Arc 0: Prologue

Chapter 2: The Box

~Link~

These red-shirted soldiers guided Link towards a line of three trucks with shipping containers on the back. Knowing that attempts to break out wouldn't work, he reluctantly followed along with them. As Link approached the truck, one man opened up the container. The remaining two picked up Link by the back of his clothes, ripped off his gag, and threw him in. After hearing the sound of the metal door closing, Link instantly ran back over. The container became pitch black, as there were absolutely no lights. Regardless, Link tried to open the door, even while he was handcuffed.

"I've already tried that. It's not happening." a voice said, rather depressed. From the sound of the voice, he could tell that this person was male and in his early teens.

"Do you have any idea what's happening?" Link asked, casually sitting down on the metal floor of the container.

"From the looks of it, we're in a civil war. And we're prisoners of war." The teen said. Link heard a soft noise, assuming that the boy sat down.

"Not that, why are we in here?"

"I can't help you there, buddy. But, it looks like we're not getting out anytime soon."

Link pouted and banged his head against the wall. "Did they hurt you at all?"

"Of course. I got shot in the leg and a few pieces of shrapnel in my arm."

Link winced. "Ah. I got burns and cuts. Guess I can't complain now."

"By the way, what's your name?" the boy asked. "I-I'm Komali."

"Link. I'm Link."

"So, Link. Where do you think we're going?"

Link ignored him and began fiddling with the door of the container again. No luck.

"I have no idea where we're going. I just hope it's not a hellhole. Or a prison."

Link was temporarily blinded as the door opened again for a split second.

*THUD*

It wasn't enough time for Link's eyes to adjust to the light before the doors closed again.

"What was that?" Link asked.

"I'm guessing it was another person." Komali replied.

This next person groaned, and made a sound of what Link can only assume was the person standing up.

"'ya okay?" Link asked.

"Ugh!" a feminine voice said. She pounded her fists against the wall. A few jingling sounds were made, which Link believed was this girl trying to open the door.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked in a both very threatening and scared tone.

"What?" Link asked. "We're no-"

"LET ME GO!"

"Girl, just calm yourself." Komali said. "We're in the same situation as you."

She calmed down and then took a few breaths. "We're in the same boat? You were also captured?"

"Yeah."

"Then, we can escape together!"

"You don't think we've tried that?" Link asked. "Also, it's pitch black in here, and we're handcuffed. How are we going to escape?"

"Oh. Do either of you have a phone?" the girl asked.

"Sorry. D-don't have one." Komali quivered. Link reached his handcuffed hands into his pocket to feel a bunch of broken glass and metal parts. "Mine broke."

"Who are you, anyway?" the girl asked. "I'm Midna."

"Link."

"Komali."

Link stood up from the floor to pace around. In that process, he proceeded to kick Komali, who was sitting.

"Ow!" he shouted. "What're you doing?"

"Sorry! I was just walking around!"

"Hang on." Midna said. "Komali, are you sitting on the floor?"

"Yeah, why? Where else am I supposed to sit?"

"I'm on the bench." Midna said.

"Bench? There's been a bench here this entire time? I've been sitting on the cold, hard floor for the past half hour!"

After around thirty awkward seconds of silence, Link heard Midna squeak.

"Don't sit on me!"

"Uhh... sorry. It's dark!"

"...Excuses."

After around ten minutes of fruitless attempts to escape, and twenty minutes of sitting in silence, Link finally felt the truck begin to move.

"Welp, we're going." Link said.

The truck accelerated very quickly, which caused Link to slam into the side of the container.

"Aah!" he groaned. The truck stopped, which caused Link to hear two more slams.

"Learn how to fucking drive!" Midna shouted.

"I hate my life." Komali muttered.

Soon, the truck began to move at a constant speed, enough so that Link could walk without losing his footing. He laid down on the floor, trying to get some sleep. However, the combination of the rumbling, hard, cold, metal floors and the trauma he just went through shook him up enough that he absolutely could not.

2 Hours In The Box

The truck hit a bump in the road, causing Link and presumably the others to fall. Shaken up, Link stood up and fixed his hair.

"Do any of you boys have any food in this joint?" Midna asked.

"I don't have anything, like, on me." Link said.

"Me neither."

"Komali didn't notice that bench, so I'm going to go look around the room to see if we can find anything else." Link confirmed.

"Knock yourself out." Komali replied.

Link felt along the wall to find the corner of the room. He moved on to the next wall, only to feel a metal chain and a soft jingle. That's the door, he thought. He continued around onto the second long wall. Only to run into Midna and Komali.

"Dude!" Komali protested.

"Just go around us!" Midna shouted. Link sighed and went around them, and went right back to feeling across the wall. He almost tripped over something solid, and then went down to feel it. It was round, and made of some cool ceramic.

"I think I found a toilet." Link shouted. He continued and then felt a sink.

"And a sink. I think that's it."

Link went to the bench to sit down.

"Hang on." Midna said. "You found a toilet and sink, but there was no walls or curtains or anything?"

"No..."

"Why would they do that! Especially since I'm a girl, sharing a room with two boys!"

"It's pitch black, Midna!"

"Oh... right."

"Is that all you found?" Midna asked, rather condescendingly.

"Yeah. Unless there's something in the very middle of the container that I missed, but I doubt that. .

All of a sudden, something began to burn Link's nose and cause his eyes to water, smelling like a mixture of bleach and floor cleaner.. He sniffed around. "Do you guys smell that?"

He heard the other two sniff. "Yeah." Komali replied. "Smells like chemicals."

"I don't feel so good..." Midna said. There was an audible *thump*, which likely signified Midna's body hitting the ground.

"Me neither." Komali said. "It's making me... *yawn*... *THUMP*"

Link sat down, putting a hand over his mouth and nose. However, it was pointless as he slowly began to feel sleepy. He removed one of his shoes and used a sock to filter the gas.

"Is this how I'm gonna die? Surrounded in darkness and two people who I don't even know what they look like? I can't let that happen. What do I do? I should just keep my sock over my mouth and jus... just... br.. e...a..t...h..e"

*THUMP*