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I tilt my head back, trying to look around, but can’t see shit. “What does?” I ask, thinking that maybe it was one of mybrothers—Kashton, Adam, or Haidyn—but I didn’t recognize the voice.
“The timer,” he answers, and I can tell by the softness in his voice that he’s weak. There are three pits in the floor here so he could be in one next to me. “The first wave is tolerable…the second gets colder…” He pauses before whispering, “The third is the coldest.”
The blood rushes in my ears and I try to bend my knees and get frustrated when they hit the bars. Lifting my head as far as I can, I see I’m down to two minutes and fifty seconds. “After the third?” I rush out.
He coughs, and it sounds like he’s been smoking all his life, but it’s probably just the shit Carnage has put him through. “I’ve never seen anyone make it past that.” He gets out before coughing again.
My fear rises, and I try to shake it off. No. I won’t fucking die in here. There has to be a reason as to why this is my initiation. Instead, I lift my head, letting the bars push against my pounding head, and watch the timer count down the last twenty seconds. When it gets to zero, an alarm sounds, and I feel a rush of cold air down by my legs before water begins to fill the hole.
FUCK!
My fear is drowning to death. This is why this is my initiation. My father knows this. He found my mom once trying to drown me in the bathtub. She hated my father, and I fell into that category by association.
I take in a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm my nerves as the water fills the confined space, soaking into my clothes, making my limbs feel heavier than they did already.
Lifting my head the best I can, the water comes to a stop at about my ears. My neck strains, and I slowly lie down, the water coming up to my cheeks. The only sound I can hear is my own heavy breathing.
My body is tense, hands fisted, and I remind myself not to panic as I shiver. The water is cold, and the slightest movement makes it splash around my face.
Then as fast as it filled the space, it’s sucked out, leaving me shivering and teeth chattering. I take in a deep breath. The guy said three times. That means I’ve got two more. Lifting my head, I see the clock reset to three minutes this time.
My chest feels heavy, my wet shirt sticking to me, and my legs are already restricted to the space so the fact that my jeans are soaked makes it harder to move them. My boots feel like my feet are in concrete.
I close my eyes, trying to ignore the blood rushing in my ears. It’s nothing. Just another day, another chance to prove myself. They kept me in the cell for so long to make me weak from lack of food and water. They wanted me weak, then had me drink whatever the fuck that shit was to knock me out to put me in here. They wanted the panic factor to set me up for failure.
There is no word to call out or signal that a Lord can do or say in order to stop an initiation. Not like I would anyway. So there has to be an endgame. Because this isn’t a kill-or-be-killed situation. It’s a mind game. An illusion meant to push you to your limits. To see how far you can go before they get to throw you away. The Lords only take the best, and they want you to prove your worth.
I hear the sound of the alarm once again and the rush of cold air before the water enters. It’s colder this time just like the guy had said. Almost freezing, making it worse since my clothes are already wet.
I’m shaking uncontrollably, lifting my head to let it fill all the way. Once I know it’s done, I lower my head into the water to see how far it comes up this time. It covers my eyes, making me close them along with my lips, but I’m able to breathe through my nose. I arch my neck instead of lifting it, allowing my lips to part and suck in a ragged breath. A little bit of water enters my mouth, and I choke on it, making my body press against the bars above me.
I count in my head as a distraction, knowing that sending myself into a panic attack won’t do me any good. Possibly just kill me.
Once I get to forty-five, the water is pulled out, and I readjust my head, trying to relax and open my eyes, blinking rapidly because water covers my face and lashes. It burns, which makes me think it’s salt water. It’s denser than fresh water so it anchors a person more. Another test.
I’m freezing. My body shakes uncontrollably, but my clothes feel like they’ve shrunk in size. The salt water makes them feel like compressions, then the added weight has them pinning me to the concrete floor. Not like I could move anyway.
My throat burns like my eyes, and my chest is so heavy that it’s getting harder to breathe. My teeth chatter so hard they ache. My head falls to the side, and I blink at the concrete wall. How many times did the guy say it did this? Three? I don’t know if I can survive one more. I wouldn’t say I’m scared anymore, just getting sleepy. Is it the shit they gave me? Or the cold water?
That’s what hypothermia does to you. Slows your heart rate; numbs the body.
“Don’t pass out.” I hear that voice again.
I blink my heavy eyes and try to talk, but I’m not sure anything comes out.
“You’ve got another wave in one minute.” He goes on. “It’s going to come up higher. You won’t be able to breathe at all. So take a few deep breaths and get ready.”
“Why…” I lick my numbing lips. “Are you helping me?”
“Let’s just say one day I might need a favor.”
I roll my head so I’m looking up through the bars once again, and his words make me laugh. Or I’m becoming delusional.
“Five seconds,” he warns.
I blink. My burning eyes are so heavy.
“Two seconds.”
