Conversation · Authority

There's just this itch, deep under your skull, where you've never reached. Never scratched...

Don't. There's this itch in the middle of your skull, where you've never reached. Never scratched...

Give the gun back to the lieutenant.

"Thank you." He returns it to his holster, then looks at the room: "Nothing to worry about here, people -- my partner likes to play these jokes. He's what you call dark."

He is infinitely grateful to have that gun back on his belt right now.

"Dark?" The big guy bursts out laughing. "What the fuck was that, you carnies? We haven't seen RCM in four years and this shows up!"

"I knew he wasn't gonna do it, though! I knew he'd pussy out!"

"No, no. I still have my money on him." The old man pulls on his cigarette, slowly. "Sooner or later -- he has that look."

"Yes. Let's go back to normal. Let's pretend this never happened."

"Do not think your failed suicide attempt will win you any pity from these men. Do not expect them to forget it either."

"Again -- it was a dark joke." He turns to you. "Maybe we should go for a little walk, joker? Before we continue? Jogging around seems to have a positive effect on you."

Yes! Get the serotonine running. Keeps those bad thoughts away.

"The fucking whore left me, I know it."

"Ehm..."

"Ha-ha everyone. Did you like my funny joke?"

"Do not think your failed suicide attempt will win you any pity from these men -- do not expect them to forget it soon either."

"These are my thoughts. This is my head."

"What in the name of mother-fuck..." He looks closer, squinting at you.

Acidic taste on your lips. Corrosive. Once as a child you put your tongue against the rail. It was winter. That was a long time ago...

"The fuck is he saying?"

"Some insane shit."

"Nothing. Give me the gun."

"I'm not fucking this case up!" (Finger on the trigger.) "You will respect me!"

"We'll solve the case. Look at me. Don't worry." He appears calm suddenly. "This demonstration is not helping. At all."

Inside the small mechanism, you can hear a spring tensing up...

"Yeah, 'cause I sorta wanna see that shit."

"You won't, man. His fucking balls ain't big enough!"

"So, uhm. Behold, the uhm... demonstration." (Give the gun back, this is getting too scary.)

"Thank you." He quickly returns the gun to his holster, then looks at the room. "So -- questions?"

"Yeah, I have one." The big guy bursts out laughing. "What the fuck was that, you nancies?"

"Nothing. Just a minor misunderstanding. Let's return to questions -- officer?"

He is grateful to have that gun back on his belt right now.

But I want to point it at them.

I want to point it at them, phah! Quit your whining.

Everyone knows how to do that! You're a special man. You're going to point it at yourself. Go ahead, show them.

"Trust me, Kim. I am merely flesh."

"Merely what...?" He doesn't quite catch that last word. A brief moment passes in silence, then...

"I'm not scared anymore. I know what I have to do."

"Uhm..." He hesitates. "And what is that?"

He does not like that phrasing. Neither do I.

"I know what I'm doing. It's not my first day on the police-job."

"Police job?" He tilts his head to the side, as if inspecting you. A brief moment passes. In silence. Then...

"But..." The lieutenant looks worried, he whispers: "I don't want to give you my gun."

"Everybody calm down! This is only a demonstration!" (Turn to Kim.) "Kim, the gun please?"

"Why? You have a gun."

"Why?"

"I need Kim and his gun here for my demonstration."

"The fuck are you talkin' about -- gun?" He asks angrily. "No one's gonna let you wave a gun around here."

That's it? That's all I got?

Well... The rest of that nancy stuff was really just there to make the gun thing more appealing. But it might work anyway.

Did you already try the gun thing? I hear the gun thing is excellent, and has great results.

You're probably right. The others are only there for filler -- to make the gun thing pop.

This time it's going to work. You already ruled out the first, bad option that didn't.

Establish authority, yes! AUTHORITY! Feverish thoughts race through your mind.

Okay, this time... is FOR REAL. You have two bad options ruled out -- the odds are on your side!