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He shoved me into a chair.
On a monitor, I watched as the after-episode talk show continued onscreen. Quus told a few jokes that made no sense to me and didn’t make me laugh, before motioning to a large screen set up for the audience.
“Of course, we all remember how Chax and Maddy met, don’t we?” he said. “And the love they developed over the course of the episode.”
Love.
Changelings didn’t feel love. They certainly didn’t understand it. And yet, by the look of adoration on the faces of the audience as they watched my relationship with Maddy play out, it was something they were obsessed with.
They watched our most personal scenes that’d been replaying for the past few days. Us meeting and our initial argument, us sleeping together the first time, us fighting Iron Hoof, and escaping the Changeling siblings in the barn. And then me protecting her as a bolt of fire roared toward us, enveloping us both. The montage ended with a close up on our faces.
How could these things be so enamored with love when they had no capacity to feel it?
It was because they couldn’t feel it that they loved watching a show about it. The same way a poor man was enamored with his rich neighbors. There was something mysterious and unknown about them. The same way regular people were obsessed with their favorite celebrities.
They fell in love with the idea of it, never expecting to get a piece of it themselves.
Iron Hoof grabbed me by the arm and yanked me to my feet. He led me out of the room and down the hallway toward the side of the stage.
So was there a way for me to tap into the audience’s deepest desires? A way for me to appeal to them? To convince them to let me live? At least then I would have a chance to find Maddy and get out of there.
What if I played on their emotions?
With my death a foregone conclusion, I had nothing to lose.
I had to try.
“…please welcome to the stage, Chax!” Quus said.
Iron Hoof shoved me forward and led me onto the stage. The audience got to their feet and clapped their hands.
Did they know the truth about my situation? Did they even care about it?
I raised a hand in welcome. The presenter shook my hand and led me to the sofa. Iron Hoof took a seat beside me.
“Welcome to the show!” Quus said. “How about that crowd, huh? They love you.”
“And I love them,” I said, feeling sick to my stomach at the sight of them.
“Now, we’ve seen you on this show many times in the past,” Quus said, “but we all noticed a little something… special between you and your latest partner. Something the audience couldn’t get enough of. Am I right?”
The audience got to their feet and cheered.
“Looks like I’m right,” Quus said through a mouth of grinning teeth. “So, was the love for real? Or was it all an act like the others?”
“None of it was an act,” I said. “I loved all those other girls. And they loved me. But it was more of a friendship kind of love than anything else—”
“I never treat my friends like that!” Quus said, leering at the camera. “If I did, my wife would kill me!”
The audience laughed.
“Sure,” I said. “But then, you weren’t forced into a situation where your life was on the line if you didn’t do what the program creators told you to,” I said. At least, that was what I wanted to say. Instead, I smiled politely. “But the love I felt for Maddy was real. You could never fake that. And I know she’s still out there somewhere. I know she’s waiting for me.”
“Aw,” the audience said, sighing with adulation.
I had them right where I wanted them. Now I was going to make them go weak at the knees.
I said, “The truth is—”
