‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
19
Taylor and Zac had both slept and therefore weren’t sure how long it had been when the door being unbolted woke them up again. Taylor looked up dazedly as two men entered, gulping a little as they stepped toward him before skirting around something on the floor and heading down toward the other prisoner Taylor was attached to. Zac didn’t bother moving.
“Today’s your lucky day 328,” one of them said, before a struggle was heard followed by a hit and an exclamation.
Taylor sat back as far as he could, watching the darkness for any of the movement he could hear. A moment later the men emerged, dragging a man with them who looked to be in his late 30’s with a bushy beard and covered in dirt. His eyes were closed, but he was evidently conscious.
Taylor watched as they led him from the room, one of them stopping to turn to the left.
“Your time’s up,” he pointed into the opposite darkness, before following his associate out, “we’ll be back later.”
Taylor frowned, wondering what he’d meant and wishing he could see that far into the room. The door was bolted again and Taylor immediately pulled on his wrists. His eyebrows rose when he finally gained some leeway, and was able to shuffle backwards enough to reach Zac with his arms.
“You awake?” he asked, elbowing him in the side.
“Yes,” Zac’s eyes opened to slits.
“Has that happened before?”
Taylor saw his brother nod, before he rubbed his face tiredly.
“It means he’s dead. The other guy’s been sold, I’d assume.”
Taylor looked toward where the man had pointed, still not able to see anything.
“So… what? They’re gonna kill him?” Taylor asked incredulously.
“They only keep us here for a certain amount of time,” Zac shook his head, “if we don’t die, then… yeah.”
“This is insane,” Taylor shook his head, his eyes wide.
“Welcome to Hell,” Zac couldn’t help but smirk, “I’m going back to sleep.”
Taylor looked down at him, wishing for the hundredth time that there was something he could do. They were both tired, hungry, thirsty and in pain from their cramped conditions. Taylor knew he had a slight advantage over his brother here, but his protective instincts had been hitched into overdrive. And still, there was nothing he could do for him.
It would have been an hour or so later when a single man returned. Taylor presumed the one who had spoken earlier. He made his way in and headed to their left, in the direction he’d pointed.
Taylor wondered at the distinct lack of vocabulary or sound in general when the man began laying into him. He could hear the hits being taken, some of them making him cringe sympathetically.
Just when he thought that surely the guy must have been dead already, he heard a rattle of chains as they were unlocked and two shadows emerged from the dark.
“So everyone can see what happens to the worthless ones,” the guy sneered, dropping his prisoner in a heap beside where the food had been dropped earlier.
The man didn’t move, but Taylor and Zac’s eyes were locked. A moment later the man had pulled a knife, knelt beside the prisoner on the floor, pulled him up by the hair and slit his throat.
“Oh my God!” Taylor couldn’t help but cry out as he pulled backward on the chains.
Zac grimaced and just turned away. The perpetrator simply wiped his blade off and turned to take his leave, leaving the crumpled man on the floor to gurgle out his final breaths in front of them.
“Today’s your lucky day 328,” one of them said, before a struggle was heard followed by a hit and an exclamation.
Taylor sat back as far as he could, watching the darkness for any of the movement he could hear. A moment later the men emerged, dragging a man with them who looked to be in his late 30’s with a bushy beard and covered in dirt. His eyes were closed, but he was evidently conscious.
Taylor watched as they led him from the room, one of them stopping to turn to the left.
“Your time’s up,” he pointed into the opposite darkness, before following his associate out, “we’ll be back later.”
Taylor frowned, wondering what he’d meant and wishing he could see that far into the room. The door was bolted again and Taylor immediately pulled on his wrists. His eyebrows rose when he finally gained some leeway, and was able to shuffle backwards enough to reach Zac with his arms.
“You awake?” he asked, elbowing him in the side.
“Yes,” Zac’s eyes opened to slits.
“Has that happened before?”
Taylor saw his brother nod, before he rubbed his face tiredly.
“It means he’s dead. The other guy’s been sold, I’d assume.”
Taylor looked toward where the man had pointed, still not able to see anything.
“So… what? They’re gonna kill him?” Taylor asked incredulously.
“They only keep us here for a certain amount of time,” Zac shook his head, “if we don’t die, then… yeah.”
“This is insane,” Taylor shook his head, his eyes wide.
“Welcome to Hell,” Zac couldn’t help but smirk, “I’m going back to sleep.”
Taylor looked down at him, wishing for the hundredth time that there was something he could do. They were both tired, hungry, thirsty and in pain from their cramped conditions. Taylor knew he had a slight advantage over his brother here, but his protective instincts had been hitched into overdrive. And still, there was nothing he could do for him.
It would have been an hour or so later when a single man returned. Taylor presumed the one who had spoken earlier. He made his way in and headed to their left, in the direction he’d pointed.
Taylor wondered at the distinct lack of vocabulary or sound in general when the man began laying into him. He could hear the hits being taken, some of them making him cringe sympathetically.
Just when he thought that surely the guy must have been dead already, he heard a rattle of chains as they were unlocked and two shadows emerged from the dark.
“So everyone can see what happens to the worthless ones,” the guy sneered, dropping his prisoner in a heap beside where the food had been dropped earlier.
The man didn’t move, but Taylor and Zac’s eyes were locked. A moment later the man had pulled a knife, knelt beside the prisoner on the floor, pulled him up by the hair and slit his throat.
“Oh my God!” Taylor couldn’t help but cry out as he pulled backward on the chains.
Zac grimaced and just turned away. The perpetrator simply wiped his blade off and turned to take his leave, leaving the crumpled man on the floor to gurgle out his final breaths in front of them.