Tw: torture, imprisonment, slavery

My life is pain. Physical, mental, and emotional pain. Constantly.

Every day, I'm forced, unable to speak or breathe properly, to clean the Hawk base. The other servants pick on me for being a former hawk. The Hawks pick on me for betraying them. Every evening, I'm tied down and forced to answer questions, or face the humming device that haunts my nightmares. And then, I'm back with the other servants, trapped in a box barely large enough to fit me, chained up and praying for freedom that never comes.

I, as much as I can, keep track of the days, so I know it's the 8th that, while tidying up the mess hall, something new happens. Most of the Hawks are gone, as usual. But one particular officer remains, finishing off the food he's been given. Officer Ren.

I'm nearest so, when he drops his bowl, I'm first over to grab it. Ren bends over to pick it up. For a moment, the two of us are left, out of anyone else's audial range. And he speaks.

'There are plans to rescue you.'

'135 get back to work.'

I grab the bowl off the ground, but before I can stand, pain sears from my mask. Electricity. I'm sent to my knees, unable to scream, until it cuts off. Ren's still next to me.

'We'll save you Cub. I promise,' he mutters, before he has to run off and I have to continue working.

'We're going to start today by asking an unexpected question,' Elex begins the daily interrogation with, later on. 'Why were you talking with Officer Ren earlier?'

'He'd dropped something and insisted on picking it up. But he couldn't reach,' the lie comes easily.

'Why would an Officer be kind to a traitor like you?'

'Because Ren's a good person.'

'He is,' Hypno mutters. 'That sounds like Ren.'

'Fine. How did you survive the plane crash?'

'I don't know.' Elex's narrowed eyes alone are enough for me to flinch away from the device. 'I don't know, I swear. I was unconscious. My roommate got me out.'

'Your roommate Jevin?'

'He died later.' I lie quickly.

'What's your first memory afterwards?'

'Being in a bed. Alive.'

'Who helped you.'

'The Listeners.'

'What were their names?'

'I wasn't to-' The hum starts. My panic rises. 'I wasn't told! I promise I-' The pain hits me. I still can't stop myself from screaming, even after so many times, left in tears, struggling for breath, as it stops.

'That's the final one,' Hypno says. Elex goes around to check whatever 'the final one' means. I just focus on the word 'final'. Is this over? Are they happy with me now? Will they free me?

'Give him a mirror, Officer Hypno. Let him see.'

He does. A moment later, I'm able to see my neck, and fight the urge to vomit, or scream. The burns aren't just deep and bloody. They're numbers. 3 particular numbers.

135.

The next few days, information from Ren is revealed more and more in hidden messages. I'm given a date, a time, a signal, and soon, a full plan for my escape. And every day I'm, though looking forward to escape, disappointed. Another day of torture. Another day of imprisonment. Another day of being forced to work in my former favourite place I'm learning to despise every inch of. The only, tiny, positive, is that I don't see Joey anymore. Elex informs me exactly why after a particularly bad question session. He was the one who crashed into my home to kill me. And he didn't eject in time.

But, after I don't know how long, the plan is put into action.

I'm already awake when the guards come to free us for the day's work. I didn't sleep at all. But that's not new, or unique. Almost everyone's stumbling, exhausted, just as I am. I force down what's barely food, then follow the others up to the mess hall. Ren's just finished eating there, notices, and pretends to attack me.

'Hey! You!' he yells, grabbing my collar. 'You've been stealing stuff, haven't you, dude?'

I shake my head, playing along. The others ignore.

'You know what? I should take you to Elex, and see what he thinks of you stealing... come on. I'm sure you won't mind watching him get punished...' The others, as expected, continue doing nothing. Ren pulls me from the room, into the Officers area, towards Elex's office, and then further.

The moment we reach the doors outside, people realise. I'm electrocuted, enough to stop me moving, fighting the pain. It doesn't stop. The pain doesn't stop. They're going to kill me. Ren turns from dragging me to helping me in seconds, grabbing my hand, and continuing. I try to run alongside him, as fast as I can. It's more of a stumble, until the shock gets too much and I collapse.

'Officer Ren, please explain yourself,' comes a shout. The pain stops.

'You want to know why I'm saving the life of a good friend?' Ren pulls me to my feet, drawing a pistol he shouldn't have. We're almost surrounded by Lions and gawping Hawks, but he keeps backing away. I trust the plan, as much as possible. 'After your leader refused to listen to him, and forced another one of his friends to torture him? Yeah, Hypno. I know you're part of this.You want to know why I joined the Listeners after the army I've been proudly part for years became a place of lies, conspiracy and secret assassination attempts? Or are you going to let me continue doing my bit for the town I swear I loved once. Goodbye, dudes. Hope you can find a new leader.'

He shoots.

At Elex.

In the chaos that follows, he breaks into a sprint. I follow, out of the crowd, towards the little-used Hangar 4 and our escape. I can barely walk. The electrocution starts up again, worse than before. I'm instantly on the ground. I hear gunfire. The world fades of flashes of action as I black in and out of reality. One moment we're dodging bullets. Next moment, we're in the hangar. I spot my plane in the back. Next, we're flying.

And the next thing I know I'm lying down on a bed, the broken remains of the mask next to it and bandages over my neck. Jevin's sat next to me in tears.

I'm free.

And I'm never being a Hawk again.

:)

No, seriously, that's a happy one

Definitely happy

:)