Making Things Right

Chapter 24: Friends

After the hot springs, everyone goes to their assigned cabins. We all lay down and exchange good nights. As I feel my eyes beginning to close, I pray that tonight no dreams will assault me.

The last time I need is to wake up screaming.

Dream

"Wakey, wakey."

I groan as my eyes flutter open. My vision swims momentarily before focusing on the face that's right in front of me. I flinch back from the all too frequent white mask.

Jason giggles, "Finally, you're up."

The sound of muffled screaming distracts me momentarily.

'Where is it coming from?'

"Look! Look!" Jason pulls away from me and twirls, placing his hands on another chair that's in front of me, "I brought you a friend!"

I notice the bright red hair that sticks up in spikes and the familiar face of Kirishima. Relief floods me, then fear replaces it.

"K-kirishima...how did y-you get here?!" I exclaim, my voice gravelly from overuse.

He yells into his gag, thrashing around in his chair.

Jason just giggles again and ruffles his hair, "He was being naughty, invading our home like that. So of course, I need to teach him a lesson."

"Don't! Please, don't hurt him!" I beg, not waning Kirishima to go through the same pain.

The masked man walks to me, grabbing my face and lifting it up so that our eyes meet, "Don't worry, I won't hurt him...yet. Right now though, we're going to play a game!"

He pulls back and claps happily, voice giddy with excitement while dread fills me. I hate his games, I don't know how much longer I can stand them.

"Of course you don't have to play."

Despite myself, I feel somewhat relieved.

"But," he continues as the hope dies in my chest, "If you refuse to play, your friend will get punished."

"Ok...ok, I'll play," I say begrudgingly.

I can't have my friend be tortured because of me.

"Yay!" Jason says in happiness, "The rules are simple, we're going to play two games with five rounds each. If you lose during those rounds, your friend will have to do the round you lost at. If you win the round, you'll get a prize. If you win five rounds out of the two games, I'll let your friend go. How does that sound?"

It's not like he'll play fair, but I have no other choice so I nod.

"Wonderful!" he says with a laugh, "Let's get started then."

***

He goes to his table of tools, looking for the right one before picking a pack of long needles. He pulls out one of them and shows it to me.

"The first game will be my favorite, don't scream."

He grabs one of my fingers, lifting it up slightly and placing the needle under my nail. I suck in a breath as the realization of what he's about to do hits me. I grit my teeth as the sharp metal begins to slide under my nail.

The pain is excruciating. I feel as my nail begins to split from my finger. Still, it isn't enough to make me scream. Jason repeats the action with each finger. Going slow as to cause the most pain.