voyager // max mayfield

EIGHT: THE SAUNA TEST

Mike's face drops as his gut clenches in fear and worry. He looks at them disgusted as he tries to move to the sauna to get Eve out, but El stops him, "are you guys crazy?"

"Stay back," El told him as they heard a scream, their heads turning towards the room where two people were locked inside. They ran to the window of the door, Mike reaching it first.

"Stop!" Eve screamed as loud as she could as she held Billy's hands that were wrapped around her throat, her feet no longer touching the ground.

"Hey asshole!" Mike shouted out, making Billy look over to him, yet not falter his grip on the younger teenage girl, "you wanted me! Come get me! Oh, wait, you can't!" He teased, his plan was to get him off of Eve, and it seemed to work as he dropped the girl and ran at the door, ramming into it and letting out a scream of anger.

Eve panted and coughed heavily as she tried to regain her breath. She looked up to see Max's face looking at Billy as he screamed, her heart breaking.

Why did max do that? How could she do that to her? Eve looked down at the ground as she felt a tear go down her face, her heart breaking in her chest that Max purposefully put Eve in danger, and had planned it beforehand with El. The two girls she was supposed to depend on turned on her, and that was the worst feeling in the whole world.

Another bang on the door dragged Eve back to the situation she didn't want to be in, her tears clouding her vision as she moved to the corner quickly, cowering, scared to make a noise in case Billy saw her and went to hurt her again.

"Let me out of here!" Billy yelled as he slammed his hand on the door, the heat going up quickly, "let me out!"

He slammed his fist on the door once more and it got hotter and hotter, "You kids... you think this is funny? You kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?" He slammed his hand son the door, "you little shits think this is funny? What is this? Open the door! open the door! Open the goddamn door."

Eve watched as Billy suddenly fell backwards. She breathed heavily as it got too hot to breathe, and watched as he backed into the bench. He looked like he was going to cry, like he was himself. Like Eve could hell him, could stop him.

"Billy?" Eve called out, moving closer to the man as he cried. This is first time Eve had seen emotion other than anger on his face, and she worried for him.

"It's not my fault," he cried as he couldn't keep still, the heat taking over. Eve grabbed his arms as she made him look into her eyes. Max watching by the door, along with the others, "it's not my fault. I promise you it's not my fault."

"What's not your fault, Billy?" Eve asks him softly, trying to be compassionate when she just wanted to throw up.

"I've done things," he cries, "really... really bad things. I didn't mean to. He made me do it."

"Who made you do it," She asked him, her eyes flicking all over his face to see any chance of him lying or acting, but he was really just scared.

"I don't know, it's kind of like a shadow," he whispers, as if he's scared that it will hear. Eve's face dropped, the mind flayer, "like a giant shadow. Please, Eve."

"What did he make you do?" Eve asked him, trying not to cry at the sight of this man reduced to tears. It was so hot in the sauna, they both could feel it.