Conversation · Cuno

"Who's doing a sick charade now?"

"You are, officer," says the lieutenant, breaking his silence. "Get yourself together."

For heaven's sake, he thinks, this has gone too far. Don't make it worse -- just get back to questioning the kid.

The lieutenant doesn't appreciate your sick charades on his crime scene. His opinion of you has lessened.

"Shit... I don't know what got into me..."

"You lost control," says the lieutenant, breaking his silence. "You need to get yourself together."

You didn't shut him down. Your fat fist didn't meet its target. Instead, it pulled you down with it.

It's not as bad as it feels. You've maybe pulled a joint; the indignity makes it worse.

"Ouch, my arm... and my fucking knee..."

"Cuno can't believe this shit!" It's like he's now realized he has super-powers. "Can no one stop the Cuno?!"

"Pig, Cuno thought you had this. What happened? Cuno can do anything now." He's writhing with joy, like the power you gave him is too much to take.

It's safe to say he has established dominance over you.

"Fucked your shoulder, fucked your knee, fucked your fat body up!" the one behind the fence hisses like a lit fuse ready to go off from delight.

"Kim, help me up!"

"No."

"Stop laughing!"

The creature behind the fence makes it a point to laugh even harder.

It's a dry laugh. Mirthless. She's not even actually enjoying this. She only wants to hurt you.

"Cuno made you his fuck-gimp!" He bursts into a violent fit of laughter. Sounds like a flock of seagulls taking flight.

The lieutenant isn't laughing. At all.

Get a hold of yourself. At least the previous horror is over. At least they're no longer...

"Do you have any idea of the shit you just got yourself into, kid?" (Get up.)

"Cuno's just gonna beat the shit out of you again." He is clearly still in awe of himself right now.

"I told you not to tempt such forces." The annoyance in his voice is directed at you, not the gremlins.

He gets it. You lost. Now walk away with what remains of your dignity.

"Now how about we go and do something worth the public's time?"

Cunoesse is staring at Cuno with pride-filled eyes, almost forgetting your presence.

Everything about her is saying Wow -- what a man. Her admiration is fuelled by camaraderie.

You lost. Now walk away with what remains of your dignity.

"Someone call an ambulance, I think I really hurt myself!"

"Officer, you need to get up. This is turning into a farce."

"That's what you get if you fuck with the Cuno. You get fucked up."

"Yeah, laugh it up. Let's just get back to it." (Get up.)

"Cuno beat the shit out of popo!" The kid is laughing so hard, tears are running down his freckled cheeks. "Beat your fucking knee off."

"Yeah, I deserved this."

"Yeah, you deserve this. Trying to show your dick to Cuno. Cuno was scared."

Oh god, do something quick, they're gonna start that again!

The whole charade was about establishing dominance over you. It's safe to say he has succeeded.

Say nothing, try to hold it together.

"Pig's tryin' not to cry. Cuno can't believe this shit!" It's like he's now realized he has super-powers. "Can no one stop the Cuno?!"

Try really, really hard to hold it together.

"Pig's biting down on his knuckles. Cuno can't believe this shit!" It's like he's now realized he has super-powers. "Can no one stop the Cuno?!"

Stay with me, the biting is having some kind of effect, the pain is receding...

"What is this sick charade?"

"NOOOO!!!" the boy screams, his freckled face contorted in hideous, uncontainable laughter. "Get off Cuno, you sick fat fuck!"

The nearly psychopathic way they can slip in and out of the act implies you're not the first victim.

"Someone put you up to this."

"You put him up to this yourself -- when you decided to talk to him in the first place."

"Listen to your f****t friend." Cuno hawks a loogie on the ground. The phlegm is yellowish and bubbling somehow.

"It was the harbour, wasn't it? They're trying to compromise me. I can hear them laughing now..."

"You're fucking losing it, you fat fuck!"

"Help, people!" His face is contorted with hideous laughter. "The RCM is trying to fuck Cuno in the ass!"

Here's an idea... Don't think about shutting this twelve year old down. Stop asking him questions. Just walk away and cool off.

"Kim, did you do this?"

"Yeah, we're all in this together!" The little one hisses with glee. "The banaanipoika is losing it."

The lieutenant doesn't even shrug.

"HELP!" Tears of laughter are running down his flushed face. "The RCM is trying to fuck us!"

"Did Garte put you up to this?"

"Cuno owns the fatass," he whispers, then looks around and yells from the top of his lungs: "Help, the RCM is trying to FUCK Cuno!"

"Okay, no one put you up to this."