Prisoners

"Holden?"

The voice called in the darkness. The clanking of chains could be heard from his perched seat. He awoke in a panic noticing his other arm was free.

"Calm down!" Ivor shouted.

"Where am I?" Holden yelled.

He noticed the room wasn't his. Holden has realized he was pushed back in position to look directly at the ceiling.

"Not in Kansas anymore!" He grinned.

Catching attention of everyone else in the room with him. Electrodes connected to his head, back and chest could be felt as they stuck to him.

"Why am I here?" Holden asked.

"You see you keep recalling and we can't have that anymore, Holden,"

Ivor sat on the desk nearby, holding a tiny box in his hand. Turning the knob slowly Holden couldn't move much further than the cuffs would allow him.

"This is going too far!" Holden argued.

"But it will be worth it in the end."

"Let the ECT begin," Missy stated.

With that said the button pressed sending a surge of electricity, Holden howled. His muscles spasm the longer the bolts fed into his body, he bent his head downwards.

"You know that girl you call Fae and that guy called Maverick is also here." Ivor announced.

Thinking back to how Maverick said there was a nurse. It meant there was more going on than meets the eye he thought. He was paralyzed by the pangs constantly jerked him, he convulsed barely able to open his eyes.

"And STOP!" Ivor laughed.

Like a ragdoll he dropped as far as his chained hands would allow him. Missy picked Holden's head up to gaze into his eyes.

"Continue the sessions…I will be back," Missy noted.

Strolling down the hall an anguished screech could be heard. The door was labeled "Fae".

"Coral, are you alright?" She smiled.

Fae huffed and puffed. She couldn't even answer under the weight of her chains that clung to her body. Stiffening like wood, Missy observed her fingers trembling.

"I see…you will continue the project tomorrow."

Leaving the door she would go to the next only to view Maverick. Thunderous roars came from his prison. Only looking for seconds she walked back to the observation room to find the security beside the man sitting on his chair unorthodox.

"Have you gotten user TimTam yet?" He asked.

"We can't track his IP…" Missy grunted.

"I see…I will do it myself then." The man said.

"Understood, but why TimTam?" She inquired.

"Those three are greenhorns."

Thinking back to the several occasions they ran into each other in the game. They have been less than interesting in context.

"We will get on soon as possible," Missy answered.

"Good…"

"The tournament will certainly be a good one." Missy agreed.

"We need to attract more users so it has to be."

"No worries!" Missy shouted.

Their conversation had gaps between them both awkwardly. She sensed he didn't even want her there. Nothing made her feel worse than his silence.

"You may leave now," He flicked.

Being expelled like she was some insect. She worked for his sake yet she was unseen with her efforts. Her rage became stomps down the hall to Holden's cell to turn up the current as high as it could reach.

His skin bubbled and crawled. Misery and aching doubled causing a seizure, the other men begged for her to stop, but she refused.

"Never!" She shouted.

Leaping to their feet and out the door. While the others tried their best to pry the device from her fingertips. She would only crank it up further to char bits of Holden's skin on his blackening them to unconsciousness.

"Stop it, Missy!" the voice called.

She was distracted enough to be halted as he grabbed it from her. Holden was automatically released from his cuffs to fall into the monitors arms.

"I-I am so sorry…"

"It's okay Holden…I have you now…," He said.

"I will gather the medical team!"

"Do not even move! He could be brain dead!" He scolded.

Nothing she could say would set what she had done. Holden's unconscious eyes stared blankly back at her.

"Yes-sir…"

Missy waited till Holden was thrust in his arms. The team took the kid before she think of anymore to say.

"I could have your job! You could ruin this project!" He roared.

"I know Monitor…" She mumbled.

"You don't or why else would you do it?" He yelled.

"Yes sir…"

"Do your job and watch the boy already!" The Monitor argued.

She didn't look back. Listening to the hustle and bustle in the next room over to tending to Holden who she could have killed, but luckily had not.

"I…can…hear him…" Fae whispered.

"How did you even get out of that room?" Missy asked.

Turning to face the woman head on. Her glimmering eyes sparkled in the dim light from lamps above them.

"His soul was crying for release yet you only hold him back…" She said.

Her monotone voice scared Missy. This was nothing she had ever encountered yet Fae stood there in front of her completely able to do something no one else could.

"Please go back to your room!" Missy ordered.

"Let me see the boy…"

"You mean Maverick?" She questioned.

"Not my abuser."

"Holden is not well right now, but you can later." Missy promised.

Fae walked back to her room. The lock could be heard turning without a proper key making her ponder even more what had just happened.

"I must be hallucinating…"

The rest of the day she stood outside of the office. She wanted nothing to do with the participants and the project anymore.

Taking off her glasses she wiped the layer of dust away with her shirt. A trick of the light she thought only thing it could have been. The compound alone created a lot of sounds, statics, pops and so on.

Surely this was nothing and Fae was her mind wandering. This place was a prison and made for the only the worst kind.