There were times... Day 42 pt 2

"What did you say?" Ross steps in front of Daniel.

"I killed Dalton. When we were in the rooms, when Cipher told me he'd meet me one on one, he had Dalton dress like him. He was in the mask and he couldn't speak, it looked like his lips were glued shut. Then he taunted me until I snapped and I attacked what I thought was him. I thought if I could kill Cipher it would end all of this, that the P90s would just quit and we'd get out. I thought... I thought I could save us. I was wrong, he lied and he made me kill a friend of mine." Daniel sits on the floor.

"You didn't say anything. Its been days, weeks since that happened, and you never said a word. Why?" Ross looks at him, clearly angry.

"I was scared, I killed our friend, its not easy to come clean when you have that kind of blood on your hands." Daniel talks to the ground, unable to look at Ross.

"I'd think it be easy for you, its not the first time you've gotten blood on your hands." Cipher prods the situation.

"What does that mean?" Liz looks to both Cipher and Daniel.

"I put a man in the hospital once. I nearly beat him to death. He is in constant need of medical attention, he has difficulty talking, he lost his right eye and he has to eat a special diet and I did that to him." Daniel looks at Liz.

"Why?" is all she can think to say.

"He was responsible for the death of my wife and son." Daniel puts his hands over his face, rubbing as if to erase everything there.

"Your wife is dead?! You talk about her all the time as though you have to get back to her!" the words stumble out of Ross's mouth, he's just more and more shocked by each thing that is said.

"I do have to get back to them, to my home, to their graves. I see them and talk to them all the time."

"That's a lie." Cipher jumps in. "He's lying there. The other things all true, but seeing them all the time thinking of them, no, he used to, but he gave up on their memory long ago."

"#$*& YOU!" Daniel screams and stands up. "I never stopped. I just chose to start living my life in a way that wasn't a reflection of their death every day."

"And why is that? Was it because you put Sean Thatch into the hospital? Was it because you saw him one day at the mall in his wheelchair and the actions of  your life were there sitting and staring back at you?! Did it eat at you that the justice system that kept him out of prison for what he did was the same one that kept you out of prison for what you did? "

"How do you know that? Who are you?" Daniel thinks back to the day he saw Sean at the mall, their eyes met for a moment, neither said anything. He remembers hoping that Sean didn't look at him and think 'now we're even' because that wasn't the case, they weren't even, his wife and son were gone and it was because of him. He hated him, and felt his pain was worse than his, but he knew that if every day he carried that hate it would be every day that he wouldn't be living and his wife wouldn't want that at all. "You don't know what it was like, they were my everything, and he took it away."

"Hey, don't let him do that to you, don't let him take you back there. You changed your life for your family so you could keep living, its why he made you 100, because he knew, he knew you decided to live and move on past that. You went on to push through every day of pain to make it through that tragedy, I can't even imagine. Just like you'll make it through this thing." Jim puts his hand on his shoulder.

"Aw, the ever consoling Jimmy." Cipher interjects. "Here's what we're going to do, first Kelly get out or stay, now." Kelly turns and sees the door at the far end of the room lit up and runs for the door. "Smart choice, who knew she had it in her. Second, the events of day 42 are about to change due to this play of recent events. Jim, do you forgive Daniel for killing Dalton?"

"I do, Dalton's death is your fault, just as every other death that's taken place here is on you."

"What about you Ross? Do you forgive him? You don't look so happy." Cipher remarks.

"No. I don't forgive him."

"Ross, he didn't know!" Anne steps up.

"He knew afterwards, he's known for over 20 days, but he didn't tell us. He didn't tell me."

"This isn't about you Ross." Anne tries to calm him down.

"No, its about us." Ross pokes Daniel in the chest. "How many times were we away from the group? How many times did we talk about everything that was bringing us down? About the others here? About our lives at home, all the personal stuff we told each other, how many times?! If you would have told me, and said please don't tell the group, I would have done that, I'd keep your secret, but that's not what happened! You didn't trust me with the truth. Everything thing that we've been through together and you couldn't tell me what was really going on with you. What's that about Daniel!"

"I just couldn't bring myself to do it, he was our friend, and he died because of me."

"No, Daniel stop.." but Liz is cut off.

"No Liz, it is his fault! Dalton is dead because of you and your temper and your thinking you could end all this. What if it was Cipher, what if you did kill him and the P90s just left, and they left us in here to just die of starvation, with no one to find us?! All of the sudden they were going to have a conscious and be like 'oh well we might as well let everyone go, whats the point.' For real?!" Ross rants on.

"They wouldn't have done that, they would've.." and then Cipher is cut off.

"Shut up! You're not playing me today with this, its your fault too that Dalton's dead. Its your fault Rashaan is dead, that Jason is dead, Linda, Chuck and everyone else, its ultimately your fault. I'm mad at you, Daniel,  for not telling me." he pokes Daniel again. "I'm mad at you for not trusting me with this. There were times....there were times I told you things I wouldn't tell anyone, and I thought you were doing the same. But you were holding back."

"I did this because I CARE ABOUT OUR FRIENDSHIP. I didn't tell you because if I'm going to make it for another 60 damn days in this place I had to have someone be there for me! I walk around like I'm this big cool loner and I can take care of myself! But, if I told you then.."

"If we're friends, if we really care about one another, we can tell each other anything, regardless if it will hurt our feelings, or make us look different at someone or something, it won't matter. Because our trust of one another, our value that we put on our friendship on how we support one another to get through all of this, it supposed to mean something. But if your lying, if you put your worries about how I'll react rather than trusting me enough to allow me to react, well then it doesn't mean anything."

"Wow, look at the tempers fly, who's ready for day 42 because I have a great idea. The next twelve hours, are the next twelve rounds. In this corner, the man who lied to you all about his wife and son, the man who killed one of your own with his bare hands out of hate and not survival, he is Mr. 100 Days, lets give it up for Daniel! His opponent, rather opponents, twelve of you, one each hour on the hour will fist fight killer over here, the round ends when one of you physically can't answer a ten count, and no throwing the fight. If Daniel loses a fight, its not over, he's got to get back up and fight the next round. Do I have any volunteers?" Cipher waits, but not for long.

"I'm in." Scott moves up. "You lied to us, all of us, and Dalton wasn't my closets of friends but he chose me and my side once, so I'll fight on his behalf."

"Excellent! Anyone else?" Cipher pauses but no one seems quick to step forward. "That's what I thought, so I'll be picking the other eleven. My first pick, Ross, you get to be lucky contestant number one, and since it just so happens to be the top of the hour I suggest you take that anger your feeling right now and channel it against your buddy here. Because the bell is ringing right now, ding...ding."

The rest of the group fall back away from Ross and Daniel as though they're watching a school yard fight.

Day 42 begins.

All My Sins Day 42 pt 1

As like so many other days it begins being painful even to stand, they help each other get to their feet and stagger to the center of the room. A young blond woman, whom when not in this room makes sure she is always looking beautiful before she leaves her house is so tired and sore that tears well in her eyes as she moves with the group. Its her day however, its time to leave and she wants to be ecstatic about it but her face hurts so much from yesterday's events that she can't bring herself to even smile.

Anne and Liz help each other up and Ross sticks out his hand for one of them to help him up from the ground. His hand is clasped and he's yanked from the floor and comes eye to eye with Daniel. 

"Well that didn't take long." Ross smiles and hits him on the shoulder.

"A day in here seems like forever, so I guess coming to terms with things comes by a little quicker." he hits him back.

"I didn't know about the tag, I swear." Ross looks him in the eye and stares at him hoping his friend that he's been through believes him.

"I believe you. Its okay, and Liz, I believe you too." he turns to her and shakes her hand with both hands as if hugging hands.

"What about me." Anne stands there saddened and worried about what will happen next.

"Well, sure you lied, but I understand why. For your safety, for the others you couldn't tell me and I never flat out asked any of you if any of you knew, so.... I guess if I would have asked, and you point blank lied to me I'd be more upset, but when its one of those things where its better left unsaid. I guess I understand because I would do the same." he offers Anne his hand and she pulls him in for a hug.

"I really am sorry, I didn't want you to ever know, I hate that Cipher is doing this to all of us, manipulating us on top of everything else." she wipes a tear from her face and sniffs her nose.

"He's done a lot to us, which is why I want to tell you all something." Daniel begins to speak but is interrupted by the monitor coming on. 

"Front and center all of you please." Cipher adjust his mask slightly and the camera that he is looking into. "Where is Kelly Richards?" Kelly moves to the front and holds up the number 42. "Excellent Kelly, anything to say before you leave to your friends here?"

She turns and faces them, moving her long blond hair from her face. "Be strong, and when you all get out of here, we need to meet up again, because I promise I don't always look like this." she and a few of the others chuckle. "I can't wait to get home and see my boyfriend, I miss him. But who knows what kind of relationships we'll have after here? Who knows what the relationships we had before we left will feel like when we get home? To look back and think about things we've argued over, I mean Tony and I, and then to look at what we fought about in here, it makes you think, you know? Sorry I'm not expressing myself very good."

"I think what you're trying to say is that what I've done to you Kelly, has worked. You are walking out of here with a better appreciation of life, and its because of me, I made you better. Feel free to tell the world, confess to everyone what has gone on here and how you have all grown, grown to be better people, better Americans.."

"How about you confess!" Jim shouts to the screen. "Are you the President?! Was that guy right, or was he just crazy? Is this some government conspiracy?"

"Tell you what Jimbo, I'll confess, on one condition, five other people in this room must confess something as well. That happens, I'll answer your question." Cipher leans back in his chair and waits.

"I was a drunk. Drank all the time, so much so that I lost my job. There, happy?" Jim shouts out and looks to the others to be judged, but instead what he finds are new friends comforting him and patting him on the back.

"I was a dancer." Liz pauses. "Ugh, well actually I was a stripper, that kind of dancer. It was a long time ago, college years, and well other than lap dances it never got more intense than that, if you know what I mean." "I'm engaged." Anne steps over with Liz and Jim.

"I have a fiancee at home."

"What?!" Ross was shocked. "I thought he was your boy friend?"

"Ooo, this is getting good, love the drama." Cipher leaned in as though he was watching a good movie.

 "I was going to tell you. But it never seemed the right time, not that I should it matter while were in here." 

"What the Hell does that even mean?!" Ross throws his hands in the air.

 "Ooooo What?!" Cipher falls back all dramatic as if he were on a day time talk show.

 There's silence and the rooms attention is all on these two, all but one, Daniel walks over near the front of the group, bumping into Ross as though he wasn't there.

 "I killed Dalton." he mumbles it, but then clears his throat, and repeats it louder, "I killed Dalton."

 "Oh SNAP! I did not see that one coming." Cipher slaps his hand on the table and everyone there is just silent, no one moves, not even Kelly.

 End part 1 of Day 42

To see me through Day 41 pt.3

Its not sand, or dirt, the best way to describe it is debris. Debris blowing and whipping across the room, flying around so much and raining on them that it almost cuts the flesh from their body. Its so loud from the wind that a constant roar is all that can be heard, like standing next to a train passing by that never ends. Even if they could hear, they don't dare open their mouths for fear of getting a mouth full of the dust, dirt, debris and small stones that race at them from every direction. Day 41, filled with so much drama, its torture is to essentially survive a explosion of wind, debris coming at the group non stop.

Ross sits huddled with Anne, Liz and Jim, making a small circle trying to shield each other from the onslaught. Before the wind had hit these speeds the group had made an attempt to get Daniel to join them but it was to no avail. The four arms locked over each other shoulders try to hide their face and keep their breath from slipping away in this man made 'sandstorm' or sorts.

Groups all around the room sit together, some in pairs, some in four or more but only Daniel today is on his own. He sits against the wall with his shirt off and wrapped around his face, with his hands cupped over his ears he tries to block out everything, but being in his head right now, alone, is not the place he wants to be either. In his head he sees Dalton. He's staring down at him and reliving that moment when he pulled the mask off and his face, beaten to a pulp laid there un-moving. Cipher manipulated him into killing Dalton, he manipulated the group, his friends to lie to him so that he would be the last to leave this prison.

He heard them say they didn't know, but Anne said she did, so who can he believe? These people whom he's only known for a little over a month? Why would they care if he was last one in the room, what ties do they have to him, as long as it wasn't them. Would he act differently he thought, would he lie to someone if he wasn't Mr. 100 Days and pretend he didn't know to assure his safety?

His fists clenched from anger relax suddenly and he's transported by memory through time and space out of the room to a day when he and his wife and son were playing outside, having the greatest time. A car horn goes off and they suddenly have visitors, he sees his wife's friends exit their car, carrying plates of food and find it to be the craziest thing they would just show up unannounced with food. He asks her did he forget they have plans? She tells him no, she just didn't tell him because he thought he would be upset if he knew some of the girls were coming over.

He said to her, you couldn't tell me so you lied to me? She responded, no, I just didn't tell you, so I really didn't lie. Later on he found one of his child's toys broken by the door way and when he asked his son if he broke it he said no, the dog next door did. This was clearly a lie, the dog had no way of getting in their home, but his son being so young didn't know the logistics of his lie. He told his wife later on about the broken toy and about the lie about the dog. His wife asked if he called him out on his lie and told him it wasn't right. He said to her, what's the point, as we get older we just get better at lying or avoiding the truth, why make him a better liar now. They fought like married couples do, he was hurt, she was offended, she was hurt, he was offended in the end they tried to remember why they were fighting and realized that they were probably both right and both wrong at the same time.

He remembered saying to her, only humans lie, animals may trick other animals for survival but humans do it and know they're doing it all along, maybe we're just not meant to be with each other, we'd be better off behaving like animals. This didn't help the situation, it angered his wife more and she would use that logic of his against him time and time again when they would argue about anything.

The last time he thought about that fight was the day of their funeral, when he watched both of their coffins being lowered into the ground he screamed internally because instead of every happy moment he had with them in his life he was filled with the memory of every stupid fight, every missed kiss, every lie and every avoidance of the truth. He would never get a chance to say again to his wife, just see me through this, and when that was taken from him, his faith in nearly everything was shattered.

He thought to himself again, would he have lied, would he have kept quiet and  not  told the truth to avoid the consequences? Is it sometimes easier to let people think what they do to avoid fights and arguments? Yes, he answered to himself, yes it is, as awful as that sounds he knows that's the real truth. His wife was right, but she was gone and he couldn't tell her.

He stood up against the wall and tried to walk away from it as best he could in the insane storm, but unable to see or hear where his friends were it was pointless. He shuffled back to the wall and knew he was set to be alone for until morning. Day 41's torture for him wasn't the wind, or the debris or the roar of whatever it was that was blowing it all at them. It was his being left with his own thoughts and the fear that what few friends he had now he would lose forever, again.

Had an angel of mercy Day 41 part 2

They congregate to the center of the room and begin the process of letting one of their own go back to safety and civilization; or at least they hope that is what is happening. They all know its Renee's turn to go, and a lot of them know how Renee got that number that he has. His first twenty days in that room had one goal, survival, but as time went by, even though it was merely days, something changed in him.


 Life had a different meaning, the time spent with Bonnie, the time spent in the dark thinking of what he did, he changed, he wanted nothing more than to become a better man. He confessed to Jim that he was never very spiritual before coming into the room, and when he first heard Jim even mention God or prayer to help them get through this time he laughed at it, he felt only he would be able to get himself out of this. But something inside, some inner voice that gave him the courage to survive not by killing and controlling, but by loving and helping took over and he and Bonnie grew even closer after that.


Cipher came on the monitor. "Good morning everyone, everyone did very well in their writing assignment, I was quiet pleased, B+ for everyone, no such thing as straight A students in my world." he leans back in his chair and puts his fingers in the steeple fashion he always does.


"Hey..psss" Oliver taps Ross. "Know anyone who does that?"


Ross and the others take note of Cipher and how he's sitting, arched back in his chair, finger tips touching as his arms rest on the chair. This is a pose they've seen the President do in many speeches, but still, it is a rather common way to sit for any man in power.


"Yeah, my old boss when I worked at the Mobile gas station, come on man, that's not the President." Ross shushes Oliver and takes a step away from him.  


Oliver moves back closer to Ross and tries to get his attention as Cipher continues to pontificate on the screen "dude." he nudges him on the arm and and swings his head to make Ross see. "Do you see?!" he says between his teeth as though he's trying not to be heard by the class teacher. 


"Shut up, and leave me alone." Ross whispers back through his gritted teeth. 


"Renee, we all know you have today's number, step forward please." Cipher calls him forward and with a smile on his face he moves forward. "Ready to go see Bonnie?"


"Yes I am." he says and tears run down his face and stain his cheeks. 


"Will he?!" Scott cries out to Cipher. 


 "Will he what?" Cipher shoots back. 


"Will he see his loved ones? Will he see Bonnie? Do we get reunited, do we really get to go home, we don't know what happens to anyone when we get out of here."


"Scott from Day 1 I have told you that his is a journey, a way to make you all stronger, what is the point of making any of you stronger if when you get out of here you can't live that stronger life."


"You said you wanted to make the country stronger. Hell we could all be martyrs for your cause." 


"Martyrs, no; soldiers, yes. You will leave here, tell your story, talk about what you endured, you will be symbols of how life carries on, not how it dies. You will be heroes of our nation. The story of Renee and Bonnie will be fantastic, they'll probably get their own reality show or film the wedding. I want you to thrive, this experiment is to help you thrive. My fellow Americans we will show this world the best of what humanity can be through life, through working together, and we will be a shining example of what a country, a people, from all walks of life, can do working together, America is the blueprint of the future." 


 "SEE! OH MY GOD! SEE! I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU! THATS FROM HIS FOURTH OF JULY SPEECH!" Oliver jumps up and down pointing at Ross and pointing at the monitors.


"What the hell is going on?!" Cipher turns to look at something on his desk, most likely to zoom in on who's screaming. 


"YOU'RE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!" Oliver screams it out, and the room looks slightly shocked as for a lot of them, the corolation of that speech and ones they've heard the President say come together. "HA I TOLD YOU!" 


"Renee, leave through the door on the North Wall. P90s please obtain that man, I believe his name is Oliver and bring him to the room on the West wall." Cipher flips a couple of switches on his desk and seems oddly upset and curt. 


 The light comes on at the North wall and Renee makes his way towards it, the P90s enter the room and move toward Oliver with their laser sites trained on him, as he jumps around the room nervously. "WEST ROOM? YOU MEAN WEST WING RIGHT? RIGHT MR. PRESIDENT?!" He screams and rants as he moves in and out of the crowd, but no one is providing him any safety or shelter.


The group starts to move about and run from the P90s as they become disjointed and try to grab on to Oliver. In the midst of the chaos Daniel looks across the room to Renee and runs at him, he grabs him by the shoulder and spins him around. "Why?! Why didn't she give me a different tag?! What did you mean by what you said?! Answer me!" He shakes the big man, his anger and rage have given him the strength to do so.


"Get your hands off me! You have to stay, that's what was decided from day two, you're the one who has to stay... til the end.May you find that same Angel of Mercy that I did." he shoves Daniel to the floor and runs the rest of the way to the North Wall and the door shuts behind him.


Daniel gets up and sprints towards the door with his shoulder down its clear his goal is to ram through. "GUARDS! 100!" Cipher screams out through the monitor and the guards scan the room to find Daniel, they see him running towards the door, and they open fire. It sounds like puffs of air, like a popcorn maker makes, and the group cringes because they know how one of those shots feel, a group of them would be excruciating. Not one of the P90s miss, and he drops the floor with a grunt, not a scream. 


They then turn to Oliver and open fire and drops crying and screaming in pain. "100!" Cipher shouts again and they turn back to see Daniel getting back up to run to the door again. They shoot again, several shots a piece, and they all hit. This time its more of a scream, but its guttural, deep like an animal trying to avoid capture. Ross runs towards him shouting out.


 "Stop, he's done, he's down!" He slides on the floor into him to shield him from more shots, but the guards have gone back to putting their attention to Oliver. They've grabbed him and drag him to the West room tossing him inside, touching their ear pieces, they get the order to leave the room and do so through the West room.


 Daniel pulls himself up and looks to the monitor where Cipher is still watching. "WHY!" he screams out, holding onto Ross's arm.


 "Isn't it obvious Daniel, you're the strongest, you'll make it and you'll do us all proud. I'll be right back to start the day, I have to go talk to our buddy Oliver for a minute." he shuts off the monitor and is gone. 


 "You knew, you all knew." Daniel looks at Ross and now Liz and Anne who have run over. 


 "I didn't know I swear to God!" Ross pleads with him.


"I knew." Anne answers. "After day 2 and all the fighting, a lot of people were hurt, knocked out, or dead, those of us that were standing knew. Cipher told us you had to be number 100, he said if anyone traded with you, or gave you a lower number they'd be killed. He said someone has to make it through and he was betting you would do it, if we told you we'd be killed, if we hinted at it, killed. He said someone has to stay till the end."


"Whatever, get off me." Daniel rolls away from Ross and tries to stand up. 


"Don't be stupid, let us help you." Liz grabs his arm, but he pulls away. 


"That's all I've been is stupid. The pansy to this dumb game, I'm just tired of it all." 


"Dude. I swear, I must have been knocked out when Cipher gave that speech! I would have told you! I'm you're friend!" Ross offers his hand again. 


 "Yeah, well friends... family, they come and go. Not everything can be fixed with a movie quote Ross. Life isn't like TV, things don't get solved in 30 minutes. I'm going over there, and I want to be alone, don't follow me." Daniel gets up holding his arm like it were in a sling and limps over to the other side of the room. 


"Daniel! I didn't know!" Ross calls out.


"Let him go, give him time. The more you try and apologize the worse it will be." Liz and Anne get Ross up from the floor just as the monitor comes back on and Cipher returns. 


 Begin Day 41.