Upon seeing the featureless black void that was apparently my public defender, I backed as far as I could against the holding cell and stared. The public defender said to the officer in its gravelly voice, "What's his tox screen look like?"
The officer raised an eyebrow and turned to the apparent attorney, "Every test has come up clean so far." They both eyed me suspiciously as I continued to squirm up against the back of the holding cell, "Might be a new one though. Fucking things keep evolving."
"Heh. Is it alright if we meet here, Officer Coombs," the void asked. Though the voice did not actually uptick to indicate that it was a question. The officer nodded his assent and opened the door, letting the void in and closing it behind us before walking off. The void flowed closer to me and stated, "Mr. Kiel. Indecent Exposure. Heh. Normally a Class C, but those wetlands are considered a public park by the city. So it does seem that your first year in Purgatory shall be spent in Prison. And a fine of five thousand dollars. Heh. You barely can afford your rent."
I said nothing in response. I pushed myself so hard against the bars that they began to bruise my back. The thing seemed to expect that and continued on, "Perhaps you'll get lucky and they'll hit you with a lessor form. 60 days and five hundred is a much better deal. Heh. But perhaps we can make this whole thing disappear." It paused for but a brief moment and then said in a deeper voice that boomed a sense of power, "But first you will have to stop freaking out."
The part of my brain trying to flee this thing seemed to suddenly turn off and I immediately slumped to the floor. I opened my mouth and said, "What?"
"That's much better," said its gravelly voice. "You ran from the Hospital and I will assume you met His Lordship, so now it is time for what I believe you would call the People's Response. Heh."
I found inside of myself the will to stand up and stared hard at the thing before me. Courage came easily now that the panic had been banished, "I don't care about your response or what ever the hell is going on. I have a L--"
"Silence," came the booming voice and my tongue ceased to work. "The rabble always is destined to be mouthy. But you have a backbone. That shows promise. Perhaps you will not end up like some of the others."
It paused again as if it wanted me to respond. Or perhaps it just wanted to take a perverse joy in the fact I could not speak. It resumed, "Living again, as you are, is a dangerous proposition. Many people saw that vehicle hit you. The hospital does not understand how you seemed to come back to life and how you were able to get off that gurney. The broken bones alone would have kept you bound in bed for weeks. If you were lucky."
Again that pause. Such a perverse asshole. But again I sat there silent and it continued its monologue. "So now here you sit. His Lordship, heh, will not help you. I would guess that you probably pissed him off. Or do you just enjoy being naked and surrounded by wildlife?"
It was trying to get a rise out of me. It wanted a reaction. So I gave it one and walked towards the holding cell door and pushed at it. I felt the lock giving away and the door opened with the loud sound of metal collapsing. I drew back in surprise. "Yes. You're strong. You're fast," said the void. And then I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Now would you kindly sit down and listen to my offer?"
My skin crawled where it was touching me. It disgusted me. And the anger that had built up inside of me found itself instantly released, causing me to turn and punch the thing in its midsection. My hand entered the things midsection as it hissed in reaction and the thing seemed to shrink.
I could almost feel its faint sense of satisfaction, so I glanced down at my arm, noting with panic rising anew that it was turning black. The thing was absorbing into me.
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