My job is watching a woman trapped in a room. I've been told to never help her.

She’s been in that room for 14 years. I guess the government didn’t count on the camera staying active for that long.<br><br>I was only a kid when the government put that camera in my house. They knocked on the door one day, and when my mom asked who it was, the answer came back from the other side, “We’re here to install a camera so that you can look after a woman that is of the highest importance to the country.”<br><br>Then, I remember the face of the government guy. His face was a picture perfect mask of seriousness. That was the first time I saw him, but it wasn’t the last. My mom opened the door and let the man in. I was too young to understand the true nature of the questions my mom asked him. My dad had recently died, and she was the only parent I had. She asked the government man, “Will my son be treated well?”<br><br>He looked down and smiled. “Your son will be treated like a prince.”<br><br>My mom had been crying. She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Of course I’ll do it. What is my job supposed to be?”<br><br>When I was growing up, I never understood why my mom was so serious all the time. I didn’t understand it until I was older, and I found the original contract she had signed with the government. They had forced her to give up all parental rights to me.<br><br>I still don’t know why they did it. I can only assume they were trying to protect their secret. <br><br>Anyway, back to the camera. The agent installed it in my room. He spent hours installing the thing, but it was all worth it in the end. It was so easy. When he was done, he had me look at it to make sure it worked. I remember the thrill I felt when I looked at the camera and saw the clear image of a woman in a room. The government man left with a smile on his face, and my mom began crying again.<br><br>I didn’t understand what was going on, up until the point where the woman began to beg. I had never seen a grown woman cry before. I didn’t know why she was crying. It was scary for a little kid. I looked at the camera and saw the woman crying. She waved at me in the camera, then she whispered, “Hello?”<br><br>I didn’t answer. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. Then she started begging. She begged me to save her. I didn’t know what she meant. I just looked at the camera and watched as she cried and cried. Then the government man came back. I assume he was watching me through the camera, and he didn’t want her begging for my help.<br><br>“When you are old enough to understand,” he said, “You will know exactly what needs to be done.” Then he kicked me out of the room. I sat in my room listening to the sound of his hand slapping the woman. I could hear her muffled cries, and I knew that the government man was hurting her so that she would be quiet.<br><br>I heard the man leave after a few hours. Then the woman in the camera said, “Hello?” again. I was going to say something, but then I heard the government man’s voice. It was behind me. He whispered in my ear, “Remember boy. If you ever say anything to her, she will suffer.”<br><br>I whipped around, but I already knew that he wasn’t there. My mom looked in the room at me. She looked worried. Then she left. The next time I saw her she was holding a tray of food. She set it down next to my computer so that I could eat while I watched the camera.<br><br>When I was old enough to understand, my mom sat me down and told me that I had been born to watch the camera. I was given the job for life. When I turned 16, I received a check in the mail. It was from the government. It was dated in the future, so I knew it was real. It proved that I was the camera-watcher. It was my job. I would watch the camera for the rest of my life.<br><br>I never saw the woman try to escape. I saw her try to cry for help, but the camera wasn’t loud enough to alert anyone. I’m not even sure where it is. All I know is that it’s in a room, and the room is guarded by government agents. She once tried to break the camera, but it’s indestructible. It’s made out of some kind of metal that hasn’t been invented yet. I’m not kidding. I tried to break it when I was a kid, but it didn’t even scratch.<br><br>I’m not a kid anymore. I’m 24 now. Sometimes I talk to the woman in the camera. I know it’s wrong because the government tells me that she’s a criminal. I don’t care. I can’t help but be curious about the woman that I have been forced to watch for my entire life.<br><br>I’m not going to lie. I’ve grown attracted to her. I don’t know if it’s normal. I don’t know if it’s abnormal. I don’t know anything about her, except that she’s in a prison cell somewhere. I know she’s a criminal. But sometimes, I wish that the government hadn’t given me this job. <br><br>I feel bad for saying this. 14 years ago they gave me a job to do. I was forced to watch a woman in a camera for the rest of my life. It’s the only thing I know how to do. My only purpose is to watch that camera.<br><br>I know that it’s wrong, but I want to help her.