Echoes Of Fear // Preston Hope Interrogation

Interrogation.

He grunts, turning his head up to face the wall he had been placed in. His home; where he belongs and his lost secrets and scars will lay in there. Gone, forgotten, they're never forgotten. He'd place his hands on the wall, his mind glazed with the thought that Lily Hope is a lost passion--pleasure that he cannot enjoy anymore. His mind was jumbled together, he smells of ash, a smell that he would never want to be removed from him. He closes his eyes; taking in the smell, it's almost beautiful, to smell things that are caused by yourself; yet they do the worst things. A week. A week can do a lot of things; change a lot of things. Though one thing that it has failed to change was him.

He'd let out a grumble and a sigh, as he'd furrow his eyebrows and press his foreheadd against the wall, his mind not changing, his expression changing in a cycle of confused, angered, horrified scared. Scared for the family he had thrown his rage, his being at to be all wiped away. Pulling away from the wall he'd sink down onto the ground, wanting to make a noise, wanting to make a sound so his secrets and lies aren't the only thing whispering to him. He'd move his hand across the wall, feeling its concrete and feeling happy. Preston-- Pyro. He isn't Preston Hope anymore. Far from it. He isn't the innocent, friendly and childish boy that had a younger sister to watch over, because if he was, half of it would be a lie. He does not live by a fake identity, he is not Preston, he'll never be.

The male, the child, the monster is something that hides within him and wanting out, but it is under a lock, that key; the burning fire guarding it. There is no Preston. There is no Lily. If there is no Lily; there's no use, no reason for Preston. A shaken growl would escape his lips as he'd form his hand into a fist, clenching the air that he breathes, his cellmate breathes and dragging it down to the ground. He'd want to stop on it. Stomp all of the air he can breathe out of his ability-- end it because breathing is about as useful as he.

The door would open to footsteps entering the cell; for darkness to engulf him as a cloth would be placed around his eyes so he cannot see. He doesn't want to see. He'd be carried- no, dragged as if he were a ragdoll down the hallway, footsteps of those dragging him echoing through, no other sounds to be made besides the breaths he owns. He'd be dragged, and a grin would be planted upon his face. They won't learn anything from the male, they can break him, make him tear down to his core where all he has left to care about is the scars he can count on his body. He can count. But he can't care.

A door would open, making a loud clang on the wall as it would hit it while he got thrown into a chair. He'd be sitting there, grimicing at the tight body restrictions being locked onto him; almost as if he were to be locked into the mindset of Lily Hope, that she was alive, that she is someone that is living and not dead. He'd let out a short laugh, they were so afraid of him breaking loose and attacking the person who would be questioning him, but the questions would have no answers.

They would have lies.

A voice would enter his mind, his will of staying alive. "Welcome Preston." A voice would say as he would squint as light was brought into his view, the cloth being removed from his face as he looked around to try and get used to his surroundings.  The male who was speaking to him would make his way around the table and to sit down again.

"Now that we can both fully see one another I will just lay out what is going to happen blatantly. Depending on how much you cooperate with my questions then this shouldn't take very long at all. If you don't cooperate then things will get a bit more rough. It all just depends how you play the game. So knowing that, are you ready to play?" The male sitting across him would speak. He'd let out a short laugh. There is one game that the male knows how to play. It does not involve conversation. It does not involve honesty.

It involves defiance, lies.

He'd smile, maybe he really is insane for questioning the authority of the capitol. However; he didn't care. This is a game.

A game indeed.

"Play? I'm ready to compete." The criminal would speak, his words slithering out of his mouth with no hesitaiton or care.

Compete.

He let out a long breath, staring blankly at the peacekeeper that was located across him. The male new that the game he would play is a dangerous one, not smiled upon from the Capitol, however he already wasn't smiled upon; so what would make it different? The male would hear a chuckle escape the man’s mouth due to Preston's grin, and that even caused a larger grin to be planted across his face. It showed happiness; however he wiped it away as quick it had shown up. Happiness is not a part of this game; it’s not in the rules, but in his mind it is. You cannot be happy when you are being interrogated.

The male would give a glare at the other one, as he would get up to get a better look at Preston. However it was a silly thought; the man was to be free and not able to be hit when he shouldn’t be that preserved from Preston, he didn’t commit a crime of attack, so he isn’t that strong from that thought itself. The male would grin slyly as it would be seen the other one had been looking over the male, a little bit too closely it seemed too. He'd then let out an entertained huff, raising an eyebrow at the other male however he wouldn't speak.

He'd feel a hand covered by leather, the gloves black like the corner that he would stay in for his days in the Detention Center slide its way down his chin, as if the man were to be examining a piece of art. However, Preston Hope is no piece of art. Nowhere close to it. The male would resist the urge to try and hit his hand away from his face, as struggling would show being scared, uncomfortable, vulnerable. There'd be no show of feelings from the boy, though what there would be a show of, is lies. A gentle smile would spread across the other males face, and it'd make Pyro's stomach roll. It'd make him feel odd, as if there was something planned that he didn't know. Then again, he doesn't know anything. 

"Wonderful. Just remember though that the board you are attached to is not any normal table. It has built in sensors to detect even the smallest of lies which we can't allow since it breaks the rules now can we. You seem like a smart gentleman so I am sure you can understand that if you do lie there will be some repercussions."

His comment about Pyro being smart would resort in a snort coming from the male, as he'd speak up. "If you think I'm smart, why would I be here?" The male would say with a grunt at the end of his statement. Sometimes, Pyro worried that peacekeepers had a mind of a brick, plain old stupid. The man would pull his hand away as he'd make his way across to the other side of the table. He'd listen to the male speak again, the voices starting to bore him as they would echo through the room and dig their way into his mind.

"Now then, lets get this game going! To start off let me ask you this simple question. Were you the one who burnt down the house and did you act alone? Remember no lying Preston." The monotone voice would say after clapping his hands together with a wild smile plastered on his face as if it was painted on there, a piece of art that took a while to make perfect, and can be changed much faster than it had been perfected. A smile would spread on his face as he knew his answer, however this may not be the smartest answer. Why not test the waters? "Yes, I was the one that burnt down the house. This act was alone. However, if you were to be there you could've been a side affect with how hot you are." Zap. God damn.

Compete.

He'd watch as the other male would run a hand through his own hair, causing a slight burst of annoyance to slide through his body. It wasn't a simple task, however it is something that he must deal with. There was no escape, no release from the capitol. If there was; well god damn, Lily would be alive. A device would be in the hand of the other man as he would turn around and raise it to his mouth after pressing a few buttons. Machinery. The criminal would think with a scoff, they needed some kind of machine for everything, did they? It was almost like they were-- are machines. The capitol is a machine; emotionless, careless. No wonder they need everything to be done for them.

He’d be watching the man expectantly, because he himself couldn’t do anything besides look, breathe, and talk. One of those things he wished he couldn’t do. Breathe. However his wants would be interrupted by a laugh that would escape the man’s mouth. Pyro would watch with an entertained expression; finding it funny he has entertained a peacekeeper. Maybe if he kept it up, he’d get a free ride out of this interrogation. Ha! That’s a funny statement. They’ll never give a free ride. If he’s a criminal, a tribute, even just a regular district resident, free rides are not something the capitol would give out for free. The male would turn to Pyro, walking up behind him and whispering into his left ear, causing a slight shiver to run down his own spine.

"Very humorous Preston, however a little bit of humor won't stop what is coming." The male would whisper as he’d make his way to the door and open it to reveal a peacekeeper holding a briefcase, inside would probably be his ‘device’ that the man would use on the criminal. He’d take the briefcase and open it, revealing a set of headphones as he’d hold it up. "You know," The man would say while lifting them up. "I originally created this device when I nineteen since I decided I needed something that suites my name. Echo. However I never would have imagined this result, and now you get to try it out so congratulations." The male would say with a foolish grin.

“I’m honored” The male would say with a slight laugh as the headphones would be latched onto his head. The man would reveal a microphone and speak to Pyro. "Now these are called head phones if you don't know. Yet these are not ordinary headphones, no these ones play specific tracks that I select and I have a very special one for you. Are you prepared to hear it?" He’d ask, turning off his microphone to wait for a response.

”Sure.” The male would say with a slight uncertain tone to his voice, knowing the capitol can do anything, but he wasn’t going to care. This is revenge, a price they need to pay; a price they need to pay for Lily. Would they care?

No.

Interrogation.

"Well I am glad you are ready. I am sure you of all people will appreciate the tape." Appreciate.ap·pre·ci·ate. What's appreciation? A fairy tale? Fairy tales are things that do not exist. To appreciate is something that does not exist, doesn't register in the dictionary of Pyro. Only twoonezero one word registers. burningburningburning. Sorrow. Sorrow for something as silly as the poor people that would have to deal with this man. They do not need appreciation however. A side character, the underdogs in this game of broken shards in which held lies.

The only shards that could be seen would be the expression that made its way into Pyro's face. His eyes could be described as broken shards, for a good start.

Have you ever been tortured for something, someone you love deeply when you didn't do anything wrong? You did nothing, but people are convinced you're a criminal?

To feel abandoned? Even worried and scared for those who are more fortunate than he? Less fortunate than he? Scared for himself because people misunderstand him?

Pyro Hope is no criminal. Pyro is a nickname. A disguise more like it. They put a mask on him, something that made him much more different than the others. They accused him.

But really he's the victim. The capitol is the real criminal; the case? Murder. Murder of children, murder of innosense and murder of hope.

He never knew what it was like to hear a scream that seemed so real, so close until now. Screams familiar to those his sister had cried, his sister had died with. She would scream his name and in pain. Howling like the wind on a stormy night she would have no stop.

This is a fairy tale. Lily Hope is dead. These screams do not live in the present because they're in the past. A twitch of his eye and the quick strain of his fists clenched as they were chained to the arms of the chair.

He was pained to hear her screams, pained he couldn't help her and his reaction was to throw a house into the mouth of fire and watched as it munched and crunched at the house, the flames being teeth.

He is no criminal. Innocent, innocent, innocent.