The Annihilation of Foreverland

sprinklers.
    Sid laughed. “You think you’re a man, now? You’re Danny BOY , son. You better mind your manners.”
    “I quit, Sid. I ain’t never stepping foot inside the game room again.”
    “I don’t need you.”
    “You were nothing before I got here. You and the rest of these clowns were just running around in circles until I saved your asses again and again because you’re an idiot. It’s over, now. All you dumbasses, you’re on your own. I’m done.”
    The silence grew heavy, again. It was undercut by growling.
    “I hope you learned how to control the pain response, Danny Boy,” he said. “Because when you get inside the needle, I’m going to pull you apart like a bug, son. I’m going to pour acid in your eyeballs and piss in the holes.” Sid laughed, but no one joined him. It was as dark as the room around them. “You think it’s torture in here, wait until I get a hold of you in Foreverland.”
    Danny was grateful for the cloak of darkness, but it couldn’t hide the shivers in his voice. “I’m not going inside the needle.”
    “Of course not.” And Sid laughed again. It carried down to the floor and faded off. Soon, the entire room no longer moved except for the heavy mouth-breathing. They were all inside the needle.
    It was just Danny and Reed.
    “Danny Boy?” Zin’s voice was scratchy, just above a whisper. “I’m coming back.”
    Danny leaned his head against the bars.
    The big fan clicked.
    And the breeze came down.
    “What are you doing?” Reed had turned around. Danny couldn’t make out his expression in the dark but he could see him latched onto the bars facing him. “This is my fight, not yours.”
    “I’m not letting you do this alone.”
    “It doesn’t prove anything.”
    “Then follow your own advice!” Danny shouted. “You’re not doing anything by staying here.”
    Reed remained at the side of his cell. He dropped his hands and went back to the center. Danny could hear his breath fall back into rhythm. He was not going to waste words.
    Danny began pacing again. The cold crept into his ankles. The fan was on but not the sprinklers. With the rest of the camp wearing clothes, maybe they didn’t want to keep them soaked. Still, it was plenty uncomfortable, especially since Sid promised something much worse on the inside. Danny wasn’t sure he could control the pain response. He hadn’t even tried.
    Zin will protect me.
    But would he even remember Danny? Parker didn’t seem to know anything near the end. Perhaps his memory completely evaporated.

    An hour elapsed.
    Danny was cold but without the mist it was easier to stay in rhythm. If it remained this way, he could tolerate the suffering like Reed. Maybe the hole would even heal. Maybe the others would see the wisdom in fighting the system and they could form a revolt. If everyone refused the needle, they could make a difference.
    That’s when the door opened.
    He knew it wasn’t Mr. Jones, unless he hurt his knee in the last hour. An old man appeared in the darkened aisle dragging a bum leg. Mr. Smith passed Danny’s cell. He was carrying tubes attached by a cord that dangled and swayed between his hands.
    “Reed.” The old man stopped at his cell. “I need to see your hands, son.”
    Reed took a deep breath and turned.
    “What’re you doing?” Danny said. He was ignored.
    Mr. Smith held up the tubes. “Put your hands through the bars.”
    “Don’t do it, Reed,” Danny said. “They can’t make you.”
    But Reed voluntarily went to the front of his cell and offered his hands. Mr. Smith slipped the tubes over his thumbs and adjusted clips on the sides. He stepped back and watched the cell begin to collapse.
    “The pressure will increase over time, Reed. Please don’t be stubborn. You’re not accomplishing anything by the needless suffering.”
    The cell continued to shrink until it sandwiched Reed, pressing deeply into his chest and back. Mr. Smith stared at Reed. They were unflinching in their hatred. Until the pressure clamped down on his knuckles and pinched the webbing between his thumb and finger, pressing on a nerve that buckled his knees. He would’ve fallen had the bars not held him tightly.
    The lucid gear dropped just inches from the top of his head.
    “Stop this,” Danny said. “This isn’t fair, he doesn’t want the needle. You can’t do this. YOU CAN’T DO THIS!”
    But they could. They did.
    Mr. Smith began to take his leave.
    “Come back here, you old bastard!”