Manipulation Room victim no. 1144802
Name: Mason Grey
Age: 24 years old
Occupation: Writer
Family Member: 26-year-old cousin, Avila
Description: Forced to inhale carbon monoxide through thick cloth leading to hypoxia and reduction of the oxygen carrying capacity of blood. Suffocation lead to death.

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"Yay, time to watch more people kill each other." Echo mumbled in a sad, monotone voice. The next Manipulation Day had approached far quicker than I thought it would have. I hadn't prepared myself for this yet. The last Manipulation Room had been so awful that I didn't know if I could do it again. I envisioned Ezra, almost choking on his own tears as his parents were ripped away from him. The memory was haunting and constantly invaded my thoughts. I tried, with all of my energy, to shake away the thought. We were standing in the middle of a moderately empty field, the location of this grim event. Mama had decided to come early today, for a reason that was completely beyond me. 

"For once can you not be so utterly bleak?" Mama grumbled, flashing Echo an unimpressed look. She simply shrugged, "We are literally waiting to witness the murder of someone done by someone who loves them dearly...what isn't bleak about that?" 
I interrupted before Mama could get a word in edgeways, "If you're going to say that this is necessary for our survival, then please don't." She closed her mouth again, exhaling deeply. Echo pulled the beret off of her head, revealing a head of dark, tousled hair and scoffed, "I'm not wearing this either. It's enough you've forced me to wear this ridiculous outfit." She gestured to the black crinoline petticoat and pearl-coloured laced top she was wearing. It did look truly ridiculous. I was suddenly thankful for my white peplum skirt and jet silk blouse. Though, I also looked awful. 

I groaned, "Why must we always dress like creepy, porcelain dolls? It's humiliating." 
Mama brushed a speck of dust off of the shoulder of my silky top and huffed, "You don't look creepy, you look classy and elegant." 
Echo scoffed, "We look absolutely atrocious." 
"It's all about paying your respects to whoever is unfortunately chosen." She flashed Echo a quick glance. "You don't want to be standing there wearing ripped jeans and a top that says 'You. Only. Live. Once.'" 
Echo groaned, "It's not supposed to be taken literally! It's a fashion choice." Around us, the field was slowly filling with people. The time was approaching, and I looked like an antique doll from a horror film. 

"Can we please go home and change? I look like a creepy, vintage doll from a haunted toy shop." Echo moaned, tugging at the lace that ran up her sleeves. She looked around, self-consciously, eyeing the perimeter for anyone she recognised from school. I nodded in agreement, "We came early anyway, there should be time." 
Mama shot us both disappointed looks, "You both look lovely, stop being so silly." 
I raised an eyebrow, "Yes, if this was a hundred years earlier I'm sure we would." I ran my fingers through my long blonde hair, pulling strands out from under my black beret. 

Mama looked forward and completely ignored our constant begging to go home and change. Echo turned to me and groaned, "I can't believe I let her persuade me to wear this hideous outfit." 
I nodded, "I wouldn't be seen dead in this outfit." 
She pointed to the Manipulation Room that could be seen on the large screens above us, "Dead, you say?" 
I punched her in the arm, "Don't." 

"Ah, Mrs Ray, what a pleasure to see you!" I looked up and saw Ezra's mum embracing my own in a friendly hug. Oh God. If his mum was there, he had to be close behind. I stared at Echo, wide-eyed with shock, and she bit her lip, trying hard not to laugh. "How embarrassing." She snorted, giggling quietly to herself. I tried to cover my face with my lacy-gloved hands but it was hopeless. I shuffled awkwardly, pulling my gloves up my arm. 

"Please, call me Liberty!" Mrs Ray chuckled. Mama laughed with her, "Then you can call me Sapphire." 
Liberty Ray. Only six months ago we'd all witnessed her kill her own husband. It astounded me how perky she could look standing in the same place where it had happened. She was a lot stronger than I'd be able to be. I looked around for Ezra but I couldn't see him anywhere. Liberty turned to face us and her mouth fell open, "You two look absolutely lovely in your outfits, how gorgeous!" I grinned with fake enthusiasm and Echo mumbled a quick 'thanks'. Mama gave us a look that said 'I told you so' but we weren't convinced. "I kept telling them that they looked lovely but they were so insistent on getting changed." She said. "Oh, nonsense! They look great." Liberty laughed. Her laugh was just as lovely as her son's, vibrant and infectious. 

"I keep telling my boy to dress in elegant clothing but he always refuses." She explained, staring admiringly at Echo's pearly white petticoat. "Ah, yes. Where is Ezra?" Mama asked. I tried not to look so curious but I was secretly hoping someone would ask that question. "He should be here any second now. He just needed a minute." Liberty responded. "Of course, this can't be easy for him." Mama replied. 
"Yeah, it's been hard for the both of us. But I'm so lucky to have a lovely boy like him to support me through the tough times."
"Certainly. I wouldn't have made it out alive without my precious girls." Mama smiled proudly at us and we couldn't help but smile back. Liberty put a hand on Mama's shoulder and smiled, "Thank God we have our children to help us through it, eh?" 
"What would we do without them?" Mama responded, putting a hand to my cheek. 

"Sorry I'm late, Mum." I looked up to find Ezra huffing and puffing, standing behind Liberty. Echo gave me a quick punch in the rib and I stared at her, embarrassedly. I fiddled with the ruffle along the top of my skirt, my cheeks aflame. He was standing right in front of me looking as handsome as always and I was dressed like this. "You must be Ezra! Hello, darling." Mama greeted, putting a hand out. Ezra shook it, smiling widely, "Hello, Mrs Skyler." 
"Please, call me Sapphire." 

Liberty and Mama continued to chat and Ezra, standing still behind his mother, turned to look at me. Every muscle in my body tensed as I smiled at him. He grinned back, though I could see him wondering what my outfit was. "I was forced to wear this." I said, finally. He chuckled, shaking his head, "You look great." 
I raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
He smirked, "You'd look great in anything. Even a creepy porcelain doll costume." He sniggered and I laughed with him. My cheeks were slowly turning red and I could feel Echo smirking at me. I didn't turn to look though, I only stared into Ezra's aquamarine eyes.

"You guys must come over sometime, mustn't they, Ezra?" Liberty turned to Ezra, smiling eagerly. Ezra looked away from me and nodded cordially, "Of course, that sounds great." 
Mama smiled at Ezra, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. "Definitely! That would be fun." 
Echo nudged me, nodding enthusiastically, "Yeah, so fun!" 

I suddenly saw that President Thanatos had appeared on the stage, folding his arms impatiently, waiting for silence like some school teacher waiting for their students. I pointed at him, "I think someone's waiting."
Liberty scoffed, "He can carry on waiting. That vile man..." 
"He's an embarrassment to society." Mama nodded her head, matter-of-factly. "Well, let's see what this idiot has to say this time." Liberty grumbled. She gave us a last warm smile, "Goodbye, Sapphire. You really must come around some time." She turned to us. "Bye, darlings. You both do look truly wonderful." She smiled, her blue eyes sparkling as she did so. They were exactly the same features as Ezra, minus the dark hair, so I knew exactly who he'd gotten them from. 

I smiled widely, "Bye Liberty. We'll definitely visit some time." Echo nodded her head in agreement, "Totally." 
Ezra smiled, "Goodbye Sapphire." He turned to face me and smiled even wider, his eyes glinting like tiny jewels. "Bye Echo...and Lyric." Echo threw a wave, I just smiled, totally entranced. And just like that, they were gone. Cutting through the crowd to their usual space and vanishing out of sight. 

"Ah, what lovely people. You know she's the woman who had to kill her husband last Manipulation day, right?" Mama said, turning back to me. I nodded slowly, trying my best to appear as shocked. Echo hit me on the arm and laughed. "Of course she knows." She giggled. I shot her a look and Mama raised an eyebrow, "Really, why?" 
"Lyric and the son, Ezra are really close. They're like super tight at school."
 A part of me was incredibly glad she only said 'really close' and not something more. I stared at the ground, not daring to meet Mama's eye. I could hear how happy she sounded just by her reaction. "Really? Oh, that's wonderful!" 
I nodded slowly, "Yup...wonderful." I mumbled, my cheeks turning red again. 

I heard President Thanatos clear his throat at the front of the stage. He'd been standing there for ages, like an impatient teacher trying to get our attention. Not that anyone respected him enough to care. He was tapping his foot loudly on the stage, staring down every person in the audience that bothered to look up. 

"Well, I understand that today is a particularly troubling Manipulation Room specifically. In the six months that followed the last Manipulation Room, a great idol has died. Miss Raven Shiloh. I'd first like to acknowledge her tremendous work. My sincere condolences to her family. Many riots have broken out since, including one in the secondary school a few weeks ago. It pains me to see you all with this sort of attitude. I understand that to reiterate what I've already said would be a bore so I won't bother. I just want you all to understand this magnificent room. To appreciate it and what it does for us all." 

No one understood this so-called 'magnificent' room. We certainly didn't appreciate it either. I turned to Echo and whispered, "Could he sound anymore stupid?" 
"I think he accidentally hit his head at birth and jumbled his brain." She whispered back. I giggled, which received a rather angry look from my mother. 

"So, I won't keep you long as I understand we all have places to be. It is with my pleasure to introduce this half year's Manipulation Room!" He swivelled on his shiny shoes to face one of the large screens and just like that. Tension. Everybody in the crowd tensed up with fear. There was muffled conversation and the odd cry as the names on the screen continued to spin. Spinning and spinning...Then it stopped. 

'Cedric and Esther Allen-Blue'