Three Eleven Thirteen

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

It makes sense that 'Ellie' to him isn't just a name, but a confirmation that he is able to be labeled human. Even he understands that the numbers  were meant to represent him as a project, and not a living individual. 

I wondered what my father must have said to him, to give him such ideas. Whether he wants to be human or not, I wasn't sure if, scientifically speaking, he'd ever be considered a human. That wasn't stopping me from wanting to tame him like one.

We both sat at the dining room table in silence. My mind was wandering, as I couldn't decide what to do with him. I can't just put him back in the cell downstairs, there's no point. The chains and lock are broken.

Honestly, I don't know what to do with him. I just felt lucky that he was staying by my side.

"Okay Ellie." I said as I put both my hands on the table, "Let's compromise."

He blinked at me, but stayed silent.

"There is one rule. The only rule you must follow. You-" I pause, "You do know what a rule is, right?"

Silence.

"Hello?"

"Yes, I know what a rule is."

I nodded, feeling slightly confident that this might work. It's worth a try anyway. "You can not leave this house. You may go anywhere inside, but you must not leave." I sounded like some creepy psychopath from a crime show. The last thing I wanted was to lose my morals while trying to teach him some.

He didn't say anything. "Ellie?"

"Yes."

"What is the one rule?"

"Do not leave."

"Good."

He held his arms up, his black veins were almost grey, but they still stood out tremendously from his pale skin. I stared at him, not understanding what he was doing until I realized.

Of course, the chains were still locked around his arms and chest.

Whoops.

"Right," I say, "I forgot about the chains." I hastily got up and fetched the key to unlock the metal chains. When my fingers came in contact with his skin, I shivered at how cold he was. I know he can't produce body heat, and I know that he can feel temperatures like any normal human can. I wondered if the cold bothered him. I wanted to ask, but I doubted he'd understand what I'm asking.

I guess it doesn't matter anyway.

No matter how innocent he acts, I refused to forget about the fact that he attacked me once.

He tried to kill me once. Perhaps the cold will slow him down.

"Ellie." I spoke as I stood over him. He looked up at me as he sat there calmly. For a few seconds I pitied him. None of this was his fault. None of it.

After all, it wasn't as though he asked to be created this way, or created at all, even.

"Tell me you understand that you can not leave this house."

"I understand I can not leave."

"No, say it in your own words."

"In my own words, I understand I can not leave."

We locked eyes for a moment, and I sighed, "Fine I guess that's as good of a confirmation I'll get." My body is practically trembling with anxiety over all of this, yet I have no choice but to trust him.

At this rate, I may just decease from a heart attack at the age of twenty-five.

I leaned back in my chair, and allowed the silence to overtake us. Ellie sat there quietly, as his head moved around, examining the room. His eyes fell on me, and for yet another long moment, he stared directly at me, and I at him.

How strange it is that he isn't human. Despite his fingers being black like he dipped them in ink, and his veins so dark they pierce out of his pale skin like a massive tattoo.

He does look human.

His voice sounds human enough.

He breathes and moves like a human.

He may have been born in a lab, but what is stopping him from becoming human? Why can't he?

I broke out little staring contest first by standing up and doing what calms me the most; I turned on the record player in the living room.

When Frank Sinatra began to sin, Ellie's eyes widened.

I turned to him, "Do you like Frank Sinatra?"

"I know only him."

"Makes sense." I stated, and sat back down "My father loved him." I couldn't help but smile, "I used to hate Sinatra. My father would play him all day when he would work on you down in the lab."

Ellie said nothing, so I continued speaking, "If you like him, I bet you'd like Bing Crosby."

"Bing Crosby."

I nodded, "He's great. Him and, oh, Judy Garland. She's wonderful."

"Judy Garland."

"Man," I say with a forced laugh, "I could make you a total 1900's junkie. I've even got a bunch of black and whites recorded on DVD."

Again, per usual, he didn't say anything, and I couldn't help but run my mouth.

"I guess before we do all that, I'm going to have to widen your vocabulary."

"Vocabulary."

"So you can comprehend everything I'm saying."

"To speak better."

"Yeah, to speak better. You need to understand how to actually function like a human being."

He didn't say anything, but his gaze trailed off of me and down onto the floor. It seemed he was pondering what I said, which I decided was a good thing. He should learn and understand that in order to truly be human, you can't act like an animal.

We sat there for a while longer before he stood up and began to walk around the house. I keep telling myself he's not a dog, but everything about him reminds me of one. Just like the pet my father would never let me have. Even though we both know he can overpower me, he's actually being obedient.

I don't understand it.

My father warned me to never go near him, it was in his suicide notes for God's sake, but, right now, Ellie is acting tame. If I didn't know any better I'd assume he actually wants to learn civility.

I'm not going to punish him for that. So, as long as he keeps on acting like a trained dog, I'll continue teaching him like one.

It's not like I really have a choice anyway.