A Man Trapped In A Room | ERERI

Chapter Six

He hesitated a moment before breaking into a smile. "Is that what you call me? I'm surprised you got it right. My full name is Eren Jaeger though." I felt my face reddening, but my embarrassment couldn't keep up with my confusion and joy.

"Is it really you?" He nodded, "Yeah it's me." Eren grunted as I stepped forward and started hugging him. Laughing, he hugged me back for a moment, but then he whispered in my ear. "Levi, we need to talk, and not out here. Can we go inside?" I broke away and nodded, wiping at my eyes as I tried to finish unlocking the door with a shaking hand. God, I never cried, what is wrong with me?

My heart was pounding and I still felt like I was in a strange and wonderful dream, but when we had gotten inside and sat down on my living room sofa, I forced myself to focus on the biggest question I had. "How?" Eren had still been smiling as we sat down, but now he looked worried and sad.

"Levi, that's what I'm here to tell you. Things aren't like you think they are. They never have been." I frowned, a new line of fear cutting through my happy haze. "What do you mean?" I replied back.

"Levi, you're part of a psychological experiment. I've been a part of it for longer than you have as one of the actors, and I still don't know all the details. I'm pretty sure it's run by some government agency, and I know they're investing a lot of money and time into it, but I'm not sure why." I realised I was wringing my hands. No, that wasn't right. It couldn't be right. This was some kind of trick.

Eren went on. "What I do know is that you're being watched as a long-term subject. They have constructed this whole scenario where you do a secret job watching someone who looks like they might be trapped. They give you instructions and a way of making choices. You've got buttons or something you can choose between, right?" I nodded weakly.

"Yeah. A red one and a green one." He sighed and nodded. "I think they're testing how much you'll obey. What choices you'll make based off of your morals, your intelligence, and your fear. It's interesting, or at least I thought so when I first joined up six years ago.

"They've never officially given me many details, just the overall gist. But people talk. The other actors and me, sometimes we hear things, and we gossip." He smiled sadly. "That's what caused me to start feeling bad." I interrupted. "Other actors?" Eren's eyes widened.

"Oh shoot, yeah. Sorry, I think they still call him Mr. Smith? And there are others too." When I just stared at him, he went on. "Anyways, for a long time it was just the normal job, right? I spend six hours a say acting like I'm this trapped boy, mainly faking painting or watching T.V. You know, boring stuff..."

I couldn't help but interrupt again, hating the hurt trembling in my voice. "You fake the paintings? You aren't really painting those wonderful pictures?" Now Eren looked embarrassed.

"No, sorry. I can draw a little, but painting isn't my thing. I'm a pretty good singer though." He tried to smile, but faltered. Reaching forward, he touched my arm. "That's why they always have the paintings turned where you can't see them. They're already done beforehand. All you ever see is some blank canvases and.. well, when they want me to show you something." His expressions darkened as he went on.

"That's why I had to break the rules and contact you. When they started doing this hidden message, mind game bullshit, I got worried. Worried you would take it too serious, that you could get hurt, or even hurt yourself. As soon as you left your shift tonight, I talked to one of the guys in the video department.

"He told me about how you had reacted and showed me how you were still parked down the street from the building. I drove over - the bedroom set is in the building outside of town. I saw you sitting in your car, and I almost approached you then, but I was scared of getting caught and fired. So I parked and waited until I could follow you somewhere else and let you know I was okay." He blinked back tears.

"I'm ashamed to say I almost left a couple of times. I don't want to lose this job, and I tried to tell myself you would be okay after a day or two. I could get them to change the script enough that you felt like I was okay and wouldn't worry too much." I felt an angry heat growing in my chest.

"Well, that's nice of you." He looked up, his turquoise eyes now red. "I know. I'm so sorry. I was being selfish and cowardly, but I didn't actually leave. And then when I saw Mikasa leaving the building, saw you running over to talk to her, I knew they were escalating it even further."

"Mikasa?" Eren rolled his eyes in frustration. "Mikasa Ackerman. She's another actor. In an earlier version of the experiment she actually played Mr. Smith as Miss. Ackerman, but decided she wasn't scary enough. So now she's usually in one of the suits. She actually done that for your version a lot, you just can't recognise her under all that get-up they wear."

I felt like a pinball going between anger and relief and embarrassment and confusion. "So all that stuff she told me? That was all just to scare me? See how I'd react?" He nodded as he sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

"Yes. I'm sorry. That's why I knew I couldn't wait any longer to tell you. I could see how worried and scared you were going back to your car." I pulled my arm back from his warm touch.

"Well.. thanks, I guess. At least you stopped me before I went to the police and looked like a joke in front of them too." I just wanted him gone. "Thanks for stopping by and letting me in on it." I tried to make my voice sound hard and unfeeling, but it came out watery instead.

Standing up, I turned away from him so he couldn't see as I started to cry. "If you don't mind I... uh, I need time to think about everything. It's... a lot." A moment passed and then his hand was on my shoulder.

"Levi, you don't have anything to be embarrassed about. They are very good at what they do. All you did was what you thought was right, because you're a good man." I shrugged.

"I thought you were in trouble and I wanted to help." He gently turned me toward him, and when I looked up, he smiled and sniffed again.

"I know, but you need to realise, most people wouldn't have tried to help. Not when it meant giving up their job or risking themselves like that. Not for a stranger."

I wiped at my face as I looked away, "Well, I still feel dumb, but I'm glad it's not real. I'm glad you're okay, that we both are." I paused and caught his eye again. "We are, aren't we? Safe, I mean." He hesitated before nodding.

"Yeah, I think so. Like I said, they have a lot invested in whatever this is, and the fact that they're willing to go as far as they have with you makes me wonder, but I've never seen any signs of anyone getting hurt. I think the worst that could happen is one or both of us gets fired." I felt my face getting red again.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm going to quit tomorrow. I'll finally get to hit their damn buttons. Maybe both of them." I started to smile, but then I saw the look on Eren's face.

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(13/11/2022)

-E_Jaeger