City Hunter

Chapter IX

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"You don't have to do this."

It was the cell-woman's voice again. She was speaking to him through the door, as if he was a rabid animal and she was afraid he might bite her.

Maybe he would.

He didn't know anymore.

"Do what?" he asked, his tone shallow and hoarse. "Survive? Rebel against you? You could kill me right now, if you wanted to. But you won't. You can't. Why not?"

Silence.

Then a tired sigh. Yes, he thought bitterly. How exhausting it must be to keep an innocent man prisoner. Though, was he innocent? As hard as he thought about the question, he couldn't seem to find the answer.

Curse this deteriorating mind.

"You wouldn't understand." Cell-woman was speaking. "You could be helped. You could be loved."

That was it. "I was loved!" he screamed. "My sister loved me! And you took that all away!"

"Yes," she answered solemnly. "Yes I did. Because I had too."

She was twisted. She was insane. Or wait - was that him? He didn't know.

Another thing that was her fault.

"Very well," he sighed. "I'm going to die anyway. Why don't you tell me something, Tele?"

He imagined her cocking her head, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "What would you like to know, Fred?"

"Yes. Fred. My name is Fred." The name tasted strange, like a food he'd eaten before but couldn't place when he'd eaten it or what it was called. "I told you my name. May I know yours?"

"That's a strange question," she responded carefully. "Why do you want to know that?"

He shrugged, even though she couldn't see him. "I don't know. I guess I want to have some knowledge of my captor? Even though it's going to ooze out of my mind in a few weeks' time, along with the rest of my knowledge and sanity?"

Cell-woman murmured something, but he couldn't make it out.

"What was that?" he asked.

A pause. Then, "Elizabeth," she told him. "My name is Elizabeth."

A/N - Hope you like my story so far! Comment what you like and your critiques!