The Identity Crisis

Silent Prayers

Chapter 5

The chief and I turn to the right as a door to an elevator opens. We step inside and the door closes.

"Erica, I'm going to warn you of something. When we enter the floor the interrogation rooms are on, we must also go through the sect where some of the prisoners are held." The chief explains.

"Are we going to see them? The..."

"Homosexuals? Yes." The elevator dings and the door opens. The chief starts forward, and I follow him out of the elevator. Complete silence combined with staring eyes makes my stomach churn. The cells line the walls. Glass separates us from them. I keep my head down, but curiosity drives my eyes to wander.

I glance into one occupied cell. The girl is sitting on the floor, looking up at me. Her clothes are nothing more than a simple grey dress. Her bright blue eyes gaze at me through the glass. She can't be more than eleven years old. She waves at me, grinning from ear to ear. I tear my eyes away.

My head turns to the right. A boy sits against the wall near the glass. He hugs his knees and glares up at me, then buries his head in his hands. I bite my lip as I notice the bruises that riddle his arms.

I look back to my left. A boy sits against the back wall of his cell. He looks up, and I realize it is a girl with her hair cut short. She glares up at me, raising her middle finger. A gasp escapes my lips and I look away.

Back to my right. A girl looks up at me. Her body is covered in burns and scars. Her eyes are surrounded by tears. She mouths 'Please help me...'. I shake my head and avert my eyes.

Over on my left, we pass another cell. The man inside is in his early thirties. He looks up at me, his lip quivering. He raises a shaky hand and presses it on the glass, his eyes locked with mine. My fingers twitch as I stare back at him. My focus only breaks when he is out of sight.

Another cell on the right. The person inside leans up against the wall, his head facing the floor.

He's not moving.

I feel my pace quicken as my heart pounds faster. Eyes follow my movements as the chief and I as we approach a door at the end of the hall. The chief pulls a card from his pocket and swipes it in the key slot on the door. A green light flashes and the chief opens the door. The room before us is dark, electronic equipment lines the far wall. A darkened window spreads across the wall on the other side of the room. The chief steps forward and closes the door behind us.

"Bryan is in stable condition, for now, if you can get the information we need, we won't have to take any cautionary measures." The chief sits down in a seat near the equipment.

"You mean... You're going to hurt him?"

"Not if you can get him to talk," Chief Parker flicks a switch on the board. The window in front of us brightens up to reveal a room on the other side. The walls are grey and covered with padding. A table is set in the center. Bryan sits at the table, his arms anchored to the sides of the chair with metal braces. Blood drips down his wrists and off his fingers. A metal cuff is fastened around his neck, a red light on the side flashes on and off.

"You said he was in stable condition," my eyes widen.

"He is. The only pain he feels now is self-inflicted." The chief pushes a button on the panel in front of him. The door to the right clicks.

"What is the neck brace for?" I ask.

"If he does anything that might harm you, an electric shock will be delivered remotely."

"Oh... Alright."

"Bless you, Erica."

"Bless you."

I take a breath. I don't like this. I start towards the door and push it open. Bryan's head turns up to me. I sit down across from him as the door closes behind me. I glance to the right, the window is nothing more than a mirror.

"Bryan?"

"Yes?"

"Are you ok?"

"No," his eyes drop back to the table in front of us. A silence falls between us.

"Are you-"

"Yes,"

My silent prayers have not been answered.

Author's Note: I apologize this chapter is a bit short, but I do intend on making the next few longer. Thanks!