"No. It's against the rules." Davin said, in between bites. He didn't have a collar thingy around his neck, but bracelet looking things tightly around his wrists. Georgie gulped.
"But we have a chance to leave!" Georgie urged.
"You just got here, and you already want to leave?" Ozzie snorted. Charlie looked at him from the corner of his eyes and Ozzie laughed. Georgie rolled his eyes and looked at Davin. His eyes pleaded but Davin didn't budge.
"You should eat kid." he said. Georgie sighed and went back over the bottom of the mattress, sitting and taking the foil wrap up. He unwrapped it and saw an egg sandwich. He took a small test bite. After not dying, Georgie began taking bigger bites. He finished the sandwich in 10 minutes. He holds the crushed-up foil in his hand, unsure what to do with it.
He sees Ozzie put it at the head of his mattress, so he does the same. He turns and sees Charlie and Davin are talking on Davin's mattress about something. He crawls over shyly and stops at the edge of Charlie's mattress.
"Uhm...excuse me?" he whispered loud enough that he was heard. Davin looked like he was tall and having his gaze on him made Georgie feel very intimidated. He whimpered a little. Charlie's glare didn't make this it easier either.
"What should I do with the foil wrapper?" he asked. Charlie held his hand out. Georgie reached back over for the foil and slowly handed it to Charlie. He took it and handed it to Davin, who threw it into the farthest corner of the basement. He turned back to Georgie, who was a bit surprised.
"That's where the trash goes." his voice was monotone and scary. Georgie nodded and scurried away quickly. He slowed down when he arrived at Ozzie's corner. He tapped his shoulder. Ozzie had been carving some scribblings in the wall. He turned around and smiled.
"Georgie, right?" he had a missing tooth at the front of his face. Georgie nodded. Ozzie's voice was very childish and small. Georgie heard it and felt a bit of ease.
"Wanna draw with me?" he offered Georgie a small rock.
"No thank you...uhm...Ozzie?" he was unsure what to call him.
"Yeah, it's Ozzie." Ozzie didn't have anything on his neck or arms. Rather, tight white medical looking gloves. Georgie takes his hand without asking. Ozzie immediately slapped his hand back. Georgie flinched.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." Georgie mumbled, lowering his head in shame. Ozzie sighed.
"I didn't scare you, did I? I'm sorry." Ozzie felt bad too. That's weird, Georgie thought. Ozzie had no reason to be apologizing.
"What are the gloves for?" Georgie asked. Ozzie looked up at him with a bewildered expression.
"I have super strength!" his face suddenly shined with a bright smile. "But dad says I can't use it, so I have these gloves to keep my power at bay." Georgie nods, satisfied with the explanation. Ozzie continues.
"What about you, what's your ability?" he smiles innocently. Ozzie's eyes were a sea blue and he had freckles under his eyes.
"I don't have one." Georgie smiles back. Ozzie is visibly shocked.
"Really? That doesn't make any sense, why are you here then?"
"I don't know." Georgie admits, though it should have been obvious he wouldn't have known. Ozzie nods.
"You must have something. Dad says he only takes special people." Georgie looks up at Ozzie like he's crazy. He lets out a deep breath.
"How old are you?" Georgie leans forward, curious to the answer to this random question.
"Eight and a half. You?" Ozzie asks back.
"Six. My birthday was a few days ago." he shrugs. Ozzie's mouth takes the shape of an 'o'. Georgie thinks he looks funny.
"Are you sure you don't have an ability? Not even flight?" Ozzie questions further, putting his right hand under his chin. Georgie nods.
"I'm sure. I don't have anything." he restates.
"Do your parents?" Ozzie started drawing in the air, though it was unnecessary. Georgie giggled at this.
"I'm not really sure, never thought to ask I guess." he says, rather proudly. Ozzie hums and thinks to himself.
"Maybe you're a late bloomer?" he asks. Georgie shrugs, having never considered that before.
"Does it matter?" Georgie mumbles, looking away, not seeing a point to the questions.
"Of course. If you don't get your power soon, dad might do something crazy!" Ozzie exclaims.
"Like what?" a voice asks behind Georgie. Georgie flinches and turns quickly, seeing Mathew at the end of the staircase. Ozzie backpedals and doesn't say anything. Mathew smirks, then his smile fades.
"Who drew that on the wall?" he points to Ozzie's scribbles. No one says anything. Mathew gets irate. He walks over to where Georgie and Ozzie are and kneels.
"Georgie." he says sternly. Georgie flinches. Mathew continues. "Who drew on the wall? It's between you and Ozzie." he states. Georgie looks back at Ozzie and he looks scared and guilty. Georgie opens his mouth to speak but only whispers incoherently. Matt's eye twitches.
"Answer or I'll punish you both." Matt growls. Georgie is on the verge of tears. Matt is so intimidating. Up close Mat has a slight beard and a scar on his right cheek. Not to mention his left arm is bandaged up to his elbow.
Georgie squeaks. "Ozzie was." he whispers a bit louder. Ozzie sighs. Matt smiles and pats Georgie on the head. "Thank you, Georgie." his smiles disappears as he turns to Ozzie. Ozzie backs himself into the corner of his mattress. His whole-body trembles as Matt gets up and walks over to him. Georgie turns back to the other side of the room.
Davin was looking away with his face in his palms. Charlie is staring at the confrontation with what appears to be a smile. It's small, and only visible if you're looking for it, but it's there. Georgie heard sobbing and looked in front of him. Matt was squeezing his left hand, tightly.
"Why were you drawing on my wall, Ozzie?" he said it with a strained smile, his voice passive aggressive and his hand squeezing Ozzie's.
"I'm sorry, dad..." he mumbles, looking down, tears slowly dripping down his face. Georgie back up back unto his mattress. Matt didn't look pleased.
"Answer the question, Ozzie." he put emphasis on his name. He started twisting Ozzie's hand and he screamed.
"I was being stupid! I'm really sorry." the twisting didn't stop. Matt drew it back further, and further and further. Ozzie kept screaming and squirming, the tears on his face coming down quicker.
Georgie heard a crunching sound. Ozzie screamed loudly. Georgie looked back at Charlie and Davin. Charlie looked a little uncomfortable, his smile gone. Davin had his hands covering his ears in a desperate attempt to block out Ozzie's screams. His eyes were shut tightly, and he was leaning against the wall. He looked just as uncomfortable as Charlie. Georgie heard Matt clear his voice.
"You should've known better."
YOU ARE READING
The Recruits
Mystery / Thriller'Everyone seems normal, but we all have secrets.' The year was 1986. All Georgie wanted to do was get to school, but he never made it. Instead, he was kidnapped and forced to live out the rest of his years in a basement surrounded by people with sim...
