In the interrogation room with hundreds of long histories, there were all kinds of people coming in and out.
Some lied, and some told the truth.Some explained, and some made excuses.Some cried, and some were angry.
Yet very few among them spoke honestly and confessed.Yet they were in a position between guilty and not.In a position between perpetrator and victim.
Some of them would be silenced or sent to the nearest mental hospital.
Because those who spoke honestly, confessed, stood in a neutral position but were sane,their presence could be counted on one hand.
"If everything has been an organization from the start, doesn't that mean we belong to them?" Richard said in a low voice, reopening their conversation.
"No, we are not theirs, and we are not their slaves — because they don't see us as slaves, but rather as some kind of product." Reginald did not look at anyone, only staring at the clarity of the drink in his hand.
"Product? What kind of product?"
"At that time, I didn't know for sure, and I really wanted to know more about this." He sighed heavily as he swirled his glass.
"Then after that incident, I truly obeyed Marry, well at least that's the name I knew at that time."
"Obeyed how?"
"Obeyed like an animal, you could say like an ox led by a ring in its nose."Reginald and Richard's eyes met in the air, both staring, and there were the redness in Reginald's eyes and the veins popping on his forehead.
"If you can't, then you don't need to tell this, brother."
"But I must, you will need everything I know."
"For what?"
"Trust me, you will need it."Reginald didn't explain further.
"Obeyed how exactly, brother?"Robert lightly sipped the drink in his hand.
"Occasionally she would call me to the living room, where there were many guests wearing masks."
"Masks?"
"Yes, they wore masks of various shapes, only Marry and I were without masks."
"So, what happened?"
"The guests would sit in a circle on the floor, and I would stand in the middle — then Marry would tell me to take off my clothes."
"What the hell!?"Richard and Robert had suspected that something bad would happen, but they didn't expect something like this.
"I would stand there, and they would talk among themselves — using a language I didn't understand." Reginald drank his drink in one gulp.
"Did they hurt you?"
"No, they wouldn't dare, I don't know why. But there was an incident — when a man tried to touch my back."Reginald poured more drink into his cup, as if it were just ordinary tap water.
"What happened to him?"The two of them leaned their heads closer, curious.
He placed the bottle and cup on the table, forming his two fingers like a pistol."Then from behind his shoulder, he was pulled, and BANG, BANG."
His hand, forming a pistol, shot at his two younger brothers."One of Marry's guards gave two bullets to the man's forehead."
Everything became silent, only the ticking of the clock and the sound of Reginald's throat swallowing alcohol, endlessly echoing.
"So, it's some kind of rule?"
"You could call it that, and thanks to it, no one dared to touch me."
"Doesn't that mean Marry was protecting you?"
"Protecting? I don't know, I don't think so."He sipped his drink lightly, Reginald seemed to be wandering back through those bitter old memories.
"Why not?"
"I don't feel like a human. Even if I'm not touched or hurt, I am displayed and turned into a spectacle."Reginald drained his drink, then looked at his two younger brothers.
"So if you say I'm protected, that's true — but not as a human being — only as property."
Realizing their mistake in pressing their brother for information, the two of them lowered their heads.
"Brother, I'm s—"
"No, it's not necessary." Reginald closed his eyes as if trying to erase that memory from his mind.
The two did not insist on apologizing, realizing that it would only add to their brother's pain.
After what had happened, everything was completely silent; because Reginald did not speak, they did not take the initiative to start.
"You don't need to hold back and can ask anything you want if you wish."Seeing the silence, Reginald finally spoke, reassuring them.
"Do you drink often?" Seeing how many drinks Reginald had consumed, Richard took the initiative to ask.
"Not really, but do you know? Some people told me that alcohol can also be medicine."
"Medicine? What kind of medicine?"
"Various kinds, and it all depends on what ails you. Some people start drinking because of stress, work, and the like."Reginald put down his cup and looked at the empty Tequila bottle.
Richard and Robert did not speak, but tried to process every word Reginald said.
"Others start drinking when they feel they've lost something — losing a home, a car, a lover —"He slid his hand into his pocket, looking at the hairpin in his hand."—losing family."
"And why did you start drinking?"
"Me?" He was silent for a long time, reflecting on the reason he took his first drink.
"I don't know, it's already at the point where I no longer think about the reason I drink or why I have to drink — but what I do know is that every time I take a drink, the pain in my heart feels numb for a while."Reginald smiled at Robert, who had asked him.
They were silent again, no words spoken, the exhalation of breath truly felt strong in that quiet place.
"I'm hungry," Richard broke the silence between them.
"Drinking without eating makes my stomach uncomfortable. Let's order food."Reginald said while rubbing his stomach.
"Okay, just a moment."Richard took out his phone from his pocket.
Dring… dring… Dring… dring…
CLICK!!
"Good evening, are you still open? Are you accepting delivery?"
"Hello sir, good evening. Yes, we are open 24 hours, delivery is ready."
"Okay, just a moment."
Holding the phone in his hand, Richard looked at Reginald and Robert.
"What pizza do you want? What toppings?"
"I want pepperoni," said Reginald.
"Same as me, I also want that."
"Okay."
"Hello, are you still there?" Richard returned to the phone call.
"Yes sir, have you decided?"The voice on the call was different from before, but Richard didn't think much, knowing there were probably many staff working.
"Okay, I want two pepperoni and one cheese, for the cheese I want mozzarella, okay?"
"Alright sir, anything else?" the staff asked on the call.
"That's all for now."
"And drinks? Whiskey? Tequila?" the staff asked again.
Richard looked back at his phone, and it was indeed his regular pizza delivery; he hadn't dialed wrong.
"Since when did you start selling alcohol? Why did I never know about this?"
"We started selling alcohol just a few hours ago, sir."
"Why?"
"Of course, so that you and your brothers can enjoy your time calmly. Try turning on your phone speaker so the others can listen."
Richard turned on the speaker on his phone and placed it on the table.
"Enjoy your reunion, but don't speak too loudly — because we are always among the walls of silence, listening. I will prepare your pizza. Good night, Faisal."