Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, nor the original plot. All rights are reserved by the original creators.
One by one, the blindfolds were removed. Troy, Chad, Zeke and Jason were standing in a circle of light in what looked like an abandoned warehouse. They squinted into the darkness surrounding them, but couldn't see anyone else. It seemed like they were alone. But they couldn't be. Someone had brought them here.
All four boys had been recently accepted for the East High basketball team, an honour for any student. After their first practice on the team, the captain, John, a senior who had led the basketball team to victory the previously, had pulled them aside as they were about to leave.
"Meet us at the basketball courts tonight at 9", he had said.
Jason had looked puzzled. He had been about to ask a question, before John had interrupted him.
"Don't tell anyone. This is a secret basketball ritual. If you don't participate, you cannot be on the team."
With that, the captain had stalked off. The boys had looked at each other, resigned. They had to show up if they wanted to keep their place on the team. They had organised to stay overnight at Jason's house that night; his parents were much more lax about bed times and going out than the others.
At 9 o'clock, exactly, as the sun had just dipped down over the horizon, Troy, Chad, Zeke, and Jason, had arrived at the basketball courts. It had been deserted. They had just been about to leave, when they had been jumped and blindfolded. Their unknown assailants had put them in a car and driven them to this warehouse. As they were being dropped off, the boys heard someone whisper to them.
"Follow all order", the voice advised.
Now they were nowhere to be seen. But someone must be here, someone must be watching; somebody had removed their blindfolds.
Suddenly, the boys spotted a light on the other side of the warehouse. They huddled together as it began to bob closer. As the light approached, the boys saw that it a group of robed people were following it. They looked around, and saw similar groups approach from each side. Soon, the boys were surrounded by these robed figures. The figures all wore dark red robes. While they were only a few meters away, their faces couldn't be seen; they were hidden in the shadows cast by their hoods. Four of the figures carried lamps; the rest held poles in their hands. For a few moments, everyone stood still. Then, one of the hooded figures spoke.
"Welcome, new initiates", he said, his voice echoing round the empty space.
The other figures howled loudly, banging their poles on the ground. This cacophony echoed around the room, drowning out any other noise. As one, the figures all stopped making noise. They reached up and pulled down their hoods. Over their faces, the figures wore black masks studded with pieces of glass that shone in the light in the warehouse.
"In order to be accepted into the team, you must withstand this initiation", the first speaker continued. "You must show your worth as a teammate, your ability to follow orders unquestionably, your desire to be a part of the team. If you are not up to this test, speak now, and you shall be escorted from the room."
None of the boys moved. They had worked hard to be on the basketball team, and didn't want to jeopardise their positions.
"Good", the figure continued. He looked down at the boys in front of him for a moment, then said, "Take off all your clothes but your underwear."
The boys hurriedly complied with the instructions. They took of shirts, pants, shoes and socks, and piled them on the floor in front of them. When the boys were all done, one of the figures scurried forward and took the clothes out of the circle of light, and into the darkness.
The four initiates were now standing in their underwear. None of them had much issue with nudity; they had been in enough sports teams over the past few years to get used to how the locker room worked. The boys could see the figures that surrounded them evaluating them.
The leader of the group spoke again.
"Drop to your knees", he ordered.
Obediently, the four boys dropped to their knees the masked and robed figures crowded around them, surrounding the four new boys.
"We will now have a private initiation with each of you individually", the original speaker continued. "I will call you up one by one. While you wait your turn, do not move, do not get up, do not speak to anyone. Do you understand?"
The boys nodded.
"You will address us as 'sir'", the masked firgure informed the boys. "If you agree, you say, 'Yes, sir'. Let's try again. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir", the boys chorused as one.
"Good. You are learning. First – Chad."
Trembling slightly, Chad rose and followed the leader as he walked back into the darkness. The robed people carrying lights followed Chad. Chad was gone for ten minutes, when the group returned. Chad, now fully naked, knelt in the spot he had left. Jason was next. Ten minutes later, Jason returned, also naked.
Now it was Troy's turn. When he was called, Troy stood up and walked into the darkness. The small group walked to the other side of the dark warehouse. Their path lit only by the lamps the figures carried. When they stopped, Troy could just make out Chad, Jason and Zeke sitting in a circle of light in the distance. The figures with the lamps surrounded Troy and the lead figure.
"Kneel", the lead figure ordered. When Troy did so, he continued. "I will now outline some key rules to be part of this team. Listen carefully, so that you may become a full member. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir", Troy replied promptly.
"One. You will follow all the orders of the coach at all times. You will take all punishments the coach gives. You will try your hardest at every challenge he sets. Two. You will follow all the orders of the captain of the team. You will not question his authority."
The leader continued in this vein for some time. Troy tried to remember all that he was told, but he thought that he may forget half of it by tomorrow morning. Finally, the leader finished with the rules.
"Do you understand?" he asked.
"Yes, sir", Troy replied, as was expected of him.
"In order to prove your understanding, you must complete two tasks. Firstly, you must surrender your underwear to the team. As a team, we will be the most personal part of your life."
Troy stood up stiffly, and pulled off his underwear. He handed it to the firgure in front of him, who slipped into a pocket in his robes. Troy knelt again in front of the figure.
"Now you must kiss the symbol of the team."
The figure raised a hand. On his index finger sat a ring set with a black stone, on which was the image of a rearing wildcat. Troy leant forward and kissed the black stone.
"You have successfully passed this stage of the initiation", the figure told him.
Troy was lead back to the main group and knelt on the ground next to Chad and Jason. After Zeke and gone and come back, the lead figure addressed them all.
"Congratulations", he said. "You have all been accepted as probationary members of the team. If you successfully pass all of tonight's activities, you will be fully-fledged members of the team.