Everything was blue.
I was freezing. I couldn't breathe.
After a minute, Frankie pulled my hair, lifting my head. "Had enough yet?"
I couldn't answer. I was coughing, choking.
"Guess not." He shoved my head into the tub of ice water.
Bubbles rose to the top.
I couldn't stop myself from taking a deep breath.
When Frankie pulled my head up, I was coughing more than ever.
"How about now?"
I couldn't speak.
Impatient, he forced my head in again.
My nose was almost touching the bottom.
All of a sudden, I felt a shock go through my body as the collar came into contact with water. I was jerking madly when Frankie yanked me out.
"Done yet?"
Through the coughing and twitching, my voice barely audible, I managed to choke out, "P…please…master."
"Had enough?"
"Y…yes, master."
"Well, that's too bad." He pushed my head into the large bucket again.
I was about to give up when Frankie kicked the tub, spilling the water all over the ground. My face hit the floor, coughing.
He gave my side a kick before leaving the room.
My body jerked as I lay in the water.
Nathan and Melissa rushed over. They pulled the back of my shirt, dragging me away from the water.
I was still twitching and coughing, shivering from the cold.
Nathan pulled off his shirt and wiped my face, trying his best to dry me off.
"You'll be okay." Melissa tried to comfort me. "It's over now."
I lay on the floor, still shivering.
Nathan had taken off my soaked shirt and jacket and replaced it with his drier shirt.
We were quiet for a long while.
My voice was barely audible. "Th-thanks, guys."
"You shouldn't be thanking us," Nathan said.
"This is all our fault," said Melissa, her eyes red-rimmed.
"What are y-you talking about?" I said. "This isn't your f-fault."
"He wants to kill you. But you wouldn't be here if we weren't."
"And you wouldn't b-be here if I would've told them where my father was in the first p-place."
Melissa was silent.
"This isn't your fault. You g-guys are gonna be okay."
"But what about you?"
"What about me, Mel? It's over for m-me."
"Don't say that!" She slapped my face unintentionally.
"I'm sorry, m-ma'am." My voice was like a child's.
"No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay." I touched my cheek gingerly. "But…when he does k-kill me, I-"
"Jackson! Why are you being so negative?!"
"Face it, Mel. I'm n-not gonna make it outta here alive. You and I both know that."
"Don't say that. We're all getting out of here…all of us."
"No, we won't."
"Why are you talking like that? We'll get the chance to make it out…and we will."
"I won't. Because, if I get that ch-chance, I'm not gonna take it."
"What?!"
"I'm not g-good enough, Mel. I don't deserve all this: you, your f-father, my friends. And everyone's rules keep changing. They're t-too hard to learn. I knew all of my master's rules. I just wish I were b-back there…with him. He was teaching me h-how to be a good boy. I was so bad…I still am."
"He's brainwashed you!" She was angry. "You can't believe that!"
"It's true. I-"
"No, it isn't!" She slapped me again, harder this time, then left my side and took a seat in the corner.
I held my cheek.
At least now I was learning Melissa's rules.
