Running With Scissors. [Day One.]
Title: Running With Scissors.
Author: Harriet, a.k.a masokisstiic
Rating: Overall R
Pairing: Flyzik and Zack.
POV: Third
Summary: "And I've been taken for granted, this time you've gone too far."
Disclaimer: I own nothing, haha.
Credit: Title to Underscore, and this story is based on the Stanford Prison Experiment.
A/N: Okay, so the prologue recieved very positive feedback, which spurred me on to get the first chapter written as soon as possible! I apologise for any confusion first of all, I'm hoping everything will become clearer as the 'days' progress. These first few days are not going to be all that interesting, I shall warn you now, but I promise that gradually things will become exciting!
Tumblr.
Masterpost.
Matt was praying to a God he didn’t even believe in after those dreadful, disastrous interviews with the psychologist. He didn’t want to be picked, he didn’t want to do this, he was fucking pissed at Zack for making him.
A part of him really wanted it to be just Zack that was eligible, two weeks away from the boy who he was constantly with twenty-four seven might do him so good.
Matt was never lucky though.
So when he got the call back on his mobile asking him to pack his bags and drive to a meeting point, he thought he was going to throw up.
Even more so when he hung up and ten minutes later Zack bounced into their bedroom saying he’d also been chosen.
Great.
And that’s how they ended up here, a bus stop just outside of town, waiting for God knows what. A bus, probably.
Zack and Matt were not the only men there though, of course not. It was at this point where they were first set their eyes upon the males who they would be spending the next fourteen days with.
Matt was scared, he’d never been a people person, and mingling with strangers for the next two weeks, he hadn’t been looking forward to it.
Pulling up the strap of his rucksack he looked toward Zack who was chatting with a seemingly older man, Matt sighed, he wanted to have his boyfriend standing next to him and rubbing the small of his back soothingly as a method of comfort.
But that’s when Matt realised that he wasn’t supposed to know Zack, they had to act as strangers, otherwise they would be sent home.
“Hey, you’re pretty quiet, aint’cha?”
A light-hearted voice from behind caused Matt to spin around, he raised an eyebrow as his eyes settled upon a young boy, and he looked as if he had only just turned eighteen.
“I’m a little shy, I suppose.” Matt mumbled as the boy opposite flicked his fringe across his forehead. Matt didn’t quite understand why anybody would want to dye a blonde streak through dark hair, to him it looked silly, but who was he to judge?
The bubbly teenager grinned as he held out his hand, “I’m Jack.” And Matt took his hand warily, wondering whether Zack was watching him.
Zack never liked Matt making physical contact with other males.
“Matt...” The older man said softly, managing a small smile as Jack sighed.
“Howcomes you’re here, anyway?” The boy asked, not allowing Matt a chance to speak as he continued, “I’m here for my mom, she’s sick but can’t afford her operation, and I found the ad for this whole thing and thought, why the hell not, y’know? It can’t be too much harm, and anyway, fourteen thousand dollars is a lot at stake. I would have been a dick for not taking up this opportunity.” He babbled, bending his knees to sit awkwardly on the cold pavement, yet he didn’t seem to mind.
As Matt listened tothe younger boy's explanation, he couldn’t help to feel guilty. He was here for selfish reasons.
Well, he was here for Zack’s selfish reasons. They didn’t need the money, it wasn’t a life or death situation like Jack made his mother’s operation out to be.
As he just shrugged his shoulders, he tried to push back the thought that maybe there were other people who really did need that money but they weren’t chosen because Matt and Zack had taken their place.
He felt like throwing up.
Jack didn’t seem too bothered by his shy attitude however, so at least that was a good sign. Maybe making friends wouldn’t even be so bad?
If Zack could do it, then he could, right?
His eyes glanced around the other men that were either seated or standing around the small stop, none of them knowing what they were getting themselves into.
Matt noticed how there wasn’t twenty-six males here when the ad said they required them, he guessed they’d find out later what that was about.
The age range didn’t seem to be too vast, Jack was definitely the youngest, however, and the man that Zack was still laughing with seemed to be the eldest. He didn’t exactly dress like his age, though. Who would have a thought a man in his early thirties would still be wearing skin-tight jeans and neon coloured t-shirts?
Matt groaned, he really, really didn’t want to be here right now.
And as a large, black coach with tinted windows pulled up at the stop, he didn’t even have the chance to back out at the last minute. This was it.
- - - -
The journey was at least three hours long, and by the time the coach pulled up to a mysterious building in the middle of no-where, all of the men were shattered.
Allowing the others to push past him down the aisle, Matt waited until he was the last off of the coach, a quiet “Thank you,” leaving his lips to the driver.
As he stepped onto the grass, he heard an angry voice that he recognised instantly to be Zack’s. He rolled his eyes; he was hoping the boy would try to keep out of trouble.
“What do you mean we can’t take our stuff in with us? Why the fuck would you ask us to bring a bag when we can’t even have it? You have got to be fucking kidding me.” The boy spat to the professor who was leading the whole experiment.
“Please, sir, just calm down as everything will be explained once we’re all inside the building.” The psychologist replied calmly before taking a few steps back to be able to see the entire group of males in front.
“Can I have everybody’s attention please?” He called over the chattering, surprised as silence followed soon after his last word. “Thank you. Now, I will lead you into the building and I will discuss with you our experiment and what we expect from all of you. Follow me.” He commanded, as he turned to walk toward the front door of the building and unlocked it slowly.
Matt couldn’t help but to think that damn professor was making this ordeal a lot more dramatic than it needed to be.
“You alright?” Came a whisper, and Matt turned to see Zack with his fists clenched as a way to keep his cool.
“Fine.” Matt mumbled, standing still as he waited to be at the back once more, he felt much safer there.
Zack sighed; Matt didn’t look fine at all. He almost felt bad for forcing him into this, he knew that the older boy didn’t want to take part, but this was what they both needed in his eyes.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen when we get in there, I don’t even know whether we’ll be able to communicate, touch, any of that. So I just want to tell you something before we become strangers completely for the next two weeks, okay?” Zack said softly beneath his breath so that only Matt was able to hear his hushed words.
“And what’s that?” Matt sighed.
“I really do love you, babe.”
“I love you, too.”
Everything would be okay.
- - - -
“I have a list of names here, if I call yours out then please stand and make your way over to the left side of the room.” The professor stated as he clutched tightly to a white piece of paper. He looked just as nervous as anybody else and he wasn’t even taking part in this experiment which still remained a mystery.
“I’ll explain everything my ass.” Zack had thought bitterly as he sat in his chair beside the man he’d chatted to earlier, Gabe, his name was if he could rightly remember.
“Gabriel Saporta,” So he had been right. “Alexander Gaskarth, Robert Dawson-“
“It’s Rian.”
“Rian Dawson, and Matthew Flyzik.” The professor concluded.
Yet Matt remained stuck to his seat.
He heard his name, that he was sure of, but he didn’t hear Zack’s.
Fuck, fuck, whatever he thought earlier about wanting to be apart from his boy wasn’t true. He didn’t care if he was tortured for the next two weeks, at least he’d be with the one he loved.
But he wasn’t, he was on his own.
Zack didn’t seem too pleased with these arrangements either as he watched Matt shakily lift himself from his chair and stagger towards the left side of the room where a door was situated. Maybe this was a mistake after all.
Was the money really worth it?
“Yes, yes it fucking is. Don’t pussy out, Merrick, you’re better than this. Matt’ll be fine, he takes your beatings like a pro, he can do anything.”
“All those whose names I read, please make your way through the door by the side of you and in that room will be uniforms laid out with names sewn into each. Find yours and put it on without question, then read the paper that will be on a desk in front of you. This will explain all.” The psychologist ordered, and in silence the men obeyed.
“Now, that leaves us with Zachary Merrick, Vincent Petrocelli, Jack Barakat, Joshua Franceschi, Evan Kirkendall, and Brendon Urie, yes?”
The remaining males nodded, only the man called “Vincent” obnoxiously shouting, “Yes!” Too enthusiastic for Zack’s liking, he hated him already and they hadn’t even spoke yet.
“Please make your way to the door on the right where you will change into your uniforms which will have your name taped on the label at the back. A bell will sound and that will be when you will join the others where they will tell you everything else you need to know.”
Zack stood to his feet, the others soon following suit, and as he made his way to the door, he could have sworn he’d heard the professor utter, “Don’t get too comfortable.” Under his breath.
Pushing down on the handle, Zack entered their given room first, eyes widening at the orange jumpsuits laid on the stone floor.
“It’s like we’re playing dress up or something!” An excited voice squealed from behind him, the boy that Zack had seen Matt talking to earlier. Jack.
“I don’t think this is a game...” A hesitant voice replied, one that belonged to the brown haired boy named Josh; he wasn’t too much older than Jack by the looks of things. “Am I the only one who’s regretting signing up for this shit now or...?”
“No, I’m with you.” The blonde haired one named Evan replied back.
“You sound like such pansies.” That Vincent man groaned, “Seriously, just put the jumpsuit on and just play along with it all. Man the fuck up people, jeez.”
Yeah, Zack really didn’t like that one.
“Oh, and by the way, if you ever call me Vincent then you’ll regret it. It’s Vinny, and Vinny only.”
Zack rolled his eyes, “I wouldn’t even dream of it.” He commented sarcastically, earning himself a nasty glare, but fuck it. The guy seemed like a prick so he deserved to be treated like one.
“Matt isn’t a prick though, so why is he treated like shit?”
A uniform was thrown towards Zack’s chest, bringing him back into the real world.
“S-Sorry,” Brendon stuttered, “It had your name on it.” He mumbled awkwardly, turning around to search for the one that belonged to him.
Inspecting the inside of the suit, Zack double-checked to find his name, and alas, there it was.
In cursive lettering, his name was printed, too glamourous for something prisoners would wear.
It wasn’t too long before every male had found their suit and had slipped it on. All of them had noticed the large numbers printed on the front and back of each of them, a different number for every male.
Zack didn’t think anything of it, he guessed it was something to do with making this feel “realistic”, which he thought was bollocks.
Then that bell sounded, and Zack felt his heart race, this would be the time that he’d see Matt.
He wondered what him and the other men would be wearing; he would be pissed if they had better than something bright orange that hung off his limbs. Did they think he was a sumo wrestler or something?
The sound of a lock clicked, and the large metal door on the opposite side of the room was forcefully pushed opened.
“I guess this is it.” Jack grinned, his hands clasped together excitedly.
“I guess it is.” Evan murmured, allowing Zack to lead the way out into what looked like a courtyard of some sort.
This room was fucking huge.
Zack felt as if he was standing in a warehouse, the concrete flooring spreading wide.
On either side of the room, there were two cells, or as Vinny whispered, “Are they cages? It’s like we’re in a zoo or somethin’...”
There was also a basketball hoop directly in front of the men, and beside that, another door.
Everybody was confused.
Zack heard the sound of bolts moving from that other door and himself and the boys in his group watched eagerly as out stepped the males who had been taken away earlier.
They weren’t wearing orange jumpsuits though...
“What the fuck?” Vinny exclaimed, staring in horror at those who were dressed head to toe in a blue uniform, with black shoes and sunglasses to top it all off.
“This is fucked up...” He muttered, his hands running through his short hair.
Zack’s breath caught in his throat as his eyes searched for Matt. Then there, right at the back of course, he found him.
He looked different, that was certain, but he didn’t look comfortable in the slightest.
As he looked his lover up and down, suddenly this “experiment” idea became clear.
Zack remembered playing that game of Cops and Robbers when he was younger in elementary school. Him and his friends would split themselves into two groups, one the cops, the others, robbers. An imaginative game of chase if anything, the cops running after those dastardly robbers, sending them into jail when they were caught.
This was that jail.
Zack had been the robber that was caught, and now he was a prisoner. Matt had been the cop, but had now been promoted to being the guard that looked after the villain.
Vinny was right, this was fucked up.
“I guess we might as well read out the rules we’ve been given then.” Gabe announced as he stood proudly at the front of his team of prison guards. “Maybe it will help to end this confusion.”
He then passed the piece of paper in his hand toward Matt, “You can read it out, might be the only thing you’re useful at.” Gabe sighed.
Matt shook his head at first, yet nobody else offered to take his place. He had no choice but to read out the rules that he’d read several times in the room he’d been in previously.
“N-number one,” He started, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. “Prisoners will not be called by their name, instead by the number that is printed on their jumpsuits.” He stopped to look up, watching as each ‘prisoner’ looked down to their uniforms in horror.
“Two,” He continued, “Prisoners will not speak to the guards unless spoken to. Th-three, prisoners are allowed two hours of recreation a day, the guards will announce when this time may be.” That explained the basketball hoop.
“Four, prisoners will be living in the cell which has their number on.” Matt then lifted his head to look at the cells, and gestured his hand toward the placards in front of the bars. “I guess the numbers are on there...” He said before looking back to the paper. “And finally, rule number five,” Matt gulped, “The guards are always right.”
The prisoners were no longer confused, instead now horrified, and that playful grin upon Jack’s face had been wiped clean off. Josh had been right; this wasn’t a game at all.
“If any prisoner breaks these rules then the guards must punish them without question.” Gabe had taken the paper from Matt’s hands once more, reading the small black print beneath the numbered rules. “If action does not take place, then a bell will ring and that will be the end of the experiment. If the bell rings, you will lose any money you would have rightfully earned. The bell will also ring if violence is used. You can leave the experiment whenever you wish, but if you quit, your money will be halved and somebody else will take your position from our substitution group. Good luck.”
Gabe lowered the instructions before looking upon the prisoners, “Now, we’ll let you suckers get settled into your new cages whilst us guards make ourselves a nice cup of coffee and relax on our comfortable beds we’ve been granted with. But I’m sure your mattresses are just as good.” He cruelly laughed, and the man who was joking with Zack earlier at the bus stop was nowhere to be seen.
Not another word was spoken as the guards then shuffled back through the door they came through, leaving the prisoners to settle themselves in their new sleeping arrangements.
“Well this is shit.” Vinny groaned, “That fucking Gabe acting as if he’s better than us ‘cause he’s wearing a fancy uniform. I should be a guard, not dressed like this.” He scowled as he kicked the ground through frustration. “Not fucking fair.”
“I-It can’t be that bad...” Brendon shrugged, walking toward one of the cells. “Maybe if we’re good then we swap positions or something, just think about the positives.”
“I don’t think there are any positives of sleeping without a blanket.” Zack huffed as he peered through the bars, “Ugh, can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.”
Looking at the numbers printed on the cell, Zack wrinkled his nose, “Right, who’s number 618, and who’s number 114?” He asked, “’Cause whoever you are, you’re sharing with me, number 421.”
“I’m 618.” Jack called, and to Zack’s dismay, Vinny pointed his index fingers toward the number on his chest. “And I’m 114. Nice to meet you, cellmate.”
Tomorrow just couldn’t come sooner, Zack had questions and he needed some answers.
Author: Harriet, a.k.a masokisstiic
Rating: Overall R
Pairing: Flyzik and Zack.
POV: Third
Summary: "And I've been taken for granted, this time you've gone too far."
Disclaimer: I own nothing, haha.
Credit: Title to Underscore, and this story is based on the Stanford Prison Experiment.
A/N: Okay, so the prologue recieved very positive feedback, which spurred me on to get the first chapter written as soon as possible! I apologise for any confusion first of all, I'm hoping everything will become clearer as the 'days' progress. These first few days are not going to be all that interesting, I shall warn you now, but I promise that gradually things will become exciting!
Tumblr.
Masterpost.
Matt was praying to a God he didn’t even believe in after those dreadful, disastrous interviews with the psychologist. He didn’t want to be picked, he didn’t want to do this, he was fucking pissed at Zack for making him.
A part of him really wanted it to be just Zack that was eligible, two weeks away from the boy who he was constantly with twenty-four seven might do him so good.
Matt was never lucky though.
So when he got the call back on his mobile asking him to pack his bags and drive to a meeting point, he thought he was going to throw up.
Even more so when he hung up and ten minutes later Zack bounced into their bedroom saying he’d also been chosen.
Great.
And that’s how they ended up here, a bus stop just outside of town, waiting for God knows what. A bus, probably.
Zack and Matt were not the only men there though, of course not. It was at this point where they were first set their eyes upon the males who they would be spending the next fourteen days with.
Matt was scared, he’d never been a people person, and mingling with strangers for the next two weeks, he hadn’t been looking forward to it.
Pulling up the strap of his rucksack he looked toward Zack who was chatting with a seemingly older man, Matt sighed, he wanted to have his boyfriend standing next to him and rubbing the small of his back soothingly as a method of comfort.
But that’s when Matt realised that he wasn’t supposed to know Zack, they had to act as strangers, otherwise they would be sent home.
“Hey, you’re pretty quiet, aint’cha?”
A light-hearted voice from behind caused Matt to spin around, he raised an eyebrow as his eyes settled upon a young boy, and he looked as if he had only just turned eighteen.
“I’m a little shy, I suppose.” Matt mumbled as the boy opposite flicked his fringe across his forehead. Matt didn’t quite understand why anybody would want to dye a blonde streak through dark hair, to him it looked silly, but who was he to judge?
The bubbly teenager grinned as he held out his hand, “I’m Jack.” And Matt took his hand warily, wondering whether Zack was watching him.
Zack never liked Matt making physical contact with other males.
“Matt...” The older man said softly, managing a small smile as Jack sighed.
“Howcomes you’re here, anyway?” The boy asked, not allowing Matt a chance to speak as he continued, “I’m here for my mom, she’s sick but can’t afford her operation, and I found the ad for this whole thing and thought, why the hell not, y’know? It can’t be too much harm, and anyway, fourteen thousand dollars is a lot at stake. I would have been a dick for not taking up this opportunity.” He babbled, bending his knees to sit awkwardly on the cold pavement, yet he didn’t seem to mind.
As Matt listened tothe younger boy's explanation, he couldn’t help to feel guilty. He was here for selfish reasons.
Well, he was here for Zack’s selfish reasons. They didn’t need the money, it wasn’t a life or death situation like Jack made his mother’s operation out to be.
As he just shrugged his shoulders, he tried to push back the thought that maybe there were other people who really did need that money but they weren’t chosen because Matt and Zack had taken their place.
He felt like throwing up.
Jack didn’t seem too bothered by his shy attitude however, so at least that was a good sign. Maybe making friends wouldn’t even be so bad?
If Zack could do it, then he could, right?
His eyes glanced around the other men that were either seated or standing around the small stop, none of them knowing what they were getting themselves into.
Matt noticed how there wasn’t twenty-six males here when the ad said they required them, he guessed they’d find out later what that was about.
The age range didn’t seem to be too vast, Jack was definitely the youngest, however, and the man that Zack was still laughing with seemed to be the eldest. He didn’t exactly dress like his age, though. Who would have a thought a man in his early thirties would still be wearing skin-tight jeans and neon coloured t-shirts?
Matt groaned, he really, really didn’t want to be here right now.
And as a large, black coach with tinted windows pulled up at the stop, he didn’t even have the chance to back out at the last minute. This was it.
- - - -
The journey was at least three hours long, and by the time the coach pulled up to a mysterious building in the middle of no-where, all of the men were shattered.
Allowing the others to push past him down the aisle, Matt waited until he was the last off of the coach, a quiet “Thank you,” leaving his lips to the driver.
As he stepped onto the grass, he heard an angry voice that he recognised instantly to be Zack’s. He rolled his eyes; he was hoping the boy would try to keep out of trouble.
“What do you mean we can’t take our stuff in with us? Why the fuck would you ask us to bring a bag when we can’t even have it? You have got to be fucking kidding me.” The boy spat to the professor who was leading the whole experiment.
“Please, sir, just calm down as everything will be explained once we’re all inside the building.” The psychologist replied calmly before taking a few steps back to be able to see the entire group of males in front.
“Can I have everybody’s attention please?” He called over the chattering, surprised as silence followed soon after his last word. “Thank you. Now, I will lead you into the building and I will discuss with you our experiment and what we expect from all of you. Follow me.” He commanded, as he turned to walk toward the front door of the building and unlocked it slowly.
Matt couldn’t help but to think that damn professor was making this ordeal a lot more dramatic than it needed to be.
“You alright?” Came a whisper, and Matt turned to see Zack with his fists clenched as a way to keep his cool.
“Fine.” Matt mumbled, standing still as he waited to be at the back once more, he felt much safer there.
Zack sighed; Matt didn’t look fine at all. He almost felt bad for forcing him into this, he knew that the older boy didn’t want to take part, but this was what they both needed in his eyes.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen when we get in there, I don’t even know whether we’ll be able to communicate, touch, any of that. So I just want to tell you something before we become strangers completely for the next two weeks, okay?” Zack said softly beneath his breath so that only Matt was able to hear his hushed words.
“And what’s that?” Matt sighed.
“I really do love you, babe.”
“I love you, too.”
Everything would be okay.
- - - -
“I have a list of names here, if I call yours out then please stand and make your way over to the left side of the room.” The professor stated as he clutched tightly to a white piece of paper. He looked just as nervous as anybody else and he wasn’t even taking part in this experiment which still remained a mystery.
“I’ll explain everything my ass.” Zack had thought bitterly as he sat in his chair beside the man he’d chatted to earlier, Gabe, his name was if he could rightly remember.
“Gabriel Saporta,” So he had been right. “Alexander Gaskarth, Robert Dawson-“
“It’s Rian.”
“Rian Dawson, and Matthew Flyzik.” The professor concluded.
Yet Matt remained stuck to his seat.
He heard his name, that he was sure of, but he didn’t hear Zack’s.
Fuck, fuck, whatever he thought earlier about wanting to be apart from his boy wasn’t true. He didn’t care if he was tortured for the next two weeks, at least he’d be with the one he loved.
But he wasn’t, he was on his own.
Zack didn’t seem too pleased with these arrangements either as he watched Matt shakily lift himself from his chair and stagger towards the left side of the room where a door was situated. Maybe this was a mistake after all.
Was the money really worth it?
“Yes, yes it fucking is. Don’t pussy out, Merrick, you’re better than this. Matt’ll be fine, he takes your beatings like a pro, he can do anything.”
“All those whose names I read, please make your way through the door by the side of you and in that room will be uniforms laid out with names sewn into each. Find yours and put it on without question, then read the paper that will be on a desk in front of you. This will explain all.” The psychologist ordered, and in silence the men obeyed.
“Now, that leaves us with Zachary Merrick, Vincent Petrocelli, Jack Barakat, Joshua Franceschi, Evan Kirkendall, and Brendon Urie, yes?”
The remaining males nodded, only the man called “Vincent” obnoxiously shouting, “Yes!” Too enthusiastic for Zack’s liking, he hated him already and they hadn’t even spoke yet.
“Please make your way to the door on the right where you will change into your uniforms which will have your name taped on the label at the back. A bell will sound and that will be when you will join the others where they will tell you everything else you need to know.”
Zack stood to his feet, the others soon following suit, and as he made his way to the door, he could have sworn he’d heard the professor utter, “Don’t get too comfortable.” Under his breath.
Pushing down on the handle, Zack entered their given room first, eyes widening at the orange jumpsuits laid on the stone floor.
“It’s like we’re playing dress up or something!” An excited voice squealed from behind him, the boy that Zack had seen Matt talking to earlier. Jack.
“I don’t think this is a game...” A hesitant voice replied, one that belonged to the brown haired boy named Josh; he wasn’t too much older than Jack by the looks of things. “Am I the only one who’s regretting signing up for this shit now or...?”
“No, I’m with you.” The blonde haired one named Evan replied back.
“You sound like such pansies.” That Vincent man groaned, “Seriously, just put the jumpsuit on and just play along with it all. Man the fuck up people, jeez.”
Yeah, Zack really didn’t like that one.
“Oh, and by the way, if you ever call me Vincent then you’ll regret it. It’s Vinny, and Vinny only.”
Zack rolled his eyes, “I wouldn’t even dream of it.” He commented sarcastically, earning himself a nasty glare, but fuck it. The guy seemed like a prick so he deserved to be treated like one.
“Matt isn’t a prick though, so why is he treated like shit?”
A uniform was thrown towards Zack’s chest, bringing him back into the real world.
“S-Sorry,” Brendon stuttered, “It had your name on it.” He mumbled awkwardly, turning around to search for the one that belonged to him.
Inspecting the inside of the suit, Zack double-checked to find his name, and alas, there it was.
In cursive lettering, his name was printed, too glamourous for something prisoners would wear.
It wasn’t too long before every male had found their suit and had slipped it on. All of them had noticed the large numbers printed on the front and back of each of them, a different number for every male.
Zack didn’t think anything of it, he guessed it was something to do with making this feel “realistic”, which he thought was bollocks.
Then that bell sounded, and Zack felt his heart race, this would be the time that he’d see Matt.
He wondered what him and the other men would be wearing; he would be pissed if they had better than something bright orange that hung off his limbs. Did they think he was a sumo wrestler or something?
The sound of a lock clicked, and the large metal door on the opposite side of the room was forcefully pushed opened.
“I guess this is it.” Jack grinned, his hands clasped together excitedly.
“I guess it is.” Evan murmured, allowing Zack to lead the way out into what looked like a courtyard of some sort.
This room was fucking huge.
Zack felt as if he was standing in a warehouse, the concrete flooring spreading wide.
On either side of the room, there were two cells, or as Vinny whispered, “Are they cages? It’s like we’re in a zoo or somethin’...”
There was also a basketball hoop directly in front of the men, and beside that, another door.
Everybody was confused.
Zack heard the sound of bolts moving from that other door and himself and the boys in his group watched eagerly as out stepped the males who had been taken away earlier.
They weren’t wearing orange jumpsuits though...
“What the fuck?” Vinny exclaimed, staring in horror at those who were dressed head to toe in a blue uniform, with black shoes and sunglasses to top it all off.
“This is fucked up...” He muttered, his hands running through his short hair.
Zack’s breath caught in his throat as his eyes searched for Matt. Then there, right at the back of course, he found him.
He looked different, that was certain, but he didn’t look comfortable in the slightest.
As he looked his lover up and down, suddenly this “experiment” idea became clear.
Zack remembered playing that game of Cops and Robbers when he was younger in elementary school. Him and his friends would split themselves into two groups, one the cops, the others, robbers. An imaginative game of chase if anything, the cops running after those dastardly robbers, sending them into jail when they were caught.
This was that jail.
Zack had been the robber that was caught, and now he was a prisoner. Matt had been the cop, but had now been promoted to being the guard that looked after the villain.
Vinny was right, this was fucked up.
“I guess we might as well read out the rules we’ve been given then.” Gabe announced as he stood proudly at the front of his team of prison guards. “Maybe it will help to end this confusion.”
He then passed the piece of paper in his hand toward Matt, “You can read it out, might be the only thing you’re useful at.” Gabe sighed.
Matt shook his head at first, yet nobody else offered to take his place. He had no choice but to read out the rules that he’d read several times in the room he’d been in previously.
“N-number one,” He started, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. “Prisoners will not be called by their name, instead by the number that is printed on their jumpsuits.” He stopped to look up, watching as each ‘prisoner’ looked down to their uniforms in horror.
“Two,” He continued, “Prisoners will not speak to the guards unless spoken to. Th-three, prisoners are allowed two hours of recreation a day, the guards will announce when this time may be.” That explained the basketball hoop.
“Four, prisoners will be living in the cell which has their number on.” Matt then lifted his head to look at the cells, and gestured his hand toward the placards in front of the bars. “I guess the numbers are on there...” He said before looking back to the paper. “And finally, rule number five,” Matt gulped, “The guards are always right.”
The prisoners were no longer confused, instead now horrified, and that playful grin upon Jack’s face had been wiped clean off. Josh had been right; this wasn’t a game at all.
“If any prisoner breaks these rules then the guards must punish them without question.” Gabe had taken the paper from Matt’s hands once more, reading the small black print beneath the numbered rules. “If action does not take place, then a bell will ring and that will be the end of the experiment. If the bell rings, you will lose any money you would have rightfully earned. The bell will also ring if violence is used. You can leave the experiment whenever you wish, but if you quit, your money will be halved and somebody else will take your position from our substitution group. Good luck.”
Gabe lowered the instructions before looking upon the prisoners, “Now, we’ll let you suckers get settled into your new cages whilst us guards make ourselves a nice cup of coffee and relax on our comfortable beds we’ve been granted with. But I’m sure your mattresses are just as good.” He cruelly laughed, and the man who was joking with Zack earlier at the bus stop was nowhere to be seen.
Not another word was spoken as the guards then shuffled back through the door they came through, leaving the prisoners to settle themselves in their new sleeping arrangements.
“Well this is shit.” Vinny groaned, “That fucking Gabe acting as if he’s better than us ‘cause he’s wearing a fancy uniform. I should be a guard, not dressed like this.” He scowled as he kicked the ground through frustration. “Not fucking fair.”
“I-It can’t be that bad...” Brendon shrugged, walking toward one of the cells. “Maybe if we’re good then we swap positions or something, just think about the positives.”
“I don’t think there are any positives of sleeping without a blanket.” Zack huffed as he peered through the bars, “Ugh, can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.”
Looking at the numbers printed on the cell, Zack wrinkled his nose, “Right, who’s number 618, and who’s number 114?” He asked, “’Cause whoever you are, you’re sharing with me, number 421.”
“I’m 618.” Jack called, and to Zack’s dismay, Vinny pointed his index fingers toward the number on his chest. “And I’m 114. Nice to meet you, cellmate.”
Tomorrow just couldn’t come sooner, Zack had questions and he needed some answers.