COLIN

I've been awake for a few hours now, so I've had some time to explore my surroundings while the drugs wore off. Apparently we're all trapped in some kind of luxury resort/psycho ward/high-tech prison cell thing. How's that for weird? None of us can remember how we got here, either, which is the real kicker. Must've been a hell of a party last night.

It's undeniably strange to be inside of a room with mirrored walls and ceilings and floors. You can see yourself from every angle. Goddamn, my hair is a mess. I might take a shower soon; I tested it awhile ago out of curiosity, and it works great. I even noticed some bath towels resting on one of the bottom bunks, neatly folded on top of the clean linen. Seriously, no joke. The entire cell is absolutely antiseptic, top to bottom, and there seems to be almost every amenity that we could ask for: private bathroom (complete with shower, toilet, sink, and hot water), four beds, plenty of blankets, some pillows, a few towels, and a big bowl of fruit. No TV or wireless internet, though. But hey, it beats the hell out of Knothole; this place actually has electricity.

I'm more than a little suspicious, of course, of the motives behind these minor luxuries. This is certainly unlike any Robotropolis prison cell I've ever had the privilege of visiting -- and believe me, I've seen plenty. To tell you the truth, I'm beginning to doubt whether or not we're in Robotropolis at all. Everything here is too perfect, too sterile, too hospitable. Then again, maybe this is just one of Robotnik's sick mind games.

Through the east glass wall, I can see Taylor asleep in the neighboring cell. I soften a bit. Naturally, he's chosen the top bunk closest to the glass. Poor guy. In the five years that we've been together, it's ironic that we're separated at the time we need each other the most. I guess it could be worse, though. At least we can still keep an eye on each other.

Speaking of bunk beds, these cells were clearly designed for four prisoners (as evidenced by a pair of bunks against each of the glass walls), but there are only two of us in this one. Weird. My cellmate -- a pretty feline girl I've never met -- has been drifting in and out of consciousness since I've been awake. Consequently, she's already exhausted her obligatory "OH MY GOD, WHERE AM I!" freakout display, so I don't have to worry about that anymore. I put her on one of the bottom bunks awhile ago with a blanket, hoping she'd be more comfortable.

Oh look, she's awake now.

"Well good morning," I say. "You're prolly hungry. You want something to eat?"

"Wha…?" Her eyes are still a bit glazed over. She brushes a few strands of hair out of her face and sits up. "God, I was hoping this place was just a nightmare."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Kinda sucks."

She closes her eyes, shakes her head. "Anybody know what happened?"

"I dunno. The walls are soundproof, so I haven't been able to talk to anybody. Near as I can tell, we were all drugged last night and someone took us here. But as for who and why, I can only assume…"

She looks at me directly. "Robotnik."

"Wouldn't surprise me. But I don't want to jump to conclusions. Whoever it is, I'm sure we'll find out what's going on soon enough."

"Yeah… yeah, probably."

There's an awkward silence. I take the opportunity to introduce myself.

"By the way, I'm Colin…"

LISA

"I'm Lisa. Nice to meet you." His handshake is firm and confident, but friendly.

"Yeah. Um." Pause. "You sure you're not hungry? There's plenty to eat."

I'm still a little confused. "There's food here?"

"You bet. Real five-star place. We've got everything: food, shower, pillows, you name it. They left us a fruit bowl."

"Is it safe?"

"Well lemme put it this way -- if any of it was poisoned, I'd prolly be dead by now. Want an apple or something?"

I laugh. "Sure, toss one over."

He hands it to me instead. He's cute.

"I tested the shower awhile ago," he says, sitting down. "Works fine. There's even hot water. The sink works, the toilet flushes, all that. And we've got bath towels on the bed over there."

I can tell he's athletic; he's remarkably fit and well-proportioned. Not bulky, though, so he doesn't lift weights. Maybe he's into aerobics or something. He has nice arms. And calves, for that matter. Looking up, I notice that he hasn't trimmed his whiskers in awhile, but his face is confident without seeming conceited -- casual without seeming lazy. His ears are funny, too. They're short and kind of floppy, and they match his personality.

I smirk at him. "So who's the lucky boyfriend?"

He laughs, suddenly blushing. "You noticed?"

"Awhile ago, before I went unconscious. I saw you together at the glass."

"Observant of you. His name is Taylor."

"How long?"

His eyes drift to the cell next to us. His voice is quieter, more vulnerable. "Almost five years, now."

"That's amazing. I mean… wow, that's something really special."

"Yeah?"

"You two must be really happy together."

He smiles softly. "Well, most of the time. He snores, though."

I giggle. "Really?"

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. I don't have the heart to tell the poor guy."

"That's so funny!"

He sighs, leaning back a little, chuckling. "Well anyway. You seeing anybody?"

I should've known the conversation would end up here. "Was," I say, trying my best to dismiss the subject. "I'm better off without him. Somehow I always end up with the wrong guy."

"Hey, I'm sure you'll find somebody one of these days."

"Yeah."

After a brief pause, the recognition suddenly clicks. "Wait a minute," I say. "You're a runner, aren't you?"

"Sure. I practice with Dan and Allison and Sonic; we run laps around the Great Forest."

"I knew I'd seen you somewhere before! I watch you guys sometimes. From the lookout post."

"Yikes, really?"

"Yeah! You guys are fast."

"Pfft, whatever. I'm the slowest one."

"Well, it's a lot faster than I could run."

"Oh gee, thanks. Pity me, why don'tcha."

"I'm serious!"

"Suuure."

"No, really. If it weren't for you guys, we wouldn't even have a chance against Robotnik."

"Hey now, let's not speak too soon."

TAYLOR

My bed is on the top bunk closest to Colin's cell. I like it up here. It's as though I'm somehow apart from everybody, floating in a different universe. It's a sanctuary of sorts. Besides, I've always been able to think more clearly when I'm disconnected from the rest of the group. It's easier to observe people this way.

Below me, of course, are my three cellmates: a tallish ferret named Sean, a jackal named Kyle, and a hyena named Rex. They're sitting in a circle playing a card game -- poker, from the looks of it. Evidently one of them found a deck of cards in the fruit basket this morning. Must've been our congenial room service staff. At any rate, whoever is keeping us here has continued to be suspiciously considerate.

"Your turn," Rex says to Kyle. "You in or out?"

"Still deciding."

"Well, make up your mind. We're waiting."

"Okay, okay, alright. I'm in. Jeez." Kyle drops a couple of grapes into the collective pile just ahead of him. They're using fruit instead of poker chips. Funny.

"You sure you don't wanna play, Taylor?" Sean says, surprising me a little. Nice of him to offer, I suppose, but I'd rather sit and watch.

"Yeah, but thanks anyway," I say quietly.

He shrugs. "Kay. Suit yourself." To the others: "My turn?"

"Yeah," somebody says. Rex, probably. He seems to be the one in charge.

"Groovy," Sean says. "Gimme two cards."

Rex is the only one of my cellmates I already knew before we ended up here. Well, I guess I don't know him, per se, but he used to tease the hell out of me when we were kids, so that's all I need or care to know. When we first woke up here three days ago, I tried giving him the benefit of the doubt, hoping that maybe he miraculously changed over the years. But no. Still a premium-grade asshole. Won't even acknowledge me.

As for my other cellmates, I'm getting mixed readings. I don't know much about Kyle, in all honesty; he doesn't say a lot and doesn't seem to have much of a personality. He strikes me as a follower, not a leader. Sean, though, is genuinely different. He gets along fine with Kyle and Rex, but he's the only one here who has gone out of his way to be polite to me. It's nice to know that not all straight guys have to be homophobes.

Losing interest in the game, I divert my attention to what's going on in Colin's cell next door. He and his cellmate are chatting, and it's obvious that they're enjoying each other's company. Colin tends to have that way about him. Ms. Cellmate is certainly an attractive little kitty -- dark, well-groomed fur, long legs, fabulous hair. Her outfit is a bit skanky, though. It's not the worst I've seen, certainly, but her tight shorts and oh-so-slightly exposed midriff are enough to knock off a couple points in the Class department for me. Oh well; at least she seems nice enough.

I should probably be glad that Colin is taking to this change of scenery better than I am, but I can't help feeling the slightest bit… I don't know. Jealous? Is that the word? I'm not jealous of his cellmate, if that's what it sounds like. Colin is gay. End of story. And besides that, he's always been faithful to me, which is the most important thing.

He and I have fallen asleep together at the glass for the last three nights. Even though we can't touch each other, I feel connected with him somehow. We're together emotionally but not physically.

I love him. Before now, though, I've never been courageous enough to admit it.