*Ding*

'Ah, it's here.'

The automatic machine opened and inside it was a provided meal.

She took the plate out of the machine box and put it in the table.

There was a piece of paper taped beside the plate. It says: "Don't forget to read books, Elle."

"Elle? So that's my name?" She muttered.

Elle tends to forget insignificant things quickly.

She doesn't possess a great memory unlike others. She can remember things only if she wants it to remain in her mind.

Unimportant things have no value in her eyes.

She then sat in the table and started eating all alone, inside a suffocating room.

The small room had no doors and windows.

Even though it had no windows, there were exhaust fans all around the room for the air to come in and out.

The room only has a single bed, a closet, a bathroom with no windows, a closet and a chair and table.

There was a small window above the ceiling so sunlight would land there sometimes.

Elle took the note and pasted it in a certain area of the wall, together with the other notes she collected these past few years.

"Read books."

"Don't miss out your meals."

"Sleep early."

"Take a bath everyday."

"Don't even try to escape."

The notes she received were too many that she cannot read all of them at once.

Elle...

Is trapped inside that small and suffocating place.

She doesn't remember when exactly but all she knew was that, she already lived inside that room since a child. Maybe around three to five years of age.

It was fortunate enough that she was quick in adapting to things.

She learned how to live throughout her life and discovered that she will always be inside that room. No matter what she does, she cannot escape it.

In fact, Elle never tried to escape. She just stood still and accepted everything as they are.

After all, who was she in the first place?

What's her purpose in life?

Will doing something make a difference especially in her circumstance? No. It will only tire her out.

She's not even curious of the outside world nor her family's whereabouts.. if she had one.

There were also times that she wanted to disappear like thin smoke. She doesn't understand her existence.

She's a peculiar one...

Since Elle was finished eating her meal, she cleaned the plate and returned it to the automatic machine.

The machine received it and closed its doors later on.

'Hm.' She stared at it with dull eyes.

Elle then walked towards her bookshelf and took one book.

She started reading it.

Elle felt that she already read that book but she just can't remember if she already did. So she just read it to remember instead.

The only way for Elle to gain knowledge was through reading books.

Just like any other kid, she was still innocent.

She is yet to grow and discover emotions. But the environment she lived in didn't provide her with mental, social and emotional needs.

She's like an egg but all empty inside. An empty shell.

*Ding*

Elle heard the machine ring.

She looked at the big clock on the wall and didn't realize that she was reading the book in such a long time. Long enough til dinner time came.

Elle stood and and returned the book to the shelf.

She took the plate out of machine and noticed something shiny. It was a knife. A silver knife with sharp edges.

Her meal was quite luxurious she might add.

On the plate was a steak that was cooked perfectly, matched together with a wine placed on a glass beside it.

Elle sat and started eating.

It was an exquisite meal. She never had something that tasty since a long time ago.

She drank the wine and wiped her mouth with a tissue after.

Elle carefully held the knife like it was a precious thing. It was beautiful.

She tried to check if it really was sharp like she thought.

"Oh."

Blood trickled from her index finger. She got cut from the knife with just one tiny slash.

Elle pointed the knife at her throat and pushed it a bit. Call her crazy cause she is.

She didn't know if what she felt was pain but it didn't hurt like how she imagined.

She slowly dragged the knife in her neck and carefully slashed it like how she sliced the steak.

Something wet and sticky rushed out from her neck like endless fountain.

After the said act, she felt this throbbing sensation all over her body and fell.

Just seconds later, her eyes completely shut off and her body lied motionless on the ground.

Blood kept flowing out from her neck and she immediately lost consciousness after.

.

.

Elle..

Time of death...

7:17 pm.

Cause of death...

Suicide.