I kept the right ones out... Day 40

The light comes on, the buzzer goes off, they hate the buzzer, but after 39 days of this some have actually learned to sleep through the morning wake up lights. Daniel stretches pulls his 100 tag from his pocket and the number 73 from his pocket as well. The number 73 has blood on it both figuritevly and factualy, he's never bothered to wash it off nor show it to anyone else, for the last 19 days he's said very little about Dalton other than he knows he's dead.

Ross sits up a few feet from him, makes some odd mouth noises, adjusts his glasses and looks over to Daniel. "Good morning." he smirks scratches his chest and stands up and offers his hand to Daniel to help him up. "Today's Bonny's day isn't it?" he says to Daniel as he too stands and scratches.

"You know it is, we talked about it all last night."

"Ah yes, it was hard to hear everything with the buzzer screaming every 20 minutes or so, and not to mention you mumbling all the time now." Daniel slaps him on the back and walks over to the others.

"I don't mumble." Daniel mumbles under his breath.

"What're you mumbling about now?" Liz walks up to the two of them, with Anne right behind her.

"I don't mumble!" Daniel shoots back.

"Yeah you do, its been like over two weeks now since Cipher jilted you on actually meeting him, really dude, you have to let up on that, look around there's a hand full of us left."

"There's like 30 of us, you must have big hands." Jim joins the fray.

"Hey don't make fun of my hands." Anne puts them behind her back and moves away from the group.

"Dude, not cool." Ross passes by Jim and heads over to the center with Anne.

"What I say?" Jim looks to Liz.

"You don't make comments about a girls hands, its like saying something about her feet." she pats him on the shoulder.

"What's wrong with her feet?" Jim asks

"AAhhhh! Shut up." Anne growls at him. "Can it be your day to leave."

"Nope, its my girls day to leave." Renee walks up with them to the center, Bonny right in front of him, she has tears in her eyes but says nothing and just smiles at the group.

The group assembles and awaits for the monitor to turn on, it buzzes and lights up and there sits Cipher, in the same clothes and mask they've seen him for the past 40 days. "Hello everyone, glad to see no one took their life yesterday with that little annoyance you had to deal with all day."

"Little annoyance? It was like the worlds loudest and worst fax machine ringing in your ear every fifteen minutes!" Scott shouts at the monitor.

"Whine, whine, whine, when you all get out of here, and I truly hope you all do, you'll be able to sleep through a plane crash. You should be thanking me."

"I'll be happy if I could just sleep again." Anne nuzzles next to Ross.

"So where is Bonny, our number 40, come forward please." Cipher awaits at the monitor as Bonny steps up and waits for the door to light up for her to leave. "Are you ready to go Bonny?" Cipher asks, and the group thinks, what a stupid question.

"Not yet." she suprisingly replies, she turns from the monitor and faces Renee. "Renee these past 40 days you've kept me safe, you've kept me sane, I know you get out tomorrow so don't you dare do anything stupid over the next 24 hours." she touches his face and glides her fingers down his jaw line. She looks over at Jim and Ross, "You two, you keep him safe, understand me."

"Yes mam." they both reply, smiling happy to see the person who's become their friend get her freedom.

"And you two..." she looks at Anne and Liz. "Don't be afraid of what you're feeling in here, its real, I know it is, you never know how you'll meet someone, it could be the best circumstances, it could be the worst, but if somethings there between you and someone else, don't ignore it, flames shouldn't be ignored they should be stoked to see what happens." she smiles and runs over to hug the two women. 

"Time to go Bonny, the group has some important things to get to today." Cipher encourages her to rush. "I feel like the Wizard in Oz. Hurry up now, you've said good bye to the lion and scarecrow." Cipher chuckles but no one laughs with him.

Bonny kisses Renee, a long slow kiss where they hold each other's faces so gently, their time here started so bad, and it got really worse before it finally got a whole lot better. She runs over to the lit up door and steps inside but places her hand on the edge of the door, keeping it ajar. She looks back at the group and shouts out. "Daniel!" 

Daniel looks over to Bonny, he knows they didn't start out on the right foot but after a sometime they actually grew closer. After he returned to the room after the Dalton incident she went out of her way to talk to him, to try and make him feel better and console him. He always suspected that maybe she knew, that she sensed that he had blood on his hands since as he knew, she had some on hers as well. She never said anything to the group however, when anyone asked what they were talking about she would say "Art." or "Just you know...things." and that would be it. He raised his hand to her to say good bye and she raised hers in return. She shouts again "Be careful and get answers!" 

'Get Answers' he thinks, what does that mean? He looks at her oddly, his hand still in the air as well as hers. Hers is clenched in a fist and as she opens it he sees several tags fall to the floor inside the room. His eyes pop as he realizes she had more numbers, numbers she took and lied about giving back, lower numbers! Lower than his 100, and she kept them from him. Her door closes and she's gone and so are those tags.

"What the hell was that?!" he looks to the group and no one answers. He runs to Renee. "Hey man! What the hell was that?! She had lower numbers?! Why didn't she give me one! She said she was my friend!"

"She was your friend, and she did give lower numbers away, just not to you, she couldn't and that's all I'm telling you, and its for your own good." Renee pushes him to the side and walks away.

Daniel runs over to Ross, "What is going on here?!"

"I swear to God, I have no idea." Ross holds grips Daniels shoulders trying to calm him.

"I'm sorry Daniel your question will have to wait its time for Day 40s adventure to begin." Cipher comments from the screen as if he were the host of a children's show.

"No way! I want answers! NOW!" 

The P90s enter the room on the upper balcony and take aim at Daniel.

"I'm not going to shut up! I want answers now!" he screams again regardless of the red dots dancing across his chest from laser scopes above. 

"You're friend doesn't know whats going, on, some people do, but I had to keep the right ones out of this little scheme, but if you're not going to cooperate today, fine. P90s, 'Beta 4'" Cipher sits back in his chair and the P90s remove their lasers from Daniel and take aim at Liz, Anne, Ross and Jim. "Ready....Aim...."

"Wait! Stop! Fine." Daniel sits down and shuts up.

"Excellent. Now everyone split up, groups of eight to three walls one group of six to the south wall, Daniel you go to the south wall, Daniel's groupies you head to the North wall." Ross hears Ciphers and turns around as he was already heading to Daniel.

"This isn't over." Daniel mumbles and heads to the South Wall.

Day 40 begins.

Previously in Mr. 100 Days.

(Daniel)

Cipher, an evil genius of a villain was able to kidnap 100 men and women from across the United States on the same day. He has them housed in a large room with no visible doors, windows or points of entry. Water is supplied to them via a trough located on each of the four walls and food is delivered sparingly.


Each person from Day 1 was given a number, that number is equivalent to the number of days you stay in the room and also equals your release date. Each day they are there Cipher tests the group through various forms of torture both physical and psychological. He has told them that their days in the room are being broad casted over the web for the world to watch and that after his experiment, which they are all a part of, America as a country will be stronger for having survived such an incredible tragedy.


A main group of the 100 people seem to be at the forefront of this tale.


#68 Ross, a young man in his early twenties is trying to get through this ordeal with his wit, sense of humor and a constant pop culture reference. Back home he was just a retail worker with few people in his life, so here he has tried to be strong for others. He has even given his previous number of 52 to a young women whom he seems to be smitten with.


#52 Anne, a young woman in her mid 20s, she is scared and praying every day that she can return to her previous life. She has a man waiting for her back home, but has found her self drawn to two individuals here in the room. Ross, who she spends more time with all the time, feeling something for him. Unsure if that its love or a sense of something else as he's saved her life several times while in the room, and a woman who has grown closer to her than any..


#63 Liz, she started off in the room as the leader of the women's group, keeping them safe as much as she could as not only did the women fear their situation, but some also feared the men they were trapped with in the room. She has slowly moved away from this group trying to get all the women to interact with everyone. Her new friends include:


#84 Jim, the spiritualist of the group who believes that prayer and positive thoughts will get them through this ordeal. He constantly stands up to Cipher, not always putting him in the best situations but he stands defiant in Cipher's face of evil.


#75 Scott, a prison CO reluctant and defiant like Jim in the beginning was recently put in a room by himself where he seems to have made a bargain with Cipher and quite possibly this might not be his first deal, unbeknownst to the others in the room of course.


#41 Bonny an attractive woman in her 40s and Renee a strong athletic man also in his 40s have come together as a couple in the room despite the tragedy and horror that has gone on around them. While the two started this adventure a bit despicable, they have tried to make amends for their ways. Bonny originally had the number 21, after stealing it off of a dead body, but has exchanged that number for the number 41. Renee has vowed to keep Bonny safe until that day comes of her release and every day after that since he'll be released the following day.


#73 Dalton, a young man in his early 20s had the number #73 and had become good friends with Ross and one other. He was offered a deal with Cipher that would reduce any one's sentence, including his own by 50 days. He accepted the offer but made no mention of whom would be getting the 50 days off their total. However the point is null since the deal cost Dalton his life. He had to portray himself as Cipher, he was assured he would be safe, and all he had to do was to convince one of the others to not fight back while in the room. However by revealing the secret that this man's wife and son are actually dead, and by antagonizing him by saying that he's forgotten their memory pushed him to the point of violence and he attacked Dalton, killing him. That man was Dalton's friend:


#100 Daniel, also known as Mr. 100 Days, he hold the tag 100, unsure on how he got it as he was knocked out and when he awoke his original tag had been traded for the 100 marker. Cipher has told Daniel that he won't reveal to the group any of his secrets including that he's responsible for Dalton's death, he and his group of P90s will keep his secret.


The P90s are Ciphers security force, the occasionally enter the room, armed with P90 machine guns and full body armor that hides their identities. Their job is to keep the room in line, and clear bodies when needed. 


Since last we saw the group Nineteen days have passed, they have suffered 1 more fatality and 9 people left in the past 19 days. Somehow other who had died previously left the room with some early numbers. A total of 30 people out of the 100 that started remain... this begins volume 2 of Mr. 100 Days.

Volume 2

Next week begins the next volume in Mr. 100 Days.
I am working right now to have the first volume printed with art for each of the days.
Be prepared for the previous twenty days to start disappearing from online once the book is published.


Thank you to all my readers and followers.


I promise Volume 2 will be just as exciting with some great new twists in the ongoing saga of Mr. 100 Days.

One... Day 20 part 3 End Volume 1

He sits and strums his fingers on the arm rest waiting, for what feels like hours but he has no way of knowing for sure. Daniel, when he first entered the room had the excitement of a child running down the stairs on Christmas morning. Now he feels like a kid sitting in school waiting for the day to end so he can just leave and go be with his friends. "This was a mistake." he mutters out loud, growing more bored by the minute he realizes trusting Cipher with anything was dumb, but his rage and wanting for retribution blinded him to what he should have done.


Just as he decides to close his eyes and take a nap the monitor in the room comes on. "Are we all calmed down now?" Cipher is on screen. "I mean I had stuff to do first, but there was no way I was coming in there when you were in no state to just talk, and that's all I want to do, is talk."


"So come in here and we'll talk."


"Oh I will, but first you'll do something to ensure both your safety and mine. Under the monitor here there is a small drawer, inside it is a bottle of glue, careful, its been used a bit so there may be some on the edges, get the glue then go back and sit in your chair." Cipher waits, Daniel gets up and walks over and grabs the bottle of glue and heads back to his seat.


"Okay, now what?" he shakes the bottle at the screen.


"Now, place a good portion on each arm rest, don't be chincy, cover it good."


Daniel can see where this is going, but he complies, he pours the glue all over the arm rests, making wavy lines up and down the length of them. "There, done."


"Okay, now put your arms on the arm rests with your wrist just hanging off the edge, so your hands are not in the glue, just your forearms." he watches as Daniel does as he says. "Good, very good, now rock your arm back and forth a bit, press it down good, we want you stuck and safe." again Daniel does as he says. "Good, now push down real hard with your arms and count to ten." Daniel just stares at him, Cipher can see he's pushing down, his body stature has changed, but he's not counting out loud. "Don't you know how to count to ten? I know you do, come on, with me...1..2..3...no? Okay fine, that should be ten anyway, give a little tug up." Daniel attempts to lift his arms but the glue pulls at his skin and it hurts as he stretches his flesh slightly upward. "Okay, looks good, gimme one minute."  and the monitor shuts off.


Is this really going to happen? Is he coming in here? He said he wanted my arms down for my safety and his, and all he wants to do is talk, he has to be messing with me again. Daniel's mind races and his nerves build up. Then behind him he hears a door open. "Who's there?"


"It's me." Cipher comes walking around from behind, he's wearing dark pants and a dark sports jacket with a long sleeved dark shirt under it. His mask covers his whole head like a Mexican Luchador and it extends to under his shirt. Goggles with very thin lenses cover his eyes and reflect Daniel's scared image back at him.Standard gloves cover his hands and his shoes are very plain, nothing in his attire gives any hint to whom he is, his ethnicity, age or anything. He strolls out in front of Daniel and stands there for a moment looking him up and down, inspecting his glued forearms. "Who did you think it would be?"


"What's up with your voice?" Daniel looks around the room as Cipher's voice seems to be echoing all around.


"Ah, that, well the mask makes it difficult to speak clearly and this obviously isn't my real voice so I have a mic inside the mask to skew it and broadcast it through the speakers of the monitor so you can hear me better. Now, lets talk." Cipher crosses his arms and stands in front of him.


"Why are you doing this, this is insane, let us go, you're going to get caught!" Daniel looses his cool and shouts at Cipher.


"That's it, that's what you've been wanting me one on one in a room for? To plead for your release. I'm disappointed, I thought more of you." Cipher paces back and forth in front of Daniel. "All that bravado every day and when it comes down to it, you're just like every other man in America, you beg. I plan on fixing that, I plan on making us a country of prideful fighters again. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to fight you, you and I need to work together." He motions with his hands as if to calm Daniel down. "We're going to make it like the good ol' days when men enlisted freely and couldn't wait to defend their countries honor, I'm going to bring that back, and you're going to help me." he begins to walk circles around Daniel.


"You keep saying that stuff, is that what this really is? Is this is political? Well I don't give a crap about politics, so you picked the wrong guy to help you." Daniel spins his head around the room to see where Cipher is standing.


"No, see that's it, that is why I picked you. That's why you're Mr. 100 Days. I'm going to turn you into the poster child for fighting for whats right, for loving your country and being dedicated to my cause, I know you have it in you. I've been watching you for years. Five years ago... those were some rough times, huh? You fought through that so hard." Cipher steps back in front of Daniel, his face white as a ghost. "Why did you tell the group you have to get back to your wife and kid? Were you looking for sympathy or did you mean you needed to get out to honor them? Or is it to take care of their graves maybe?" Cipher stops, he acts confused and looks about the room.


"I just...I just never really think of them as gone." his head hangs low, ashamed to even look at Cipher.


"It's okay Daniel, I understand. But remember that fire you had in you after they died, the fights you would get in,looking for their killer, demanding justice,  that rage? Where is that? What happened to you? I guess time heals wounds; I just would think a man who lost those he loved so much would forever be scarred."


"I AM!" Daniel screams back. "Don't you dare diminish my pain!"


"I wouldn't think of it, in fact I want it back. I want to give it to you again. You'll need it to survive my 100 Days, I chose you, I got you that tag, you're going to be the one who helps me save this country." Cipher paces back and forth in the room.


"Wait...did you say give it back again? As in you gave it to me the first time? What did you do to my wife and son!" Daniel's eyes well with tears. "How long have you been after me? What did you do to my WIFE AND SON!"


Cipher takes a step back again motioning him to calm down. "That's it build up that rage again, let it fill up inside you and push you through these next 80 days and maybe you'll find out what happened to them."


"AARRRGHHHH!" His scream is primal, spit and phlegm shoot from his mouth, he pulls at the chair and the flesh peels from his arms leaving most of it behind he jumps on Cipher and grabs him by the throat driving his head to the ground. He pounds it up and down hammering the ground with his skull. Daniel's right arm arches back behind his head and he sends it drilling into Ciphers face instantly breaking his nose. The crack is loud and the blood under his mask wells up and begins to seep through, as do the muffled noises of Cipher trying to breathe.

25 MINUTES AGO

"Finally, with all your whining I couldn't think. Here's the deal Dalton, I know a lot about you, I know you will survive here, but it might very well drive you nuts in the process. I also know you are into something called Cos play, where you dress in costume and go to conventions and act out some of your favorite characters." Cipher speaks to Dalton who stands there with his mouth glued shut dreading that he's even entered this room. "So all you have to do, to get your early release is dress as me, I'm your new favorite character. You're going to go in a room and you're going to convince Daniel to behave. I'll do the talking you just act out what I'm saying. He'll be secured, there's no way he'd be able to hurt you. You try and show him its you at any point and not me I'll kill you both in that room, you have my word on that. Do we understand each other?" Dalton nods and acknowledges Cipher. "See I told you it was something you've done before, no big deal, you do this you save yourself and you save Daniel." 

A P90 enters the room, he hands Dalton a dark suit, a long sleeved non button up shirt, boring plain shoes, and the mask. He puts on the outfit and the P90 assists him with the mask, attaching it to his shirt and zipping it sealed. He adjusts the goggles so he can see and he leaves the room following the P90. "Come on now Dalton, lets see your best performance."

NOW

Punching and whaling into his face, pummeling harder and harder, with flashes of his wife's grave, his son's small casket, he can't even tell if he's screaming any more, there is just a high pitched whistling in his ear. P90s bust in the room and grab the back of him tossing him to the side with ease. He pants and shakes, his arms and fists trembling the P90s stand with their guns pointed at him and one walks over to Cipher's body and checks for a pulse. He puts his hand to his ear, touching his ear piece and says "done".

The monitor turns on. "Daniel... what did you do?" Daniel begins to shake even harder and the P90s start to move back from him, hovering on the outer rims of the room, he stares at the monitor in shock. "I said I just wanted to talk, look at the blood you have on your hands now. It was just one meeting, just one, and this is what you do to your friend?" Daniel scurries across the room and grabs the body and rips the mask off tearing the seal from the shirt. Dalton's lifeless eyes stare at him, with the mask off the blood begins pooling around the back of his head and it drops back to the ground with a thud. "Don't worry Daniel, I won't tell anyone. We're in this together you and I, I meant what I said. I always do." his words dripping with sincerity. 

"What did you do to my wife and son?!" it screeches out of his sore throat.

"Nothing, I had no idea who you were up until a year ago, I read about your wife and child, the court cases, the investigations, the evidence, your arrest afterwards for the fights, that's all. I said to you I wanted that fire back, that vengeance, I got it. I told you that you would get what you wanted and what you deserved, you did. You will survive these next 80 days. You will help usher in a new America that is like the old America. You are my Mr. 100 Days, the world is rooting for you."

"You said you gave me the tag." Daniel closes Dalton's eyes and moves his head so he can't see his face.

"I did, I had help, but I did. How? Well that's a secret. I wont tell anyone about Dalton or your wife and child, and that will be our secret. I'm good at keeping secrets. You'll stay here away from the group for a couple of days, in those days I even promise to go easy on them. But when you get back, it starts again. Do you understand."

Daniel nods, he puts his hand on Dalton's chest. "I'm so sorry." 

"He was getting 50 days off of a sentence here, that's why he did this. I couldn't tell if he was going to use it for himself or if he was going to give it to you. I guess it doesn't matter." Cipher shuts off the monitor.

The P90s pick up Dalton's body and drag it out a door on the right side of the room, they grab Daniel under his arms and drag him to the left. The two limp bodies staring at each other as they go their separate ways, the doors shut and Day 20 ends.

End of volume 1