The War of .Zip (Working Title)

Chapter 14: Seeing red.

The lamp limply dangled from the ceiling, lighting up little more than a small space and nothing else.

The only things visible was a table, tray and...items that lay on it.

It would come and go whilst he remained hung from his hands, his legs rarely able to touch the ground below them.

Then it spoke from within the darkness.

''It's all a fucking pyramid scheme.

Do you understand me, maty?

I bet you don't.

I bet that you've lived all this time thinning that the world just did what it did because that's what it did.

You've never been right about that.

Today, you're reborn.

Filled with new life, a new purpose.

All because I allow it.

This time, I give you life.

Not like before.

Before, you had life, but were controlled by the powers that reside in this world.

Freedom...

Freedom is the biggest lie ever told.

What's so liberating about choosing what kind of cog you become for the system?

I never understood that.

You weren't free to just go and live off the land like we used to.

No, you had to stay where their all seeing eyes could still see you.

The coming and going of coin cementing you in their charade of a life.

But no more.

Today, you become free.

Truly free.

A being with pure purpose.

Don't you agree?''

''Go to hell.'' Jasper spat, the sweat spraying from his mouth as he spoke.

''...Tomorrow then.

That gives me another day to...teach you.'' The creature grinned before it moved over to the table and tray to choose his instrument.

''Water?'' It asked.

Jasper said nothing.

''Come now, lets be civilized.

We don't want you dyeing on me now, do we maty?'' It said, grabbing the back of Jaspers head to force his mouth up. It pored the boiling water down his throat, burning his insides.

Yet he couldn't scream.

He hadn't the energy for that.

''See, isn't that better.'' The creature walked back towards its table and tray. ''I wish we had something more...refreshing, but it's the rodent's fault you see.

They used fetch the water and, well, now that they've gone I seem to do it wrong.''

This is how it's been.

It would talk, he would listen, then it would hurt him.

It always talked about rodents.

About how weak they were, or how they would die horribly in war.