A guard yanks me up.
Snow gets up and claps his hands once more. “Congratulations. You passed your first trial. All of this was a setup to see if you would make a grand sacrifice.”
“What would have happened if I had chosen to shoot Lilac?”
He points to the ceiling, indicating an automatic gun would have come out of the wall.
“You would have had to die.”
“You told me you would leave her alone. You had those men rap—”
“Those were hallucinations. The girl that sits on the camera is not even her. It’s another woman we hired. She’s up for execution for killing her husband.” He slides his hands into his dress pants. “We needed to see if you really loved Lilac and if she was worth it for you.”
I walk out of the room. Two guards escort me to the courtroom. The board members sit on the benches.
“Your second trial will be next month.”
I want to tell them to fuck themselves.
Those memories they planted in my head…
“Give me a drug to get rid of those false memories.”
“I suggest you stay here or another place before going home because in about twenty-four hours, the drug will wear off.”
I stomp out of the building.
Exhale and breathe in the wet air.
Fuck, that shit really fucked with my head.
My father leans against his car, waiting for me. He wraps his arms around my shoulders.
“My son. You made it out alive. How was it?”
“Horrible.”
“Is she worth it still?”
I nod.
My father doesn’t say anything for a while. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“Hand me my phone.”
He tosses my phone to me, and I type out a message. “Let me check on my wife.”
Me: Do you miss me?
She reads her message, then replies.
Princess: Gag. No.
I smile at the words. I’m glad to hear that my princess is safe.
Lilac
Ihoped that Irvin was gone for another week, but he’s here. In my face.
