by Max Masen
I slept uncomfortably that night after coming to my new revelation of the town’s secret. Waking up and facing the next day was even harder though. I knew it was either Marley or myself that wouldn’t see the next day. One of us would snuff the life out of the other. But I wondered if they had told him yet; I wondered if they told him they planned on eating the loser.
How would he walk into the ring? He was down to one leg now. Did they tell him they ate his leg? I cringed at the thought of the very real possibility of my body being the main course the following night.
But what did I care? I was handicapped. My family was dead. My friends were dead. I was close to dead. On the other hand, what did Marley have to live for? What did he have left? I began thinking of our various attributes. What did I contribute? What was good about me? I was a caretaker, a good person. I was tasked with watching over my brother. Aside from that, I was tasked with watching over an entire country in turmoil. On the other hand, I didn’t really do anything. Jess handled all of it for me. I was just a public face. A face that the public hated, to be more exact. That was with every leader, though. That’s how I thought it went, anyway. I don’t know that much about history. I never cared about politics. Therefore, I was a bad choice to lead the Hyenas. Again, I wasn’t the leader though. I was just a face.
I’m overthinking it. Well, no, actually I’m not. There’s no amount of thinking that’s too much when lives are at stake. I have to keep thinking. I named my good and bad traits. What about Marley?
Marley was a liar that couldn’t own up to his faults. But I was a liar too. He started the revolution, but I allowed it to continue. He was a coward. He actively admitted to being unfit to lead when he ran away from his obligation.
Marley needs to die. It’s decided. I will get to live and Marley will die. But that’s a big decision to make by myself. I already decided that I was also unfit to lead, so what gives me permission to decide if Marley gets to live or not? What if I can find a way that made it so neither of us have to die?
A powerful feeling of recognition swept over me. I could save us both. I just had to think. I began reviewing my options. What had the man told me earlier? The wolves are constantly at the fence. If I could get my hand on some cutters, I could spring a trap. I then knew what I had to do. I would save Marley and myself. We would both leave alive. It was then my obligation to ensure we both made it out of this.
The man was right when he said there was a fire in me. I felt it burn. Was it a fire or was it just anger? If the first dire situation I had landed in was a town of cannibals, I may not have been so mad. It was the constant threat of death that got me riled up. I was furious. They were screwing with the wrong man. No more dependence for me. No sitting around and waiting for rescue. This time I have to save Marley.
A feeling of uncertainty was in the air. It didn’t affect me in the least though. Fortitude would be my strength. Independence was my blade, endurance my shield. A knock at the door sent me rocketing back to the comprehension of my current state: imprisonment. I opened the door to reveal a tall, stocky man standing firmly with little expression to be had on his face. The sunshine broke through on the sides and created a stark contrast in my mind between the hulking man and the freedom of light beyond him.
“Let’s go,” the man demanded.
“Where to?” I asked, my face matching his.
“You don’t get to ask questions until after,” he said. My arm suddenly felt the harsh pull of his hand and my body the harsh throw of being pushed to the ground outside of the shack. Townspeople gathered around to watch. They looked on knowingly, excited for the coming fight. I could sense they just wanted to get a feel for the combatants. This was their entertainment. I got up to my feet quickly and got into a fighting stance facing the man who took physical liberties with my body seconds before.
“You people want a show?” I announced courageously. This isn’t courage. This is stupidity.
The burly man took one swing at my head and I was knocked to the ground. I wasn’t unconscious, though. I was dizzy and my head ached uncontrollably. Some of the townspeople stepped forward to lift me by my arm and legs to carry me to the fence. I was dazed and my head was spinning. We neared closer and closer to the fence. There was purpose in their steps toward my demise. They were still getting pleasure out of this. Suddenly, a man’s voice was heard instructing my honorary pallbearers to release me. I peered over to the man entering the area and a shiver went down my back when I realized who it was; it was the same one from earlier. The one who took me to the ring and told me about mine and Marley’s coming fight for our lives.
“Get him away!” I yelled fiercely. “All of you get away!”
This is pointless. It’s all pointless. There was no getting away. I was just wondering if he would be taking me to the ring immediately or if I would have time. Time to enact my plan. I wasn’t sure if it was a good plan, but it was something. How could I know if it was a good plan? I couldn’t think straight.
I stood up and faced him, attempting to appear strong. “I’m ready for whatever you throw at me!” I said to him.
“I’m just going to take you to your friend. That’s what the gentleman you picked a fight with was going to do also. Now come with me,” the man stated politely.
“Oh…” I replied. “Okay.”
I followed him to the doctor’s building and we entered it, finding Marley still laid out on a stretcher, appearing weak. He looked to me and attempted to say something, but stopped short. There was a look of desperation in his eyes. He knew. He had to have known. They must have told him that the loser of our fight was slated to be eaten. And by the looks of him, he knew he didn’t stand a chance. Not in the condition he was in. His missing-leg body was no match for my missing-arm body.
The man that escorted me to Marley then left the building, leaving me alone with Marley, my soon-to-be opponent. I looked into Marley’s eyes for a moment without saying anything, the expression on my face not changing. I put one hand on the pillow behind his head and grasped it tight. The look on Marley’s face changed. I picked the pillow up about a quarter inch, very subtly before having a change of heart and setting it back down. This seemed to calm Marley down. I could tell his heart was beating quickly. He didn’t want to die. The genocidal maniac in front of me doesn’t want to die. Genocidal maniac? What am I thinking? I’m just trying to justify having to kill him.
“You know we’re gonna have to fight…” I said solemnly. “There’s only suppose to be one of us that lives. I know you can’t really talk, but… I don’t know. I guess I just thought we should talk about it first.”
I looked at him somberly, half-expecting an answer but knowing I wouldn’t get one. The curtains began blowing as a gust of wind passed through the open window. I felt the cold on my face.
“Dammit, Marley! Talk! Talk, damn you!” I screamed as my knees gave out and I fell by the side of his bed crying. I finally let it out. The tears came streaming down and refused to stop. I didn’t care, though. It was about time I broke. “I don’t want to die, Marley! They’re gonna make us fight and I don’t wanna die!”
“I… don’t… either,” Marley retorted with what energy he could muster.
I threw off the blanket covering him and revealed his infected stump of a leg. He couldn’t not only walk, but he would probably die soon regardless of fighting me or not.
“Marley… My father always used to tell me something. The only constant, he called it. He always used to tell me that we can make it through this. Together,” I told him as I looked intensely into his eyes. “And we can get through this together. I promise.”
“Dustin… you were the best decoy I’ve ever had,” Marley said as he began laughing. His laughter stopped abruptly and transformed into a coughing fit. His body began shaking and the doctor rushed back into the room, throwing me out of the way to get to Marley. I took this as my cue to leave. I turned my back and walked out of the door, listening to Marley dying slowly in th
e room I left him in.
Walking over to the makeshift stadium seemed like a good idea. I made my way to the pit I was to be thrust into later. It was starting to get dark, the clouds were rolling by, unmasking the moon. The seats would be filled soon. I held onto the railings and looked down into the pit. Glancing up, I made note of the lights that would be turned on before the fight started. I wondered how these people could find joy in two cripples fighting. My thoughts wouldn’t stop it from happening, though. I could think it was deranged as much as I liked and it wouldn’t change a thing. This fight was going to happen.
I heard the shuffling of feet behind me. My head shifted to look at what it was and I saw the people piling in to get to their seats. I hadn’t realized how long I was by the pit thinking.
A hand swiftly grabbed my arm and thrust me forward down the length of the walkway toward the entrance of the pit. It was the man from earlier. “It’s time,” he said devoid of emotion, sympathy, empathy. He felt nothing. “Who do you think will win? You or the other one?”
“Both,” I replied nonchalantly. I rolled my head slightly to the left, effectively making a cracking sound in my lower neck. I was hoping it was a show of my resolve.
“What are you getting at?” he asked almost angrily. His fists balled up, his lip quivering.
I tried not to smile, knowing it would enrage him. I couldn’t help it, though. My lips formed upward. I had a plan. I didn’t know if it would work in time, or at all. But I had a plan.
We finally got to my entrance into the pit. A steel fence stood in front of me and a similar fence stood at the other end, presumably to unleash Marley. The man still stood behind me. I could feel his presence close to me. I hated the atmosphere surrounding him. He was evil. Like Joe. That much I could feel.
The crowd was going crazy. They were chanting and screaming. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, though. They were too loud. I just kept wondering how they could enjoy this. A bright light suddenly shone in my eyes. I raised my arm to shield myself from it. I kept stepping forward, fearing for when I would see Marley hobbling in. Or worse, crawling in. That moment never came. I felt a swift punch across my face and fell to the ground. I attempted to get myself in order and stand up but the blow made me dizzy. Upon finally gaining my vision back, I looked up to find Marley wearing power armor. It negated his missing leg and made him more powerful. His body was completely covered except for his head, which had a smiling visage on it.
“Come on, Dustin!” he said happily. “Now who’s the cripple?! I saw you looking down on me in the doctor’s office!” He kicked me in the stomach and this sent me down a good length of the stadium. The audience lost it at this. They knew the fight was gonna be quick now.
There’s no way I can win. They gave Marley an unfair advantage, one I can’t hope to overcome.
I got up and began walking away, my hand covering the spot where he had kicked me. I couldn’t stand up straight. I was in a lot of pain at this point. My legs were ready to give out. Marley made his way up behind me quickly.
“Marley! We were friends!” I screamed to him. “We were suppose to get through this together!”
He picked me up by the neck and began choking me. I was violently thrown into the air and couldn’t do anything because of the strength of the grip allowed to him by the power armor. I let go of his hand and punched him in the face which forced him to let go and fall back a few feet. I ran up quickly and jumped on his power armor, reaching my hand deep into the front of it and pressed a button. This made the suit loosen and come off of him. He fell to the ground and the pieces of the suit fell around him.
I could kill him. I should kill him. But I have to wait. My plan. I hope it’s not too early… or late.
“Dustin, let’s talk,” he tried pleading.
“Not this time, Marley,” I said furiously. I grabbed his collar and threw him to the ground viciously, forcing his head to hit to the ground. I punched him several times and formed my hand around his airway and started squeezing as hard as I could.
He attempted to say something, but as he did, I tightened my grip, not wanting to hear anything he had to say. I can’t hear anything from him that might change my mind. I have to silence him. I was about to kill him. I felt a culmination at that point. I felt everything I had been through up to that point come together in my hand. Marley’s neck was my path and I was going to win. I had beaten everything that the world had thrown at me and now this was it. I was going to win.
Marley’s face began turning from a red to a purple color, his eyes were growing wide and the veins in his face and neck started protruding intensely.
A noise was growing in the background. I didn’t listen to it at first. I could only focus on Marley, but I finally found myself listening to the interfering noise. It was howling. I loosened my grip on Marley’s neck and fell back, landing on my back. Marley started gasping for air as I felt a sense of shame enter me.
I surveyed the upper areas of the bleachers and watched wolves enter. People were running and screaming, the wolves reaching them and tearing apart the ones they caught.
“Dustin, you did this?” Marley asked somberly.
I gave him a deafening stare. What was I about to do? I almost killed Marley. He almost killed me. What happened to us?
“You really had me going,” Marley said, trying to force out a laugh. “I mean... what would have happened if the wolves didn’t get here in time?”
“I don’t know…”