Part I - Extraordinary376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYdU2pmJv2
"People spend their entire lives trying to be exactly that which they aren’t. They want to be different. Extraordinary. Powerful or strong, to have super powers or abilities that exceed human limitations. They want to be talented, recognized, and so very different from what they are. They dream of breaking out of their shell and becoming something new. Something never before seen, that will be marveled over and make their lives worth living.
“But I’ve spent my entire life wishing to be them. Wishing I could trade my powers away and become weak and helpless. Wishing I could give away my abilities and talents and take on the fears and regrets and pains of humans. I want to be ordinary. I want to fit in and be like everyone else. I want people to be able to understand me.
“People spend their lives wishing to be more, but they don’t understand just how wonderful their boring little lives are. They don’t have any cares - not like mine. They don’t carry the responsibilities that I do. They aren’t shrouded in secrets and weighted down by things out of their grasp. They’re free in a way I never will be, and they don’t even realize it. They wish for powers and greatness, but don’t realize that with it comes so many terrible things that they don’t want.
“They don’t realize that the things they wish for would make them an outcast. Would make them feared, forever separate from the people around them. No one would understand them. They would be alone, in all their trials and all their fears, they would never have anyone to lean on.”
“And you think yourself an outcast?”
“Of course I am. I am everything that humans fear. I am the shadow hiding under the bed. I am the ghost creaking down the hallway. I am the shape moving in your peripherals. I am the creature slinking through the darkness. I am the monster that everyone loves to fear. No one could ever truly love me - I found that out long ago. I’ll never be the one people cheer for. I’ll never be the one people love. I’ll never be the one people want to live.”
“Then who are you?”
“I’m the one people want to die. The one that people love to hate and love to watch suffer. I’m the one that gets tortured and no one thinks it’s wrong, the monster to be hunted and destroyed. People cheer for the hero who sets out to kill me. People cheer for the hero that I kill, while hating me for doing so, even though I only killed him in self defense, and he came to kill me just for the hunt. Every action I take is wrong. Every thought I think, every word I say - it’s all wrong, all evil. I can’t do a single thing right. It doesn’t matter what I do, people will search until they find the fault in it simply because I’m not human, because I’m different.”
“And are you?”
“Am I what?”
“The bad guy. Evil.”
“... Yes."
“And that’s why you’re in chains and locked up right now. You have to understand that.”
“You didn’t let me finish. I’m the bad guy because I’m not allowed to be anything else, because I can’t be anything else. I’m evil because it’s the only thing I can be. I was forced to be bad. I don’t want this.”
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Part II - Hurt
“What do you want to talk about today?”
“Nothing.”
“You have to talk to me, Pandora.”
“No, I don’t. You say I do, but you can’t make me talk.”
“You know what they’ll do to you if you don’t.”
“They’ll do it even if I talk. My body is covered in the scars and bruises your people have left behind to show your cruelty. Why should I bother to talk with you if you’re just going to hurt me anyway?”
“I’m sorry... I wish I could make them stop, you know that, don’t you?”376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbnKUNaFa1
“I don’t know what I know anymore. But I do know that I can’t trust anyone in here.”
“Why do you say that? I try very hard to be someone you can trust.”
“Oh, by letting your people poke and stab at me? Yes, that’s very trustworthy. Good job.”
“There’s no need for the sarcasm, Pandora. If you would cooperate with us, things would be much better for you here.”
“But you ask me to tell you thing I can’t tell you!”
“Answer the ones you can answer, though. And when you can’t, tell me something at least. Just talk to me, please.”
“I’m talking right now, aren’t I?”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I told you about being a bad guy. Isn’t that enough?”
“No. You only left me with more questions and you won’t answer them. Why talk to me then and not now? You could have saved yourself so many days worth of pain - pain that came about because of your silence.”
“Because you’re asking me things I can’t tell you. I don’t want to tell you. I made a mistake telling you that much; I shouldn’t have told you anything at all. I will be in pain no matter what, it makes no difference what for.”
“But if you told me, I would understand you better. If I could show the others I was making progress, I could possibly get them to stop hurting you. I can help you, Pandora, you just have to let me.”
“No.”
“Then I can’t stop them. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
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Part III - History
“Good morning, Pandora.”
“I wanted to be a ballerina.”
“Excuse me?”
“You wanted to know more about me, so I’m telling you.”
“A ballerina? Really?”
“I know, it’s stupid. How could I have ever hoped to be normal?”
“No, no! That’s not what I meant at all! What made you give up that dream?”
“The hunter’s came. And everyone died…”
“Who’s everyone?”
“When I was little, I lived with my mother and brother. We lived in a cottage in the woods and I never saw anyone else. I read the books my brother brought me, played the games my mother taught me, and explored the land surrounding us. And then one day, I wandered too far and met someone. A teenage boy fishing in the woods. He was quite a bit older than me, and was worried that I was lost.”
“I’d be worried, too, if a little dark-haired beauty stumbled across me in the woods.”
“Yeah, well… When he asked me how I got there, I told him I walked. He asked where from, I simply said home. And then I showed him where. And on the way, we talked. I didn’t understand that I was different than him, and was confused as to why he didn’t act right. So on the way there, he found out I wasn’t human. He stayed with me just long enough to see the cottage, and then ran home. I thought it was weird, so I didn’t tell my family about him. A week later the hunter’s came… I was exploring when I heard the screams… I ran home to find the house on fire, my family trapped…”
“You got that burn on your arm then, didn’t you? Trying to save your family…”
“Yes…”
“It’s okay to cry, Pandora. Your story is tragic. You don’t have to try to hide it.”
“Crying is a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you’re about to break. Of course it’s supposed to be hidden… But back to my story. It was several years before I realized that the boy was responsible for bringing the hunters… Before I realized it was all my fault…”
“It’s not your fault. How could you have known how that would end?”
“It is my fault! My family is dead! Hunters killed them, and I brought the hunters right to our door!”
“... I think that’s enough for today… I’ll see you tomorrow, Pandora.”
“...”
“... One last thing… If you ever found that teen… what would you do?”
“Kill him. He did this to me.”
“... Goodbye, Pandora.”
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Part IV - Anger
“Why?!”
“Pandora! Calm down! You’re going to hurt yourself!”
“I can’t hurt myself any more than your people are hurting me!”
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry…”
“Look at me!”
“Pand-”
“Look at me, Zachary!”
“...”
“This is what your people have done to me. My scars. My bruises. My cuts and my brokenness. They’re all your fault. You did this! You did this to me! I trusted you! I told you about me, I told you about what I am! And this is what I get! Why?!”
“I didn’t know! I didn’t know they’d do this! If I had, I would have kept silent about it. I’m so sorry…”
“Why did they do this to me?”
“Because… They told me they wanted to verify what I had said. They wanted to make sure the things you said about your species was true…”
“So they cut me up and hurt me to do it?”
“I’m so sorry, Pandora…”
“Is that all you know how to say?! I’m sorry for this, I’m sorry for that! Well I don’t want your sympathies! I want my freedom! And I want to be safe! I want to stop hurting and I want to go home! If you truly cared about me like you say, you’d help me that way!”
“You know I can’t, Pandora. I’d lose my job, if not my life. I’m truly trying to help you, I promise. And I am truly sorry.”
“Stop saying that! Why do you even care?! Why do you want to help me?!”
“... I’m trying to make up for past mistakes. But nothing I can do will ever make up for what I’ve done.”
“What did you do that would drive you to trying to help a monster?”
“I created the monster.”
“...”
“...”
“No! … No! You… You were…”
“Yes… I’m so sorry, Pandora.”
“You! I hate you! Why?! Why did you bring them?! What did we ever do to you?! I hate you! I hate - Arrgg!”
“Pandora! Pandora, are you okay?”
“Stay away from me!”
“Your wrist! I told you to stop thrashing about! Just hold still, I can help.”
“No! You stay away from me! I don’t need your help!”
“Pand-”
“Get out! Get out!”
“Okay, okay. I’ll go.”
“I never want to see you again! I hate you!”
“I’m sorry, Pandora…”
“Get out!”
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Part V - Sorrow
“...”
“...”
“What are you doing here?”
“I didn’t know. I didn’t know they’d kill you. When I ran, it was because I was too scared to meet your family. I was too scared that they would do something terrible to me for finding out your secret. And when I told my friend about you, I didn’t know he’d find a pack of hunters. I didn’t know that would happen.”
“Why do I care about this?”
“I just thought you should know my side before you killed me.”
“What?”
“You’re right. I’m not helping you. If I could bring your family back, I would. But I’m just a therapist. Just a minor scientist. I can’t bring the dead back to life. But I can give your freedom back. I can give you what you want.”
“Why would you do that after all I’ve told you? After I told you I would kill you, after I exploded on you… whenever that was.”
“Three weeks ago. And because you deserve so much more than I can give you. It’s not your fault your family is dead, it’s mine. Maybe you killing me is what I deserve. When they first brought you to me, I didn’t know it was you… When I found out, I couldn’t stay quiet for long. And I couldn’t just sit back and watch them finish what I had started all those years ago.”
“You’re insane.”
“Maybe… This pack has some food and water in it, enough to last a week if you ration correctly, maybe longer. It has some other things you might find useful as well. There’s also the address of a private doctor here. Find him, he can help heal you so you can find somewhere better to hide. Now hold still so I can unlock you.”
“...”
“... Take my keycard after you’re done. Get out safely. Run. Be careful. Live free, Pandora, and know how sorry I am.”
“Keep your keys. I don’t need them.”
“Aren’t you?...”
“No. I told you, I don’t want to be the bad guy.”
“Good luck, Pandora.”
“... Come with me. Just for a little while. They’ll kill you if you stay, so come with me.”
“No, I’ve caused you enough pain. You’ve had enough of me.”
“... Fine.”
“Goodbye, Pandora.”
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Part VI - Afterwards
“It’s good he didn’t come with me. I hate him.”
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“I wonder what they did to him…”
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“I wonder if he’s still alive…”
“I didn’t mean it, Zachary… I don’t hate you.”
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“Where are you? Are you even alive? Do you think of me? Do you talk to me still, like I talk to you?”
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“Why didn’t you come with me? I miss you…”
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“You’ve been the only friend I’ve ever had, Zachary… Why did you leave me?”
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“I forgive you, Zachary. I miss you.”
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“Did you not come with me because of the things I said? I didn’t mean them. I was just hurt… I trusted you, I didn’t think you could be him. I still trust you. I don’t hate you. And I definitely want to see you again… I miss you.”
“I’m going to find you, Zachary. Wait for me, okay?”
