Nothing can describe the anxiety that you can get while you're waiting for something bad to happen. Especially when you know your life depends on a little wire you have hidden under your pillow, genetric bolt, an outlet, and a theory.

Wilder, Lachlan and Barricade came back into the room not long after I had finished building my fire starter. They promptly sat down in front of the computer and tried to go back to playing the game that idiot one and idiot two had been playing when idiot three and I walked in. The computer seemed to of completely died, the screen blank and the machine lifeless. Whatever buttons the boys pressed it wouldn't start working again. I had smirked at the distressed expression on Barricade’s face. I didn't think that it would be working for a long time.

After a lot more desperate button clicking and even some frustrated kicking they sat down and pulled out their Zaggers and Pads. They talked a little, but they didn't mention me once, though I did get a few sidelong glances from Barricade.

I wondered how stupid they were if they couldn't figure out that I had been behind their computers mysterious destruction. Before they went into the bathroom and left me alone it was working, after they came back it wasn't. There was no way they didn't know.... Well Barricade might not know, but the other two must of known.

The day seemed to drag on endlessly. At about midday I left the bunk and did exercises for about two hours. Barricade had glared at me but the other two didn't pay me any attention.

It was eery how it seemed like they didn't know I was there, even though I knew they did know. It was kind of like watching one of those scary movies that you weren't actually apart of but knew something bad was going to happen- except in this situation I knew the threat was very real.

I was starving by the time for the evening meal. I was sitting on my bed, the place that had been my haven for most of the afternoon, when a opening seemingly materialized in the door and food was pushed through.

I had leaped from the bed and ran toward the opening, but the opening closed shut the second I slammed against the door. I fell backwards (very painfully) from the momentum I hit the door with. I closed my eyes and groaned. It felt like I broke something- wonderful.

Suddenly I was aware of Wilder was standing over me, he looked down with that stupid little smirk that I just wanted to smack off his face. "Getting a little antsy?" He laughed smugly, then  moved away.

I lay there trying to recover from slamming against a metal door and thinking about how much I wanted to push Wilder over a cliff. I hated Wilder so much more than Barricade. At least with Barricade he wasn't a needler, he just beat you to a bloody pulp.

When I got up I realized the food was gone and the bathroom door was closed again and laughs came from within. I pulled myself to my feet, my stomach rumbled and I wondered if I should go over and try to bust the door down even though I knew that it wouldn't budge. I sigh in temporary defeat, climbing back up to my bed and plopping down into the soft sheets. When the food came tomorrow I'd just have to be faster. That was really low, I thought disgruntled, it was one thing to punch someone, but it was an entirely different crime entirely to steal their food.

Lights out couldn't come quick enough, all I wanted to do was sleep- well actually I also wanted to eat, but since that wasn’t going to happen I’d settle for sleep. Sadly for me I wasn’t even allowed sleep, for the second I started to drowse off, the person below me kicked the bed with all their might jolting me awake.

"What the...?!" I snapped. Now I believe I stated earlier that sleep was one of the few things that I actually enjoyed doing, and when someone comes between me and my sleep things aren't pretty. I had already been deprived earlier and I was not about to let it happen again. I bent over the side of the bed hanging my head down to the bunk below to see which idiot it was. Through the dim light of the nightlight I saw grinning Barricade looked at me with wild eyes. I had to wonder if he had drank all of the coffee with the evening meal. He laughed and kicked the bed again almost making me lose my grip and fall on my head. I glanced at the other two beds, Lachlan and Wilder appeared to be undisturbed by our yelling. They must of had their earbuds in.

"Cut it out Barricade!" I snapped as he joyously kicked it again, this time making the entire bed rock. "If you kick the bed one more time, I will-"

"You'll what?" Barricade lunging forward with speed I didn't realize he possessed and grabbed my neck. I froze, partly because I was (quite literally) in no position to defend myself, one wrong move and I would fall on my head, and partly because my body was seized with another anxiety attack. I tried to get a better grip on the bed, but my hands were sweaty and kept slipping.

I felt his grip tighten on my neck as he grinned, "What are you going to do?" He paused, his grip tightening "Call your sire? Have him save your scrawny rear end because you can't do it yourself-" I lost my temper, I saw red, as I let go of the bunk with one hand and punched his face. It was weak and uncoordinated but he let go in surprise. I felt my remaining hand slip; I tumbled from the bunk catching my back on the bed frame and landing on my tailbone. Waves of pain shocked my body making me freeze up for a second. One second was too long, Barricade tackled me from behind, his huge body crushing mine. He grabbed my arms trying to pin me down but I managed to knee him in the stomach hard. He flinched loosening his grip enough so I could knock him over. He fell sideways and I quickly scrambled to my feet.

If I was going to beat him, I stood no chance wrestling. Barricade had a huge weight advantage on me. I had to stay on my feet at all costs.

Barricade must of made the connection too because he jumped to his feet and charged me like he was going to tackle me to the ground. My heart thudding, I jumped aside at the last moment and grabbed his arm, jerking it backwards. He flipped onto his back, falling to the ground. I suddenly felt my ankle jerk out from under me and I fell onto my back.

The idiot had grabbed it, I realized in panic, rolling onto my stomach as fast as I could to get up. Getting up was the only thing on my mind-I wasn't fast enough though. Before I was an inch of the ground I felt his shoe slam into the small of the small of my back. I crumpled back to the ground as he grabbed my left arm and twisted it back behind my head in a direction that I was pretty sure it wasn't meant to turn. I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from crying out from the pain, black spots danced I front of my eyes and for a second I thought I was going to pass out.

"You're so weak Wes, I can't believe you beat me earlier." He laughed and through the pain I felt a surge of frustration. I hated this. I hated being so.... Helpless. It just wasn't me.

I felt something between a groan and a growl make its way through my gritted teeth. He laughed harder twisting my arm more. “ What was that? I couldn't quite make it out.” He said apply an ungodly amount of pressure to my arm. I thought for sure that it was going to break. My vision was blurry, I was ticked, and I was sleep deprived- Not a good combination. I had enough. I snapped, feeling every square ounce of rage, every ounce of undealt with anxiety that I had bottled up that day come pouring out into the longest string of swear words I'd ever put together- and that's saying something.

Cussing out a guy who had you successfully pinned might not of been the brightest move I had ever made. It only seemed to make him angry, strangely this satisfied me on some level. Maybe it was the fact it made me feel like I still had some power."You think that's funny?” Barricade hissed “I don't. Shut up." He pushed my arm more. I squeezed my eyes shut as I heard a loud crack from inside my body, I think I screamed, I’m not sure. All I was aware of was pain. A deep internal pain that spread through my body like no other pain I had ever felt before. I didn't know how I was still conscious.  

Barricade must of gone back to bed after that, because when the pain subsided enough for my brain to function I was alone, my arm was limp on the floor next to me. I tried to move it and was instantly hit with another blinding wave of pain.

After an unmeasured amount of time the pain numbed and I tried to get up using my other arm but I found out the hard way that couldn't without moving my other shoulder a little. I felt the same explosion of pain. I did not attempt to move again after that. I just laid there, terrified of what had happened to my arm. I prayed to the gods that it wasn’t anything permanent.

What was I going to do? I had to survive with three people who were seriously planning on killing me and I couldn't even move, let alone defend myself. I was as good as dead. I wondered if I died what would happen. The matriarchs of the Growth Center had always told us that there was an afterlife, that when we die we are taken up to the land of the gods to live in eternal peace and happiness. Well, thats what they told you would happen if you were good, they said if you were bad they told us that our souls would be too heavy with the sins of our life to float upwards into the land of the gods. They said that we would be eventually be captured by Xaron’s essence and tortured for every bad thing we did, then he would eat what remains of our soul and we would simply cease to exist. As the story goes, every soul he devours brings him that much closer to taking a human form and rising again to challenge Xiomara and takeover the world. It was kind of a scary thought. The whole dying thing I mean. The legends didn't scare me… They had never felt real.

Thats how I spent my night, lying on the freezing cold floor and thinking. I tried to sleep, but it was a vain attempt, everything just hurt too bad. Morning seemed to be lagging, taking as long as it possibly could to come. And when it finally did come I wished it hadn't.

I snapped from my 'I-want-to-sleep-so-bad-but-everything-hurts-too-much' state of mind when Wilder woke up. He didn't slowly wake up like a normal person, but sat up alertly as if he'd been up for hours. Then again, Wilder was not a normal human being. I was about 89% sure he was the spawn of Xaron.

He looked around and almost instantly locked eyes with me. His brow furrowed and his eyes filled with confusion. "Why are you on the floor?" He demanded, as if he thought I would answer.

"I obviously am on the floor because I can't be on the ceiling." I said dryly glaring at him.

His expression changed from confusion to annoyance as he promptly stood up and walked over to me and kicked me right in the side. I bit my already bloodied tongue to keep from howling out in pain.

"What was that for?!" I demanded, silently debating in my head whether the movement of grabbing his ankle and tripping him would be worth the pain.

Wilder ignored me and threw a pillow at Barricade. "What did you do?" He asked in utter annoyance.

Barricade looked up from his bed, his  dark brown hair standing at odd angles, drool cascading from his mouth. I noticed a big ugly bruise had formed on his face from where I had hit him the night previous, I felt my heart warm a little at the thought that I had caused him pain. "Who-na... What?" Barricade said drowsily looking around as if expecting to see something.

"Barricade, what happened last night?" Wilder demanded as if he was genuinely upset- which we all know he wasn't.

"Ohs yeah. Imma..." He rubbed his eyes blinking, "He 'it me so I...... I...." He scrunched his brown trying to remember the word he needed. Wilder tapped his foot impatiently. "Oh!" Barricade raised a finger in triumph. "I like brutally twisted 'is arm.... like off. Food. Wilder I need food. Feed me." Then he collapsed on his bed snoring.

Wilder rolled his eyes. "I do not like it when my plans are thrown curveballs, Barricade!” he yelled at him as if he was still awake. When Barricade didn't respond he rubbed his temple muttering to himself. “Ugh.... All my planning…. Curses Barricade…. I'll need to come up with something new… I don't have time for this...." He walked away, off towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind him then I heard the shower turn on.

It took me a second to realize that Lachlan had been awake this entire time silently watching from the top bunk. I inwardly recoiled at the thought of him and his lies. I was still furious with him- and with myself for allowing it to happen.

He looked cautiously toward the bathroom and at the slumbering Barricade before jumping from the bunk and coming over to me. "Wes! Why did you hit him? Didn't you know he would throttle you?" He asked in concern, but he asked it as if it was my fault Barricade had beaten the crud out of me. Maybe it was staying up all night, maybe it was the fight, maybe it was Lachlan's betrayal, but I suddenly felt a great desire to be alone. I looked away from Lachlan, silently willing him to leave.

"Come on Wes, you can't be mad at me! I only did what I had to in order to get out of this alive!" Lachlan begged, coming closer. "Oh gods! Your shoulder looks huge.... It- it looks like Barricades!"

I looked at Lachlan wondering what the hell was wrong with him. I decided to ignore his later comment and address the first one. "You are making friendly with the guys who want me dead, you lied to me mutable times, when we were friends, come to think of it, you didn't even treat me like one most of the time, and then you ran off with my food- heck yeah I'm angry! Get away from me!!!" I yelled glaring at him. He backed up looking hurt, which confused me all the more. Didn't he realize what he had done?! I looked away. What if he was going to apologize? I don't think I could forgive him.

He didn't try. He walked away. I should've felt relieved, but I didn't. I just felt upset. I remembered then how much I hated feelings, they get in the way of everything and aren't worth dealing with. I tried to push them to the back of my mind.

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 The day lagged on as the night had. When morning meal came I couldn't get to the door to get my food so Barricade ate it. Right in front of me, it was miserable. I tried moving every so often, and generally regretted it, by evening though the pain in my shoulder eased up enough so that I was able to get into my bed. It wasn't easy but I had managed it. As you could guess, I didn't get the evening meal ether. Barricade ate that too.

As soon as it was lights out I found myself drifting off to sleep. The pain had eased to a dull ache except for when I moved it. Before I allowed myself to nod off though, I made sure my device was in place. In theory all I would have to do was stick the wire in the outlet, and it, wrapped around the genetric bolts would heat up eventually setting the sheets on fire. Genetric bolts heat up too quickly and have tendencies to start fires. They actually were recalled about a month ago but as I had hoped they hadn't been replaced yet. Anyway once the sheets were on fire it would set off the smoke detectors. Then someone would come to help in theory, or maybe even the doors would open providing an escape root. I didn't know. The only problem now was that I was in no shape to defend myself until the fire started, or even to run if the doors opened.

I could always set it off now, I figured, I was pretty sure my shoulder was dislocated, or worse broken. I would be able to make a solid case against Barricade. Something was stopping me though and I had no idea what it was. Maybe it was the fact the matriarchs wouldn't really do anything. They’d only scold him. I had heard of kids complaining about Barricade, according Aspen they were never heard of again after that. So was I scared? I didn’t feel scared strangely. At first when I realized I was rooming with people who literally were planning my funeral I had been terrified. It was literally anxiety attack after anxiety attack, but now it had numbed to a dull grimness. Maybe determination even. It was then I realized what it was. If I bailed now, Barricade and Wilder would look at that as fear or weakness. I was not weak, and I would not allow anyone- especially my enemies to think I was. I wanted to get the better of them despite the odds. I wanted to make them pay.

If I bailed at the right second, the scenario would change entirely, it would be a cunning preparedness. I imagined myself fighting Barricade, Wilder and Lachlan all at the same time, the sheets suddenly bursting into flames behind us, the smoke detector blinking as the door to the dorm opens. I would duck right under the stunned Barricades arm and run towards the door, pausing only to give a mock salute and say, “See ya, suckers!” before I disappeared running down the halls to freedom. Yes, that would be the ideal situation. I remembered that my arm was wounded, but it kind of felt better now. At least a little. I would be perfectly capable of fighting them off. Barricade got lucky earlier.

Looking back I remember having a small square of doubt in my head, but I ignored it because I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe I could beat the world despite the odds, even though I really had no chance. I was very human, and humans have a tendency to believe only what they want to believe, despite the evidence for or against their belief.

I fell into a deep dreamless sleep right that. Now I'd like to say I'd slept soundly through the night, woke up in the morning, had common sense hit me in the face, and escaped, but I can't. What happened next would haunt me for the rest of my life. Seemingly only seconds after I closed my eyes I felt icy fingers grabbing my wrist. My eyes flew open and my heart stopped.

I should of stuck the wire in the outlet, or at least tried to pull away. Instead, disorientated, I tried to wake up enough to figure out what was going on. The hand tightened and the next thing I knew I was flying through the air and hitting the ground painfully. My vision blurred as pain shot through my body like knives as I landed on my bad shoulder. I felt an involuntary cry escape my lips.

Everything was happening too fast, what was going on? I suddenly saw a foot come flying towards my face. I tried to roll out of the way but nothing in my body was working. My head was thrown back with the force of the kick. I was aware of my hand flying to my face where the boot had connected.

I had to get up if I was going to survive this. My body was hit with another wave of blinding pain when I tried to use my other arm to get up. I Felt another kick explode in my side the second I collapsed. I heard cruel sadistic laughter from the people who were attacking me. I was disoriented though from the pain as I was kicked from all sides. It seemed like whichever way I turned I was bombarded with feet. I felt hot tears gather in my eyes as I tried to think through the agony I felt.

I had to get up. I knew that much. I had everything I could do not to curl up in a ball and admit defeat. Defeat- Wilder, Barricade, Lachlan- That was the second everything came rushing back to me, and I realized with dread that this was Wilder's plan. Whatever it was. This was their final attack. If I couldn't get to my feet and fight I was as good as dead.

I tried to push into a sitting position using my good arm, but was instantly kicked down again. They started jeering, all of them. I heard Lachlan's reluctant tone the loudest though.

Jerk, I had this coming to me, I'm useless, I'm weak, I'm stupid, I'm a spoiled brat for knowing my sire, I have no friends, nobody ever liked me anyway, nobody will miss me, the three boys words mixed together, making me almost want to die. Maybe they were right.

I stopped trying to get up or dodge the kicked and just laid there. I felt my cheeks get wet from the tears that were suddenly flooding from my eyes. That was when it stopped, the kicking I mean. Barricade bent over smiling, his hand reached forward and grasping my bad arm, I screamed as the pain blinded me for a second. I felt nauseous, I gagged on nothing as my stomach tried to throw up, but couldn't.

Barricade roughly massaged the swollen skin pressing it with all his might, laughing as if this was the most enjoyable thing he had ever done. I wondered how someone could be so cruel. My vision blurred, I silently prayed that I would pass out. Anything was better than this. Anything. Just kill me already.

Somehow I had forgotten that I had another arm, I bit my tongue and sent it flying toward Barricades face.

Someone grabbed my arm midair though, I looked ignoring the pain that shot through my body, I met eyes with Lachlan. He looked at me in fear, like he was afraid of what he was doing. I was seized with the urge to yell at him, I wanted to make him regret ever touching me. I wanted to make them all regret it. My mouth couldn't seem to form words though, no matter how hard I tried to yell.

I tried to pull away desperately. I was hit with another blinding wave of pain as Barricade suddenly yanked my injured arm.

I squeezed my eyes shut unable to move as he did it again. And again. I slowly felt my consciousness slipping from my grasp. Finally was last thing I remembered thinking before slipping into the dark, but strangely welcoming pool of unconsciousness.

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The first thing I was aware of after that was water. Freezing water, blasting me from all sides. My eyes shot open only to see I was lying in an inch of water that was so cold it stung my skin.

I looked around instantly alert, where was I? The shower, I realized looking around, as the jets spat the water at me. I started shivering as I painfully got to my feet.

I looked for the control panel and saw it to my right, I tried clumsily hitting the electric buttons that controlled the water but the panel was dead. I turned my head over toward the frosted glass that separated the shower from the rest of the room, I was able to see three figures standing beyond the glass.

My heart stopped as I saw the biggest figure holding the glass shut. Instinctively my good arm flew toward the handle and tried to pry it open. No use.

I looked around at my small rectangular prison, looking desperately for a way out. The water was already up to my knees.

Wait- why wasn't that water draining? I looked down. It was plugged. After only a second of hesitation I plunged my hands into the ice water and tried to grasp whatever it was, but my hands couldn't find a grip. It was wedged in the drain tight. After a minute I pulled my hands up in defeat. They were numb and turning a ghastly shade of blue.

My heart stopped a full second as I realized I was truly trapped. There was nothing I could do. I was completely at the mercy of Barricade, Wilder, and Lachlan. I was going to die. I didn't want to die, not yet. The water was at my waist. I had lost all feeling in my legs from the cold. I used my bad arm to painfully grasp the bar in the shower to keep my legs from giving out.

Then my heart was racing as I started punching the glass with my right fist, the glass didn't even budge. I didn't stop though. I had to get out of here! My fist started to bleed from the relentless pounding, I ignored it and kept going. My only thoughts were of escaping.

I noticed the smallest figure slowly slink through the door, away from all this. Lachlan. What a coward, I thought in disgust.

I continued pounding, hoping desperately that a crack would appear, but it didn't.

I let my arms sink to the water in defeat. I instantly lost feeling in my arms. My shoulders and head were the only things above the water. I tried to stay on my feet but I couldn't, I felt myself slowly slip under the waterline. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't move any of my limbs.. My body was paralyzed from the cold. It was the most terrifying sensation I had ever felt.

I was completely helpless, I couldn't even struggle.

I felt the darkness start to cloud the edges of my vision. I fought desperately to keep my eyes open. I saw the bubbles slip from my lips and float toward the surface.

No I can't die. I can't die now. I don't want to die! No! The fear raced around in my head, I saw my vision fade and my last thought that echoed through my head was one of a grim acceptance; well this is a sucky way to die.

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^ Chapters like this one are what happen as a result of a really bad day. I'm sorry, but it DID have to happen. Okay I'm not sorry. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

As you can see this chapter is dedicated to Username8990 for commenting. Thank you, that made my day!