The nurse was pretty. She had square black glasses and wore a short white dress with an apron. Her hair was blonde and short, and her eyes were blue. She had been sticking me with needles and poking and prodding me for the past—I don't even know how long. She finally came at me again, this time she was holding a clipboard. "Do you have any allergies Jack?" she asked me.

Allergies? What are allergies? I had never heard of any such thing before. "Uh . . . no," I said. If I'd never heard of them, then they must not be important. "Are you gonna stick any more sharp things in me?" I asked with a bit of an edge.

"I have one last one I need to give you. This is a flu shot."

"Flu shot? Why would I need one of those?"

"It's just a precaution. Now hold still," she instructed as she grabbed my arm. She rolled up my sleeve and scrubbed my shoulder with some—what I guessed was alcohol.

I couldn't watch. I turned my head away and looked at the cupboards and drawers along the walls. There wasn't much on the walls, just a couple posters that had words and pictures on them. I couldn't read what it said, but I figured it was—"Aauh!" The sudden prick in my arm surprised me. This needle hurt more than the others had. "What are you doing to me?" I demanded. I pulled away from the nurse and held my arm.

"Dawson! I didn't get it all in! Now I have to inject you again. Get over here!" the nurse cursed at me.

"No! I don't want your flu crap! Get me outta here!"

"Fine, have it your way, but when Algaway hears about this . . ."

"You're not going to tell him are you?" I looked at the nurse pleadingly.

"Watch me!" And with that she left the room.

Moments later, two of Algaway's men came in and got me. "I'm coming, I'm coming," I sighed as I sat up from the chair I was on.

They grabbed me each by one arm and pulled me through the doorway. The one on my left grabbed my sore arm and I winced slightly. Once into the white hallway, they pushed me out in front of them. I stumbled over my feet, but caught myself without falling. They marched me through halls and down stairs and through more halls. We finally stopped in front of a door. One of the men pulled out his keys and stuck one in the door handle. He pulled the door open and shoved me inside. After I was in, he slammed the door behind me. "Good night," he snickered as they walked away. I quickly turned around and jumped at the door. I shook the handle around trying to force it open, but to no avail. I was locked in.

Once I realized I was trapped, I started to take notice of what I had failed to notice when I was first shoved inside. The walls were plain. The floor was hard and plain. There was a cot in the corner and some white bowl with a lid. That was it. That was my suite. I had been cheated! I realized. Furious, I started banging on the door, yelling and screaming at the top of my lungs. "Algaway! Liar! You cheating, lying scumbag! I'm gonna kill you! You liar!"

I must have stood there screaming for five minutes. No one came. I finally stopped when I realized I was alone. I was cold and alone in this forbidden place. My Rose was gone, and I had no idea where I was. This was not the America I remembered hearing so much about. In total despair and doubt, I cried myself to sleep.

I don't know how many hours I slept, but when I woke up, everything around me looked the same. The walls, the cot, the bowl. My room had no window so I didn't know what America looked like on the outside. I had no idea what time of day it was or how long I had been imprisoned. I sat up, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. As I looked at the door, I noticed a plate of food sitting on the floor. I had totally forgotten about eating since I'd come alive.

It was right then that I truly realized how hungry I was. I scrambled towards the plate and just as I came within reach of it, it disappeared. That's it. It was just gone. I felt around on the floor it had just been sitting on. It was like the plate was never there.

"Amazing isn't it?" The voice came from no where. I looked all around me for the source of the mysterious voice, but found no one.

"You still don't understand where you are, do you?" The voice chuckled. "Let's keep it that way." I started to get a bad feeling about the voice as soon as I heard the laugh.

I quickly backed away from the door and towards the safety of the back wall. The door handle moved and the door slowly opened. I knew who was going to walk in, and I hated everything about him. "Good morning Jack," he taunted me as he stepped into my cell. He closed the door behind him and bent over to pick up something up that was on the floor. I hadn't noticed it before. When he stood back up, I saw it was a little black box with colorful buttons on it.

"I see you found my little present. Are you hungry?"

I was again reminded of my hunger. I nodded sheepishly.

"Well, this wonderful feast is yours if you will do a little something for me."

"The last time I made a deal with you, I wound up your prisoner."

"Well, what's the point of dwelling on the past? So you made a bad decision. Learn from it."

"I learned never to trust you."

"Not so smart Jack. You see, I have the power. I control everything you do. I own you Jack."

I didn't like this concept of being owned by someone. His words made me even more hostile towards him.

"What do you want from me any way?"

"Like I told you Jack, you're special. I only want your cooperation."

"Well, you'll never get it."

"Jack, that's not a smart move."

"Who ever said I made smart moves?"

"I'm warning you Jack, don't resist me. I'll only make life difficult for you."

"Try me."

"Fine Jack. Have it your way. If you change your mind, just tell me. I'm always watching you," he said, pointing to the upper corners of the room. I saw black boxes in each of the corners. They were all pointed towards the center of the room. I didn't know what they were, but I didn't need to. All I knew was that Algaway had power, and that he would use it if he had to.

With one last smirk, he opened the door and left. Leaving me all alone, or so I thought as his final words rang in my ears: If you change your mind, just tell me. I'm always watching you.


Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed it . . . I hope you comment . . . and I hope you keep comin' back for more! :)

SeaLioness