Sawyer and The Man in Black in “The Subsitute”

Do you read?

Doesn't everybody?

You ever read Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck, it's my favorite.

No, a little after my time.

It's about these two guys, George and Lenny. Lenny's kinda slow... causin' George problems... so George walks him into the woods and tells him to look out yonder and picture the pretty little house they're gonna live in some day. Then he shoots Lenny in the back of the head.

That doesn't sound like a very happy ending.

[Sawyer puts a gun to the back of MIB's head] It ain't.

Something on your mind, James?

I'm wondering what would happen if I was to put a bullet in your head?

Let's find out?

[Sawyer hesitates and lowers the gun] What are you?

What I am is trapped. And I've been trapped for so long that I don't even remember what it feels like to be free. Maybe you can understand that. But before I was trapped, I was a man, James. Just like you.

I'm havin' a hard time believin' that...

You can believe whatever you want, that's the truth. I know what it's like to feel joy... to feel pain, anger, fear... to experience betrayal. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. So if you wanna shoot me, shoot me. But you're so close, James. It would be such a shame to turn back now.