Playground of Bones

Chapter 14

It was hot, really hot. getting hotter and hotter at every minute. Burning. Sweat dripped down his face, stung his eyes, providing a thin shield for the heat. His hands were behind his back, tied with rope, gnawing at his skin. Between then, there was a log, hanging Matt in the air by his own arms, upright. There was crackling.

The sound of an open fire. 

Matt looked ahead of him, surprised to find glass. Behind the glass, there was another room, completely identical to any other concrete room in the building. In it, stood 8 spectators, noses pressed against the glass, mouthing his name. His friends. Some were pounding the window, the pressure barely making it's way to Matt's ears. Some just stared, tears already dried, and shook, frightened for his life. 

They should be frightened. The flames licked at his feet, stinging, it came back to consume more of what it has missed. Again and again it came, burning more of him, consuming more of him. His legs stung, hurting, aching. His feet felt like they were exploding from the inside, then they turned numb, a throbbing pain. 

The flame burned, higher and higher, scorching the rope holding Matt to the pole. Everything burned, his hands, the floor, the flame. he fell, barely clinging to the pole, in front of his friends. They stared, unable to do anything, at his already glossy eyes. His face was burning, the flame must have gotten in his head. Because he went unconscious again.

How many times is it?

This time, it wasn't much that appeared. He saw an image, of green and blue and red and yellow, and a tiny black spot embedded in the centre. It must be the chip, because somehow he thought of one word, strange and practically meaningless. He jerked his eyes open, relieved to find his friends staring back at him, and mouthed the word he saw, over and over. 

Are.