For the first time in what seems like a long time the room is filled with the sound of tears and weeping. Its been just about two weeks but its felt like forever, up until about two hours ago, two hours ago they were told that the rules of the room have changed. They were told that time has run out for at least half of them, while they've hated the torture of every day and each hour since they've gotten there has been spent in pain the sudden change of rules has crushed their spirits.
Since day two when they found out what their tags were they clung to them like they were vital organs, they knew that Daniel had his number replaced by someone and trusted no one when it came to their tags. Now these tags which were their reservation card to freedom meant nothing, it would be luck of the draw if half of them would survive.Their spirits were broken so bad that nothing could make light of the day that was ahead.
Cipher informs them to line up single file and say their good byes at his little temple/altar. He also states that he wants Ross, Daniel, Anne and Liz in to move to separate rooms, they need to move to different temples and not be with one another this day. The four hug and shake hands and each moves to the different walls, one to the North, one to the South and so on.
More tears are heard as the occupants move up to the microphone and use it as part confessional, confessing and asking for forgiveness from those in their lives that they felt they've done wrong. Some talk to their children and tell them to be strong. They tell them that they should learn that they need to be safe in everything they do, but to never stop living because of what's happened to them.Its a riddle of advice as they try and explain to live each moment to the fullest and yet be wary of strangers; take chances but take heed, live each day to live rather than live each day towards dying.
Daniel approaches the wall and his stoic face of defiance seems chipped, his eyes look so heavy from holding in every tear that should have been let out in the last two weeks that they seem distorted and obtuse. Some of those behind him try and listen in on his time at the mic, what is the man who's been sentenced to 100 days of torture saying to his family that he's talked about and said he needs to get back to. At first it sounds like mumbling and murmurs, as if he were talking in his sleep. A few words are clear and loud, "I miss you so much..." and "If I could just hold you one more time" with that he breaks a little more and his posture becomes bent, crumbled and defeated. He catches his breath and tries to stand up, "I promised you, I know I did, but I'm ready now." He puts his hand on the camera as if to touch a window where someone sat on the other side. "Don't be mad if this goes wrong." he starts to clear his voice a bit, "I made friends here, you always wanted me to make friends, and I always said I never had the time or the attention span. That no one would find me interesting, but here, in these two weeks, I made friends. Good ones. I broke ones nose, but that.... well I'll tell you about that one when I see you. Don't be mad about this either but two of the friends are girls, they're pretty cool, you'd get along with them so easily and if it was you in here with them I know you'd be leading a rebellion right along with them." he pauses. "Drew." he starts to breathe heavy. "Drew... I'm so sorry. I miss you buddy. I miss your laugh, watching you play, the way your eyes pretty much disappear when you get all giddy. When I see you I just need to hold you, your not to big for that, I need to hold you and smell your hair, and squeeze you so tight you complain that you'll burst. I'll see you soon Drew. Daddy will see you soon." He puts his head down hating what he's just said. His heart feels like one of those big drums and right now every emotion is just pounding on his hear with giant steel mallets. It builds like a crescendo until it just stops, and his hand on the wall clenches, if it weren't steel it would have crushed in his fingers. He hits the wall, looks up to the monitor where Cipher normally speaks from, his eyes bore a hole through it and he turns and walks away.
Liz cries and talks to her Dad, apologizing for not doing things his way, and that maybe if she did she wouldn't be here where she is, that maybe if she just didn't feel a need to fight so much she'd be at home right now, watching this event on TV happening to others and thinking, those poor people. She talks about how she tried so hard to just always be the adult and be on her own, and looking back she sees she was just constantly the child lashing out. That if she could do it again, she might still be the child, but she'd call out to daddy to come help her. She talks to her boy friend and describes their wedding, she goes into full detail of her dress, what he's wearing the fact that his brother surprises them all with an amazing speech that makes his cousin Frank do a spit take mid speech causing every guest to burst into laughter. Its one of those weddings that everyone from that day on would say whenever they were going to a wedding, 'remember Liz's wedding. That was epic'. She leans in and kisses the glass and waves good bye with just her fingers as the tears stream down her face and she follows in line to the room on the North. She sees Daniel walking in at the same time to his room and he looks up for a moment and they share a glance of good bye, a silent thank you and they both disappear into the black.
No comments:
Post a Comment