Requisite

the low roar of iron wheels claimed the vacancy in an otherwise silent room. Daniel sat swaying with the motion of a scarlett red drape that teased glimpses of light into the trains cabin, He first noticed the dull shimmer of the patinated buckles that held the leather strapping on his wrists and ankles. He sat for what seemed like hours and as questions surfaced like driftwood they were pushed back down beneath the question ‘who is the man in front of me’?

The brief light entering the room in an almost strobe like effect exposed a sickly looking man hunched over barely held against his chair by the same leather braces that matched Daniels. He’s rich by the look of it but a roughed up suit and a puddle of blood staining a pocket square gave Daniel an almost chuffed feeling. Tattered converse sneakers worn down to the sole, cut off jeans and a thrift store ‘bargain’ he’d worn for 2 summers straight, this man sitting across from him was soiling a pocket square worth more than his wardrobe, worlds apart yet they find themselves at arms length in the same predicament.

“I see you’re awake Mr. Edwards” the words paralleled the smooth opening of a door to the left of the inebriated man, as the light above them lit the room Daniel responded harshly “Mr. Edwards is a little bit formal given I’m strapped to a fucking chair don’t you think?” A smirk pierced through a plume of smoke and gold ringed filter marked B&H caught his eye before being crumpled in a glass ashtray “just a precaution for all of us here, we don’t want things getting out of hand we figured you’d be a bit… well… aggressive... But that being said I’m sure you understand your position, and it would be wise for you to behave appropriately. tell me something the man across from you…” he stopped and perched another cigarette on his lips while he dragged a small matchbook from his jacket pocket and walked over beside the man in front of Daniel, he grabbed the man’s fringe pulled back his head and asked “do you recognise him?” Daniel studied the man’s face from the new angle, his mouth was ajar and eyes barely showing through the lids gave no hints to who he was.

“And if I do?” The man let he’s head drop back down and it bounced with the trains restless motion, “well I’d be surprised to say the least, but you’ll find out soon enough, in fact you’ll know more about him than you know about yourself, you’re already responding to his name, this man here is Charles Edwards, and based on your ID card you’re Daniel Sharpe” his hand struck a match and lit the cigarette, Daniels eyes locked on as smoke gripped the shoulder of his tweed blazer and sat him down in a plush study chair that had been screwed to the floor “if you feel inclined you can call me Mr. White” the words cut cleanly and cordially across the room while he drew his gaze onto Daniel who was closely examining his every move. “So is this a front? You walk in here all nonchalant blowing smoke up my ass about sharing a name with this guy? Same fancy dress as you and you expect me to believe I’m not being put on, what could you even want from me I’ve got nothing, and what I do have hardly fits your garb” Whites smirk distorted into a grimace and as it did he watched the bravery in Daniels eyes begin to cower. “Is that all?” White asked after a moment of silence “I must say you’re quite entertaining.. before I entered the room you stared directly at Charles without any remorse, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you even looked smug, now why would a boy look at a dead man in such a way?”. Until this moment it hadn’t even occurred to Daniel the man across from him was dead, since he woke up he thought he felt his presence in the room “y-you’re kidding right? He’s alive.. isn’t he?” Daniel watched as Charles sat unmoving, impatiently waiting for him to take a breath a sick feeling seeped out from his core chasing through his veins like dye through cloth, resentfully ridding the hope out of Daniel until he’s body became as still as Charles and realized, it’s not a dream or a cruel joke. This man is dead. “Well boy we’d be hard pressed to call it alive” White took a deep drag of smoke and stared at Charles for a moment whilst he figured out the right words to say next, but he himself didn’t fully understand what he was to attempt to explain. “I’m assuming you don’t remember how you got here? You’re not alone. none of us do”.