I remembered the piece of paper I signed when I first arrived here. I was out of breath. As sweat trickled down the back of my neck and I continued to tense up where I stood, I felt a bitter taste in my throat. Every voice in my head merged into one.
Before I could even find the chance to understand what was happening, I heard him say, "Obey." The crawling group members had stood up, their fists thrust to the right. There was something spiritual yet animalistic about their actions. Blurry reflections passed through their eyes as if they were seeing an extraordinary dream. The pressure from outside was crushing not only my body but my anger as well. And I... was filling with rage. "Will you kill me then?" I asked, seeking refuge in the words that barely escaped from under my trembling tongue.
The wind passing between us scorched my cheeks with its harsh blast. Now, my gaze softened as if returning to a safe zone. My stomach cramped; a blazing fire engulfed my fingertips.
Sis (Mist) shook his head slightly and said, "I don't know." Straightening up, he took a step back. Then, those coarse group members, walking like they were performing primitive rituals, began to move toward me. As the last trace of emotion vanished from their eyes, they started baring their teeth. Their hands swung at their sides like some kind of nostalgic swords. They were running at me, sacrificing themselves at all costs. Even though what was happening didn't seem to affect them much, they acted as if they were being called to a game they loved from time to time.
I heard the whisper of the blonde woman standing to my right, sounding like a shiver. "You must give up on your decision," she said through gritted teeth. I felt as if our threads of fate were tied together. "You're going to ruin everything," she said threateningly, yet her voice was controlled. I felt her glance slightly toward Sis's shadow. I thought about what she had told me. I even went further and thought about the body of the group leader. Where had they taken him? Had they just tossed him into the tunnel, or had they opened the manhole and thrown him in? Next to that severed arm.
"Everything is already ruined," I said fiercely; the power inside me, instead of evaporating, was growing and growing, opening a chasm in my heart. I thought I saw his shoes slide slightly to the left. I couldn't seem to widen my field of vision. Just as I couldn't accept bowing my head. The corners of my eyes quivered, my nose stung, and I dug my nails into my palms. "Everything is ruined!"
The blonde woman, as if she didn't know or understand any of these actions, said, "Don't." Then she warned, lowering her voice even further: "You mustn't do it."
"Why, damn it, why?"
Very little distance remained between me and the crowd. Now we were looking at each other from just a step or two away. Without knowing what would happen, I took a deep breath. "What are you looking at?"
Did that sentence really come out of my mouth?
I couldn't contain my rage. "Why are you looking like that? Are you going to attack me?"
They all turned with blank stares toward the new group leader, Sis.
I looked at Sis along with the group.
I could no longer see anything human in him.
"Rebel girl," he said with a stern expression, as if he were deeply bothered by someone opposing his game. "You're looking in vain!"
He turned to the group and made a gesture with his eyes.
That was when a hint of seriousness finally appeared on the faces of the people in the group.
"Then let us begin," Sis said, rubbing his hands together.
The first two people from the group took a step forward. Their movements were cautious. Their legs and arms resembled the artificial limbs of a 'tobot' in motion. I felt the strangeness down to my marrow. The distance between us closed. I looked at the shoes. From where I sat, two harsh hands touched me and dragged me to my feet. While my arm was practically crushed between tight fingers, my bones were raising a flag of rebellion.
I didn't resist. Sometimes the only power was to allow it.
"Take her to the tunnel," Sis said; his anger was barely measurable in his tone. "Close the manhole!"
My eyes remained on the blonde woman crawling to the right. She must have been thinking that I regretted not listening to her, but there was no regret here. Were they going to take away everything I had left of my humanity just like that? I couldn't allow it. No matter how suffocating and terrifying that tunnel was, being up here was now more terrifying. Predator and prey. I had to save myself from being the prey anymore. Because the hunter was always cruel.
***
The Mechanism, The Core, 1
On the table right next to the large rectangular window, there was a Rubik's cube. A little girl in a white dress, her blonde hair neatly combed, was sitting in her wheelchair. A Rubik's cube was placed on her thin knees. Every time she turned the cube between her slender fingers, a slight excitement shining in her eyes was noticeable. She slowly raised her head toward the screen and continued to watch the camera recordings that filled the entire display.
"How is it going?"
The voice had come from the other end of the corridor, surrounded by pink furniture and white wallpaper. Before long, the sound of delicate footsteps reached her ears. She placed the cube on the freshly cleaned table and turned her head. Then, a man in his fifties, wearing a black woolen sweater and black pants, entered. "Why is there no answer to my question, Melek?"
Melek, while piercing through the colors of the cube in her mind, said shyly, "They are taking her to the tunnel. This is a really good movie, father."
Her father stepped closer to Melek, leaned in slightly, and planted a kiss on his daughter's forehead.
"This movie is exactly the one I bought for you."
"This must be the most expensive video recording in the world," Melek said excitedly. "Everyone would want to own a film produced with such a high budget."
"But only one person owns it," her father said with a laugh. "My daughter."
At that moment, a voice was heard, ending their conversation. "Sir..."
"I'm leaving," the man said upon hearing the voice and stroked his daughter's hair. "I'll be back."
Melek held her father's hand: "I won't be bored until then."