⚠︎ THE INTERROGATION. R1 S1 — Cree Hickok, “The Marshal”. ! TW: Implied swearing and mentions of blood/death ! ___________________________________________________ Cree had been taken by the prison guards to a place they refused to tell him about against his will. The room had no lights on, so he had to blindly follow the guards to his seat as he adjusted to the darkness of the area. This place brought a strange shiver to race down his spine, bringing an unwanted sense of unease. If he had the option, he would have—surprisingly enough—preferred to stayed in his cell instead of coming to… wherever this was. But then again, did anyone truly have the luxury of an option in the PANOPTICON? As these thoughts relentlessly spread through his mind, he caught the sound of something behind him. The door opened, bringing a momentary light to cast against the wall he faced, though it ultimately closed just as quickly as it had opened. He felt a chilling presence behind him, causing his ears to twitch. That presence, the nigh-silent steps… it clearly came from someone with a powerful status. Cree was caught off-guard when the lightbulb in front of him suddenly clicked on, projecting a yellow glow around the area. He quickly squeezed his purplish-blue eyes shut, blinking away the sore feeling the light brought to him as he cursed under his breath. He cursed under his breath, looking at the one who now sat across from him. The WARDEN. His heart leaped with an unusual feeling to The Marshal; fear, though it quickly subsided. He gave a small puff of silent laughter, his tail flicking. “So,” he began, tilting his head to the side as a gesture to emphasize his next words. “This is what the guards refused to talk about. How lovely. Nice t’finally meet you, WARDEN.” “…Has the prison been treating you well?” The WARDEN started off, her voice devoid of anything friendly. “Eh? …I’ve been having a hog-killin’ time,” Cree laughed, shaking his head. “But ya might wanna give us Southern Cell prisoners a fan. It gets too dashin’ hot every day, even at night.” … “Do you know why you were arrested?” The WARDEN spoke, a firm and authoritative tone naturally lacing her voice. It seemed that the ‘pleasantries’ were all done with. The question caught him off-guard. He’s been asked this before during the interrogation when he was arrested two years prior. He remembered that day quite vividly. Still, it didn’t hurt to answer, and he’s realized he’d better do so with respect. “Yeah, I know. And I’m sure you know,” he spoke with a smile on his scarred face as he leaned forward in his seat. “Arson, murder, break-ins, theft… you name it.” A sudden silence lingered, making that uncomfortable feeling return. Cree shifted in his seat, the movement causing his chains to jingle as he awaited the next question. “Do you regret what you did?” Cree looked up and at the feline in front of him, his expression souring at the question. He shook his head, leaning back in his seat. “Regret? Regret that I’ve helped to clean up the law?” Cree laughed bitterly, his ears twitching. “I may have made enemies, but it was worth it in the end. I would do it all again, ma’am.” … “Who did you hurt?” “The deserving.” There was no hesitation from Hickok when he spoke those words. There was a moral code that he followed; Never bully the weak, never kill the innocent, and that benevolence and justice must be upheld by the personal actions of individuals. And that, he wouldn’t change. Even until his dying breath. … “Do you believe you are GUILTY or INNOCENT?” Cree paused, his gaze landing on the table that separated him from the WARDEN. That question was a tricky one indeed. Guilty… innocent… those lines felt blurred in regards to himself. He gave an absentminded chuckle, his tail swishing back and forth as he spoke his thoughts out loud. “To a lot of people, I’m innocent; to others, I’m guilty. I’ve got a lotta blood on my paws, but it was never for somethin’ dishonorable.” Cree mused, fixing his gaze on the WARDEN. “Either way, in the end, I’d say I’m guilty. I’ve done and seen too much to be innocent.” … “That will be all, Mr. Hickok. You may go back to your cell.” That was all? “…Yes’m.” … Cree replayed that interaction over and over when he was returned to his cell and rested in the dark corner of the sweltering room. What on God’s green Earth was that all about? ___________________________________________________
