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Child's Play
Formerly called "The End of The Game"
Chapter One: Lights and things
by Lyn.




The lights flickered on and off continuously. Just as they had been for the last 3 hours; blinking into her skull. With every pulse of light a question was asked, and with every gap of dark shadows moved. Anyone else would have cracked, anyone else would have told them everything they wanted and more.

But she wasn't anyone, she was a Parker, the Parker, she would not crack.

“Sis,” he asked between flashes, “where is he?”

Her eyes flickered, focusing on his shadowed figure only to loose him in the darkness that followed. “I told you, I don't know.”

“Yes, Miss Parker, you did,” wheezed Mr. Raines, “and we don't believe you.”

“When I get out--” she began tiredly, fully expecting them to ignore her once again.

“You’re never getting out,” interrupted Lyle, “so why don't you just tell us. It will be so much better when you do”

“I haven't spoken to him since he last called. When he called to tell me he forfeited the game, you know what I mean, you played it to me over and fucking over only a few hours ago!”

Her tormentors went silent, as they always did when she said something they didn't like. They hid behind their glass wall, leaving her to enjoy the light show.

Time stretched indeterminately. The silence coupled with the lights was becoming unbearable and suffocating. Right now she needed support, but Sydney and Broots had been taken away hours before, and she couldn't risk even thinking about Jarod.

She was completely and utterly alone.

Needing to hear something, she called out into the dark flash, “I haven't spoken a word to him since he called!”

You’re lying, the darkness and the T Board called.

“I don't know where he is!”

Flash on; flash off. You still lie to us.

The silence was overpowering. She could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes and her resolve weakening; she was cracking.

She caught herself just a moment to late, as a flash of his face passed in front of her eyes - a recent picture - the day after their last conversation.

Panic griped her as she realized her mistake, suddenly the darkness seemed more sinister, the shadows deeper - they had what they were waiting for.

But who or what had told them?

“Okay, sis, you didn’t speak to him after that conversation, but what were his last words to you?”

The answer came back to quickly for her to stop it.

I’ll always be with you,

She composed herself, ignoring the echoes. She knew what the correct answer was; the speakers had yelled it at her continuously.

Even when I‘m not,

“‘I can try’. And a nice try Lyle, but it didn’t work.”

“Maybe, if you told the truth,” he replied.

Even when I’m gone.

She could almost see him smile.

The sudden feeling and realization made her stomach tighten and her panic grow. Surely it couldn't be Angelo - but how many others did the Centre have?

You won’t crack me; I’m innocent, she repeated the mantra over and over in her head, waiting.

The next flash of light illuminated another figure - not Angelo - leaning towards the Lyle shape, and the next dark spell seemed to last longer than the others, she shivered at the thought of the shadows moving unchecked in the dark.

The light flashed on again and the figure was gone. It didn't matter though, there was no doubt - they knew.

The comprehension hit her like a blow, all the effort to not think about him, not to think about being with him that night. Not to remember how she’d never said a word and not to remember how much it hurt to see him leave without telling her where. But surely they knew that too?

“Yes, Miss Parker, we know, but that’s not why you’re here,” said Mr. Raines.

“Why am I here then?” she yelled, “Why keep me here for hours when you know everything I do! Why play these games?”

“Not games, Miss Parker. This isn’t a game, at least, not one you can quit.”

She could feel the shadows moving, not in her imagination but in reality - they were closing in - the game drawing to an end.

“Your mother didn’t realise that,” he continued, “neither did Jarod.”

Suddenly once again their voices filled the room, echoing in the corners and she realised that they weren’t the best last words one could hope for.

“Frankenboy.”

“Ice bitch. You know it never ceases to amaze me how you continuously call me ‘boy’ when I’m probably older than you.”

“Anyone who plays with play dough is a boy.”

“And anyone who messes with emotions so carelessly as you is an ice bitch.”

“So are you going to leave a forwarding address or what?”

“No, Miss Parker, this time I’m gone for good.”

The rest of the conversation was drowned out as Lyle spoke, “In forfeiting the game, he forfeited your life, sis.”

The lights stopped flashing. Only the dark remained and then a piercing scream that went on and on.









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