Page 20 of Drop His Mask

Julian stood frozen in confusion. He knew that this wasn’t good. But he wasn’t sure why yet.

The image swapped to masked people.

They were all wearing shirts with numbers across their chest, they were in what was essentially a pit. Through the screen, he couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they all were running and clawing at the walls of the trench, attempting to escape.

The screen swapped back to the man. “The world is built onrespect, onhonesty, on second chances, on the ability to win out no matter the tribulations we endure. These fifty contestants were prisoners, they committed crimes against their country, they defiled the integrity of their Government. They were sentenced to death.” The man in the suit paused, the camera zoomed in on him as he crooked his head.

As if he were listening to instructions.

“Well, we are giving them a second chance. These fifty contestants will go through different trials, and at the end, there will be a winner. The prize is priceless.”

Julian watched as the camera feed swapped back to the prisoners. They were no longer trying to escape.

They now lunged at each other, attempting to tear the others down.

“Their life,” came through the TV’s speakers.

Julian sank to the floor.

“Welcome to the first annual…”

Julian’s breathing turned erratic, his vision going dark at the edges as terror consumed him.

Not only was this country going to kill them all, but it would make them kill each other now?

A whoosh of cold air hit Julian as the door opened.

“Boy, get up. You can’t get anything done like that,” Geoff rasped from nearby.

Shortly after, firm hands grabbed him by the shoulders until Julian was staring into the other man’s eyes.

They were a mucky brown.

“You need to get it together. The baby will need you. The girl will need you.”

“Did you not see what they’re doing?” Julian asked, his attention finding the TV again. It was flashing now with the dead prisoners. The ones that had been killed.

He recognized some of the faces. His throat dried and he tried to swallow away the glass that had formed in it.

Geoff shook him. “You know nothing. You are a child that was born into a country that was built on this. Do you not know our origins? How can you ever hope to survive if you don’t know what you’re up against?”

Focusing on Geoff, Julian attempted to block out the bloodbath that still played out in the background.

“What do you mean?” Julian didn’t know much about their country. In the Facilities, they weren’t taught about the past. They were only taught how to survive, to fight, to accept that pain was a part of life.

Geoff cast a look at Raven. “Isn’t it odd to you how we are not permitted to leave this country? How no one else in the world has tried to come here? How you have never met anyone from theoutside? There’s a whole wide world out there, but you don’t know it. You wouldn’t. You’re too young, too stupid. These Factions that were built came about out of necessity.”

Julian’s thoughts churned uncomfortably. When every day is a feat just to survive, you don’t have a lot of time to think about the “whys” of life.

Why didn’t they all just leave the country?

Why didn’t the rest of the world care about them?

“Why?” he asked, shrugging out of Geoff’s hold and stepping back to Raven’s side.

“Because just as that person on the TV said. This country was built on second chance.” Geoff watched him with an unsettling intensity. “But it’snot my place to tell you. You’re going to have to work for it. Figure it out on your own. There’s one piece of wisdom I’ll give you at no cost. Your child isn’t going to be safe in this world. Nor is her mother.”

Julian sank into the chair. He knew they wouldn’t be safe. Raven’s face was known, she had been streamed live to the entire country. And even worse… “She looks too much like Nightingale.”

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