"Fuck... what happened? Where am I?"
That was his first thought. Max was confused. He tried to move his arm and failed. The boy couldn't see anything and could only assume that he was blindfolded again. He tried again, this time with more effort, only to fail again.
"Not even a bit? What's gotten into me?"
He then tried to speak, but failed. In fact, it seemed as if his mouth was set at a certain position, presumably someone was keeping them in place or hooks were placed on his face.
His legs were restrained with leather straps, but as strange as it seemed, were full of energy. His brain was throbbing and had a massive headache, but other than that, he felt fine. Excellent even.
It seemed that his thoughts were the only thing that Max had in control of, the only thing not controlled. As the Indian was about to attempt to move his limbs a third time, he heard a door opening, feet moving and casual chatter as if this was the mess hall.
"Yes, yes... we've gotten most of the campers. Only ones remaining are those annoying ones who heard about our plan. From Max, of course."
That voice came from Micheal, sounding satisfied at his work.
Another voice spoke. This time, it was Nathan.
"And just how many are left?"
"Not much. Just Dolph, Ered, and Nerris and we still have the counselors to get to."
"Why don't we leave everyone dead except them? If the authorities came they'd immediately assume its the adults that did it. No one would expect a buck he of children to partake in such a hideous crime."
"If we leave them, they'll report us to the authorities. Or track us down to Daniel."
"Micheal, we're in the middle of buttfuck nowhere. The next city is at least an hour away and there's only one sheriff out here. Stop worrying about it."
Micheal sighed. He knew Nathan was right and there was no point in prolonging the argument.
"You're right. Let's get back to it, shall we?"
"But first, someone else comes first."
The blindfold came off, and there he was, the innocent shitlord Max was both afraid of and hated at the same time, with his diabolical friend.
"Hello Maxy. Enjoy your slumber? Feel refreshed and ready for the day?"
"Oh please, cut it with the innocent talk. I know who you really are."
That's what Max would've like to say, but he couldn't have. His mouth was still held in a gaping smile *by those damn hooks!*
"Mmmph!"
"Oh, that's right. I never removed your hooks. You know, we had them on originally for that girl Nikki, but we decided it would be for the best of if it we're put on everyone."
But lemme see..."
He removed the hooks. Despite that, his mouth was still in a smile. Max tried to frown as hard as he could, as pathetic as it sounded.
No avail. He also noticed as soon as his blindfold was off, he blinked much slower than usual.
"Like it Max? Do you like smiling? I know you like it, but you can't admit it, because you're a stubborn little shit.
Nathan snickered. He was enjoying every moment of this. Add to the fact Neil was completely oblivious to the fact that they were evil, he still supported them.
Now repeat after me: "Zëmug the almighty has blessed us with life and humanity..."
"Z-Zëmug the almighty has blessed us with life and humanity..."
"Wait, what the fuck? I don't mean that or believe any kind of Daniel's batshit crazy religion!"
"Daniel is the chosen one..."
"D-Daniel is the chosen one..."
"Stop it! Stop repeating whatever comes out of his mouth!"
"He will come and stand for humanity during the Final Days..."
"H-"He will come and stand for humanity during the Final Days..."
"NONONONONO! STOP IT!"
Micheal and Max traded phrases for Max knows how long. He just wanted to stop showing weakness in front of his enemy.
After what seemed to be half an hour, Micheal stoped. He grinned.
"Hmm... the brainwashing is effective to say the least. You repeat what I say and make no sudden movements toward me."
His grin faded and was replaced with a small frown.
"But you do hesitate. That is not good. It indicates the brainwashing has flaws and does not fully control you."
But, it should keep you from doing stupid things for 2 hours at the least. It should be enough for the plan... Nathan are you sure this was the exact formula that Daniel used?"
"Yes yes, it is the same thing. It's most likely these imbeciles have strengthened.
But Max, before you and everyone else here perishes, I would like to show you something."
He snapped his fingers and Naer came, holding a chair with a kid that had a skinny arms and legs like Neil, except that his clothes were white. Nathan tore off the blindfold and there he was, Neil was smiling and had the same dilated eyes the other kids had.
Max would've loved to shout out, to call for his friend, but he couldn't do anything about it. All he could do was stare as he was being prepared for a sacrifice and slowly die inside.
He never expected his death to come so early. Sure, he had expected to die a couple of times, mostly when he most wanted it, but he didn't want it to be like this. A sacrifice to some god that didn't exist.
It was made worse as he saw his worst enemies laugh in front of him and celebrate. They would be killed, have themselves be praised by Daniel and Jen, and move on to their next assignment.
It sucked, and Max hated it to no end. If he were somehow freed from his chair and cured of his brainwashing, he would murder Micheal with his bare hands.
After a while, Max stopped caring about the cultists snide comments about him and his stupidity and waited for his death. Thinking about his doom would do him no good, and he accepted the fact he was going to die with no one to save him long ago.
It seemed like his sense of time was warped as well, as it seemed like it took days for something interesting to happen.
Finally, after what seemed like a decade of waiting, the ritual was finished. An inverted pentagram was painted on the floor, complete with a pair of wings. A set of eight candles were placed on the edges of the pentagram, with chairs placed inside of it.
The leather straps were torn off. As much as he wanted to be relieved, Max wasn't as his hand was crushed by Naer's bulky one and was promptly re-placed inside of the chair in the middle of the shape.
Micheal spoke up. "Now Max, as the first sacrifice and the most important, you will have the mark of Zëmug himself."
He reached for a dagger and sliced a thin line into each of his arms. He then removed Max's pants and did the same for his legs.
The stench of blood filled the room. Max felt like he was going to throw up. He was in unimaginable plan from those cuts as well from the gash in his back.
He was losing blood, fast. He felt dizzy and light headed after five minutes or so, which we spent rounding up everyone and encasing them in the chairs. They too had minor marks and cuts as well, but they were smaller than the ones Max had.
At this time, Max started having flashbacks. Of arriving to camp. Of trying to escape and failing. Of tying up David to the flag pole and taking the camp for themselves. Many of them, so sweet and careless. Nothing hinted at this drastic turn of events.
His thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Max assumed it was some guy that Daniel ordered to help out the cultists with their plan.
Little did he know he was wrong.
Bella immediately went to the door, saying that she would get it. When she opened it, she and the rest of the kids were in for a surprise.
The door slammed open with no thought for the girl. It turned out to be Quartermaster with David and Gwen, armed with a rifle, here to save the day.
He shot Bella after he found her lying on the ground recovering from the pain and the shock. Brain matter and flesh went flying out.
He ran over to the inverted pentagram and began shooting at everyone. Within a minute, only four of the cultists remained, those being Micheal, Nathan, Harold and Naer. They were hiding behind the brainwashing machine.
The latter made a desperate attempt at killing the old man and ran toward a box full of weapons. He was met with a bullet to the head and collapsed.
The others saw that death was near inevitable for them and silently decided that the only way out of here was with the machine.
Nathan very quietly reached for a knob. His attempt was shot down, literally by his hand being blown to pieces. He let out a bloodcurdling scream and made a full attempt at turning on the machine.
The boy was shot in the chest swiftly and fell down. Only Micheal and Harold remained.
Quartermaster decided that he was being too slow and went over to the fire hydrant looking machine.
The two accepted their demise and gave up. Quartermaster shot them without question.
After the massacre, he beckoned for two the two other adults to come. The three took out knives and cut the leather straps and freed the campers.
"Max? Can you hear me? Max," David called out. He spotted the boy, very pale and nearly unconscious. He was on the verge of tears, his favorite camper could very well be dead. Gwen was doing the same thing to Nikki to the left of him.
Quartermaster came over and placed his hand on David's shoulder. "Kid will be fine. Patch him up, he's suffering from blood loss. "
Max would've like to speak up, to thank David and Quartermaster for saving him, but he barely had the strength to breathe in his current state. Besides, he was still brainwashed.
The world once again faded before him.
It wasn't easy, but they did it.
The cultists were all dead and the campers were all cleared of their brainwashing. It took two hours for it to get out from their systems entirely. After David and Gwen got out of the bunker, Quartermaster said he'd clean this whole mess up and started collecting the bodies in a sack he found in the far right of the bunker.
Max and Nikki were sitting with David and Gwen and at the lake, watching out towards the sunset. Neil later joined them.
"So Max... sorry about the whole 'making friends with a cultist thing'," Neil said, worrying that Max had abandoned him as a friend.
"You're were, and still are an asshole on my part." Max was still sour about the ordeal.
"Could you forgive me? I mean, the abandoning thing was on my part, but I just wanted someone I could bond with."
"I'll see. Don't go doing anything stupid on your part and I'll go back."
Neil smiled. That was as much of a yes as he would get currently.
David spoke up. "Max, would you like to go back to your tent? You don't have to sleep with me anymore."
Max thought about that for a moment. He shook his head. "Could I sleep by your side for one more night? Please?" Nikki chimed in, saying that she wanted to sleep with Gwen for one more night too.
David looked over to Max, then smiled. "Of course you can Max. You're always welcomed in my bed."
"That sounds like some pedo joke, but okay."
But inside his heart, Max was thankful to have David by his side.