. Though not everyone was an explicit villain, I think.

private

[nine-tries.livejournal.com]

I'm not a "villain."

private

[enigmaestro.livejournal.com]

You clearly are to someone. Whether they're correct or not is another issue.