The White Room

Chapter 2

The other boys looked disheartened just like me. Henry came over.

"Another kid went into the white room today.

"Want me to talk to him?"

"Yeah, he looks like he needs someone."

I look around the training arena.

There I see the young boy. I know it's him because he has a gaunt face of pure fear on his face.

I sit by him.

"What's your name kid?" I ask.

"Haris."

"What'd you see?"

He seemed hesitant to share. But seeing my comforting face he must have decided to tell me.

"My momma. My dad."

"Go on,"

"They were dying of sickness. Because of me. They-they... "

I sighed, the nightmares that came from the white room were horrendous, and I knew there was more. Dreams of the horrendous people who killed your loved ones in the most brutal way ever. And the worst part was that you always wondered if it was true. If it wasn't just a horrible vision shown.

"What then?" I asked. They showed multiple horrendous visions upon your entrance of the thing you feared would happen when they took you. The white room is designed to break you from the inside. It works on mostly everyone. All the boys here are broken. Whether they stay stubborn or bent into exactly what they wanted to be was a matter of the person.

"They were happy I was gone. They thought I was a nuisance and they thought I was crazy. They even paid them to take me away." He cried.

I took his hands and placed them in mine and held them.

"And..." I said not wanting to hear the most horrendous of the visions.

"They took my parents too. They tortured them so much that they were screaming. They kept screaming my name over and over again. Then they died."

I hugged him closely. The horrors never ceased. Evil never got lesser.

"Don't ever believe the lies shown in the white room," I told him.

"It was so real. How do you know they aren't true?" The boy asked.

Sighing, I told him the truth.

"Look, we don't know the truth of what happened. We never will. But if we believe these visions there would be nothing left for us. We would be devoid and have no purpose. That is why these people show the visions. They want to make you usable for their purposes. See those boys over there?" I pointed to a group of boys with hardened eyes training with weapons.

He nodded.

"Those are the ones that broke. Sure we're all broken in here but those are the ones who lost hope the ones who just do what they tell them to do without trying to fight back."

"Are they mean?" He asks and his green eyes show fear.

"No, we don't have any problems with them. We're all like brothers. Here for each other. Whether we have hope or not. The ones you need to watch for are the Tasers."

"See those boys in black with tasers at their sides?"

I point to the scary figures.

"Those are the boys who were willing to come here. They get paid to keep us in check. They are people who were on the streets desperate for anything to save them. So that is what the people here did. They provide them with comfy lives free of trouble and in return, they give their freedom. I know one of them is nice. He's the blonde kid with the gray chain hanging around his neck. If you ever need any help with the tasers go to him. See them?"

I pointed to the adults who were also dressed in black but with red sashes around their shoulders.

"Those are the Stets. They escort us around and they are like bodyguards. Above the Tasers of course."
He nodded clearly, understanding.

"There are two more ranks. The Grimes and the Shades. The Grimes help with missions. You'll see them later. They have guns instead of tasers and they have tattoos so you can tell what their group is. Shades are the punishers. They bring you to the white room or the project assigner. Now, you have to watch out for their tasers because their tasers don't make you unconscious but they hurt bad. We call them Aronbites. Those Aronbites hurt more than anything you've ever felt."

He nodded. He still looked as gloomy as ever.

"Hey, it's gonna be fine. See Henry? He's the one staring at us. He's the other leader if you ever need something go to him. It's an alright life Haris. Just do what they tell you to do and it will be fine."

"Thanks..." I realized he was asking for my name.

"Axel. You can call me Ax though." I shook his hand.

"Welcome to MBK Corps."

"What does that stand for?"

"No clue." I smiled. 

Word count: 812