By Leighton Tanaka, TIWP Student

“Do you plan to keep me here? To simply lock me up and be done with me? To forget you ever existed, you think I forgive so easily?” Indie spat at the person standing at the front of the cell. She could hear their hands shaking as the keys they held jingled. She could tell the nervous laughter from the genuine, the lies from the truth.

Indie could hear their heart beating fast as they confidently replied, “You don’t need to forgive, just give up.”

Indie scoffed at this, tossing her head back with laughter. Even though this strained her restraints, she made sure to make her captor know she was enjoying this. She could feel the ropes against her raw skin.
Faint lights shone from behind the old rag that blinded her, she was sure if she ever tossed her head around violently she’d be able to get it off. In fact, she was sure she could easily escape if she wanted to. But she didn’t.

The person in front of her turned on their heel, making a scraping sound against the smooth rock floors, “You know, when I was climbing the steps of my palace I wondered why they worship me. Those silly humans think I am a god,” Indie leaned slightly forward, cocking her head. Her fingers were numb from the cold. She did not shiver.

A loud sigh came from the back of her, Indie suddenly tipped her head back, as if she was trying to see, though she couldn’t.

Whoever was behind her walked quietly to the front of her and gently touched her knee. The lifeless touch of the person did not comfort her in the slightest. The person did not say anything, they did not have to, they kicked the cell door as they left. Indie could hear whoever that was stop just outside of the door and lean against the bars. The lighting got darker, they were running out of time.

So again Indie smiled at them, gritting her teeth at every breath that escaped her lungs. She felt she was going to die.

The first person returned once again, the keys rattled with every pacing step they took. Indie felt them kneel before her, looking her straight in her obscured eyes. She could just feel those eyes looking right through her, it made her angry, she smiled wider.

“Have you gotten better Indie? Have you improved in my absence?”

“Yes,” She replied eagerly, “I have gotten better than you, I am better than everyone else who ever doubted me.”

“Hm?” the person teased, getting up and moving to the side of her, “Better than me you say. Yes, Indie, I do agree that you are better than me. One may even call you a genius.”

The person leaned into her ear, she could feel their breath on her neck, it made her skin crawl, “But if you are so much better than me, tell my why you are slowly but surely losing your sanity, tell me why you are crazy Indie, it’s all because of you.”