See

This is for "Behind the Last Window" - A Vocal Challenge to write a dystopian fiction story that includes a window. The challenge is below.

In The Room

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. She had spent all her life here, although she could not remember being a child, but that concept was alien to her anyway.

She was given food each day in a Soylent box and it kept her nourished, and, although she was unaware, it contained drugs to keep her placid and accepting of her situation.

There was a window there but she could see nothing, well the odd figure moved by but it was nothing to take note of. Each day someone came in to give her her provisions and said one word:

“See”

This meant nothing to her. She could see four blank wall, a toilet and sink in the corner, the pallet that she slept on and the window.

One time she noticed that the person coming in, was it he that was the room’s owner, or some subordinate, she really didn’t know but she saw they read the word “See” from a folded slip of paper.

This made her start to think, although she felt that she shouldn’t be thinking in this situation. She would have tried to smash the window, but there were bars on the outside and inside, so there was no chance of escape, even with her slight and emaciated figure. Also if she did that she imagined that the repercussions would be severe.

But was there something else on that slip of paper beside the word “See”? She guessed that her food was drugged, but she still did not know why she was in this room and if she would ever be released, and if she was, could she cope with the outside world? Was this a prison cell and had she committed some heinous crime? She could not remember anything and that made it worse.

If there was a reason, if she had done wrong, she would know why she was here and why she was being punished, if she were being punished. Maybe that slip of paper contained more than the word “See”, she was determined to find out what was on that folded sheet of paper.

The Next Day (It Was Always The Next Day)

Her provisions were brought, and deposited on the table next to her sleeping pallet, and the carrier said:

“See”

“What should I see? What is on that piece of paper? Let me see”

The carrier thrust the slip into their pocket and left.

The people, or things, that brought her provisions and to her to “See” were much bigger that her, so a physical encounter was not a viable proposition, but she really did need to “See”

She looked out the window. Nothing. She looked at the walls. Nothing. But her mind seemed to be gaining some freedom of thought even if her body was not gaining actual physical freedom.

She needed to create a distraction and steal the paper slip from one of the carriers. She remembered a saying “Knowledge Is Power” and she hoped a little knowledge gained from the paper slip might take her closer to discovering why she was in this place.

Another Day (It Was Always Another Day)

The carrier came in, uttered “See”, then dropped the provisions on the table and she fell to the floor clutching her stomach saying she was in pain. The carrier put the paper slip in its pocket and picked her up and laid her on the pallet. While this was happening she pulled the paper from the carrier’s pocket, then the carrier left.

She knew she had to drop the slip on the floor to make it look like the carrier had dropped it, but the words disturbed and confused her.

The front said “See” then unfolded it said “See What You Have Done”

Was this an accusation, or did it refer to the carrier. Did it refer to what they had done to her or did it refer to something that she had done?

She really did not know.

The carriers were, at best, uncommunicative, but she had to try and find out what this meant, but she also knew that with what she had, she could not find out, and if she didn’t that would drive her mad.

She sat on her pallet, looked out the window and waited ……….