Other Fan Fiction ❯ 2003 ❯ Book Three ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

THREE The cab pulled up to the flat. Willa stepped out stoically. She had returned from the depression group home. The city had brightened up some. But everything still seemed dead. Willa walked inside. She felt like a stranger here. But this was her home. When the elevator opened, Julia stood before her daughter. She was smiling. “Welcome home, dear.” she called. Willa stared at her. Julia came forward and hugged her. Willa felt numb. She wanted to ask her mother who she was but couldn’t form the words. That same feeling was with Willa now. She was in the Ministry of Love. She wondered where Winston and Brian were. The lights were bad for her eyes, skin, and head. Everything seemed so faint. “It’s that foreigner.” she heard someone whisper. Through the pain, Willa looked up. Two old prole women stared at her. To her, they looked like hairy bushes. A migraine will do that to you. “Wonder who caught her.” they went on. “Hey you bushes!” Willa called out. “Quit talking about me!” The paroles stared at her. When one gets a migraine, sound becomes amplified by a hundred times. It is as if they were in a room where sound bounces off the walls and comes back louder. The whispers, footsteps, the telescreen all was a nightmare on Willa’s head. “You okay?” a voice asked her. Willa turned in pain. An old man stared at her with concern. He looked like a roast butterball turkey. “Aside from this migraine and not knowing where my father and fiancée are, I’m good!” she said. “Is it true you broke a telescreen?” the man asked. “Yes.” Willa answered. The whole prison went silent. A foreigner broke a telescreen? Was she serious? This had never been done before! Even the guards stood still. “With what?” another voice asked. Willa looked behind her. A young priest close to his twenties sat on the ground. He was dressed in black and gold silk. Judging by the colors, Willa supposed that he was from Germany. “A gin bottle.” Willa answered. All eyes were on her. “Did you kick a thought police for your ring?” another prisoner asked. “Yes.” Willa answered. She felt like falling out from her migraine. The priest rushed forward and helped her stand. “Cockroach!” a voice from the telescreen yelled. “Hands off of her now!” The priest backed away. Even in pain, Willa’s anger was in high gear. “Why should he?!?” she snapped. “He’s trying to help me! Butt out!” The other prisoners stood in fear. She wasn’t human! Kicking a thought police, breaking a telescreen, and now she was arguing with a telescreen. “Watch you mouth, Smith!” the telescreen yelled. “And if I don’t?” Willa asked. The telescreen was silent. Willa smirked. She picked up an old shoe and with all of her might, chucked it at the evil eye. The telescreen broke on contact. Dead silence. The guards were now terrified. The prisoners just stared at her. This couldn’t be a human. Breaking a telescreen with no fear? Who was she? What was she? Willa looked. “What?!?” she snapped. Everyone went back to what they were doing. Willa lied down on her back and went to sleep. Some time later, the door opened. Willa awoke to see two guards standing over her. There was no arguments. Willa was just picked off the ground and dragged away somewhere. II Willa sat at a cold table. Her pain from her migraine and the lights only worsened. She even thought she heard the rats whispering amongst themselves. It was all surreal. Just life her first day back to school at fifteen. The usual insults were so distant. It was as if Willa was asleep and dreaming. Footsteps seemed to wake up Willa. Through her squinted watery vision she saw O’Brien standing before her. Willa couldn’t see his face. O’Brien studied Willa for a long time. Despite her hung-over look, he had to admit she was a pretty girl. He too saw Julia in her. “Willa Addison Smith.” O’Brien addressed. Willa tried to see him. His voice was like nails scraping down the black board. “Yes?” she asked. “Willa Addison Smith.” O’Brien said again. “Age: 19. Daughter of Julia and Winston. Attended school at St. Mary’s for six years. Attended St. Luciana’s for five years. But was expelled at seventeen for a fight. Finished junior and senior year in a public school. Was put in a depression home for a year at age fourteen. Attempted suicide that same year. Currently engaged to Brian Davidson, no wedding date yet.” Willa glared at him. “Why don’t you go on and tell everyone my shoe size?” she hissed. “Eight narrow.” O’Brien said. “You know I didn’t mean that literally.” she said flatly. O’Brien just eyed his captive. “Witty, aren’t you?” he asked. Willa glared at him. “Why so angry?” he asked. “I’m in prison for no reason. I have no clue where Brian and dad are. And these lights are making my head and eyes hurt!” Willa snapped. O’Brien leaned in close. “You’re chair is wired with this needle above you.” he went on. “When I pull the lever beside me, it will sink into your flesh and sting you like so.” Then, O’Brien pulled the lever. Willa’s pain shot up higher and fell. “Any questions?” he asked. “Can you not talk so loud, I think I might go deaf by your obnoxious voice!” Willa requested. O’Brien sat down in front of her. This was an odd soul all right. She would be perfect for the party. “Is there a telescreen is here?” Willa asked. “Yes,” O’Brien said. She wanted to reach forward and slap him, but she couldn’t. Her wrists were strapped down tightly. “You are here for a reason.” O’Brien went on. “Kicking a thought-police, arguing with a telescreen, breaking two telescreens, and corrupting two children.” Willa glared at him coldly. “I’m here for that?” she asked. “That’s complete bull!” The needle was at forty. Willa clinched her teeth in pain. O’Brien looked at Willa’s engagement ring. “This is a pretty ring.” he said. “Don’t get any ideas, pal!” Willa snapped. “Aren’t you a bold one?” O’Brien replied. “Uh-huh.” Willa said sarcastically. “Justify yourself.” O’Brien began again. Willa eyed him. “On which?” she asked. “All.” he said. “I can’t deny what I did.” Willa began. “But I will justify.” “Go on.” O’Brien commanded. Willa felt like fainting from her migraine. She couldn’t let interrogator see her in so much pain. She only had to show anger. “I kicked the heartless bastard…” Willa began. The needle rose to forty-five. “Hey ! What the hell was that for?!?” she snapped. “Try again.” O’Brien said. Willa snorted. “Fine, I kicked the heartless bastard…” she began again. The needle went up to fifty. “Again.” O’Brien said. Willa’s angry fire rose. “I kicked the bastard…” she began again. The needle rose at fifty-five. Willa panted hard. This creep wouldn’t let her tell it like it was. This was just like the days she got suspended countless number of times. The headmistress always took the tarts’ sides over hers. Willa really wanted to spit on O’Brien now. “I kicked the thought-police because he wanted to snatch my ring off.” she said at last. “Better,” O’Brien responded. He looked at the ring again. “ But I’m curious to know,” he went on. “Why does this ring mean so much to you?” “Because,” Willa said fighting to remain conscious for pride’s sake. “Brian gave it to me.” “Is that so?” O’Brien asked. “Yes!” Willa asked. She was fighting a losing battle with her migraine. It was only a matter of time before she would be out cold. She had to hang in there. “Who is this Brian person to you? What’s so special about him? He’d tried to rape a girl at your old school.” O’Brien pressed on. That broke the camel’s back. “THAT’S A LIE!!!” Willa screamed. “I DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYMORE QUESTIONS, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!” Even with the needle at a hundred and ten, Willa still kept screaming and cursing O’Brien out. In the end, O’Brien gave up for the day. “I’ll come back when you can talk properly.” he said. Then, he slammed the door. “Hm, like hell I will.” Willa mumbled with gall in her soul. Finally, everything went black. III Winston and Brian sat in a detention camp. It was like the Ministry of Love only lesser. It seemed to rain everyday. The place was a “green hell” because everything was fresh and green everyday. No one was allowed to leave for any reason. Telescreens were forever present. Electric bared wire surrounded the camp. Winston and Brian wore dark blue pants and white t-shirt, the uniform of the prisoners in the camp. The thought-police threw them off here and left them. Once registered in, the boys were left to defend themselves. It was now day four in this green hell and they had nothing to eat. Winston studied Brian’s profile. In a way, his son-in-law-to-be reminded him of himself without the varicose veins and false teeth. Brian was a charming young man with boyish dark hair and bold green eyes. But charm was a lie. So Winston decided to test the boy. “Why did you save Willa?” he asked Brian. The boy turned to his father-in-law-to-be. He took in a deep breath. “I was under great stress.” the boy started. “I was afraid of going crazy. A man in my apartment shot his girlfriend and son. The week after that, a girl in my apartment committed suicide by hanging herself. I didn’t want to snap. I had to get away. So I took a walk out of the city one night. The night was clear and perfect. My head returned to me again. “Then, I paused the bridge the lead to the country. On it, I saw Willa. She was standing on the edge looking down. I could tell she was about commit suicide. I was amored by her and just couldn’t let her die. So I rushed forward and grabbed Willa when she jumped. She was angry with me at first, I don’t blame her. But after a cola and a nice talk, she calmed down. And we’ve been close ever since.” Winston was impressed. His daughter had chosen a fine young man to marry. “You’re a good soul.” he said to Brian. “Yes, he is.” a woman’s voice said beside them. The boys turned to see Julia sitting beside them. She looked worn like a rag doll. It was clear that she had been here for days. “They got you too?” Winston asked her. Julia nodded. “They arrested me days ago.” she said. The boys kept silent. Brian felt a tap on his arm. He turned to see a small Asian woman sitting beside him. She was clearly from Eastasia. Her eyes were big and brown. “Yes?” Brian asked her. “Did you really try to rape a girl?” the girl asked. “No.” he answered. “She tried to seduce me but I resisted. She threw me out of her dorm and tried to claim I tried to rape her. She dropped it later.” “Oh.” the girl said. Winston had his full proof now. Brian was a good soul and didn’t sleep with other girls. Now, Winston was proud to have Brian be his son-in-law. Right then, the telescreen blared loudly. All of the prisoners sat still. It was Willa answer O’Brien’s questions. They had watched her for four days now. Willa became a hero to them . Every time she argued back, the prisoners cheered. The guards tried to sedate the crowd but is was all in vain. Willa was a force irresistible and feared. Next Chapter