53. Questions

"Kennith…." She got a picture out of the file on the table, placing it in front of me.

Seeing the content, I just stared at it.

"When we found out that the two of you disappeared, we feared that you wanted to harm Henry. The search for the two of you was countrywide." She sighed.

"It didn't take long to find out where you two were last seen." She tapped on the picture before me.

"We searched the forest. There was nothing, neither a monster nor a 'portal'." She paused for what felt like forever, but I didn't care, not caring a bit about what she had to say.

"We had dispatched some officers there to watch the vicinity, after one corpse was found on the street there, and after one suspect disappeared with a hostage there as well."

Hostage. Hostage. Hostage. It was Henry; he stabbed in my legs to die together at the monster's hooves. Hostage. He was the one who dragged me with him. Hostage. He was the one who was saved by me. Hostage. I had to crawl over torsos of dead people. Hostage. He was the one who followed me in the forest. He was the one who laughed and mocked me when I asked him to shut up. He was the one who didn't listen to a word I said.

"The trial was held meanwhile because the public was already impatient, and your disappearance had amplified it…." 

He was the one publicizing the diary contents, along with the pictures and videos, online. He was the one getting the public to hate me and to see me as a murderer and monster. 

"When you two appeared in the forest, you were both brought to the hospital. When we came back to the forest, the fire was already out of control. We had to wait before we could even start putting it out. And now, there is nothing left of it." She tapped again at the picture, showing a black area that had burned down completely.

"There is no portal, and there is no monster." She said slowly, emphasizing each of her words.

"I admit that there are a few more than unusual things in your case..."

"But you are the most likely suspect. This fact will never change." Will never change. Never. Forever.

"But I am not here because of that. This case is closed." She leaned back and crossed her arms.

"I am here because of what happened yesterday." She looked away.

"They thought you would talk to me rather than to someone new."

This case is closed. Closed. Forever. 

I just stared at the picture, and when she put it away, I continued to stare at the spot where it had been. The forest had burned down. It is over. These few moments where the freedom was in reach before again disappearing beyond it were more crushing than anything I went through until now.

The detective was quiet for a long time before beginning the interrogation.

"Yesterday, inside the showers. What happened?" 

I didn't answer her, and she continued.

"You were attacked. But what happened then? Where is the weapon you have used?"

After another bout of silence, she asked me again.

"Yesterday, you said the following: 'Wanna see a miracle? Call me your god, you fuckers.' Can you tell me what you meant by that?"

"...."

"You spoke of powers and your eye color to the doctor; can you explain to me how they work? Can you show it to me?"

"....."

"I know you think you have already lost everything and that it doesn't matter. But that is not the case. Privileges like usage of the prison yard or staying in the cell with your cellmate instead of solidary confinement can be taken for you. Not being able to go outside and being all alone are things that can break you. It is hell; many prisoners lose their minds, becoming docile very fast. I don't want you to go through this if the result will be the same anyway. You will confess in any case; so why not do it now?"

"..."

"I know that you are a smart one. How about visitors? Usually, they can only come once a week, but it seemed you have someone behind you. Still, instead of the daily visitors that are already not allowed, you could get no visitors at all."

"..."

"How would your friends feel when they couldn't come see you? Omar, Jordan, and Danny, right? Danny was already here, wasn't it good to see each other?"

"...."

"And your grandmother, she is the one bribing the guards in here, and even a few wards, right? Doesn't she want to see you? Why don't we exchange your cellmate, and you get another, not so nice one? It was also thanks to your grandmother, right? She had gotten you such a pleasant environment, but everything can change."

"..."

There was a long silence, and seeing me not reacting, she sighed before making a motion to the mirror behind her. The door opened, and the guards took me away, back to the solidarity cell. There was already food waiting on the floor, but as I was thrown inside after they uncuffed me, I stepped on it unintentionally.

Still, it didn't matter; I just wanted to sleep. Crashing on the mattress, everything went dark around me.

The next time I woke up, I got a seizure without handcuffs on me. Walking inside the room and shaking, feeling trapped. I banged and kicked against the door and walls, albeit not getting a word out. The cell was so small that I was unable to breathe. 

I will die in here. If now or in the future was irrelevant.

I will die in this prison.