Hard to Hate You // Michael Langdon

Part IV - Rubber Man

He fucking knows.  I scoff as I lean back into the chair.  "Next question."

He chuckles amusedly.  This bitch is really having fun while trying to expose what I did to David.  "Now tell me, are those two things related?" he questions.

I roll my eyes.  "I think you already know the answer to that."

"Tell me what you did to David," he smirks.

"I killed that bitch."

He raises a brow. "Did I really just get you to admit to murder so easily?" he mocks.

"Something tells me that my killing him doesn't bother you. If anything, you actually like it," I reply. I look up to see an intrigued look on his face.

"How did you kill him? And why?"

"The day before the bombs, he attempted to drug me at a company event. As soon as he arrived at the Outpost, I began plotting his death. A few weeks later, I drugged his drink at dinner, figured it would be symbolic. He went back to his room because he felt tired, and by the time I snuck into it the drug was already in effect and he couldn't move. I'll spare you the details, but it was painful for him. I burned the body afterward, and I forged a note saying that he decided to take his chances outside. I even burned all his personal belongings and one of the hazmat suits to make it seem like he really left."

"You never told anybody what he attempted to do to you?" he questions.

"Nobody at the Outpost. I knew they would suspect that I killed him if they knew that I had any motive. How did you know I was connected?"

"Ms. Mead saw you engage in a fight with him when he first arrived. She had a few suspicions but no proof to act on them."

I shrug. "He deserved it."

Langdon nods. "And that's why you didn't want me to touch you earlier? You had a very adverse reaction to that."

"It's nothing personal, I just don't trust people," I shrug.  "Now, tell me, are you regretting the Cooperative's choice to pick me to survive yet?"

He chuckles. "You seem to think that your attitude is the opposite of the one I want to repopulate the earth."

"Am I wrong?"

"Yes," he says, something seemingly changing in his face. "You're exactly what I'm looking for. You see, I'm looking for people who would not only eat the fruit of the forbidden tree but cut the fucking tree down. I think you're that kind of person."

I scoff. "Yeah, I'm definitely right about the dark part of you."

He looks amused, just staring at me like he's trying to read my soul.

"How the hell did you 'conjure' a demon?" I ask after we've sat in silence for a few seconds.

He chuckles. "If I begin to explain that, then I will only leave you with so many more questions."

"So, you have some magical powers or something? What else can you do?" I ask, leaning forward.

"Many more.  There are all the basics, like telekinesis, mind-controlling, balancing the scales between life and death-"

"Can you control my mind?" I interrupt.

He rolls his eyes and glares at me. After a few seconds, he furrows his brow. "I suppose not." He quickly regains his composure. "Why did you steal Venable's gun?"

I sigh. "I saw her and Ms. Mead with snakes in the decontamination room. I know they're up to something, and this Halloween ball is extremely suspicious. I plan on having something to protect myself from whatever they are planning."

He smirks. "You say that you don't care whether or not you die, yet you seem to be taking great risks to save yourself."

"Dying is no fun when it's not a surprise," I roll my eyes. "Besides, I don't want to die with everyone else here. My death needs to be more interesting than that."

He chuckles and stands up. "You are very unpredictable," he observes as he leans against the desk.

"Is that a bad thing?" I ask mockingly as I stand, not being able to care less about what he thinks.

"No," he says, slowly walking towards me. "I'm just not a fan of unpredictability." He leans in so close that our faces are inches apart, in an attempt to intimidate me. "What is your biggest fear?"

I take a shaky breath. His being so close to my face is suddenly making me feel queasy. "Get out of my face," I mutter, pushing him away. "I need a break."

"This interview is not finished."

I quickly regain my composure.  "I'm putting it on pause. I've had quite a long day," I declare as I walk to the door.

He disappears from where he is and reappears between me and the door. "I didn't mention transmutation in the original list of my powers," he says as he hovers over me. I'm tall, but he is still a few inches taller than me.

"Get out of my face," I say firmly.

"Your biggest fear is weakness, isn't it? You are doing everything in your power to avoid appearing weak," he continues as he caresses my cheek.

I slap him. "Stop fucking with my head."

Shock flashes over his face but he quickly covers it with his smug smile. "I hit something, didn't I?" he asks as he brushes the hair out of my face.

I roughly grab his hand and pull it away from my face. "If you don't let me go, that won't be the only thing getting hit."

He laughs dryly as he moves out of my way. "I look forward to our next interview."

......

I lean my head back against the edge of the bathtub, finally having managed to calm down. Langdon is really getting on my nerves; I'm about one straw away from attacking him with a dinner knife.  

Great, now I'm getting myself worked up again.  I sigh and push every thought out of my head as I allow my body to relax.  That is, until I feel something slide across my leg in the bathtub. 

 "What the fuck?" I gasp as I jump out of the bathtub. I quickly grab a towel to cover myself as I watch the water. Slowly, a snake rises out of it. "Holy shit," I mutter.  I quickly run for the door, putting as much distance between me and the snake as possible.

I grab the knob and turn it but the door won't open. I begin kicking and slamming it but it won't budge. Shit, Langdon must be messing with me again. That asshole is just asking for me to kick his ass.

 I scream for help, hoping that somebody besides Langdon can hear me; it's bad enough that I'm giving him the satisfaction of hearing my panic. I turn around as the snake makes its way toward me.  I realize that I'm going to have to move, so I back into the walk-in shower before closing the glass door once I'm inside.

The snake slams against the glass and I sigh out of relief, realizing it can't get to me. I lean against the wall, but then I hear an indescribable sound, almost like a high-pitched vibration. I look down and see the glass flickering, and then the snake slithers right through it. 

 "Holy shit!" I scream, banging on the shower door. It won't open, and I realize that I am stuck in this tiny, enclosed space with a snake.  "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

In a desperate effort, I use all my strength to launch myself through the glass, and it shatters all around me. I fly forward, unable to catch myself, and I hit my head off the bathtub. As I lose consciousness, the last thing I feel is stinging in my leg.