"Is that how you really feel, professor?" Pala asked, suddenly, "Is this your actual opinion? Or is this a typical application of psychology?"
"It could be both. Most people usually don't care much when they feel sothing. They don't rember it, nor are they good at expressing it. Psychology helps to do better than them in these aspects. Still, you can't call this deception."
"Refined honesty."
"Very right, Miss." Shiller leaned forward and moved the kettle further away on the bedside table, pouring a glass of warm water for Pala while rearranging his suit before settling back into his chair.
"Given that keeping warm is your priority now, I will not open the door. However, I will start recording our conversation for psychological counseling purposes."
Pala neither agreed nor disagreed. She usually behaved in this manner. Shiller had just briefly reflected that Pala hardly showed any emotion. Most of her expressions were mundane and pale, as plain as paper.
She could even conceal all the charm brought by her gorgeous features and vibrant red long hair with her indifferent expressions, not leaning towards any gender, and anyone who t her gaze could feel her absolute boredom.
While Shiller didn't exactly approve of categorizing real people based on certain comic-book characters, Pala's image seed a far cry from Poison Ivy's.
The Poison Ivy of comics is not known for her social charm, but Batman once complinted her beauty and seductiveness, which indicates at least she is vivacious.
There isn't much recorded about Poison Ivy's younger days in the comic books. For most part, she made her appearance as a beautiful yet deadly and fervent plant conservationist. This overpowering image obscured any personal charm she might possess, leaving readers knowing little about her past or her journey to maturity.
Clearly, Shiller has been presented with another puzzle. This one is equally challenging because, compared to Batman, Poison Ivy, or Pala Isley's character, is relatively one-dinsional.
Reality is not a comic strip, there must be reasons why Pala ended up like this and what she will beco. The causes are far less known than Batman's famous orphan story. To perform a thorough psychological analysis, Shiller needs far more critical information.
However, Pala's current state makes it hard for Shiller to judge whether it's appropriate to begin psychotherapy. She maintains the sa deanor and temperant whether she's happy or suffering, making it hard for Shiller to determine when it's ti to stop.
If there's a possibility of inflicting additional harm, then Shiller would rather not initiate treatnt. After all, Pala isn't just a subject for academic research, she is his student, and practically essential for Shiller's garden.
"I think I can tell you my story," Pala spoke up first. "You can then analyze what it all ans. When the rain stops, I can help you in the garden."
"That sounds good, but I don't want you to push yourself," Shiller flipped a page of his book, then added, "Even when it stops raining, you are welco to take a nap here. Plants are much more resilient than you might think."
"Yes, a storm is never a catastrophe to them. Tomorrow morning, you'll understand their thriving grace even amidst destruction in the eyes of humans," Pala responded.
"You'll feel the sa, Miss. Perhaps things will be different tomorrow morning."
Pala responded indifferently, devoid of any facial expression or emotion. This gave Shiller the impression of facing a black box. He was unable to determine his ssages' feedback, prompting more caution in his approach.
"My parents are dead. They upset so people, fled from Gotham, but still couldn't escape their enemies," Pala began. However, her attitude didn't look like that of storytelling, nor were her words elaborate.
"My parents were murdered in our recently-purchased house. I was sent to an orphanage, where a woman nad Soma, of Indian heritage, chose . She brought back to her ho."
"She had a big house yet seed to have little money. I ca to know about her multiple daughters from the various photographs on the table, but none of the photos had more than two faces. This suggested they weren't a family."
"She required to learn a lot of things, such as pronouncing standard English, French, and Italian, dancing, and playing the piano. I was quite adept. She enrolled into a prestigious local secondary school and instructed to widely publicize my story among my classmates and grade."
"What sort of story?"
"A story of an orphanous girl adopted by an Indian noble family. My father worked abroad in India, and my mother in the United States raised her children, providing a luxurious family condition and good upbringing."
"Did you fulfill this?"
"Yes, many bought it because I did know a lot, and they perceived my temperant to resemble a well-bred aristocrat."
Shiller nodded his head slightly; he comprehended why this would be the scenario. Pala effused a natural air of pride, a quality only people with solid confidence usually possess.
Classmates might have mistaken her arrogance for a rich snob looking down on the poor, but in reality, Pala was treating everyone equally with indifference.
"There were those who pursued ," Pala continued, "Two in our class, and more than ten in our grade. I told my foster mother about this, and the next day she had all their background information."
"She eliminated those deed inappropriate and only left three. She asked to maintain romantic relationships with all of them at the sa ti."
"So how many did you choose?"
"None," Pala blinked as she said, "I agreed to their confessions. I did everything according to my foster mother's instructions, accepted their offers for dinner dates, dressed up, received their flowers, had dinners together, and after approximately a month, they all left angrily."
"Did they know you had multiple boyfriends?"
"They didn't know, my foster mother scheduled everything and cleverly avoided their contact. They probably don't know till now."
"So what do you think was the reason?"
"They claid I was aloof."
"Do you think you were?"
"I've always been this way."
After a mont's reflection, Shiller recalled his experiences with Pala. She always looked distracted, her attention never focused yet also never resting sowhere to be discerned.
If an ordinary person were to act like this, they would certainly be accused of being dismissive - an accusation that stings more than accusations of incompetence.
"This pattern kept repeating itself," Pala continued. "My foster mother selected them, and I approached them. They departed in anger, and I returned ho to be scolded."
"Until?"
"Until I was almost of age and she had yet to find a decent candidate. Or rather, she had found them, but I ruined every chance."
"She adopted so asures?"
"Yes, she thought the lack of personality could be compensated with sex. She thought if a beautiful woman's charm can't co at a good price, perhaps the body can."
"Did she force you into prostitution?"
"Not forced, I didn't mind. If she told to go, I did."
Now, this startled Shiller a bit. He looked at Pala and inquired, "Did she try to instill any moral principle into you?"
"Maybe she did, but I didn't pay attention. In fact, I don't care, even till now," Pala slightly inclined her head and replied, "I had physical contact with several candidates picked by my foster mother. When they touched , I felt a bit puzzled."
"Doubting what?"
"I don't understand why they're so excited."
"I apologize, Miss. I didn't an any offense." Shiller leaned back, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and Pala. "This question is purely academic, not idle gossip."
"I understand, ask away."
"Have you ever felt attracted to soone due to hormones?"
"I don't know what that ans."
"Physical and psychological arousal?"
"I don't think so."
"Attracted to the opposite sex instinctually?"
"No."
"Sa sex?"
Pala shook her head again.
"Alright, carry on."
"The turning point of the story happened just as we were beginning." Pala recalled, "We walked into a room, he wanted to undress. As I was about to, a woman stord in, his wife."
"I don't know what happened. Screams, roars, growls, tugs. I heard a bang, then the sound began to fade. I slt the wet dew and the scent of flowers. When I ca to my senses, I found..."
"Found what?" Shiller leaned forward, looking at Pala and asked.
Pala hesitated unusually.
"What I'm about to say is entirely academic," Pala licked her lips, "I am not sexually harassing you."
"Yes, I understand, miss, please continue."
"Firstly, I found that I was aroused. "
"And...?"
"They were both dead."
In the mont of exchange between Shiller and Pala, both were frozen.
Shiller's expression slowly changed.
"Forgive if I can't give you the details, I don't rember," Pala swallowed, obviously recognizing this late-arriving Shiller as the man who had cooked the reindeer at.
"My mory stops at when the woman charged at us. When I ca to, there was blood everywhere and two bodies."
"Was there blood on your hands?"
"No." Pala shook her head, "But I was kneeling between them, so there was blood on my legs and the hem of my skirt."
"And then?"
"My mother ca in," Pala inhaled deeply," I made a bold decision."
"You knocked her out, pinned their deaths on her and reported her abuse towards you. Two bodies, one criminal, and you got off scot-free."
Pala slowly nodded.
"Impressive, miss. "
"Actually, it's not the first ti," Pala inhaled deeply, "It seems, this isn't the first ti."
"'Seems'?"
"In my mory, right before my parents hurriedly moved us away, I had another mory lapse."
"Where?"
"At ho." Pala frowned slightly, "Soone broke in, I saw him, there's a break in the mory, then it's just my parents moving us away."
"Alright, look into my eyes, miss."
Shiller stood up, headed slightly to the front of Pala. He bent over sideways. Pala gathered her courage, looked up and t his gaze.
Shiller's eyes focused montarily but quickly went slack. He furrowed his brow.
"Am I a born killer?" Pala asked. She looked at the silhouette of Shiller who went past the bed and stood by the window and said, "Just like you, excited and fulfilled by it?"
"You're not."
Shiller gave an answer that shocked Pala.
"Why?" Pala couldn't help but ask.
During her ti with Shiller, she had co to understand so things about this circle. Cold, contemptuous, homicidal, exhilarated - these are the typical emotional traits of a serial killer.
She had even psychologically prepared herself for it.
"You're not," Shiller repeated, as he turned around, the window behind him casting a cold light on him.
Pala saw those grey eyes of his, glowing faintly in the darkness of the backlight, like a beast in a cave, she heard Shiller's echoes in the room.
"You're not...because we don't forget."
User Comments
0 comments from readers