The Mask

Pins are better than knives

We are all shocked. My ears buzz at the sound of the shot. My fingers feel like they are vibrating.

Then I'm snapped back into reality when the mans screams,"Look what you made me do! Are you all happy! Mark this is your fault, you will pay! You have earned yourself the right to go first in the game!"

Then I realized who it was on the floor. Will. The man grabbed Will's arms and dragged him out of the room. Then he closed the door with a boom.

We were all silent. Even Jay who sat in the corner of the room, petrified at what just happened.

After a few minutes, that seemed like hours the man opened the door. In one hand he had a mason jar full of pins. In the other hand he carried a small black box. He then walked up to Mark and grabbed his left hand, the one not handcuffed to a pole. Mark tried to pull away, but the man gave him a look that told him not to.

         The man unlocked marks right hand from the pole and dragged Mark to the center of the room where the two poles stood. Afraid to make a sound we all watched in horror as Mark's hands got handcuffed to the poles. Then the man in the mask placed the mason jar down in front of Mark. He then opened the small black box and pulled out an old beer bottle and placed that down next to the mason jar. Then he pulled out four slips of paper, each one had a number, 3, 4, 5, 6. He set them up so that he made a square in the center of the room. He then placed the bottle in the center of the square so it was lying down, like it would in a game of spin the bottle. 

       Mark was wearing a white t shirt, that was ripped and had stains. He also had black and red shorts that went down to his knees.

       "Okay everyone I know you are all eager to begin playing the game, so I will explain the first level to you." The man began excitedly,"So since Mark here talked when I told him not to he will be punished first. I will pick one of you, don't worry you will all get a turn, then I will spin this bottle and whatever number it lands on, 3, 4, 5, 6, will be the number of pins you have to put into Mark here."

"What?" Said Lucas, clearly taken aback by what the man had just said.

"You heard me Lucas and since you so rudely decided to make a comment, you can go first." Said the man angrily. Then he spun the bottle. Lucas looked like he was going to say something more but kept his mouth shut for Mark's sake. The bottle spun in many circles around each number then finally landed on 4.

       The man walked over to Lucas and freed him from his handcuffs."Now don't try anything funny Lucas." Said the man as he backed away and pointed a gun to my head.

       "Take it easy man, don't hurt her." Said Lucas calmly as he put his left hand up in surrender and he couldn't really move his right hand, because of the bullet.

        The man giggled a little then said,"Go on Lucas 4 pins, Oh and I get to decide where you put them!"

       Lucas slowly walked over to where Mark was chained. He knelt down, making the floor squick and picked up four pins from the mason jar. The man then said,"now Lucas you have to put them, 3 in his arms and 1 in his palm. Oh also you aren't aloud to take them out, we'll save that part for the end. Push them all the way in so only the pin head is sticking up." The man waited a few moments then annoyingly said,"Now Lucas!"

       Lucas bent down slowly and gave Mark an sympathetic look."Just get it over with." Said Mark.

       Lucas then mouthed 'sorry' and Mark looked away and bit his lip. Lucas slowly pressed the pin against Marks upper left arm and when it finally broke the skin there was a soft pop, Mark gasped at the pain. Lucas quickly pushed the rest of the pin in, to prevent Mark from suffering. He then did the same for the second and third. When he got to the forth Mark opened his shaky hand and looked away, bracing himself for the pain. Lucas pushed the pin in quick and Mark yelped at the pain. Then Lucas walked back to where he was before and the man handcuffed him back to his pole.

           "One player down three to go." said the man. Then he pointed to me," your next." He said and happily spun the bottle. Mark looked away. The bottle flicked around all of the numbers and thankfully landed on three.

        The man walked up to me and freed me. Then he walked over to Lucas and pushed the gun against his head. I got up slowly with my hands in the air. Then I walked over to Mark. I leaned down slowly and stuck my hand into the  cold dusty mason jar. I then picked up three thin, sharp pins and pulled them out, making all of the pins in the jar rattle.

       "I want two pins in his shoulder and one in his hand." Said the man with a small giggle. Mark looked up at me and gave me a small nod, then he turned his head. I knelt down and pressed two pins at once into his shoulder and pushed them in quickly, at the same time I also pushed one into his hand. Mark cursed under his breath. I slowly walked over to my pole and the man in the mask chained me to it.

      I felt awful. I literally just stabbed Mark three times."Emma." Said the man as he spun the bottle. It landed on three as well and Mark let out a breath of relief. The man freed Emma and she walked towards Mark and grabbed three pins. She the knelt down and put her hand on his knee, to Comfort him."Just put one in his neck and two in his palm." The man said excitedly. Emma looked taken aback. His neck!?

      "It's okay." Mark said quietly. Emma then used my tactic and pushed all three in at the same time and each one made a loud pop as it broke Mark's skin. He yelped as a single tear slid down Emma's face. Then she walked back to her pole and got chained back up, again.

     "Your turn" said the man happily pointing to Jay. Then he spun the bottle and Mark t let out a groan when it landed on six."Best for last." Giggled the man.

       "There's no way in hell IM doing this you psychopath."Jay said strongly, starring the man in the eye."I don't care what you do to me or them, we all are going to die here."

        The man walked up to Jay and said,"Fine but just remember you made me do this. Just remember I was nice. Pins are better than knives." My eyes wides as the man pulled out a knife.

        Jay closed his eyes bracing himself for the pain, but instead the man shoved the knife into Marks side. Mark howled out in pain and the man the pulled the knife out. He then removed all the pins from Mark as he helplessly laid on the floor. Then the man freed him and dragged him back to his his old pole and handcuffed him."I'll be back in twelve hours. And If you think today was fun, just wait till tomorrow!"Giggled the man as he left the room shutting the door.

        "I'm so sorry dude." Said Jay, still in shock.

          "It's not that deep" said Mark through gritted teeth."What should I do!?"

        "Mark quickly take off your shirt and hold it against it." I said and make with his free left hand removed his shirt and pressed it hard against his open wound."Did it stop bleeding?" I asked after a few minutes.

      "Yeah" said Mark happily. He then tied the shirt tightly around his waist.

      The room was silent. We were all trying to fully absorb what just happened. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. The smell of rot no longer consumed me, now it was my own darkness that lucky took me in its arms.