The Manipulation Room

Chapter 8 - An Opiniated Young Man

Manipulation Room victim no. 191723
Name: Anwen Grove
Age: 06 years old
Occupation: Student
Family Member: 18-year-old brother, Nixon
Description: Concussion from a frying skillet across the forehead before being inflicted with multiple stab wounds.

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"I'm so glad to see all of your bright, happy faces here this lovely morning! You are all the future of the beautiful Delta 5. The youth of today, are the people of tomorrow...This is why I love visiting the schools so much, it's like taking a glimpse of the future." 

I rolled my eyes and inwardly groaned. President Thanatos. Another one of his mentally draining assemblies about love and good will. Who is he to talk about love when he gets us to kill our family members for no logical reason? Every time I see him I fill with a deep, dark animosity that burns like lava. Here I was, sitting outside in an open field, surrounded by other bored and fatigued students, facing the stage where Thanatos was standing. He doesn't visit the school often, but I hate it whenever he does. He only tries to brainwash teenagers who he thinks are completely stupid. We know what's really going on; we're not thick. It's not the same as the primary school; unlike them, we know what's going on. 

"I understand that many of you have already been personally affected by the Manipulation Room and that the memory probably haunts you to this day. I now ask you to understand that that is simply part of life on Delta 5. This is our society, it's natural. It has to happen in order for the rest of our survival..." 

I rolled my eyes even harder, causing them to almost fall straight out of their sockets. My father dying didn't have to happen at all, his death benefited no one. If he were still here, it would make no difference whatsoever. His excuses were even worse than his cruel, ridiculous policies. Trixie, sitting next to me, was fast asleep. She was snoring quietly, her head lolling on her shoulder as she snoozed. She clearly wasn't finding this assembly very fascinating, although no one was. Across the crowd of students I could see that not a single one was paying attention to what he was saying. He may be the president but he has about as much respect as the pile of rotting trash I passed on the way here. 

"Someone sitting in the crowd may even have gone into the room themselves, and that is simply commendable. Incredibly touching, truly. I'd like to take this moment to commend you for your contribution to this planet's safety, to the safety of the people. Your lives are all my main concern, I say that truthfully and whole-heartedly." 

Again, I wanted to hit something...I needed to hit something. Trixie's head fell forward slightly, landing on my shoulder, and I gently pushed her sleeping head to the other side. Her snoring stopped abruptly, before continuing at the same sluggish pace. I put one leg over the other and sat back in my seat; this would be a long assembly. Suddenly, Thanatos' speech and Trixie's snoring disappeared in an instant. I was day-dreaming, anything to escape this god-awful assembly. It was like being stuck between two realities: one that was imperfect, but do-able. The other was a vision I pictured myself in, the one I longed myself to be a part of. Was it possible to make that world into a reality? Probably not. 

To me, the world of boring speeches and endless snoring from the person beside me was like being on a planet with little gravity. Just the slightest nudge from my imagination and I was soaring amongst the clouds, off into a world of fantasy. My daydreams were almost as wild as my night dreams, my creativity seamlessly sewing together different aspects of my subconscious. Were I ever to harness it, to write it down, I would be hailed as a creative genius. But for now I was that simply irritating kid who always did her homework and daydreamed during boring assemblies. I sometimes wished I could offer the others a window into my mind, then they would be able to join me in my flights of the fanciful and the ridiculous.