Mad

chapter 1

The lights blinked in and out feverously, cajoling them to sleep for half a second before reminding them of their torment. Quivering, Aven searched relentlessly for any sign that would confirm his sanity, yet he found none. Across the room, two lay dead, buried beneath their own dried blood. They had screamed to death, first cutting their vocal cords then coughing their lungs out. Lucky them. Now, only two of the four test subjects remained in the garish white room: Aven himself and Febian, another outlaw. Aven could swear that his deeds did not match his punishment. Yes he was a criminal, but no human being deserved to be tormented in such a way. As they were proclaimed enemies of the society, the four of the were forced to participate in an experiment that involved not sleeping for 30 straight days. The vents constantly belched a gas that prevents them from sleeping. The ones that survived the experiment had been promised their freedom. They had  had books and dry food to last them for a year, but no bedding and no comfortable furniture. Now, on the fifteenth day, the shredded books accumilated on the floor with the food strewn across it. He doubted that he could tolerate such a life for fifteen  more days. Lifting his shredded hands, which he had bitten and clawed at himself, he started pulling the few wisps of hair he had left from his scalp. Twinkle Twinkle little star boomed from the mics overhead, reminding them of their curse. Febian, on the other hand, was eating at his fingers. Bone was showing. Suddenly, Febian stared forcefully at Aven, his eye twitching but never closing. Aven felt rage flare into his spirit. Why would Febian stare at him like that?
Febian slowly picked himself up and started advancing towards Aven. Madness glinted in his wide eyes. Aven tried leaping to his feet but his trembling legs wouldn't carry him. Pushing himself up, he readied himself for the blow, grinning at Febian. Febian had been threatening him to stop sitting in that corner for a long time. Now he was finally going to attack. Aven felt his chest tingling with excitement. The misery would soon be over. Febian sprinted towards Aven. He was 3 metres away. 2 meters.1 meter. He aimed all his strength at Aven in one quick blow. The grim reaper smiled in the background. Aven grinned back. He twirled sideways, pushing Febian's body towards the corner. Febian's arm penetrated the wall. He screamed as he tried pulling it out, but before he could budge, Aven grabbed his head and jammed it into the wall. The wall slightly cracked, filling Aven with relief. He pummeled the wall with Febian's head again. And again. And again. Febian's body started going limp beneath his fingers. If Aven didn't finish this soon this would be the end of him. He gathered all his strength into one blow and fired Febian's head at the wall. The wall shattered like a puzzle, scattering its pieces everywhere. He yanked Febian out of the wall and threw his limp body onto the floor. Before escaping, he bent over the body and used his jagged teeth to yank out Febian's trachae. Blood dripped from his mouth, leaving a small trail behind him as he squeezed himself out of that horrid room into the corridors they used to distribute more food. He knew there were no cameras, sensors or trackers here. No one, but the workers, knew that these tunnels existed. So why would they waste any money guarding a place no one knew existed. At least they thought no one knew about it. Aven chuckled as he imagined the headlines on the news tomorrow. ' Rogue Robber' or     'Breach in Besmoth' it would say, with his mugshots under it. Quickly crossing the straight path that divided into a left and right corridor, he threw the bloody organ to the right as far as he could and veered left. The only way they could find him is follow the trail of blood. This would only buy him a few seconds. Just the time needed to make society pay.