The crackle of the fluorescent lights hum again and the response of the current residents of the mysterious warehouse awaken, this time with a different sense of dread than the day before. Yesterday they awoke here terrified of what someone had done to them, today they awake terrified of what they have done to each other.
They all sit huddled in some areas not speaking and barely moving. They can’t acknowledge what has happened their fear had taken a hold of them and changed them. The not knowing and the panic kept building up, like a slow faucet filling a glass, it was only a matter of time until it over flowed and spilled onto everyone. The begging from some to switch numbers, the safeguarding and defensiveness of others fighting to not reveal the number they held. Yesterday seems so long ago, it started with some mild name calling and the occasional shove here and there but not until a skirmish between two men, Bobby and Kevin, near the end of the day did the glass begin to top off. The fight however wasn’t seen by anyone, the lights went off and only the screams and sounds of a battle could be heard.
Everyone immediately this morning looked to the spot where the night before the two had begun their argument. Neither Kevin nor Bobby were there, instead what could be seen caused a wave of nausea to crash amongst those still standing. There was body, after body after lifeless body. Choked, punched beaten to death for a number; a number that has no meaning. The women scream and some of the survivors run to the victims to see if any of them are alive, some are, but most are not.
The monitor turns on and Cipher is there, the P90s come through the doors and raise their weapons pointing at the crowd below.
“Good morning. I see not all of you slept well. Everyone gather to the center area so that the cameras may get a good view of all of you, hold your numbers in the air and do not say a word. If you speak you will be shot. Use sign language, blink morse code…you’ll be shot. I’m very disappointed in all of you. Look what you did, I count 14 dead, 14 men and women killed by your hands, not mine! I merely kept you in this room against your will; at no point did I say to kill one another.” He pauses as the remaining eighty six bow their heads in shame, realizing he’s right. They killed 14 people because of fear.
“Where’s number 1. Number 1 step forward please.” The room draws still everyone looking around an older woman Jordan Baker steps forward, tears in her eyes. She shakes and moves to the front of the pack. Some of them try and comfort her and console her, saying prayers and whispering good thoughts, holding back their tears. Others turn away because they know the truth, their group made Jordan take number one, they convinced her that she’s old, she’s lead a full life and that the number one probably meant the first person to be ‘eliminated’ from their expedition. She made her peace with God, in her head she said good bye to her children, and her three children’s children.
“What is your name please Miss?” Cipher looks down as if he were in the same room.
“Jordan….Jordan Baker.” She barely utters her name past her dry cracked lips, holding her tag and a crucifix she made with some scraps of paper she had in her pocket. Her knees go weak and she almost falls over but two men grab her arms and keep her standing.
“Miss Baker, do you see the light that has come on some 20ft from you?” He actually speaks with a modicum of concern. A light shines from above and puts a circle on the floor against the wall to the group’s right, a group of P90s move together to have a better view of the circle.
“Yes.” She looks up at the screen, his blank face looking back at her and in it she finds no hope, this is the end for her.
“Step over to the light Miss Baker.” She walks over and stands there quivering. “Your time here is done.”
“WAIT! No, come on please wait. Miss Baker, I’ll take your tag. Miss Baker wait. It’s me Marcus! I have number 59, take mine.” The crowd seems shocked, did he know her before they got there, why would he choose to replace her? They look to Cipher.
“Miss Baker do you wish to switch?” Cipher waits, the P90s make no change.
“No, it’s mine, I’ll keep it.” She stands in the light closes her eyes, and hangs her head in her hands. The P90s raise their guns, and the wall behind Miss Baker spins and like that, she’s gone.
The room doesn’t know how to react they look around mouths agape, was she taken some place else to be killed, what was happening. They look to Cipher and wait for him to speak.
“Miss Baker survived Day One. The key numbers you have received are the number of days you will be spending here, when your number come up you will be set free. We will drop you somewhere within the United States, in an area in which you will be able to receive help, and you may go back to your life. I said the number on the tag would be equivalent to the number of something I would give you. What I will give you is pain, torture, unrelenting day after day, pain. At least until your number comes up and then you will be sent home. Each day the world will watch, they will watch you be in pain, they will watch your fear, and this will not be some stupid horror film, my goal is not to teach any of you as individuals a lesson, my goal is to save our country, and when they know fear again, they will be stronger. Like all of you did last night, out of fear survival fittest kicked in, and civility went away. You didn’t know what the numbers were and you reacted with violence, stealing and lying. Now you know what the numbers are, I can’t wait to see what happens, welcome to day 2. Good luck.” The monitor shuts off and the P90s leave the room.
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