I am in agony.

Mentally and physically in agony.

I woke up after being unconscious for a long time.

I am experiencing intense pain all over my body, and I fear that some of my bones are close to breaking. I am slowly getting overwhelmed by the sensations, and I feel like I am on the brink of losing my mind.

I am filled with rage and despair.

What is the point of living like this? I have lost everything that mattered to me. My family, my home, my friends. How can I survive in this cruel world? I miss my sister and mother so much. I wonder if they are safe and happy. I even miss Roger, even though he was a jerk to me.

Does my sister still cry for me at night? Does my mother still pray for me? How can I ever see them again?

I guess it’s not the pain I’m regretting, it’s leaving my family alone.

Leaving them and disappearing after I promised to protect them.

A hero huh?

That’s funny coming from a person who can’t even save himself….

… Time passed while I wallowed in regret. I had lost track of the time in this cell. I felt like a dead man walking, waiting for the inevitable end.

Suddenly I heard a knock at the cell door. It was the only sound that broke the silence of this hell. I looked up and saw a small slit was opened and a food tray was passed through.

Then I heard a familiar voice saying:” I brought your food. You have fifteen minutes to be done with it before I come back!” It was the guard that brought me the food daily.

“I can’t move. How the hell do you expect me to finish it in fifteen minutes, and why don’t you bring me something better to eat than this? Isn’t it the same garbage food you brought me last time?” I spat out in anger and frustration.

“Hey, kid. If I were you, I would stop nagging and eat. Even if you have to force it down eat! Your body will not last one bit without food.” He said in a stern but sympathetic tone.

He left leaving this remark behind. He closed the slit and locked the door. I was alone again with my thoughts and my regrets.

To be honest I’m confused. Why does he always say the same thing and leave? Is this comment to show his genuine concern or is it a kind of mind play meant to keep the “rats” alive longer? I wonder…

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Putting all my thoughts aside, I got myself off the bed and hauled myself to where the tray is. Enduring the pain, I ate the food while putting up with its disgusting taste.

I finished eating and went back to bed, hoping to get some sleep, but to my dismay, I was dragged again by the same guard that took me to the interrogation room yesterday.

It was a different room this time. It was located two doors to the left of the chief’s office.

What I saw and heard after I saw the door open made my hair stand on end. My body reflexively wanted to run away from the situation in front of me.

As if the guard read my inner thoughts, I was grabbed by the injured hand and dragged back into the room.

What was in front of me can only be described as crazy, insane, neurotic, and outright irrational.

It was a huge, and I mean a huge, torture room.

People whom I don’t know, and a lot of them, were strapped to all different kinds of contraptions. They were of all ethnicities, nationalities, and ages.

They were covered in bruises, cuts, and lacerations, and they were all as thin as a pole.

I watched as I saw them being electrocuted, choked, beaten, branded with a hot iron, and, for some unlucky bunch, even sexually violated.

No pleas could be heard from them.

No "help me", or" get me out of here"... Can be heard.

All I could hear were screams, cries, and agony.

It’s like they have given up on receiving any help. It’s like they are wallowing away their days waiting for a sweet release, which is death.

I shivered while thinking: “Will this be me someday? Will I die without protecting my family? Will I be able to endure this suffering, this torture?” I could hear the screams increasing from the people being tortured close to me. I felt a cold sweat running down my spine and a knot in my stomach.

I panicked and asked the guard in a hurry: “Of all the things in the world why a torture room? Why use torture for people who have committed no crime?

“I looked into his eyes, hoping to find a trace of humanity in them, but all I saw was a blank stare and a twisted smile.

“Because we will do anything to get the confession, we want…” the one who answered me was not the guard but someone else.

“He paused and leaned closer to my ear. “And because we have fun doing it.” He whispered with a malicious tone.

“Oh, who am I kidding? It’s because we can, that we do it. It’s because we enjoy it, that we do it. It’s because to us you are no more than rats. Rats that have their fate sealed from the time you were brought here.” The one who said those utterly maniacal lines was no other than Rick.

I had a burning desire to gouge out his eyes, shatter his bones, and set him on fire. But that was no longer an option for me. The only thing I could do was to squeeze some information out of this beast.

I fixed my eyes on Rick and said with a hint of murder in my voice: “You don’t do this just for fun, do you, Rick? There must be some other motives behind your actions. And you must have some powerful backers to get away with this. Care to share them with me?”

He smirked and said: “Sure, there are motives and backers, but you’re not in a position to know them. Torture is part of the deal, you see… Oops, I’ve said too much. Damn this brat for making me talk. Hey Carlo, take him to that chair and strap him down. I want to hear him beg for mercy. He’s been a thorn in my side since day one. He gave me a hard punch when we tried to snatch him, and it still hurts. It’s time for payback.”

With that, he ordered the guard who dragged me here, who was named Carlo, to tie me to the chair. I struggled with all my might, but it was useless. My neck, hands, and feet were secured, and I couldn’t move anything except my eyes.

They wanted me to witness everything and be powerless to stop it. I felt cold sweat dripping down my back, my hair standing on end, and before I could say anything, Rick said cheerfully: “Well then… let the fun begin.”