Post by CYPHER on Dec 11, 2022 1:42:43 GMT -5
November, 2022
Alcatraz Island
The sun began to set on Alcatraz Island, bringing to an end another day on the picturesque landmark. Various shades of orange and pink melted together as the sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon. Tourists stopped to take in the scene, quickly producing their smartphones to take happy snaps. The irony surely wasn’t lost on those of them who knew even the slightest bit about the history of the island. For years it was home to the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, a maximum security federal prison nicknamed “The Rock”.
Underneath the feet of the public, who came in droves to tour the site once the prison was closed, was a sordid and bloody history of brutality and segregation. The inhumane conditions which tested the very sanity of the poor souls who ended up there resulted in many an escape attempt. The infamous “Battle of Alcatraz” in 1946 resulted in the deaths of five prisoners (three killed, two executed) and two guards, as a group of inmates attempted to fight their way to freedom. Years later, Frank Morris and two brothers named John and Clarence left paper mache models in their bunks and chiseled through their cell wall in a desperate bid to escape.
These incidents had become part of the lore of Alcatraz which had now been monetised. Tourists could purchase a ticket and gawk at just how bad things used to be. And of course, enjoy the sunset, might as well right? In fact, just about everyone on the island was drinking in the bliss of the fine November evening.
Everyone except for the prison’s sole occupant. The recently incarcerated cyber-criminal Tyler Norrie, AKA Cypher. See, while the prison technically ceased operations in the 1960s, the Government would on occasion use the facility for certain niche cases. When considering where Cypher would serve his sentence, there was the extraordinary request that he be kept away from all forms of technology. To accommodate this request, he was sent to Alcatraz.
For the last few days, all Cypher had thought about was his recent interactions with his former friends, Thaddeus Duke and Sebastian Everett-Bryce. Months ago he had betrayed their trust by helping Easton Alexander kidnap Thad’s son, Frankie. Despite their condemnation soon after the incident, it seemed like they couldn’t stay away from him. Seb and Thad had visited him within weeks of each other. They were linked, of course. In a way he had forced them both to make the trip. Did they honestly think that he was going to spend all of his time in solitary twiddling his thumbs?
He’d hacked Seb’s phone to play him against Thad…and possibly find a way out. The plan hitched on sewing seeds of distrust between the two of them, based on Thad’s willingness to admit that he would fuck the woman of Seb’s dreams.
Sloane Taylor.
He wondered if she was going to pay him a visit next? Maybe ride in on a unicorn throwing glitterbombs at him?
A hint of a smile crossed his lips, then vanished just as soon as it had come.
After all he knew that the rest of it was going to play out behind closed doors, far away from his cell on this god-forsaken island. Thad had thrown his deal back in his face, and decked him for good measure.
“Without loyalty Tyler, you never could’ve been one of us.”
Thad’s words came back to him as he stared a hole in the ceiling.
“You overplayed your hand and now Tyler, I know I can wait it out and let Sebastian come to me.”
“FUCK!”
He spat, as he lifted the book in his hand and flung it into the wall. His one and only opportunity to escape had walked out of his cell several days ago. Now he was dead in the water, and had to contemplate living in Alcatraz for the next three years. It seemed so long…impossibly long. His brain couldn’t quite wrap itself around that fact. It was the reality he’d tried to bury away in his mind by preoccupying himself with strategies for escape. But now it was becoming all too real.
Cypher sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around at his surroundings. These walls, these four dirty, cracked walls were going to be his home until he was 26. Life had been bearable previously, not that it had been great but, survivable. Now that he knew there was no hope?
It was his own personal hell.
Slowly he began to pace around the cell, every now and then pausing to run his aching eyeballs. Weirdly, he’d noticed that since his screen time had gone from eight hours a day to zero hours a day, his eyes had been giving him trouble. They weren’t used to being in the real world…and neither was he.
A series of footsteps broke him from his thoughts. The grizzled face of one of the guards soon came into view, the lack of emotion evident in his demeanour. Without warning he unlocked the cell door and slid it open.
“Bout time you let me out, tubby.”
The slightly-overweight man turned up his nose at him.
“Move.”
He gestured to the now open door.
“Oh where are we going this time? Are you gonna take me out and parade me in front of the virgins who pay money to come here?”
Cypher took a step towards the guard.
“Or maybe you need help hiding that anime porn stash from your wife.”
The guard’s cheeks flushed red for a split-second, but the moment was quickly buried as he grabbed Cypher by the arm and hauled him out of the cell. He continued to chirp as he was led down the hall.
“Seriously dude? That was just a lucky guess. Now I REALLY can’t wait to hack you when I get out of this dump. See what gross shit you get off to in your spare time. Does your preference start with L and end with I?”
Losing patience, the guard shoved him forward. Cypher stumbled, then stopped himself from tumbling onto the cold ground.
“Bruh, chill…wait what is this?”
To his left was a door with a small glass window at the top. Just below the frame was a small inscription.
“Gabriel Baal, Registered Psychologist.”
He turned back to the guard.
“The fuck is happening here?!”
Before Cypher could finish that thought, the door swung open, revealing a man in a black suit. He had a somewhat threatening aura, his eyes felt like they cut right through him. As if he was staring directly into his soul.
Gabriel Baal’s eyes traced from the guard, then to Cypher, the back to the guard again.
“Yes?”
“Your five o’clock, sir.”
The guard’s tone shifted from gruff to reverent in the presence of the psychologist. Gabriel clicked his tongue then gave a quick nod, dismissing the guard. He turned his attention to Cypher, who narrowed his eyes..
“What is this bullshit?”
“It’s called an appointment. I thought you would understand that, as you were the one who made it, Mr Norrie.”
“I what?! I didn’t do anything. Bro, I don’t even know who you are.”
“Nor I, you, but it is time we changed that.”
The tone in Gabriel’s voice sent a shiver down Cypher’s spine.
“Or you could return to your cell, if you find it so fascinating.”
**
The inside of the office smelt musty, as if it hadn’t been used in weeks. Books on subjects ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to schizophrenia stood on the shelves. Peaceful paintings of lakes and forests hung on the walls. He wouldn’t admit it, but the setting made Cypher uncomfortable. He hadn’t been in an office like this since…
No.
Just being in an office with this goth guy was not about to make him dig up those memories.
“For the record, could I get you to state your name and date of birth.”
“Ligma Johnson, September 11, 2001.”
Gabriel raised his eyebrows.
“So you’re not my patient.”
“Does your patient have ligma?”
“I don’t follow. What is ligma?”
“LIGMA BALLS!”
Cypher disintegrated into laughter as the psychologist sighed loudly.
“Do you always use humour as a defense mechanism?”
The question caught Cypher off guard. He stared at Gabriel for a second, in a rare state of being lost for words. Then he screwed up his nose.
“Nope.”
“That’s intriguing, because you just did.”
“No idea what you’re talking about.”
“I asked you a simple, direct question and you deflected.”
Gabriel’s words were delivered with a sharp tone that seemed to cut right through his defenses.
“Tyler Norrie. March 10, 1999.”
“Good. Now, why did you request a session today?”
Cypher rolled his eyes.
“I told you dude, I didn’t ask for this. That guard just showed up and marched me over here.”
“So you didn’t request a mental health evaluation?”
“Nah bro. That’s some pussy shit.”
A flicker of annoyance presented in Gabriel’s eyes as he analysed the cocky manchild in front of him.
“Perhaps they noticed some troubling signs in your recent actions. Then again, I would hardly expect the average prison guard to be able to accurately assess an inmate’s mental health.”
Gabriel leaned in close to Cypher, hands grasped around the arms of his leather chair.
“So I’m going to stop wasting both of our time.”
He stood up, and strode over to the door.
“You’re free to leave, Mr Norrie. I’m sure the Department can foot the bill.”
The open door now beckoned. A means to an end. Finally he could get out of this creepy office and return to his cell and his…
Own personal hell.
“Hey, ball man, hold up.”
The psychologist, already halfway out the door, hesitated.
“Yes?”
“Anything’s better than that cell.”
“And you’re not just going to waste my time, Mr Norrie?”
Cypher didn’t meet Gabriel’s gaze as he spoke.
“No…we can talk. Ask me whatever, I’ll answer.”
Gabriel’s every instinct told him to abandon Tyler. To avoid spending his afternoon listening to him constantly deflect every opportunity to get to know him. And yet...there was something intriguing about him. He felt like he was only scratching the surface. He didn’t understand him yet…but maybe he could.
Cypher felt naked as Gabriel returned to his chair. He hadn’t been vulnerable in front of anyone since Dot…not that he knew if she was even around anymore.
“So Tyler…”
…
“Why are you in prison?”
**
It took some time for Cypher to fill Gabriel in on the details, but they got there. He told him everything. The leaked images of Emma. The betrayal of Thad and Sahara. The court case that resulted in the extreme measure of him being put behind bars at Alcatraz for three years. In a way it was freeing, getting it all off his chest. He didn’t like to admit it, but the isolation had taken its toll on his mental state. The visits from Thad and Seb were the only human interaction he’d had in months before this.
“Did you feel that was a logical response to Emma’s actions?”
Cypher stared at Gabriel, incredulous.
“Bruh, she was sleeping with Lissie Hope. Lissie was manipulating her, but she couldn’t see it. Because that’s what Lissie does.”
“And your friends…
“They’re NOT my friends.”
Cypher interrupted Gabriel, his goldfish-like eyes wide and intense. Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t see them as friends? Sebastian, Thaddeus, Sloane and Sahara?”
“No.”
“And that’s why you felt justified in your actions with Frankie?”
“Oh so you’re judging me now? I don’t owe you an explanation. I don’t owe you or anyone else shit.”
He spat the words with venom.
“Ever since that went down, all these babies have been whinging and whinging about how what I did was so terrible. Dude, I didn’t touch a hair on that little shit’s head!”
“I’m not here to judge you. I’m just here to understand.”
Through Cypher’s rage, Gabriel had remained stoic. His calmness seemed to irritate Cypher further.
“Yeah? Well understand this, goth guy. Thad Duke? The one everyone’s bending over their heels to suck his dick? That guy has killed people before.”
Cypher was standing now, jabbing a finger in Gabriel’s face.
“But people like you are all happy to give him a free pass. Cos apparently he was justified. But you all forget that I saved his ass, he would be dead without me. And he has the balls to lecture me about loyalty…”
The exorcism complete, he slumped back in his chair. Cypher gazed at the wall, his head spinning.
“Sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong decision.”
“About Frankie?”
“No…”
Cypher bit his lip and avoided Gabriel’s gaze. He felt guilty as soon as the words left his mouth, but the burning rage he felt for Thad’s actions pressed it back down.
“It’s clear you habour a resentment towards Thaddeus, for firing you and his supposed hypocrisy…but what about the others? Sahara, Sebastian and Sloane were also affected by your actions.”
“At the end of the day they’re all fickle.”
“How do you mean?”
“If I’ve learnt anything from hacking people, it’s that they’re all hiding something. And usually that something is more important to them than any friendship or relationship.”
“More important than a marriage?”
“Shit yeah. People love to rave about loyalty, but when the chips are down? They’ll sacrifice anything to save themselves.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“I…
He had to stop himself before going any further. Damn this guy was good. It felt like he always knew how to probe to get more out of him. But this was where he drew the line. He wasn’t about to start gushing about his childhood to him.
That needed to stay dead and buried.
“I think I’m done here.”
“We still have another half an hour.”
“Yeah well I got a real interesting book in my cell that I have to get back to. It’s about…”
The piercing gaze of Gabriel left Cypher stumbling through his words.
“Peter Pan…’n’...shit.”
He stood and turned to leave.
“You don’t escape the past by running from it, Tyler.”
Cypher tensed up. Flashes of his life before wrestling came to him, memories of his painful youth.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Be brave. We’ve covered so much for you to walk away now.”
Again Cypher felt drawn to this man, for some inexplicable reason. As if he had known him for decades instead of just half an hour.
He reluctantly returned to the chair.
“My sister went missing when I was young…it was my fault. I was supposed to be watching her, but I wasn’t paying attention. I never saw her again.”
Cypher paused, expecting Gabriel to interject. But the astute psychologist didn’t speak, just assessed him from across the way, listening intently to each word.
“My parents never forgave me for that. Dad would never say it, but Mum was less subtle. The stuff she would say under her breath or in passing made it clear. I wasn’t her son anymore.”
He couldn’t stop the emotion seeping out of him now. Blinking back the tears welling in his eyes, he continued.
“It all came to head one night, and after that I was out on my own. Sixteen years old and sleeping on backseats and sofas. Nothing to my name but a black hoodie. I stopped going to school, started hanging out with a rough crew.”
Taking a deep breath, he finally looked up to meet Gabriel’s eyes, which had softened some.
“I kept thinking, they’re gonna come for me, you know? Like don’t get me wrong, I hated their guts at that point, but deep down I was hoping they would come rescue me…but they never did.”
“A lack of loyalty…”
Gabriel mused, scribbling something down in his notebook.
“What?”
“Nothing, please go on.”
“So at that point I just said fuck it, I’m not waiting for them. I don’t need them. These people I have here? They’re my family.”
“And how did that turn out for you?”
“Well…
**
August, 2015
Glenside, Adelaide, South Australia
The chaotic symphony of plates being violently smashed rebounded off the walls of the dilapidated property, backed by the hoots and hollers of the boys inside. Walls of peeling plaster and crude graffiti lead to a doorway with no door, which serves as the entrance to the backyard. There the boys are gathered, taking turns pitching white plates to Tyler, who tightly clutches a baseball bat in his hands.
“BATTER UP!”
A scraggly boy with a messy mop of orange hair throws the plate into the air like a frisbee. His name is Oliver Prescott, but his friends call him Ollie. He loves anime and football, and riding his bike around town in the summer. In some ways he’s like most of the boys gathered here tonight, but in others?
He is the best of them.
Tyler swings the bat with all the force he can muster, connecting with the plate and shattering it instantly. He yells triumphantly, punching the air with his fist. Ollie breaks into a big goofy grin, brushing off the shards of glass that have accumulated on his Carlton Blues sweater. He laughs and tackles Tyler, the two plummeting to the cold grass below.
“You almost missed dude!”
“Did not.”
“You so did.”
As the two wrestle in the remains of the plate, smearing grass and dirt over each other, another calls out.
“Tyler and Ollie sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G”
The squeaky voice comes from a snotty-nosed teen with a rat-tail tracing down his neck. Steven, the youngest of the bunch, jabs a finger at the two boys on the ground, as if catching them in the midst of a crime. Other voices join the chorus. Ollie’s cheeks flush red. Tyler untangles himself and quickly backs away. Ollie glares at Steven.
“Shut up.”
“Nah you were totally about to kiss him.”
Steven does a shoddy impression of Ollie’s voice.
“Come here Tyler, I love you sooo much, mwa mwa!’
Ollie charges, grabbing a fistful of Steven’s basketball jersey.
“I said shut the fuck up.”
Before the situation can spiral further, the other boys separate them. Tyler is a passenger. He doesn’t intervene, simply watches from afar, rooted to the spot. The eldest of them all steps in between Ollie and Steven. Tall and much more well built than the others, Jon is in the grade above them at school. His deep voice commands silence from the pack.
“Chill out, Ollie. He’s just fucking around.”
“Whatever.”
Ollie shrugs out of the hands of his friends and storms off. Tyler averts his gaze, the shame evident on his face. Steven rolls his eyes.
“Why’s he always gotta get so triggered all the time?”
“I dunno, he’s a pussy. Cmon, we got what we came here for, time to leave.”
Jon pockets a small bag of green herbs.
“What about Ollie?”
Tyler finally finds the guts to speak up.
Jon turns to him, nonplussed.
“What about him?”
“You’re just gonna bail on him?”
“He’s probably on his way home.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh, so now you care?”
Jon was good at that. Picking up on the subtle things. The words sliced through and Tyler found himself without any kind of comeback.
“You wanna go find your girlfriend? Fine, go ahead. But we’re heading to Moe’s.”
While the rest headed in the direction of the fast food outlet to pay for overpriced hot dogs, Tyler took off on his own. He had a feeling that Ollie had gone somewhere.
That feeling turned out to be right.
But when he found him, he wished his hunch had been wrong.
Ollie lay in the middle of the clearing, not far from the river he loved to skip rocks down. Blood leaked out of his mouth and down his chin. Tyler felt like he couldn’t breathe looking at the crumpled body of his friend. But he had to act.
He rushes to his side.
“Ollie? OLLIE?!”
The boy’s hazel eyes move slowly to look at Tyler. The fear is visible in those white pupils, almost fully dialated. Ollie tries to speak but only a mess of blood and saliva spills out of his mouth. Tyler begins to panick.
“Holyshitholyshitholyshit”
FHe grabs his mangled friend and tries to pull him up. Ollie lets out a yelp and falls back flat on the grass.
“Bro cmon you gotta get up, we gotta get you to a hospital or some shit.”
But at that point the horrible realisation dawns on him. He hasn’t seen it before, but one of Ollie’s legs is bent all wrong. Just looking at it makes him queasy.
Rain falls, mixing with the tears now streaming down Tyler’s face.
“Don’t leave me.”
Ollie croaks, and slowly reaches up with one arm.
Tyler kneels beside him. He takes his hand.
“I won’t.”
**
Cypher winced. It still hurt to remember all these years later, but in a sense it felt good to talk about.
“I found out later he was beaten by the RGB. They jumped him at the park while he was skipping rocks.”
“The RGB?”
Gabriel questioned, speaking for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
“Risdon Grove Boys. Same guys that Jon apparently ripped off for that weed. The amount he left them was like nowhere close to what he owed.”
Tyler shook his head.
“So they took their anger out on Ollie.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, did he…”
“No. But, he was hella close. I stayed with him waiting for an ambulance to arrive, every second expecting him to fade away but…Ollie was a fighter.”
“I’m sure this must have been hard for you to discuss but, you saved that young man’s life.”
“Yeah, and what did I get for it? His mum kicked me out of the house because I was a ‘bad influence’. There were these fucking weirdos at school who claimed I did it. It got so bad that most of the other guys, like Jon and Steven, stopping hanging out with me. I was just bad news.”
“That must of been hard for you.”
“Yeah, but that was when I realised that loyalty doesn’t meant shit. It just makes you weak.”
Gabriel checked his watch.
“Seems like we have reached the conclusion of our session today Mr Norrie.”
“So that’s it huh, no advice? Isn’t that your profession? Professional advice giver?”
“We’re only just scratching the surface here. But if I could give you one piece of advice?”
Gabriel strode over to a desk drawer and rummaged around in it, pulling out a notepad and ball-point pen.
“I imagine that discussing this incident may have brought back many unpleasant memories and feelings.”
He offered the instruments to Cypher.
“Writing them down can help you process your emotions.”
“Sorry bro, I type, don’t write.”
“Just…”
Gabriel paused with a warning in his eyes.
“Take them.”
Cypher rolled his eyes, then snatched the paper and pen out of Gabriel’s grip
“Now go.”
**
Cypher lay on his bed, staring at the the blank page. He had never been one for writing. Much less writing about himself. But it wasn’t like he had much else to do…
Resolving to just try, he gripped the pen and brought it to the page.
“My name is-
The sound of his cell door suddenly being opened interrupted him.
“Phone call.”
The walk down the corridor filled him with a mix of anticipation and dread. Who could it be? Thad? SEB? Dot? She’d promised to visit him but he hadn’t heard from her at all. He’d resigned himself to the reality that his actions had just made it to hard for her to associate with him publicly. But maybe there was still a chance…
He sat down and raised his hands.
“It’s the least you could do.”
He remarked, smirking. The guard begrudgingly removed the handcuffs, and he picked up the receiver.
“Yello?”
“Tyler?”
He froze.
“…Dad?”
Alcatraz Island
The sun began to set on Alcatraz Island, bringing to an end another day on the picturesque landmark. Various shades of orange and pink melted together as the sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon. Tourists stopped to take in the scene, quickly producing their smartphones to take happy snaps. The irony surely wasn’t lost on those of them who knew even the slightest bit about the history of the island. For years it was home to the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, a maximum security federal prison nicknamed “The Rock”.
Underneath the feet of the public, who came in droves to tour the site once the prison was closed, was a sordid and bloody history of brutality and segregation. The inhumane conditions which tested the very sanity of the poor souls who ended up there resulted in many an escape attempt. The infamous “Battle of Alcatraz” in 1946 resulted in the deaths of five prisoners (three killed, two executed) and two guards, as a group of inmates attempted to fight their way to freedom. Years later, Frank Morris and two brothers named John and Clarence left paper mache models in their bunks and chiseled through their cell wall in a desperate bid to escape.
These incidents had become part of the lore of Alcatraz which had now been monetised. Tourists could purchase a ticket and gawk at just how bad things used to be. And of course, enjoy the sunset, might as well right? In fact, just about everyone on the island was drinking in the bliss of the fine November evening.
Everyone except for the prison’s sole occupant. The recently incarcerated cyber-criminal Tyler Norrie, AKA Cypher. See, while the prison technically ceased operations in the 1960s, the Government would on occasion use the facility for certain niche cases. When considering where Cypher would serve his sentence, there was the extraordinary request that he be kept away from all forms of technology. To accommodate this request, he was sent to Alcatraz.
For the last few days, all Cypher had thought about was his recent interactions with his former friends, Thaddeus Duke and Sebastian Everett-Bryce. Months ago he had betrayed their trust by helping Easton Alexander kidnap Thad’s son, Frankie. Despite their condemnation soon after the incident, it seemed like they couldn’t stay away from him. Seb and Thad had visited him within weeks of each other. They were linked, of course. In a way he had forced them both to make the trip. Did they honestly think that he was going to spend all of his time in solitary twiddling his thumbs?
He’d hacked Seb’s phone to play him against Thad…and possibly find a way out. The plan hitched on sewing seeds of distrust between the two of them, based on Thad’s willingness to admit that he would fuck the woman of Seb’s dreams.
Sloane Taylor.
He wondered if she was going to pay him a visit next? Maybe ride in on a unicorn throwing glitterbombs at him?
A hint of a smile crossed his lips, then vanished just as soon as it had come.
After all he knew that the rest of it was going to play out behind closed doors, far away from his cell on this god-forsaken island. Thad had thrown his deal back in his face, and decked him for good measure.
“Without loyalty Tyler, you never could’ve been one of us.”
Thad’s words came back to him as he stared a hole in the ceiling.
“You overplayed your hand and now Tyler, I know I can wait it out and let Sebastian come to me.”
“FUCK!”
He spat, as he lifted the book in his hand and flung it into the wall. His one and only opportunity to escape had walked out of his cell several days ago. Now he was dead in the water, and had to contemplate living in Alcatraz for the next three years. It seemed so long…impossibly long. His brain couldn’t quite wrap itself around that fact. It was the reality he’d tried to bury away in his mind by preoccupying himself with strategies for escape. But now it was becoming all too real.
Cypher sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around at his surroundings. These walls, these four dirty, cracked walls were going to be his home until he was 26. Life had been bearable previously, not that it had been great but, survivable. Now that he knew there was no hope?
It was his own personal hell.
Slowly he began to pace around the cell, every now and then pausing to run his aching eyeballs. Weirdly, he’d noticed that since his screen time had gone from eight hours a day to zero hours a day, his eyes had been giving him trouble. They weren’t used to being in the real world…and neither was he.
A series of footsteps broke him from his thoughts. The grizzled face of one of the guards soon came into view, the lack of emotion evident in his demeanour. Without warning he unlocked the cell door and slid it open.
“Bout time you let me out, tubby.”
The slightly-overweight man turned up his nose at him.
“Move.”
He gestured to the now open door.
“Oh where are we going this time? Are you gonna take me out and parade me in front of the virgins who pay money to come here?”
Cypher took a step towards the guard.
“Or maybe you need help hiding that anime porn stash from your wife.”
The guard’s cheeks flushed red for a split-second, but the moment was quickly buried as he grabbed Cypher by the arm and hauled him out of the cell. He continued to chirp as he was led down the hall.
“Seriously dude? That was just a lucky guess. Now I REALLY can’t wait to hack you when I get out of this dump. See what gross shit you get off to in your spare time. Does your preference start with L and end with I?”
Losing patience, the guard shoved him forward. Cypher stumbled, then stopped himself from tumbling onto the cold ground.
“Bruh, chill…wait what is this?”
To his left was a door with a small glass window at the top. Just below the frame was a small inscription.
“Gabriel Baal, Registered Psychologist.”
He turned back to the guard.
“The fuck is happening here?!”
Before Cypher could finish that thought, the door swung open, revealing a man in a black suit. He had a somewhat threatening aura, his eyes felt like they cut right through him. As if he was staring directly into his soul.
Gabriel Baal’s eyes traced from the guard, then to Cypher, the back to the guard again.
“Yes?”
“Your five o’clock, sir.”
The guard’s tone shifted from gruff to reverent in the presence of the psychologist. Gabriel clicked his tongue then gave a quick nod, dismissing the guard. He turned his attention to Cypher, who narrowed his eyes..
“What is this bullshit?”
“It’s called an appointment. I thought you would understand that, as you were the one who made it, Mr Norrie.”
“I what?! I didn’t do anything. Bro, I don’t even know who you are.”
“Nor I, you, but it is time we changed that.”
The tone in Gabriel’s voice sent a shiver down Cypher’s spine.
“Or you could return to your cell, if you find it so fascinating.”
**
The inside of the office smelt musty, as if it hadn’t been used in weeks. Books on subjects ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to schizophrenia stood on the shelves. Peaceful paintings of lakes and forests hung on the walls. He wouldn’t admit it, but the setting made Cypher uncomfortable. He hadn’t been in an office like this since…
No.
Just being in an office with this goth guy was not about to make him dig up those memories.
“For the record, could I get you to state your name and date of birth.”
“Ligma Johnson, September 11, 2001.”
Gabriel raised his eyebrows.
“So you’re not my patient.”
“Does your patient have ligma?”
“I don’t follow. What is ligma?”
“LIGMA BALLS!”
Cypher disintegrated into laughter as the psychologist sighed loudly.
“Do you always use humour as a defense mechanism?”
The question caught Cypher off guard. He stared at Gabriel for a second, in a rare state of being lost for words. Then he screwed up his nose.
“Nope.”
“That’s intriguing, because you just did.”
“No idea what you’re talking about.”
“I asked you a simple, direct question and you deflected.”
Gabriel’s words were delivered with a sharp tone that seemed to cut right through his defenses.
“Tyler Norrie. March 10, 1999.”
“Good. Now, why did you request a session today?”
Cypher rolled his eyes.
“I told you dude, I didn’t ask for this. That guard just showed up and marched me over here.”
“So you didn’t request a mental health evaluation?”
“Nah bro. That’s some pussy shit.”
A flicker of annoyance presented in Gabriel’s eyes as he analysed the cocky manchild in front of him.
“Perhaps they noticed some troubling signs in your recent actions. Then again, I would hardly expect the average prison guard to be able to accurately assess an inmate’s mental health.”
Gabriel leaned in close to Cypher, hands grasped around the arms of his leather chair.
“So I’m going to stop wasting both of our time.”
He stood up, and strode over to the door.
“You’re free to leave, Mr Norrie. I’m sure the Department can foot the bill.”
The open door now beckoned. A means to an end. Finally he could get out of this creepy office and return to his cell and his…
Own personal hell.
“Hey, ball man, hold up.”
The psychologist, already halfway out the door, hesitated.
“Yes?”
“Anything’s better than that cell.”
“And you’re not just going to waste my time, Mr Norrie?”
Cypher didn’t meet Gabriel’s gaze as he spoke.
“No…we can talk. Ask me whatever, I’ll answer.”
Gabriel’s every instinct told him to abandon Tyler. To avoid spending his afternoon listening to him constantly deflect every opportunity to get to know him. And yet...there was something intriguing about him. He felt like he was only scratching the surface. He didn’t understand him yet…but maybe he could.
Cypher felt naked as Gabriel returned to his chair. He hadn’t been vulnerable in front of anyone since Dot…not that he knew if she was even around anymore.
“So Tyler…”
…
“Why are you in prison?”
**
It took some time for Cypher to fill Gabriel in on the details, but they got there. He told him everything. The leaked images of Emma. The betrayal of Thad and Sahara. The court case that resulted in the extreme measure of him being put behind bars at Alcatraz for three years. In a way it was freeing, getting it all off his chest. He didn’t like to admit it, but the isolation had taken its toll on his mental state. The visits from Thad and Seb were the only human interaction he’d had in months before this.
“Did you feel that was a logical response to Emma’s actions?”
Cypher stared at Gabriel, incredulous.
“Bruh, she was sleeping with Lissie Hope. Lissie was manipulating her, but she couldn’t see it. Because that’s what Lissie does.”
“And your friends…
“They’re NOT my friends.”
Cypher interrupted Gabriel, his goldfish-like eyes wide and intense. Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t see them as friends? Sebastian, Thaddeus, Sloane and Sahara?”
“No.”
“And that’s why you felt justified in your actions with Frankie?”
“Oh so you’re judging me now? I don’t owe you an explanation. I don’t owe you or anyone else shit.”
He spat the words with venom.
“Ever since that went down, all these babies have been whinging and whinging about how what I did was so terrible. Dude, I didn’t touch a hair on that little shit’s head!”
“I’m not here to judge you. I’m just here to understand.”
Through Cypher’s rage, Gabriel had remained stoic. His calmness seemed to irritate Cypher further.
“Yeah? Well understand this, goth guy. Thad Duke? The one everyone’s bending over their heels to suck his dick? That guy has killed people before.”
Cypher was standing now, jabbing a finger in Gabriel’s face.
“But people like you are all happy to give him a free pass. Cos apparently he was justified. But you all forget that I saved his ass, he would be dead without me. And he has the balls to lecture me about loyalty…”
The exorcism complete, he slumped back in his chair. Cypher gazed at the wall, his head spinning.
“Sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong decision.”
“About Frankie?”
“No…”
Cypher bit his lip and avoided Gabriel’s gaze. He felt guilty as soon as the words left his mouth, but the burning rage he felt for Thad’s actions pressed it back down.
“It’s clear you habour a resentment towards Thaddeus, for firing you and his supposed hypocrisy…but what about the others? Sahara, Sebastian and Sloane were also affected by your actions.”
“At the end of the day they’re all fickle.”
“How do you mean?”
“If I’ve learnt anything from hacking people, it’s that they’re all hiding something. And usually that something is more important to them than any friendship or relationship.”
“More important than a marriage?”
“Shit yeah. People love to rave about loyalty, but when the chips are down? They’ll sacrifice anything to save themselves.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“I…
He had to stop himself before going any further. Damn this guy was good. It felt like he always knew how to probe to get more out of him. But this was where he drew the line. He wasn’t about to start gushing about his childhood to him.
That needed to stay dead and buried.
“I think I’m done here.”
“We still have another half an hour.”
“Yeah well I got a real interesting book in my cell that I have to get back to. It’s about…”
The piercing gaze of Gabriel left Cypher stumbling through his words.
“Peter Pan…’n’...shit.”
He stood and turned to leave.
“You don’t escape the past by running from it, Tyler.”
Cypher tensed up. Flashes of his life before wrestling came to him, memories of his painful youth.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Be brave. We’ve covered so much for you to walk away now.”
Again Cypher felt drawn to this man, for some inexplicable reason. As if he had known him for decades instead of just half an hour.
He reluctantly returned to the chair.
“My sister went missing when I was young…it was my fault. I was supposed to be watching her, but I wasn’t paying attention. I never saw her again.”
Cypher paused, expecting Gabriel to interject. But the astute psychologist didn’t speak, just assessed him from across the way, listening intently to each word.
“My parents never forgave me for that. Dad would never say it, but Mum was less subtle. The stuff she would say under her breath or in passing made it clear. I wasn’t her son anymore.”
He couldn’t stop the emotion seeping out of him now. Blinking back the tears welling in his eyes, he continued.
“It all came to head one night, and after that I was out on my own. Sixteen years old and sleeping on backseats and sofas. Nothing to my name but a black hoodie. I stopped going to school, started hanging out with a rough crew.”
Taking a deep breath, he finally looked up to meet Gabriel’s eyes, which had softened some.
“I kept thinking, they’re gonna come for me, you know? Like don’t get me wrong, I hated their guts at that point, but deep down I was hoping they would come rescue me…but they never did.”
“A lack of loyalty…”
Gabriel mused, scribbling something down in his notebook.
“What?”
“Nothing, please go on.”
“So at that point I just said fuck it, I’m not waiting for them. I don’t need them. These people I have here? They’re my family.”
“And how did that turn out for you?”
“Well…
**
August, 2015
Glenside, Adelaide, South Australia
The chaotic symphony of plates being violently smashed rebounded off the walls of the dilapidated property, backed by the hoots and hollers of the boys inside. Walls of peeling plaster and crude graffiti lead to a doorway with no door, which serves as the entrance to the backyard. There the boys are gathered, taking turns pitching white plates to Tyler, who tightly clutches a baseball bat in his hands.
“BATTER UP!”
A scraggly boy with a messy mop of orange hair throws the plate into the air like a frisbee. His name is Oliver Prescott, but his friends call him Ollie. He loves anime and football, and riding his bike around town in the summer. In some ways he’s like most of the boys gathered here tonight, but in others?
He is the best of them.
Tyler swings the bat with all the force he can muster, connecting with the plate and shattering it instantly. He yells triumphantly, punching the air with his fist. Ollie breaks into a big goofy grin, brushing off the shards of glass that have accumulated on his Carlton Blues sweater. He laughs and tackles Tyler, the two plummeting to the cold grass below.
“You almost missed dude!”
“Did not.”
“You so did.”
As the two wrestle in the remains of the plate, smearing grass and dirt over each other, another calls out.
“Tyler and Ollie sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G”
The squeaky voice comes from a snotty-nosed teen with a rat-tail tracing down his neck. Steven, the youngest of the bunch, jabs a finger at the two boys on the ground, as if catching them in the midst of a crime. Other voices join the chorus. Ollie’s cheeks flush red. Tyler untangles himself and quickly backs away. Ollie glares at Steven.
“Shut up.”
“Nah you were totally about to kiss him.”
Steven does a shoddy impression of Ollie’s voice.
“Come here Tyler, I love you sooo much, mwa mwa!’
Ollie charges, grabbing a fistful of Steven’s basketball jersey.
“I said shut the fuck up.”
Before the situation can spiral further, the other boys separate them. Tyler is a passenger. He doesn’t intervene, simply watches from afar, rooted to the spot. The eldest of them all steps in between Ollie and Steven. Tall and much more well built than the others, Jon is in the grade above them at school. His deep voice commands silence from the pack.
“Chill out, Ollie. He’s just fucking around.”
“Whatever.”
Ollie shrugs out of the hands of his friends and storms off. Tyler averts his gaze, the shame evident on his face. Steven rolls his eyes.
“Why’s he always gotta get so triggered all the time?”
“I dunno, he’s a pussy. Cmon, we got what we came here for, time to leave.”
Jon pockets a small bag of green herbs.
“What about Ollie?”
Tyler finally finds the guts to speak up.
Jon turns to him, nonplussed.
“What about him?”
“You’re just gonna bail on him?”
“He’s probably on his way home.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh, so now you care?”
Jon was good at that. Picking up on the subtle things. The words sliced through and Tyler found himself without any kind of comeback.
“You wanna go find your girlfriend? Fine, go ahead. But we’re heading to Moe’s.”
While the rest headed in the direction of the fast food outlet to pay for overpriced hot dogs, Tyler took off on his own. He had a feeling that Ollie had gone somewhere.
That feeling turned out to be right.
But when he found him, he wished his hunch had been wrong.
Ollie lay in the middle of the clearing, not far from the river he loved to skip rocks down. Blood leaked out of his mouth and down his chin. Tyler felt like he couldn’t breathe looking at the crumpled body of his friend. But he had to act.
He rushes to his side.
“Ollie? OLLIE?!”
The boy’s hazel eyes move slowly to look at Tyler. The fear is visible in those white pupils, almost fully dialated. Ollie tries to speak but only a mess of blood and saliva spills out of his mouth. Tyler begins to panick.
“Holyshitholyshitholyshit”
FHe grabs his mangled friend and tries to pull him up. Ollie lets out a yelp and falls back flat on the grass.
“Bro cmon you gotta get up, we gotta get you to a hospital or some shit.”
But at that point the horrible realisation dawns on him. He hasn’t seen it before, but one of Ollie’s legs is bent all wrong. Just looking at it makes him queasy.
Rain falls, mixing with the tears now streaming down Tyler’s face.
“Don’t leave me.”
Ollie croaks, and slowly reaches up with one arm.
Tyler kneels beside him. He takes his hand.
“I won’t.”
**
Cypher winced. It still hurt to remember all these years later, but in a sense it felt good to talk about.
“I found out later he was beaten by the RGB. They jumped him at the park while he was skipping rocks.”
“The RGB?”
Gabriel questioned, speaking for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
“Risdon Grove Boys. Same guys that Jon apparently ripped off for that weed. The amount he left them was like nowhere close to what he owed.”
Tyler shook his head.
“So they took their anger out on Ollie.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, did he…”
“No. But, he was hella close. I stayed with him waiting for an ambulance to arrive, every second expecting him to fade away but…Ollie was a fighter.”
“I’m sure this must have been hard for you to discuss but, you saved that young man’s life.”
“Yeah, and what did I get for it? His mum kicked me out of the house because I was a ‘bad influence’. There were these fucking weirdos at school who claimed I did it. It got so bad that most of the other guys, like Jon and Steven, stopping hanging out with me. I was just bad news.”
“That must of been hard for you.”
“Yeah, but that was when I realised that loyalty doesn’t meant shit. It just makes you weak.”
Gabriel checked his watch.
“Seems like we have reached the conclusion of our session today Mr Norrie.”
“So that’s it huh, no advice? Isn’t that your profession? Professional advice giver?”
“We’re only just scratching the surface here. But if I could give you one piece of advice?”
Gabriel strode over to a desk drawer and rummaged around in it, pulling out a notepad and ball-point pen.
“I imagine that discussing this incident may have brought back many unpleasant memories and feelings.”
He offered the instruments to Cypher.
“Writing them down can help you process your emotions.”
“Sorry bro, I type, don’t write.”
“Just…”
Gabriel paused with a warning in his eyes.
“Take them.”
Cypher rolled his eyes, then snatched the paper and pen out of Gabriel’s grip
“Now go.”
**
Cypher lay on his bed, staring at the the blank page. He had never been one for writing. Much less writing about himself. But it wasn’t like he had much else to do…
Resolving to just try, he gripped the pen and brought it to the page.
“My name is-
The sound of his cell door suddenly being opened interrupted him.
“Phone call.”
The walk down the corridor filled him with a mix of anticipation and dread. Who could it be? Thad? SEB? Dot? She’d promised to visit him but he hadn’t heard from her at all. He’d resigned himself to the reality that his actions had just made it to hard for her to associate with him publicly. But maybe there was still a chance…
He sat down and raised his hands.
“It’s the least you could do.”
He remarked, smirking. The guard begrudgingly removed the handcuffs, and he picked up the receiver.
“Yello?”
“Tyler?”
He froze.
“…Dad?”