The Mindless Man's Paradise

Chapter forty-three

The lack of food and water made it easier not to have to use the bathroom.

  Hours after I woke up, the room began to stink. The food was going bad, and not to mention the unspeakable waste that lay but feet away from me.

  I wasn’t tired, but I didn’t have the willpower to keep my eyes open any more.

  So I leaned my head back against the wall, and soaked in the deafening silence that surrounded me.

  After thirty minutes of this, I heard the tumblers of the lock in the door begin to activate. Someone was entering.

  But who?

  Obviously someone had brought the food in.

  Maybe they were taking it away now.

  The knob twisted, and the door slowly creaked open.

  What I saw was… unforgiveable.

  With bags under his eyes, my brother walked in, closing the door behind him.

  Coldly, he smiled.

  At this point, I had no idea what my emotions were.

  I should’ve been mad, yes. But I also felt sad. I felt betrayed.

  The only other person I ever trusted, couldn’t have been trusted from the beginning.

  That was when my emotions began to register, but I hardened my expression, making sure that no tears came through. I wanted him to think that I was unfazed.

  Smirking, he said, “I see you didn’t touch your food?”

  I said nothing. A snotty comeback couldn’t have ever matched the glare I was giving him.

  He had been my best friend. We had grown up together. But he didn’t even seem to care at all.

  He seemed to be enjoying my pain.

  “Your execution is in four days, just so you know.” he paused. “I thought you were better than this, Aspen.”

  He said my name as if were poison in his mouth.

  I never thought such a beautiful name could be ruined by anyone or anything.

  “You betrayed me.” I spat, moving my arms and squirming my body to free myself from my straight jacket.

  “I betrayed you? I believe it is the other way around, Sister.” he snarled. “You not only betrayed me, but you betrayed HQ, and all of The Land. You gave yourself a name? You actually thought you could sneak past HQ? Past me?”

  Suddenly, I felt the buckle in the back of my restraint come undone. My arms were now freed.

  I couldn’t reach him still, I was bound to the wall, but I had another idea.

  I continued to pretend like nothing had changed, I kept my arms behind me, and continued to listen to his spiel.

  “Remember that day I came over? You and your idiot Soul Mate, Cyprus or whatever his name is, practically shouted one another’s names as you rushed to the door. Imbeciles. I reported you. I hate to admit it, but if it wasn’t for me, you might have gotten away with it. I have brought justice to The Land, and have helped the fight against war.”

  I scoffed. “Really? You’re fighting war? That is perhaps the biggest contradiction I have ever heard.”

  “Your snarky comments mean nothing to me. In fact, being related to me is the worst thing you could do to me. I cannot believe I am siblings with such a huge Infractor.”

  I felt my body start to shake with rage. “And I cannot believe I am siblings to an HQ official.”

  He smiled knowingly. “Say what you want, Sister. I will live, and you will die. I can eat as I please, as you sit here and starve. Words are unimportant.”

  Of course he would say that. He’s with HQ.

  Whipping my arms from behind my back, I didn’t hesitate to reach over the little space in between myself and my waste. I scooped it up through the fabric of the straight jacket and hurled it at my brother.

  “Well eat shit, you HQ freak!” I screamed wildly.

  To my pleasure, it landed right over his mouth and left eye, and I respected my aim.

  “Now do us both a favor and leave.” I sassed.

 With both hands, he scooped the shit from his eye socket and splattered it on the ground.

  “You’ll regret that.” were the last words he said before angrily storming from the room.

  He didn’t do anything about the straight jacket, so instead of keeping it on, I threw the poop stained thing across the room, tossing it over the lens of the camera.