[ WP ] You are the hostage of a famous serial killer . The serial killer announces if you tell them a secret about yourself that is shocking enough , they 'll let you live . To date , they have only freed one other person .

`` Tell me a secret.'' 
 
 Yup, there it is. Everybody knows that question. A woman went free last year, the only one who had ever escaped his clutches. She told us. `` He said to tell him a secret, and if he did I could go.'' 
 
 The world asked what she told him. She answered, `` He said if I told anybody else it would n't be a secret anymore.'' 
 
 `` Well? TELL ME A SECRET!'' 
 
 He has a knife and he's getting a little crazy with it. I'm tied to a chair, but armed to the teeth with exactly what will stop him. 
 
 I have my secret, and it's going to tear him apart. 
 
 `` I know what she told you.'' 
 
 He stops. He turns. 
 
 `` The little bitch talked? But that was OUR SECRET! I'll hunt her for this, I'll have her back and I'll have her guts and I'll have her head and I'll... I'll... AAAAAAAARRRRGH.'' 
 
 He brutally slaughters a pillow on the couch under the window. It looks like the couch has seen his knife many times as well. I think he has some issues. 
 
 `` No, she did n't tell a soul. But that does n't mean I do n't know her secret.'' 
 
 `` HOW COULD YOU KNOW? It's a secret, that's how they work, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT NOBODY KNOWS!'' 
 
 This guy and his fucking wordplay. It's like a middle school child writing poetry. 
 
 `` That's my secret.'' 
 
 `` That you know?'' 
 
 `` *How* I know.'' 
 
 `` Would you tell it to spare your life?'' 
 
 `` I'd tell it to end yours.'' 
 
 `` HA! Like I have n't heard threats!'' 
 
 `` But you have heard secrets, and I've got one for you. Actually, I have four.'' 
 
 I toss the handcuffs at his feet and stand up. 
 
 `` Secret number one: my father was a stage magician. Secret number two: I hunted you. I found out who you were and I turned myself into the perfect victim just for you, so you'd bring me here.'' 
 
 He's looking a bit flustered now. Good. Ah, there it is - he rushes me with a yell. I sidestep, block his wild ( but telegraphed ) swipe with the knife, twist his wrist until he drops the knife, then drop him onto the floor where I deliver a good hard kick to the face. He recoils in pain and blood spurts over the floor - I've broken his nose. I kick the knife away from him and put myself between it and him. 
 
 `` Secret number three: the woman that got away was my mother. And her secret? She could tell truths, as a soothsayer does. But do you know what her DOUBLE secret was? She could n't. She did cold reading on you - read clues about you, made inferences, wide vague statements that you reacted to that let her narrow in on the facts she needed. I learned sleight of hand and a little bit of martial arts from my father, she picked up on the psychology of it all very well. Plus, she could really pull off the'sawed in half assistant' trick.'' 
 
 `` Ad youb hebe to kiw me becaud I took you bub?'' The broken nose makes it hard to understand, but I get the message. 
 
 `` No, she got away clean. We needed to research you, after all, and she took a calculated risk. I did n't want her to do so, but we needed to know what kind of handcuffs you used so I could get the right key. Now, secret number four: your third victim was my father.'' 
 
 It wo n't bring back my father, but the look of fear in his eyes as I wrapped my hands around his throat will give me comfort until my dying day.
