Chapter 1: The Compound
After a couple of seconds, the obvious lack of pain and horror confronting me puzzled my fear-stricken brain. Hesitantly I peeked open an eye afraid if I did somehow they would realize I'm there again. What I was met with were blaring bright white lights shining like miniature suns. Slowly my eyes adjusted and I began to take in more of my surroundings. The cold metallic chair I was sitting in and the black suction cup-like pods attached all over my body felt like life was being sucked from me where they were attached.
"Everyone give a big round of applause for our winner of the 673rd Parade!" The blaring voice echoed into my brain as I saw the other chairs exactly the same as mine holding all types of individuals, all of whose faces I recognized from only a few days ago when all of this madness began. Now they all sat limp, with blood slowly seeping from their eyes, ears, and nose. My first reaction was to wretch, my body kept dry heaving trying to expel whatever was in my stomach, but as it appeared, there was nothing. So all that happened was me falling into the floor shaking like a leaf on a tree in the middle of a storm. All I wanted to do was sleep, my body felt so weak and unresponsive. The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was a small glowing orb floating from the ceiling staring straight at me. I shut my eyes tightly as my face pressed against the stone of the floor. Until finally the darkness took me.
"Hey! Come on snap out of it. Fucking useless trolls can't even stay awake. There you go. " I woke to a mousie-faced man standing over me lightly slapping my cheek. Although it was not light enough to be considered kind. It was leaning more towards annoyance of my unconsciousness and him actually having to touch me in order to do something about it.
"Good morning sunshine. Congrats on surviving the Parade. I won't lie to you and say it was all that impressive, honestly, all the contestants were cowardly this time around, but hey entertaining nonetheless! "
He let out a sigh and a shrug as though I would understand his pain about the subject. My vision went red for a moment as rage began to grow in my chest for this man. The casual way he spoke about those who had died brutally that day infuriated me beyond words. None of us had any choice. None of them wanted to be here. I felt my nails dig into my palms, knuckles white from the strain.
“Shut up,” I said pushing myself upright. I don't know if it was the look in my eyes or maybe the man no longer wanted to be close to me, but he took a quick step back.
“Hey, hey listen. Watch yourself. I don't want to have to put you down like the rabid dog that you are.” I knew this mousie little shit could kill me with a flick of his wrist, but I was too tired to care. On unsteady feet, I pushed past him letting my naked feet slap against the cold cement floor with more force than necessary. It was a childish form of defiance. Yet it did not stop me from expressing it either way. Besides I had to find some way not to try and tear apart the little weasel that had just spoken to me.
I held back tears that threatened to fall. I didn't want to give them satisfaction. Pushing open the heavy wooden doors into the bright and shining light that I thought I would never see again just a few short hours ago.
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“Holy shit.”
Not exactly the most elegant way of putting it, although I agreed with the oily teen's assessment of what just took place either way. The way the horrific monster on the screen had pulled the man's entire leg off did warrant a reference to righteous fecal matter.
I took a quick glance away from the large white granite slab that somehow portrayed the images almost 400 teens were entranced by while watching. All of their faces held differing emotions, some disgust, a few glees, and many indifferent. The ones with the gleeful expressions I made a mental note of and marked them as ones not to meet alone in an alleyway.
“Shut the fuck up. Do you want our group to be on the cleanup crew tonight you moron.” said another teen at the end of the row from where I sat. I thought the fact that he was making more noise talking himself while telling another to quiet down was humorous, but the idea of a cleanup crew quickly smothered any mirth. I made direct eye contact with both of them and simply raised my finger to my lips in the universal ‘shush’ motion.
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They both went pale for a moment and immediately went rigid and paid far closer attention to the show than before. I held back the urge to sigh at their over-enthusiastic display of fear. It had been like this for over two weeks now ever since I was charged with being the superintendent's assistant. That damn bastard had no idea how much trouble he was causing me on a day-to-day basis and I doubt he’d be anything but happy about it either way.
Finally, the images went dark and a pale man with a suit that fit worse than most potato sacks walked onto the stage that was on the north wall of the auditorium. It was raised by about 6 feet which made one feel as though whoever was on there was trying very hard to be as far away from the teens seated below as possible. His name was Mr. Crott, and almost everyone in the room had a deep-seated hatred for him held closely to their hearts. Myself included, I could still feel the phantom pains that laced through my back from the old chain he kept in his baggy pockets at all times.
“Entertainment time is over. Proceed to physical development quickly and silently if you enjoy living. Dismissed ” He gave off his signature thin-lipped smile that sent chills down everyone there are spines. The already silent room seemed to get even quieter, as though not even the wind wished to be caught making noise around this creature.
In perfect unison, all those present stood with rigid precision and began to march in sequenced lines towards the dark doors at the south end of the auditorium. The crinkle of each one of our grey, steam-pressed uniforms created an ominous snap with each step. All of our heads were buzzed to an exact half-inch length with no exceptions. This is not a place that promotes individuality or free-spirit. I felt the full chill of the air as soon as I walked past the doors leading to the open air. It was mid-November so the frost never seems to leave all surfaces exposed to the elements.
The gravel that began after stepping out of the auditorium made a dull crunch against our bare feet. It had been a very long time since I remembered what it felt like to wear shoes. The instructor said it promoted discomfort which led to less complacency. Which is a great way of saying that it hurt a hell of a lot more to run away without shoes. Even at ‘home’ if one was found with any form of foot covering or un-administered clothing then you were sent to the top of the list for the ‘Parade’.
It didn't take long to cross the barren strip of gravel to reach the smaller yet still large “physical development” building, it healed over 400 students at a one-time and it could easily fit more. It mimicked the auditorium in many ways with its dark grey square exterior, although it did hold a few more windows which I was appreciative of. Natural light was a gift no matter the circumstances.
Yet even with all the natural light, it could not make up for the pain and misery that every one of us had to endure inside these walls. As the lines passed through identical dark doors as before into the “PD’ building as we called it, I glanced at each of the 10x10 gravel pits that lay slightly indented into the ground in uniform lines with ten across and ten wide leaving a hundred in all stretching across the floor of the entire building.
Coming to stop, everyone filled in and we all stood before a true bear of a man. Standing just over 7 feet tall Mr. Crange was not one to be tested. Though none of the instructors here were, he was on the top of the don't piss off the list for me.
“Let's get this started! I've grown tired of your stench already little trolls. I'll assign partners now. Listen well.” His voice was as smooth as nails on a chalkboard and that was being polite.
He had been calling out names the entire time while I was in thought and I was relieved when I did not hear my name be called once. Until he took an extra deep breath and said.
“For the final pairing, it will be Gregory and Sasha!” I cursed him in my mind. This is the worst possible outcome. Gregory is well known for being the largest and strongest ‘Student’ in the entire ‘Compound’, although definitely not the smartest by a long shot if you know what I mean. I'd bet half my leg that the man didn't know how to add more than one digit numbers together and even that might be a choir for the oaf.
I was looking around after Crange announced that I would be fighting him and quickly spotted the large man-child like a rock jutting out of the ocean waves, he towered over everyone except Crange himself. I held back an enormous sigh that threatened to escape my lips for the 20th time today.
“Now pair up and begin on my command! You all know the rules, first to fall unconscious or leak two hand-fulls of blood, loses, and of course, will be punished.” He smiled directly at me with the last phrase and I felt my gut twist. Today really wasn't my day.
“Group 1! Begin!” There were 4 groups in all with a hundred kids in each group, but not everyone would have to fight today and I was hoping to be among them, but fate was an unforgiving bitch. I was part of group 4, the last group to fight today, and that only made it worse as I felt Gregory's beady little eyes tracking my every moment as though he expected me to run away.
No, I would not run away. Today was the day I put this beast in his place. I was not a large man, standing only 5’8 and a half on a good day, but I had been here in this decrepit hell hole the longest out of every single person here. And they would soon learn what exactly that did to a man and what I was truly capable of. I was not to be feared because I was the Superintendent's Assistant. I was to be feared because I had survived here for 8 long years. And no one was going to end that record, at least, only over my dead body.