A Tragic Creation

Chapter 2: Subject

It didn't take Max too long to travel to the top of the grey mountain. He knew where the prisoner was, and he was not worried about him running off. The chains around his ankles made it impossible to run, let alone stand.

A white cloth was tied around his mouth and, like Jeremy, his hands were tied behind his back. The man saw Max approaching and began to struggle, trying to get away.

"Now, now, no use in doing that. Yer blueness wants you for something."

Ringo's eyes widened in fear and confusion. Max sighed.

"Well, I suppose we owe you this much..."

He walked over to Ringo and untied the cloth around his mouth. Before the drummer could speak, Max put his hand over his mouth.

"That's all I'm gonna do. I'm not untying you, so don't even ask."

The blue hand moved away from Ringo.

"W-what d-does he want w-with me? I d-don't know where my f-friends are."

"We know. At least we had the mercy to find your regular clothes for you. Now, " Max glared at Ringo, "you didn't hide anything, did you?"

"No," Ringo lied, even though he knew that a hole wouldn't help him now.

Max took a hold of the back of Ringo's red and blue-striped sweater and starting dragging him across the smooth surface of the stone ground.

"Y-you didn't a-answer me. W-what does he want?" Ringo asked, keeping his panic at bay.

"Oh, don't worry about it. He and Jeremy will be busy once you see them."

"B-busy?"

"We just need a thing from you, but I wouldn't like to be the one to get it."

"W-wha-"

"Quiet! You're starting to annoy me!"

Ringo closed his mouth as he tried to struggle against the chains around his hands and ankles. The clanking of the chains continued as Max found the path down the mountain. Max sighed as he took the first step down.

"Please stop struggling, you're not getting free anyway," he said in a calm tone.

Having no other choice, Ringo obliged. 

"P-please, I'll tell him whatever he wants, I..." His breathing became uneven in fear.

"He doesn't want your knowledge, Jeremy has supplied enough. Speaking of which..." Max looked back at Ringo, smirking, "that's why we need you."

"F-for what?"

"An experiment, I'll say. And please, don't ask me questions, I want you to be surprised!"

Ringo saw the grin max had on his face, and he felt as if a massive weight was placed on his shoulders.

"Anyway, " Max turned his head forward so that Ringo couldn't see it, "I'm sure that this will be good. Maybe we'll finally be able to find those three quislings!"

A chill went down Ringo's spine. He was thankful that they hadn't been found, but he still felt as if he should have been able to see the bagpipe before he stepped on it. If he didn't step on it, they wouldn't of needed to run away from the wakened forced and...

A sad sigh escaped Ringo's lips.

"I'm always the one that get us into trouble..." He quietly said in a sad tone.

"Yes, you are."

Instead of responding, Ringo focused on the grey empty sky, not even surprised that Max had heard it.

"You know, I'm surprised you hadn't started yelling yet," Max said

Ringo closed his eyes, frowning.

"I'm not going to try."

And in that moment, Ringo's color faded by an amount so small that it was almost unnoticeable.