The Holder of Freedom

Can I share a story with you? It's a quick story, I promise.

Do you know how I got here? You probably won't believe me, but this is how. My friend told me about the Holders and the Objects. He'd already gotten the cell phone and the handgun. He also got the bullet, which was his prized possession. He bragged about getting it all the time, so I tried to one-up him and get the Holder of Freedom's Object.

Solomon saw it coming, and he got there first. We both ended up at the same ment-

What? Oh, yeah. Solomon is my friend. Well, was my friend.

Anyway, we both ended up at the same mental institution, and we flipped a coin to see who would go first. Now that I think about it, I bet that was an Object too. It landed on... his side. I'm not even sure how to describe the sides. But that's not the point of my story.

So he went up and screamed, "I wish to see the Holder of Freedom, and I am doing this on my own accord!" The receptionist cocked her head and asked him, "Are they making you say that?"

He got really scared and ran out. I never saw him again. I guess this was a result of the failure I've seen in the tests of the Holders.

So I went up to the receptionist and asked her the same thing. I got a much different answer. Instead of what she said before, she told me, "There's still time for you to leave."

I didn't. I wish I had.

So I went and got Object 280. I'll spare you the details of my adventure, but I'll tell you that I used the Object well.

And that's how I ended up here with these locks and keys for fingers. I did it all again. I went back to the Holder's domain, and the Holder had a cage prepared for me. I went inside and used my last lock. I'm glad I did.

And then I began having visions. Quick flashes of skeletons. They were locked up in chains. I didn't pay much attention to it.

And then I saw Solomon's skeleton.

I could tell it was him. As soon as I saw him, I noticed that attached to the other end of the chains were photographs. These photographs were of the Objects he had. The cell phone, the handgun, the coin, and the bullet. And then I learned.

I wish I never got Object 280. I wish I wasn't sitting in this cage, with locks and keys for fingers. At least, I wish I never used all the locks and fingers. I wish I knew why some things were better left locked.

I only have one key left. And I don't dare use it.