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Someone yanked the cover off Eli’s head. Agitation flared inside him. His emotions were all over the place. One minute he felt sad and hopeless, and the image of his dad’s lifeless body replayed in his mind. The next minute he was on fire and wanted to destroy everything in his reach even if it killed him too. He was spiraling.
“Welcome to Rysburg.”
Rysburg. Never heard of it but I already know it’s a fucking shit hole. These people are demons. Monsters. They have no souls.
He scanned his surroundings, but it didn't seem like hell. They were in the middle of a street with vendor carts and shops along the sides. The air was filled with laughter and the smell of baked goods. It looked like a normal village with normal people. Mothers with their children and young couples smiled as they went about their day. There were men doing business, exchanging coins for supplies. People chatted merrily as if twenty people bound in ropes and soaked in blood hadn’t shown at their doorstep. They were oblivious.
Absolute monsters. They knew the destruction and harm they had caused, and they didn't even care. Eli held each and every one of them responsible, from the youngest baby in his mother’s arms to the oldest walking around with a cane. They were all guilty.
Eli and the others were led through the streets, and most people didn't even glance their way. The few who did immediately averted their eyes when Eli looked at them. If these people didn’t acknowledge the prisoners, then they wouldn’t have to admit they were complicit.
Eli was keenly aware that their buildings were much more pristine than the ones at Andus. This wasn’t a decimated town that had been patched together to be good enough. This town oozed wealth and stability. Where Andus had piles of rubble and dust covered streets, Rysburg had freshly painted doors and sparkling windows. The people weren’t wearing rags with holes in them. They wore clean pants and dresses. They wore sturdy coats that protected them from the cold and boots that actually kept the damp out. How many towns had they ruined in their pursuit of finer things?
They walked under an archway and through a large wooden door into a cold and sterile holding room. It was empty except for the prisoners who lined up against the bare walls. His eyes met Ali’s, and she gave him an encouraging nod in solitude.
Once the door to the outside had slammed shut, they shuffled through a secondary door, a few at a time. They started with the men. Every half an hour, they took a few more while the rest of the captives waited anxiously to find out their fate.
At last, it was Eli’s turn to go through the door. A guard released the rope from his wrists, and his shoulders sagged with relief. He hadn’t realized just how tight the ropes were until now. Bruises were already vibrant on his skin. He rubbed his wrists, massaging the throbbing flesh.
He gave the guard a menacing look. For a moment he considered fighting him, tearing into him like a maniac, but he’d never make it out alive. The guard led him and two others through the door and pointed to a rack of plastic bins in the corner.
“Strip,” he said in a bored tone. He acted like this was a frequent occurrence. “Toss your dirty clothes in a bin.”
The two other boys in the room looked around nervously, not sure what to do. They were so young, and Eli could see the fear in their eyes.
He was determined to set a brave example for them. Grabbing the back of his shirt, he yanked it over his head, making it a point to glare at the guard as he tossed it into the bin. He wanted to gouge the man’s beady eyes out.
I hope you know I hate you. I want to be the one who kills you.
The strings on his shoes were nearly frozen and took a moment to untangle. Then his shoes landed in the bin with a loud thunk. He unzipped his pants, still glaring at the guard.
You’re a piece of shit.
He couldn’t physically hurt the man, so he hurled mental insults at him instead.
His pants dropped to the ground, and he bent over to grab them. Lastly, he stepped out of his underwear, roughly tossing them into the bin. If this asshole thought he would be ashamed or humiliated, he was entirely wrong. Eli wouldn’t let him have that satisfaction. He stood tall and proud.
The two boys followed his lead and did their best to mimic his courage.
“Through the door.” The guard pointed to yet another door. Eli made his way across the room and resisted the urge to bash the guard’s head against the wall. Fury swelled, threatening to burst out of him if he didn’t get it under control.
Somehow, the next room was even more sterile than the others. The floor was grated and wet. After the three of them were inside, the door closed with an ominous bang. It sent vibrations through Eli’s chest and against his ribs. He caught movement in the corner of his eye and another guard stepped out from the shadows with a hose in hand.
“Stand still. It’s going to be cold.”
Thanks for the heads-up, jackass.
Eli stood tall, chest puffed out. The arctic water pierced his skin like a thousand icy needles. He stood his ground even though the injuries he had sustained in the attack screamed in protest. The guard wasn’t careful about his aim, either. Eli just barely squeezed his eyes shut before water sprayed his face. The pressure was so immense he had to raise his hands to protect his eyes and wipe the water from his mouth and nose.
“Hands down.”
The guard’s voice was as cold as the water coming from the hose. His callousness infuriated Eli, but he lowered his arms back to his sides and clenched his fists.
The water shut off for a moment. “Turn around.”
They all obeyed his commands without protest. The water blasted across his skin again, and his muscles tensed involuntarily. At least when he faced away, he could hide his grimace of pain as the water ran over his wounds. He dropped his head and focused on the freezing, dirty water draining through the floor.
This town was the epitome of luxury. There was no way they couldn’t figure out how to make warm water run through that hose. No, this was just another way to torment their captives. A mind game built to break them.
