The Annihilation of Foreverland

Boy.”
    They went straight to their rooms. Danny helped him crawl in bed and then went to his own. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

    There were no medical trays when Danny woke up. As far as he could tell, Mr. Jones hadn’t been to his room. At least, he couldn’t smell him.
    He did come to his room a couple days later. He was apologetic, at first. He stood in the middle of the room with his hands behind his back like he was addressing the press.
    “I’m sorry I lost control in the Haystack, Danny Boy. I understand you’re under a lot of stress and it can be confusing about what to do. It’s easy to become irrational, I know. We’re all under a lot of stress.”
    Danny wondered what kind of stress Mr. Jones could be enduring. Did he have to swim three laps in the luxury pool instead of two?
    “But what Reed is doing is borderline insanity. No, it is insanity.” That was about the time the apology ended and the finger-waving began. “The fact that he’s been allowed to remain in the program this long is unconscionable, Danny Boy.”
    And that was another first. Program. He called this a program.
    “He’s a terrible example,” Mr. Jones said, pointing at Danny. “Refusing the lucid gear is an insult and a travesty and sabotages everything we strive to…” His tone softened. “Everything we strive to give you boys. It makes no sense, and I don’t want to see you contaminated by his actions. You understand, Danny Boy?”
    “I’m sorry, too,” Danny said with his most convincing doe-eyes. “I just lost it in there, Mr. Jones. It didn’t take long to realize my mistake, trust me. It won’t happen again.”
    Mr. Jones smiled. He sat on the bed, permeating the sheets with his Mr. Jones smell.
    “You know, I can’t forbid you from talking to him. I just want you to understand how damaged he is. I don’t want that to happen to you. You’re a good kid, Danny Boy. You know what they say about spoiled apples.”
    “You don’t have to worry about me, Mr. Jones.”
    Danny stopped from adding, Golly gee. I love this place. Mr. Jones would’ve bought it even if he did. He scrubbed Danny’s head.
    “A good kid, you are.”

    The camp was at the table, again, soaking up the sun and tossing cards. Danny mostly stayed in his room for a couple days and only snuck down to the cafeteria when they weren’t there. Sid didn’t seem to be looking for him but Danny wasn’t taking any chances. He just needed some peace to sort through his thoughts.
    Lucinda.
    She woke up in Foreverland, but what was she? Part of the program? Something real?
    It didn’t matte r. They all had the same goal: g et off the island. He just needed to come up with a solution. He’d established contact with the outside world and no one that ran the place seemed to notice. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t being watched. He’d slipped through the firewall and he was sure he could do it again, at least once. And if he only had one chance, it needed to work.
    He couldn’t send for help, it would just look like a hoax. We’re a bunch of kids held on a tropical island given everything we could ever want and we go into a barn and get a needle shot into our heads so we can experience an alternate reality. Please help.
    The island was a slick operation. Surely they’d have a plan for visitors. Danny needed something that would get the world’s attention, something that would piss off some important people and make them come looking for them. The next round wasn’t for another week and a half. He had time to think and no distractions. He had to go into the fourth round with something ready to go.
    And look for a fight.
    The card table was empty. Sid and his band of merry men had gone to lunch. Zin hadn’t left his room. His Investor was bringing up food and closing the door quietly on his way out. Danny had been checking up on him, too. He was tired, but at least he was alive. Maybe when this was all over, he’d find the old Zin in the Mansion. Or maybe a new and improved Zin.
    Danny opened his door. The hallway was empty and Zin’s door was closed. He lightly tapped on it. He was going to try the door knob and peek inside the room when someone said, “Zin’s looking for you.”
    It was James. He was a fourteen year old kid that never gave Danny any crap.
    “Where is he?”
    James opened the door to his room and said, “I saw him going out back, said something about a joyride.”
    Danny went to his room and