Intense lights, nearly drowning, engorged with food, tight spaces and mind games, all have been horrendous, but this, this is just pure pain.
The previous day they had been pelted with small rubber balls flying at such incredible speeds that when they struck their bodies it left them battered and bruised. The sores and blisters bled through their clothes and caused such swelling on some that it was to much pain to even walk.
Today they are showered from the sprinkler system above with a mixture of what seems to be lemon juice and salt. While it isn't toxic and they will no doubt all survive this day without any fatalities, nearly all of them are in intense pain as the liquid makes its way into their open wounds causing excruciating pain.
The remainder of the day is spent trying to keep the rain from their eyes, they have almost become accustomed to the pain of it in their wounds. Several people come to Jim and ask if they can pray with him, he makes no mention of his Christmas songs or Jewel, and Ross and Anne don't turn him in.
Some stand against the wall, flipping every so often like a pancake on a griddle to protect at least one of the sides of their body. Others who were shielded the day before now return the favor and lay across those who literally took a bullet for them yesterday. Regardless of how many wounds you have the liquid is causing massive problems with everyone's eyes. The burning liquid is running down their foreheads and into their eyes, making most walking around in a haze, squinting or just slamming their eyes shut as hard as possible.
Jim kneels alone in the middle of the room, the mixture washing over him, his eyes clamped shut and his hands locked with fingers intertwined in front of his face. The pain seers through his body but he makes no attempt to cover his wounds. He can barely be heard, its really just a mutter at this point, whatever he is saying its unending. Some think he's reciting every scripture he knows, or repeating the Hail Mary and Our Father over and over and over again. No one has yet to join him in his temple of pain after hours of everyone trying to dodge the rain, not a soul seeks to be saved by his side.
Ross approaches him, "Jim, come on man, he's not watching, torturing yourself like this on top of his torture isn't proving anything." Jim does not waiver, he just continues to chant. "Seriously man, come on, get up, get over here with us, we'll shield you for a bit, the womans group is helping us out since we helped them out yesterday. Get up, come on, lets go." Jim doesn't respond.
Anne comes running over. "Ross, come on, Jim lets go, we're using the wall to keep this rain off of us." Jim doesn't acknowledge her. "Listen Jim, I'm not very religious but what I do know is that there's no God out there that would want to have you suffer more on top of what we actually are."
"Actually there's an entire group called the Opus Dei, a Catholic group that believe in corporal punishment on themselves." Ross looks at Anne, wiping the liquid from his face.
"You're religious?" Jim looks up to him from his kneeling position.
"No. I saw The Divinci Code. Now get up!" Ross tries to bring him to his feet.
"I can't" Jim replies.
"You can, come on, no one will think less of your beliefs if you fight to live." Anne tries to help him.
"No. I mean I can't. My legs are locked, the sores on the back of my calves are cracking from the liquid and I'm trying to squeeze my legs tight to keep out the rain." He unlocks his hands and puts them to the ground.
"Have you been praying and reading scripture the whole day?" Ross crouches down to talk to him.
"I know like 2 prayers, after that I started saying Christmas songs, listing any famous religious people I know. Singing any song that has God in it, when you walked over I was singing Jewel." He tries to upright himself.
"Eww, if I knew that I wouldn't have come over." Anne smirks.
"Lets leave him here." Ross quips.
"Help me up please." Jim offers his hand, and the two of them pull him to his feet, the blood from his legs instantly mixes with the rain and nearly brings him back to his knees but Ross and Anne keep him standing.
Jim makes his way over to the wall and the group tries to cover him up for a bit, several people come and ask if they can pray with him, he makes no mention of Jewel or any Christmas songs and Ross or Anne don't blow him in. He breathes a breath of relief, he may live yet and the voices in his head again encourage him to carry on, to live and to keep going.
Others in the room hear lepers in their head, slowly draining them, sucking away at their life force and days, a madness grows after only 8 days in this hell hole. Granger tormenting Dalton, Ross can't escape Ciphers voice though he's made no mention of this to anyone, and Daniel, he hears a diffent voice, and it to eats at him and calls him home.
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