Chris VI

“Andrew’s agreed to help us,” Marina signs.

“I still don’t understand why you need us. Can’t you do it yourself?”

Marina plans to take down Lyle and everything he’s built. She’s kept a record of every single thing they've been doing. This entire thing has been growing since the fall of Golden Hearts back in 2008. It’s the perk of being Lyle’s right-hand woman. She has the power to stop his madness. She has the power to free everyone in his control.

She could finally be free.

Marina was born abandoned for how she came out; A albino freak. At least that’s what she believes. She lived in a foster home after foster home in Colorado until she ran away. She was only five She was six when she was enslaved. Golden Hearts’ leader found her; Azul Amadeus, real name David Dolore.

Azul broke her. He tortured her until she was half dead and then fed her lies that made her believe she can be much more than how she was treated. It’s the same thing that Lyle does. It’s where he got it from.

Marina sees it differently. A product of stockholm syndrome. She sees Azul as her father figure and Lyle is just a twisted imposter. Even now, Marina refuses to paint Azul as a monster.

He told her she was key to his goal. She was half part of his dream. Marina can see and show the past of the people she touches. Azul told her he wanted the girl who shares the emotions of people with others. Together they can bring understanding between people. It’s why Winter was made. The drug opens people up to suggestions and emotions of euphoria and peace.

This was Golden Hearts' true goal. To stop the corruption of government and capitalism by having the country share its emotion to find understanding. It never made sense to me. It’s just a delusional conspiracy of a madman.

After they fell, it was Lyle who found her. He never cared for her power, he just viewed her as a pet to admire use as he wants. Marina couldn’t escape, how could she when she believed him and his words as she did with Azul?

The girl who shares emotions married Azul’s brother. She’s the other half of the puzzle. That’s why I thought Lyle went after her. I thought Lyle wants to do what Azul couldn’t.

But it’s not.

Lyle is just twisted. He wants another pet like Marina.

“You’ll see,” Marina signs. “I’m ready to go whenever you want now. I’ll text Andrew, he’s been waiting.”

“Let’s wait for the fourth.”

“Any particular reason?”

“It’s the only day that can work.”

Marina somberly looks at me. It can be any other day, it could be today, but it has to be then. I feel it. This is what I’m supposed to do. This is how I correct my sin. There are a lot of things that are supposed to happen. The less I push against it, the more I feel. Nothing is really supposed to happen, actually. It’s just possibilities. I’ve been fighting against it for so long.

It’s not that I have to help her. It’s that I can.

All the threads of fate that I see push me towards this one. It’s the only way where everything will turn out okay. Taking down Lyle’s operation isn’t as simple as pushing a button. He won’t be arrested that easily. But if what Marina told me is true, the only thing he cares about is her. I can make it work this way.

"Can I show you something?” Before I can respond, Marina takes off her shirt. She doesn’t wear a bra but that’s not what interests me. It’s when she turns herself around that I see what she wants me to see. Her shoulder blades are covered in bloodied cotton patches. She rips them off and I see scars along her shoulder blades; some old, some new.

“I’m his angel,” a voice inside my head says. I almost think it’s Marina.

“It’s once a week. I can’t take it anymore. I’m tired.”

“July 4th, We’ll stop him. You’ll be free.”

Marina covers her breasts with her shirt but doesn’t actually put it on. She leans in and closes her eyes so she can kiss my lips. It’s my first kiss. It’s just flesh and no emotion. “Thank you.”

When I open my eyes, she’s gone; replaced by a fish behind glass. It’s grinning, telling me, “It’s too bad you’re such a thinker.”

“What do you mean?”

“For one who explores the impossible, your vision is awfully narrow.”

“Marina?”

“She’s not real. None of this is. It’s time to wake up.”