Torment

Prisoner

As we made our way towards Edgar I paused as the young man crouched down to a locked compartment by the floor. As Edgar rummaged through the ring of keys, Curtis looking over him, I stood back, catching my reflection in the steel doors before me. I hadn't had a good look at myself in years. My long, unkept, auburn hair, framed my thin chiselled face, making my prominent cheekbones look even sharper due to my malnourished build. There were large bags under my eyes from lack of sleep, dirt and grime had also built up across my face, I looked filthy. I was still wrapped up in my tatty jeans and thermals, just because we'd moved from the tail section didn't mean we'd left the cold. However, my large trench coat was left open, freeing my movement. The large garment just emphasised my petite frame, I was almost dangerously thin, if it wasn't for the physical work I'd taken part in over the years, I'd have no muscle on my body what so ever. I looked to the red-cross band secured on my upper arm, I held it gently pushing it back up my bicep. I was just like everyone else, we'd all changed so drastically.

People rattling the cages they were held in brought me back to the challenge at hand. "Nam Koong Min Soo. Kronole addict. That explains a lot, doesn't it?" Edgar announced as he struggled with another key, trying to open the compartment. I assumed the man we wanted was held inside. "Hurry up, Edgar," Curtis replied, holding his head in his hand. I moved forward, standing beside him so I could see Edgar clearer. "Hurry up? So sorry for keeping you all waiting. Obviously, I work here so..." Edgar replied sarcastically, holding up the massive ring of keys. I looked down beside me, noticing Gilliam had now been wheeled next to Curtis and me in his wheelchair. A click caught my attention, I whipped my head around, seeing that Edgar had managed to find the key that fit the lock. "Open it," Curtis ordered.

"Here we go." Edgar heaved as he pulled open the compartment. It really was like something from a morgue. As the tray holding Nam Koong Min Soo was pulled out it revealed a man laying on his side, facing towards me and Curtis. It looked like he was sleeping. His hair was quite long and reached just before his jaw, and he had a small goatee beard, his features confirmed his Asian heritage. As we all stood in silence Edgar used his index finger to roll him onto his back. As a couple of other passengers straightened him on the tray, Edgar began clicking his fingers by the man's face, before slapping his cheek, confirming the prisoner was unconscious. "Kronole head..." Edgar cooed. I looked the man up and down, checking for any obvious medical issues visible to the eye. Curtis tapped my arm. "Here," He said quietly, placing three cubes of Kronole into my hand. I looked to him as Tanya grabbed a piece from my palm. "So, this is Kronole? I hear it's pretty big in the front section." Tanya commented as she held the drug to her nose. I quickly grabbed it from her, holding back a gag as the smell wafted. "Careful, that's how these guys hallucinate," I explained thumbing the blue blocks in my hand.

"It's industrial waste. And it's highly flammable." Gilliam explained to the unknowing passengers. I took one of the blocks of Kronole between my fingers and leaned forward over the prisoner, waving the drugs over his nose, hoping it would wake him up. The man suddenly sat upright, I pulled away startled. Curtis protectively wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me towards him. The prisoner said nothing as he remained in his sitting position. We all stayed silent as the man looked around. The man spun himself around, so he was leaning against the other compartments looking at us. "Are you Nam Koong Min Soo, security specialist?" Curtis asked, only getting a blank look from the prisoner as a reply. "Did you design all the door locks and the security systems on the train?" Curtis tried again. Ah, so that's why we needed him, he was meant to help us get through the locked gates.

The prisoner said nothing. "Look at him man, he's gone. Look at his eyes. He's fried his brain with that fucking shite." Edgar cut in. I sighed. "Are you Nam?" Edgar shouted as if he were talking to a child. I hit his arm, shutting him up. That was no way to talk to anyone let alone a recovering addict that might not speak English. The prisoner looked to me as if reading my mind. Moments later he pointed to a row of disc-like objects that hung on the wall behind us. Edgar looked back and then to the man before grabbing one and handing it to the prisoner and another to Curtis. It looked like some sort of translator. My thought was confirmed as Curtis switched it on and spoke through it. "Nam, are you listening?" He asked before the electronic device translated his words. "Yes, I'm listening." He said after his own translator changed his foreign words into English, I remained silent.

Nam began speaking into the device before a beep went off and the machine informed him that the words he used could not be translated, however, it sounded as if he were trying to say his name correctly, if I heard it right, you actually pronounced it, Namgoung Minsoo. "We need your help," I spoke up, my words translating on the device. "For what?" Nam replied. "We're going to the front. And we need you to open up the gates." Curtis explained. "If I don't want to?" Nam questioned looking between Curtis and me. I held up a piece of Kronole. "Uncut, straight from the barrel. Every door you open, you get one lump of Kronole." Curtis bargained as I threw the drug into the man's lap. It rolled off his legs and onto the floor. We all looked at him awaiting his answer, but instead, he leant down towards the floor. I thought he was picking up the Kronole but instead, he pulled a cigarette tin from his boot. Nam opened the box revealing two cigarettes' in perfect condition along with a strip of matches. Now, I had never smoked, so his actions didn't really bother me, but considering fags were now extinct I could see some of my fellow passengers gagging at the bit, wanting to take a drag desperately.

"Jesus, Marlboro Light," Tanya stated as the man placed one of the cigarettes in his mouth and lit it. The smell filled up the carriage instantly and although I wasn't a fan, I had to admit, it was nice to smell something from the past, a smell that reminded me of when everything was normal. "I can't believe it. Cigarettes have been extinct for more than 10 years now." A man said from behind as Nam inhaled and exhaled the smoke. Everyone around me, including Curtis, took in a deep breath of Nam's second-hand smoke, desperate to fuel their dormant addiction. Nam spoke again, the translator still not picking up his words. Curtis looked to me, desperation covered his face, all he wanted to do was continue with the plan. "I'm gonna make this real simple for you. You help us, you get your drug. If not, we put you back where we found you. What'll be, asshole?" Curtis said authority laced through his voice. I smirked; this is the side of him we needed right now.

Nam took another pull of his cigarette as a small boy called Chan appeared at his side and pried the matches from the dopey prisoners' hand. "Chan, Chan, get out of here. Let's get out. "I whispered ushering the child away. Nam took another drag of the cigarette before he threw the butt into the crowd behind Curtis and me. As everyone, including Curtis, turned to see where the cigarette had gone, I watched as Nam punched Edgar across the face on the opposite side of the tray he was seated on. Nam had jumped down and was fighting his way through a group of male passengers. I quickly slid under the metal tray and pulled Nam towards me and away from the men he was hitting. As I did this, Edgar took an opportunity to punch the prisoner square in the face as Curtis slid the metal draw in behind us. I released Nam and stood back as Curtis grabbed hold of the prisoners' coat collars pinning him against the wall. "Hey that's enough" I yelled as Nam struggled against Curtis's grip. Edgar lunged at Nam, "I'll put you back in the fucking drawer," Edgar seethed as I pulled him away from Curtis. As Curtis continued to hold Nam against the rest of the prisoner compartments the jangling of keys made it apparent that Nam had stolen them from Edgar.

I watched silently as Nam returned to his slow demeanour in Curtis's grip and held up a key before slotting it into the lock of a nearby box. The man turned the key and pulled open the drawer beside him, revealing a young girl. We all looked to her as Nam prodded her with a finger, saying something in his language. The girl pulled herself up slowly, tiredly, before leaning her head against the draws in front of her. Curtis looked to Nam for an answer. "My daughter, Yona. To move forward, we need her." Nam stated through the translator as the teenage girl pulled a cardigan onto her thin body.

"So you're coming with us?" I asked looking between the two prisoners. "For each door, I want two blocks of Kronole," Nam said through the translator. "She's an addict too?" I asked looking her up and down, checking for medical issues once more. I heard Edgar huff from behind me and it was only as I looked back that I realised he had a bloodied nose. I looked to the girl who yawned lazily and burped. Nam didn't need to answer the question, I could tell from a mile away that she too, was dependant on Kronole.