Pongo #51
By brighteyes
- 1037 reads
Miffy
We sit in my living room, the TV off for the first time in days.
"What did they DO to you? They chorus, when I twist up the dimmers.
"Cheers for that, I clang.
"Sorry, Saren '
"Miffy.
"Sorry, it's just that we were expecting -
"I know, I know, but it seems we all got fleeced. Now let me see how much I do recall. You could be Danver, I try, squinting at one. He nods.
"Which makes you Fembs. Nod.
"How did you find me? I lean forward, because I remember seeing this move intimidating criminals in Pollen films. Right now, I'm bricking it. Talk about playing catch with a time bomb.
"I'm not stupid. Just because I opened the door shows I'm curious, is all. It doesn't mean we're best friends or that I'm going to shelter you from the police or anything. I'm pretty sure whatever you did to Ms Quene didn't involve tea and a chat. Did you torture her? How come it wasn't reported?
"We didn't need to torture her, Danver says. "That wasn't the problem. She wasn't stubborn so much as forgetful. She'd had the same memory loss procedure as you. Fact, she was the one who made you undergo it. One flash of a knife and it all came flooding back, though.
"Dunno about reports, shrugs Fembs. "We haven't exactly been cosying up beside the wireless of an evening. Think we've maybe snatched a couple hours' sleep between us since entering the city gates.
"Memory loss procedure, yes, I murmur. A professional job.
"Course, she'd changed her name, like you had.
"Peeler or something.
I shake my head. Nup. Must have been my abstinence week. Tried to take seven days off absorbing any media crap, partly as a experiment, partly to save on bills a little. I caved after two and a half days, out of sheer boredom. I resented having my own lack of creativity rubbed in my face. Anyway, apparently I missed some real news floating in the sea of sponges. Taking a deep breath, I stop tapping my fingers on the chair's arm.
"I'll level with you. I can remember chunks of stuff. We were at school together. Only it was pretty weird and I remember you guys being taken away on pretty slim grounds when we were still pretty little. That place must be responsible for the whole fucked-up aging thing. But there are holes here and there, like exactly what happened in the school, when my name changed, why you two aren't in the same Frankenstein state as me right now etc., and if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm actually quite scared right now. I mean, well, you've probably got a weapon on you, haven't you?
There's a silence, but at least they don't suddenly draw and dice me. Instead they hang their heads a little. The gesture is odd to this setting.
"We would NEVER hurt you Saren, says Fembs quietly. "We've been so worried.
"What do you mean? This is getting creepy. What am I talking about? It started creepy, it continued in a creepy vein, it's been pretty consistent in that respect. Fuck, I just want to go lie down in a darkened room.
"You know what, I'm not totally sure I am the girl you're looking for. This was a mistake. And to be honest, I'm grieving right now for a very close friend. I'd appreciate being left alone.
"Saren, we're here to help.
"What happened to you guys? After you were taken away? I have to know.
Danver's face clouds over. "They took us at separate times, and were each kept in solitary, but we compared notes afterwards. They used a number of techniques in an attempt to psychologically strip us, in the hope that we could be returned as test subjects once we had abandoned hope of growing up.
"Oh, God. Did they hurt you?
"Not physically, no. Fembs looks distant.
"They measured our reactions to certain stimuli. Anatomical models, educational films, books etc. On the days when we expressed positive reactions to such things, we were given smaller portions of food, or else the food would be oversalted or cold or stale. Thing is, their techniques were useless on us. And before they had time to perfect other methods, the company ran out of surplus funding.
"Temporarily. But by then we were long gone. Still, they had one test subject left.
"Me. In my mind, the squares of a hand-eye coordination game are twisting and shifting, and the lines they create go red red red green green green, and so on. Nevertheless, I'm dizzy. I teeter forward in my chair and the men catch me. "We were never meant to see each other again, I'm sure. Christ, you two are the closest I have to brothers. That place. It must have been like a prison camp.
"But now, at last, you're free.
"What do you mean? I've been out of that place since my early twenties. They look like televangelists. That plastic look in the eye, the smiles. The fact one of them has leaned forward and is stroking my hand. I shiver.
"Those ' those things they made you do - Danver shakes his head.
"What things?
"The sick, perverted -
Fembs interrupts: "The films, Saren.
"It's Miffy. Nobody made me do those films. I was thinking about getting out in a few years anyway, but I still had a few booked before my subscription got cancelled.
"They abused you.
I find myself getting irritable. Angry even, angry with two men who may have been my brothers, but who were nonetheless very dangerous. Dangerous men who didn't really know what the fuck they were talking about, what they were looking at. "Come off it. Yes, some scenes hurt me a little more than it did, say, someone with a cunt of childbearing age, but I made damn good money and they're good people.
"You've been brainwashed. Or else you're still scared they'll come back to get you. That's why you have to give us more names. We're going to emancipate you, Saren. You've been a prostitute for these people for too fucking long.
"More names? What do you mean? There was only Marty. He pretty much ran the studio himself with the odd work experience kid's help. Filmed it all on a handheld. Pretty much swept the floors. Something grips my chest and I fight the salty taste in my throat and the pricking in my eyes. It's like gulping back down a hairball.
Hold on a second.
"You¦ I begin. No. No.
"You're free, says Danver.
"Free, echoes his blond co-murderer.