Valentine's Test

         It was hard to breathe. That was the first thought in his head. The next was how dark it was. He tried to call out for help, only to find that there was something in his mouth stopping him. Then another thought came to his mind. He tried to look around for his wife, but couldn't see a thing.
         Then there was light as the bag was lifted from his head. Finally he could see his wife, tied to a chair next to him, with a gag in her mouth. He tried to call out to her but was unable. She was looking back at him with fear in her eyes. He was confused and afraid as well. He couldn't remember how this had happened.
“Ah, Henry, so good of you to join us.” A soft, high pitched voice whispered in his ear, causing Henry to jump in his seat as much as was possible while tied to it.
         The person behind him slowly walked around to in front of Henry, letting each footstep echo around the dark room. Finally the whisperer was in sight of Henry. He couldn't tell much about the person though. Anything from age to gender to build was hidden under black, baggy clothes and a mask. The mask itself sent a new wave of fear through Henry. It was that of a smiling baby, with pink rosy cheeks and wide, painted-on eyes with small holes in the middle where the wearer could see out.
         The masked person continued to whisper. In the near silent room, the voice was just audible to Henry over the sound of his own heart pounding.
“Hello Henry, Katrina. You may call me Valentine. You have no need to be afraid, I'm just going to ask you both a question. Only one each. What happens after that is entirely up to you. The only caveat is that you can't hear each others answers, or it may affect your own.”
         Valentine produced a pair of earplugs from a pocket and proceeded to place them in Katrina's ears. Valentine then walked over to Henry and, in an even softer voice that Henry had to strain to hear over his own breathing, asked the question.
“Only one of you will leave here alive. Who do you want me to kill?” He asked before removing the gag from Henry's mouth.
“Oh god, you can't make me choose!” Henry immediately yelled out before turning to look at his wife. She looked back at him but made no indication she had heard him.
“Now now, Henry, if you don't choose, then you'll both die. No need for that, and it would ruin the experiment I have set up here. So, who should I kill?”
         Henry glanced about nervously, unable to meet Valentine's steady gaze. He was sweating profusely and he felt as if his heart was going to burst from his chest. He glanced at his wife guiltily before looking down at his shoes and beginning to whisper.
“Kill Katrina. Just please, let me live, don't hurt me.” He barely managed to get out.
         Valentine only nodded and returned the gag to Henry's mouth. He then produced another pair of earplugs and inserted them into Henry's ears. Valentine walked to Katrina and removed her ear plugs and put his masked face right next to her ear.
         If that was my question, what will he ask her? Henry wondered fearfully. There was no hesitation from Katrina as she immediately mouthed an answer that Henry could not hear. Valentine returned to Henry and removed his earplugs before walking back to his place in front of the two of them.
“I'm afraid no consensus was reached.” Valentine whispered, “You each asked me to kill the other, and so I will.”
         Before any protest could be made a gun was produced from somewhere in the baggy clothes and a crack rang out. Katrina slumped in her chair. Henry tried to scream through his gag and had time for only one attempt before another crack rang out and he could try no more.

         Annie could not see. She also couldn't not speak, and her movement was limited to small rocking of the chair she was tied to. Then she could see, as something was lifted from her head. She instantly wished she could not, as a smiling, plastic baby face was the first thing she saw upon regaining her sight.
“Hello Annie,” The baby face whispered to her, “rise and shine.”
         The face, which she had figured out through her panic was a mask, receded from hers and revealed the rest of it's wearer to her: a figure in dark, baggy clothes, standing perhaps 5”6' to 5”9', it was hard for Annie to tell in the dimly lit room.
“Hello Edward, Annie. So kind of you both to join me.” The person in the baby face whispered, “You may call me Valentine. Now, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to ask you each a question, then the rest is up to you.”
         Annie glanced at Ed and saw he was also gagged and tied to a chair. Her mind raced with ways to get out of this, but none came to mind. She decided the best bet was to go along with the question until an opportunity presented itself.
“My only rule is that you can't hear what the other person has to say, in case it makes you change your mind.” Valentine explained.
         He then approached Annie and placed a pair of earplugs in her ears before walking over to Ed. Annie tried to watch them for any hint of what was being said once Valentine removed the gag from Ed's mouth, but the mask covered their captor's face and the shadows hid Ed's enough that she was unable to read his lips. The exchange was brief before Valentine replaced the gag and put another pair of earplugs in Ed's ears. Then Valentine approached Annie and put their masked face right by the side of her head, and began to speak in an even lower whisper.
“Only one of you is getting out of here alive. Who should I kill?” Valentine asked.
“Me. Take me. Just don't hurt Ed.” Annie whispered back without hesitation.
         Valentine only nodded in understanding. He returned Annie's gag to her mouth before returning to Ed to remove his earplugs, then moving back to in front of them both.
“A consensus has been reached. You have both asked me to kill Annie. And so, Ed will die.” Valentine whispered without emotion, as if it were only a simple statement of fact.
         Annie tried to scream through her gag, but to no avail. There was a loud crack from a handgun that had appeared from someone in the captor's clothes. Valentine then turned to Annie and watched her pass out in fear as Ed fell forward in his seat.

         Valentine pulled the bag from the two captives' heads. They were prepared to perform the test on another couple. When neither of the two said anything, Valentine proceeded to their spot in front of them.
“Hello you two. Mark, Jane. You may call me Valentine. I'm here to ask you each a question. That's all, so no reason to panic.” Valentine explained.
         Both captives looked afraid, but neither made any move to resist, so Valentine continued.
“I just want to make sure your answers don't affect each other, so I'm going to make sure you can't hear each other.” Valentine continued, pulling a pair of earplugs from his pocket and walking over to Jane to put them in her ears. She tried to say something, but it was unintelligible through the gag, so Valentine just put the earplugs in place and walked over to Mark. Valentine got right next to his ear, and in the softest voice possible asked the question.
“Only one of you is getting out of here alive. Who should I kill?” They asked.
“Me! Take me! Please, please, please, just don't hurt my wife!” Mark responded the instant his gag was lowered.
         Valentine nodded in understanding before putting the gag back in Mark's mouth and taking out a new pair of earplugs to deafen him. Valentine then moved to Jane to ask her the same question. After removing her gag and earplugs.
“Only one of you is getting out of here alive. Who should I kill?” Valentine asked.
“Me! Kill me! If it means Mark can live, kill me!” Jane answered without even a second's thought.
         Valentine again nodded in understanding and put her gag in place. Valentine then walked to Mark and removed his earplugs.
“No consensus was reached.” Valentine began, “You each chose yourself as the sacrifice to save the other.”
         Valentine drew a gun from another pocket and watched their eyes widen in horror. To their surprise, Valentine then dropped it to the ground and said in a barely audible whisper:
“So you both may go free.”