Light Unbridled

Light Unbridled- Chapter 24: Brief and Bright

*The scene opens with Penrose standing in the doorway of Bryce's Hospital room. Penrose sees him lying on his bed, eating some soup and talking to a nurse.*

Penrose: Excuse me, I had some questions for him. Do you mind stepping out for a few minutes?

Nurse: Oh, certainly.

*The nurse stands up and leaves the room as Penrose sits down in the chair next to Bryce's bed.*

Penrose: How are you, son?

*Bryce slowly turns his head to look at Penrose, his face expressionless as he swallows another spoonful of soup.*

Penrose: Hm. Guess you've been better.

*Penrose looks at the large cut across Bryce's face.*

Penrose: That's quite the injury. Mind if I ask how you got it?

*Bryce continues to stare expressionless at Penrose.*

Penrose: Do you know who I am?

*Bryce breathes in slowly, before exhaling lazily. He swallows another spoonful of soup before beginning to speak.*

Bryce: No clue.

Penrose: I'm Detective Penrose. I've already talked to your friends. I have some questions for you.

Bryce: My friends... they're alright?

Penrose: For the most part, yes. Now, about what I wanted to ask you... I want to know about what happened in those woods the night you were all injured. What your friends have told me so far is strange, to say the least.

Bryce: What exactly have they told you?

Penrose: Well, it's possible that I misunderstood, or even that they've suffered some head injuries, but they seemed to be convinced that they were attacked. By one individual.

Bryce: And?

Penrose: Doesn't seem weird to you that one person was able to kick your collective asses this badly? Something seems off.

Bryce: Where are you going with this?

Penrose: I want your side of what happened. What happened out there? Were you all attacked?

Bryce: What do you think? You think I did this to myself?

*Bryce motions to the large scar across his face.*

Penrose: So you admit you were attacked?

Bryce: I guess so, yeah.

Penrose: What happened to the person who attacked you?

Bryce: Hopefully that bastard's on his way to hell as we speak.

Penrose: Did you kill him?

Brock: I wouldn't say that. But I did watch him die.

Penrose: So who would have killed him?

*Brock chooses not to tell Penrose about the man burning from sunlight.*

Bryce: I don't know. Does it matter though? It was in self defense, either way. Lunatic attacked us first.

Penrose: Mhm. Well, anyone is able to defend themselves. Even people who are in the wrong.

Bryce: What do you mean?

Penrose: Do you remember a little girl named Lucy? Eye witnesses say she was seen with all of you.

Bryce: Yeah, I remember Lucy. We were helping her get to her grandmother's house.

Penrose: Why?

Bryce: Because we weren't about to leave a little girl with nowhere to go in a town she doesn't live in.