Chapter Ten: Letters From Home

"Is everything alright?" Uno asked the next morning at breakfast. "You aren't eating."

Elizabeth had been quiet and hadn't eaten any of her food. Definite warning sign. This girl could eat almost as much as Rock. If she wasn't, well, let's just say she wasn't feeling all that great.

Elizabeth nodded, twirling her fork, which had a waffle piece on it. "I'm fine. Just a bad dream, is all. I'll be better by lunch, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Rock asked. "You usually eat like me."

"I'm fine," Elizabeth insisted, clearly annoyed. "I just had a bad dream, jeez!"

Elizabeth's annoyed manner got the guys to shut up, but they didn't stop worrying. Elizabeth was their friend. Something was going on with their friend and they had to find out what.

In the guard room of Building Four, Kenshirou and Hajime were reviewing papers. Papers that Kenshirou had made when he was part of the police force. Papers that had been denied, rejected, sent away.

"Why do you think your reports were denied?" Hajime asked. "This is some very useful information."

"I assume because they either didn't care or didn't want to acknowledge something of this magnitude," Kenshirou replied.

"Makes sense," Hajime observed. "Are the files from the Thailand prison in here?"

"The one where ten inmates went missing within a month?" Kenshirou asked. "Yes, though I made those after I came to Nanba. My police reports go back several years. I became a correctional officer several years ago."

Kenshirou handed Hajime the file. He examined it, his eyes narrowing. "Ten inmates go missing in an all-female prison. Only three are ever found again."

Kenshirou nodded. "It gets worse. There are records of hundreds of inmates going missing with only a five percent discovery rate. Most of the inmates have never come back into the public eye."

"So either they're dead. . ."

"Or still being kept," Kenshirou finished gravely. "The ones that have returned are ones like Numbers Fifteen and Six-thirty-four, they have strange powers. I believe that their powers are unique to them."

"Do their powers match their personalities?"

Kenshirou shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. Six-thirty-four wasn't hot-headed as a child or even young adult and Fifteen, well, you know that he doesn't seem to be the violent type. Their powers, whatever they are, are a choice made by this organization. Also, according to both inmates, the man with the scar has something to do with it. They say that he's the head scientist."

"So sort of like Josef Mengele?"

"Exactly like Josef Mengele, except more sadistic, in a way."

"Why is this man with the scar doing this?"

"I have no clue. Though from Seventeen's account, we can only assume that Elf is the person that the man with the scar sends to find and take new specimens."

"Most likely. I do wonder what is so special about Seventeen and Fifteen. We know that Six-thirty-four had an issue with fire long before he was even arrested. Now we have to find out the hidden potential in Numbers Seventeen and Fifteen." Hajime flipped through some more papers. "Sheesh, how many inmates have gone missing?"

"I told you, hundreds."

"What's the precise number?"

"From what I can tell, up to about three months ago, about 782."

"And only five percent have ever come back? That's only 39 people!"

Kenshirou nodded gravely. "Indeed. That's why this is so terrifying. Too many inmates have been going missing. They go in waves every couple months. For the past several years, anywhere from five to twenty inmates can go missing every few months."

"How long has this been happening?"

"Several years."

"How many years?" Hajime asked for clarification.

"I don't know," Kenshirou admitted. "All I know is that this has been going on since before I started looking it up when I was a part of the police force."

Hajime let loose a frustrated sigh. "Why is this so hard to track?"

Kenshirou sighed as well. "Whoever is doing this is clearly covering their tracks well. Silencing uncooperative inmates, only releasing those who don't know enough, tracking down those who escape and silencing them as well."

Hajime and Kenshirou had spent the past couple weeks knee-deep in papers and files on disappearing inmates. True, some of them were probably just escapees that had never returned or never been found again, but there were plenty of cases where there was proof of it not being.

For example, several of them had cells that were a mess. The same teeth and claw marks had appeared in those cells as Elizabeth's cell. A few stray blonde hairs had been spotted at prisons with no inmates that matched the DNA. The hair had been tested. Not a single match had been found. Only a small section of these inmates had appeared later, always dazed and confused with no idea where they were or what they were doing.

"Has there ever been a case where an inmate was framed so that they could run experiments on the inmate?" Hajime asked. "I don't trust the inmates here to tell the truth."

"Inmate Number Six-thirty-four told me that he was framed," Kenshirou said. "I believe him. He does not seem like the type to murder his parents, not when there are records of his parents supporting him and him enjoying all of their love and support."

"Why isn't he free, then?"

"Because there isn't enough evidence yet to free him," Kenshirou pointed out. "His unusual pyrokinesis made it so that there would not be until the man who framed him would be caught."

"Six-thirty-four said that Elf framed him."

"Yes, he did. Unfortunately for us, this Elf character flees every time anyone gets close enough."

It seemed that their investigation was leading nowhere. It would be nearly impossible to catch Elf. With a lack for any more ideas, no other things to say, Hajime went back to Building Thirteen.

"Sir!" Seitarou said when Hajime came back. "Welcome back! How was Building Four?"

"Unhelpful," Hajime admitted. "This investigation is going nowhere. How are we supposed to stop our inmates from getting taken if we can't even find who this Elf guy is?"

"I don't know, Sir," Seitarou admitted. "Perhaps we should add extra protection around the cells?"

"That'll cost too much money, Seitarou. Besides, it's been a while since the last attack. If the attacks only happen once in a while, there's no point."

"But, Sir, if we add extra protection, perhaps no attacks will happen at all."

"Seitarou, that's a big waste of time and money. No one wants to spend all that. I doubt the Warden would even approve."

"Alright then, Sir," Seitarou replied, going and picking up an envelope. "This arrived for Seventeen today. It's from her family. It's been through, there's nothing bad in there, but I don't think she should get it."

"Why not?" Hajime asked, taking the envelope. "It's illegal to withhold mail. Seventeen should get this."

"It's not very nice. I don't think that Seventeen, with all that's been going on with her, should have to go through what's in this letter."

"Unfortunately for you, Seitarou, it's illegal to not give a recipient mail unless there's something dangerous inside of it. Seventeen'll have to rough it out. I'll make sure she gets this."

"Alright then, Sir. It's almost lunch, should we release the inmates?"

Hajime nodded. "Go ahead. I'll give this letter to Seventeen after lunch."

Elizabeth was closer to normal at lunch. She hadn't gone to training, but that was nothing new. Instead, she stayed in her cell reading. She recuperated enough so that she was in the mood to eat at lunch. She didn't talk much, but she did nod along with everyone as they talked. Man, Elizabeth hoped that nothing bad was going to happen to her again.

After lunch, Hajime visited her.

"Am I in trouble. . ?" Elizabeth asked. "You never visit the cells unless someone's in trouble."

She was right, partially.

"No, you got a letter," Hajime said, passing the envelope through the bars. "Seitarou said it's from your family."

"Really?" Excitement pulsed through her. Her family had never written. They had always said that she wasn't good enough after she got arrested. A horrible child. Maybe now they were thinking better of her!

"Yes," Hajime told her. "Now stop escaping and stay in your cell."

Elizabeth gingerly opened the envelope, wanting to save it in case it was something good. Her dad's familiar handwriting entered her eyesight, bringing her a warm sensation.

Elizabeth.

It has come to our attention that Nanba Prison seems to be sticking with you. We've never been able to write you in the past due to your strange ability to escape any prison that held you. We never knew how long you would be staying in one place. Fortunately, since we got the notification that you were in Nanba, no escape notice has been sent. We take that to mean that you have not escaped. Thank you for staying in place long enough for us to send this letter.

Your mother and I have recovered since your. . . incident, as has your brother. He's joining an adult hockey Rec League team and has been accepted into college. He will be attending college this fall. The same, however, cannot be said for you. Your mother got a new job working at a jewelry store. You also have a new cousin, she's a year and a half old. Her name is Julie and she is the daughter of your Aunt Katherine.

You would be going into your senior year of high school in the fall. Why did you have to rob those banks? Using my lathe as well. You used my tools, me. You used your whole family as a front for your crimes. You have lost the right to call us your family. You have lost the right to have a home with us. We will never accept you. You wretched child.

What you did to us is unacceptable. You put us through months of trials, months of being terrified that you were being framed. Then we saw the footage. The footage of you robbing that bank in Columbus. We were trying to take you on vacation, to see the college that you desperately wanted to go to, and you ruined it. You had a choice and you chose to rob and steal and make a dishonest living. I taught you how to use those tools for good, not for you to rob banks and stores with. You will never have a place among us.

Your mother and I are relieved that your sentence has been increased to life, that way we will never have to see your wretched face ever again. We'll never have to deal with the pain of seeing a daughter who has lost her right to be called that. We will never have to deal with you or your horrible schemes. We will never accept you, so long as we live. We hate you so, so much.

We are glad that Nanba is holding you. That way we don't have to worry about you escaping and joining us.

Good riddance.

Father.

Tears flooded Elizabeth's face as she finished the letter. The warmth fled her body, replaced with sadness. Her family was done with her. They'd never accept her. She'd never have a home, even if she did reduce her life sentence. That's right. Elizabeth had escaped so many prisons that her sentence had been increased from forty years to life. Now her family was thankful for it?

She had been disowned, forgotten, neglected. Denied the home and family that she had appreciated for fifteen long years.

Elizabeth crumbled the letter into a ball and threw it at the wall. If her family didn't want her, fine. She didn't want them, either. Still, the words cut deeper than both of Elf's knives. They hurt her in ways that a knife or weapon ever could. She curled up against the corner of her cell and cried. Elizabeth cried for the family that she had lost. It was all her fault, all of it. If she had never committed any crimes, she might be home. She might be in a relationship. She probably would be acing school.

Her cell door creaked open. Elizabeth didn't even have the strength or willpower to look and see who it was. She didn't care anymore. She had no family.

"Elizabeth?" Trois' voice came into her ears. "Are you alright? When you didn't show up to the game room, Uno told me that you hadn't left your cell for free time. I got worried and asked to come check on you."

Then Trois turned and his mouth opened in surprise. "Elizabeth, what happened?"

Elizabeth halfheartedly waved her arm in the direction of the crumpled up sheet of paper. Trois seemed to understand. He walked up to her, sat down, and wrapped his arms around her. Silence fell across the cell. No one talked. Elizabeth rested her head against Trois, grateful for the friendly gesture.

Trois gently rubbed Elizabeth's back, not trying to do anything but comfort his friend. He just held her, removing her glasses when they began jabbing against him and overflowing with tears. He didn't care that her tears and snot were getting all over his clothes. His friend was sad, so he had to comfort her and make sure that she would be okay.

Elizabeth was grateful for the comfort, but she was too depressed to care that her tears and snot were getting all over Trois' clothes.

At the moment, the two were just there, silent, in a state of comfort and depression. Their friendship was growing stronger.