Chapter Eight #3
Above us, jagged webs of lightning slice through the sky, illuminating our surroundings in a brief explosion of blinding light.
I only manage to catch a glimpse of Axel, who is slumped forward in utter exhaustion.
I’m not sure how much sleep he managed to get, but it’s clear that no matter the amount, it wasn’t nearly enough.
That reminds me of the other advantage I was given… sleep.
For whatever reason, I have a significant amount of leverage for this test, and that fills me with trepidation. Why? Why are Axel and I receiving different treatment? Is that part of it?
“They want you to fail. We don’t have much longer. Talk to me. Wha– What’s the one thing you hate about being here?”
“Dicks,” he replies without a second of hesitation. I pause in confusion. I’m not sure exactly what he means by that and I’m just trying to keep him awake, so I ask him to clarify.
“Dicks? What do you mean?”
“Ugghhh,“ he groans. “I know you’re just trying to keep me awake, Ev.”
“Yeah, I am.” I answer matter-of-factly. “Now, what do you mean by dicks?”
“There’s only dicks here.” His voice carries a little stronger now, and I’m confident that he’s trying to wake himself up.
“You still have a hand, Axe. And I mean, a blowjob is still a blowjob.” The rain has slowed to a light sprinkle, so I shake some of the water from my hair to keep it from dripping in my eyes.
“Tit-for-tat is a real thing, Everest. I’m not going to put myself in that position. Not now. Not here.”
“I don’t blame you. I mean, I don’t have that problem, obviously, but if you get really desperate maybe you can work out a deal for something else. Just keep an open mind.”
A husky laughs escapes from him, and it’s almost comforting under the current circumstances. At this point in time, I’m remarkably aware of the fact that we’ve put ourselves in this situation voluntarily, but that doesn’t take away from how hard reality hits me.
We’re in prison.
Of course, we aren’t actual prisoners, but in a sense…
we are. We can’t just defy what’s happening.
We can’t wave a white flag and admit defeat.
We can’t just pack our bags, decide that we’re done here, and ride off into the sunset back to our homes in the city.
We’ve already been paid for the next three months of our time, and despite our many differences, Axel and I are both uncharacteristically stubborn.
There’s no way that we’re going to give up, even if that were an option.
We came here for an inside scoop, and come hell or high water, we’re gonna get it.
The bad part is that this isn’t even the peak of this experiment.
Neither of us have had the opportunity to step foot inside the actual prison yet.
We’re still thoughtlessly snoozing in cozy beds, enjoying an endless selection of foods, and have the privilege of using private bathrooms with doors.
It’s almost surreal, the quaint comforts we’re so accustomed to stand in such stark contrast to what’s lying ahead.
These preliminary tests are designed to toughen us up for the harsh future that awaits us once we cross over into general population, and despite the fact that we’re already struggling, I’m not sure this is going to be enough.
It’s a daunting realization that’s finally starting to sink in, and the weight if it looms heavier with each passing second. We have to succeed. There is no choice.
I refuse to leave this place as the same person I was when I arrived.
I’m so tired of being bored and underwhelmed.
I’m tired of pretending that I’m happy with my life when I’m not.
I’m tired of the suburban home, the mediocre job, the lack of motivation, my entire fucking life.
I’m sick of it. All of it. I’m determined to fight tooth and nail in order to make sure I walk away from this with a renewed sense of self. A new me.
The whole courtyard flares to life, and I instinctually tilt my head downward.
Squinting my eyes, I allow myself time to adjust to the blinding lights.
Once I can finally open them, I see Thorne and Wilde approaching our platforms from the mouth of the maze.
I glance over to Axel, whose intense but tired eyes lock onto mine.
My brows knit together, and I give him a determined nod.
“Keep your focus. Eye on the prize, Axel.”
He gives a resolute nod as we return our attention to our saviors.
I mean, they did put us up here in the first place, but right now all I can think about is the fact that they’re the ones relieving us from these uncomfortable perches.
How we got here in the first place is so far in the back of my mind, that it doesn’t even register.
They silently start to unfasten the leather bindings and help us down. My legs feel weak and wobbly as I try to shake out my wrist, and I almost stumble into Thorne. He reaches a hand out to stable me without even glancing in my direction.
“You’ll remain here for five minutes. During this time, you are allowed to stretch and talk with one another while Thorne and I return,” Wilder pauses as he lets out a silent yawn.
“You’ll be responsible for finding your way back to your room.
I suggest doing it as quickly as possible, but again, that’s entirely up to you.
We’ll let you know when to begin.” He points to a speaker mounted to the brick wall beside him before he starts walking off.
Thorne follows behind him without saying a single word.
They appear to be just as exhausted as we are.
I imagine that they were both awake to prepare for this little event long before Axel and I were woken up, so I have no doubt that they are just as tired despite not being subjected to the elements for nearly as long as we were.
As soon as the two of them disappear behind the wall, Axel and I both start stretching.
I can feel the blood finally returning to my arms and the sensation feels oddly foreign, but it’s so pleasurable that it’s almost orgasmic.
“Do you remember the path you took to get here?” I ask as I sit down to stretch my legs better. The grass squelches as I plop down, but it’s not like it matters. I’m already soaked to the bone. It’ll take me hours to feel like a normal human after this.
Axel furrows his brow as he stares down at the ground.
“I was still pretty out of it when we first started walking down the halls. I didn’t realize what we were doing yet, so I’m not confident about that portion.
The rain was a pretty stark wakeup call though.
I started paying closer attention once we got outside.
I’m pretty sure that I can get us through this shit.
” He says as he waves a finger at the brick wall beside us.
“Time is up, boys. We’ll see you back in the room.
Have fun.“ Wilde’s voice crackles through the speaker overhead.
Axel and I both stand up as we prepare to wind our way back inside.
Wilder’s voice sounded a lot like mockery though, and it has all my senses on edge.
Just as Axel and I take a few steps through the mucky grass, I stop in my tracks, sticking my arm out in front of Axel to halt his movements.
“Did you hear that?” I ask nervously as I glance behind us.
“Hear what?” He asks at the same time the sound echoes again.
“Shhh...“ I hiss with a finger over my lips. We’re both suspended in time as we stand there listening to what I hope was nothing more than a figment of my imagination. Then it echoes again, but this time it’s louder.
Closer. Snarls, and the distinct sounds of two dogs snapping at one another out of frustration.
Axel’s eyes go wide with panic, and suddenly we’ve transformed from cool and collected to absolute balls of frenzy. Axel grabs the front of my shirt and tugs me into movement behind him.
“They want us to panic so that we get flustered. Don’t get flustered, Axel.” I manage to sputter out as he drags me around a corner.
“I got us back from the last dog chase we dealt with, didn’t I?” He says as he moves through the passages with confidence.
That sends my mind into a spiral of thoughts.
What are the odds that they would send dogs to pursue us right after we had such a close encounter with them?
I mean, dogs are a common line of defense, but neither of us have mentioned the last experience to anyone else.
The likelihood of facing a similar scenario so soon after the last one is astonishingly slim.
Could the two situations be connected somehow?
The very idea seems absurd, but the unsettling coincidence continues to gnaw at me.
I’m hastily sifting through the details, searching for any hints or clues that might link the two seemingly unrelated scenarios together, but there’s only one thing that could possibly connect today to our previous situation. ..
The anonymous tip.
I’m still grappling with the implications of this information when Axel yanks the door open with so much force that it slams against the exterior wall.
He drags us both inside, and as the heavy door slams closed behind us, we collapse to our knees.
We both silently gasp for air as adrenaline continues to pump through our veins.
Just as we begin to regain our composure, a loud thump echoes from the other side of the door, jolting us both upright.
We both take a couple hesitant steps back as menacing growls and snarls promptly follow the collision with the door.
Axel and I share hesitant glances with one another before we turn around and start making our way down the hall.