For the Record

A Story by KioneCookie

interview with isaac

“For the record, please state your name.”

“Oh, Kirstein, Isaac Kirstein.” He kept glancing at the one-way mirror on the other side of the room, and fidgeting a bit. He had arrived at Rosemary only a few days prior, so the novelty of having someone watching his every move hadn’t worn off yet. The clothes he was provided with didn’t fit right around his chest, and he pulled at them every minute or so. So far, this place sucked.

“So Mr. Kirstein...can you tell me a bit about your past? Your childhood? Anything important?”

Isaac reluctantly turned back to face the man questioning him, before putting a huge smile on his face. “My childhood? Why do you want to know that? It was pretty typical y’know. Actually, it was almost like a sitcom.” Isaac laughed cheerfully, running his finger through his hair. “It was all so “Leave it to Beaver”, you know? My mom made my lunch every day, I helped her in the garden, and my dad uncle took me fishing on the weekends. We were practically a model family. Oh! I should tell you about this one Christmas...”

A flicker of annoyance crossed the interviewer’s face. “You don’t have to lie to us, Mr. Kirstein.”

“Wha-, I’m not lying, who do you-“

“Mr. Kirstein, this is the third time I’ve asked you, and yet you persist in making things up. Now tell me, is the really a picture of a good childhood?”

He tossed a photo in front of Isaac, who after a long second, picked it up. His face went entirely blank.

“How old are you there? Five? Six, maybe?” He tossed another one. “And here? Eight? That sure as hell doesn’t look like fishing to me.” Another picture flicked into Isaac’s hands.

And another.

“You see Mr. Kirstein, you need to accept the reality of the situation. Your father and uncle took advantage of you, and your mother wasn’t even a part of your life. She left you with them. She didn’t care about you. You need to leave this little fantasy world behind you and...Mr. Kirstein?”

The corners of Isaac’s mouth twitched upwards at first, almost as a sort of spasm. The twitch worked its way through his shoulders, and down to his hands, which gently set the photos in a trash bin as he began to stand and laugh. A sort of snicker that quickly evolved into a full-fledged gale of laughter. Isaac seemed to have trouble even standing, and the interviewer was scared as hell.

The laughter only died out as Isaac lurched across the table and closed his hands on the other man’s throat, air hissing out from between his teeth as his lips drew back in a snarl.

It took three guards to pull Isaac off the interviewer and put the restraints on and shove him back in his seat. A guard stood at both his sides, firmly keeping him seated. The interviewer, quite shaken up, still waved off a nurse who came to hover over him. He straightened his tie, smoothing his hair back, and leered at Isaac like he had some sort of victory.

“So, Mr. Kirstein, is there anything you’d like to tell me about your childhood? Anything at all?” The words were mocking.

Isaac sniffed sullenly, eye beginning to swell due to an elbow to the face. He locked eyes with the interviewer. “Well, darling, I had a rather pleasant childhood. Loving parents...”