Chapter 8
Door 4
Two Years ago
Day 1
Jerome went in first. As soon as he saw that the door they choose was not the right door, he tried to go back. "Don't let the door close!"
But it was too late. They were stuck. The walls and the floors were an unfriendly white. Alfie, ever hungry, first tried to go to the kitchen. There was no kitchen. Just one large room that was meant for... who knows. Fighting or something.
"But aren't there usually mats on the floor for that?" Joy asked. "So people don't hurt themselves?"
They shrugged. Jerome went to where his room was supposed to be. There was a room... sort of. It was white as well. With a bed. There were about four of those squeezed into the space that the two boy rooms usually were.
Just as they were about to venture up the steps, a man came down. They couldn't see his face because it was covered by glasses and a bowler hat.
"Ahh, the prototypes." he called them.
"Who are you?" Joy asked. He smiled.
"You may call me, for now, The Commander."
Day 3
When they were told they'd be learning all different kinds of fighting techniques, they thought it was pretty cool. They couldn't find a way out, and they hoped their friends would free them soon. In the meantime, free asskicking classes didn't sound so bad. They weren't learning from Ming-húa, their instructor, because they were told to by 'The Commander'.
"Who is the guy anyway?" Jerome had asked before. Why would they listen to him?
They got the hang of it fast enough.
Day 8
Learning kung-fu, boxing, karate and everything else was cool for a little while but they missed home.
One day, The Commander came to them after they ate sandwiches in the training room. Alfie wondered where they made the sandwiches.
"I'm impressed. You've shown great improvement." he said. They rolled their eyes. They weren't doing it for him. "But I want to see your best feature, the reason I bought you."
Jerome raised his eyebrows. "Bought-"
With an earsplitting sound, the bullet went into Jerome's skull. Alfie and Joy screamed as Jerome's body became lifeless. The Commander didn't flinch, and shot a bullet each into Joy and Alfie as well.
Jerome didn't even realize what happened. One second he was looking at the bowler hat, then he thought his head was going to explode, then he was on the floor with no pain at all. He looked over and yelped, standing up. There was Joy and Alfie with blank expressions, wide eyes, and a bullet in their heads. But the bullet was slowly coming out of their heads, as if something was pushing them from the inside and the hole was healing. Joy woke up, then Alfie.
"Excellent." The Commander smiled.
Day 10
They had come up with every ludicrous explanation for what happened no short of alien abduction. But they finally had to settle with the truth after Joy bled out through her stomach, and woke up totally fine.
Somehow they were dying and coming back. Which made for many more questions.
Day 14
"Maybe we're not human." Alfie finally suggested. Joy and Jerome rolled their eyes. "No really, remember what he said. He bought us. He called us prototypes. Maybe in this world... we're not human. We're some kind of... manmade... something."
"A door where you live but you don't..." Jerome remembered the riddle thing.
Day 28
Jerome and Joy had been able to find comfort in each other. Being in the world brought them together. They had been growing closer back home as well. Joy cried to him in the training room, letting out her fears that they'd never find a way back home. Jerome moved Joy's hair out of her eyes and kissed her. Alfie looked away, thinking of Amber.
Day 38
The Commander came in to see all three of them sitting on the ground. Joy and Jerome were leaning on each other while she had a thumb war with Alfie.
"What are you doing?" The Commander asked. "Get up and train!"
"What for?" Joy groaned. "What are we training for? Why are we here? I don't want to train anymore."
"Yeah, we're done." Jerome said. The Commander stared at them. Maybe if they could see more of his face, they'd be able to see just how angry he really was. He left, and they thought that was the end of it. He came back an hour or so later with a baseball bat.
"You know what's great about you guys never dying permanently?" He asked. They looked up, startled by the bat. "I can do whatever I have to in order to convince you, and I'll still have you as weapons!"
"Weapons for what?" Jerome stood up angrily, nearly knocking Joy over. The Commander swung the bat at Jerome's head and he went down.
"First rule, don't ask questions." He said. Joy and Alfie stood to defend them, but The Commander simply swung again, hitting Joy's knee and Alfie's back. He left them there to suffer for hours, before putting bullets in their heads again.
Day 57
"You need to tell him." Alfie said as he and Joy watched Jerome. They were upstairs for the first time. Target practice. That was where the girl's room should have been.
"I can't." she said.
"You have to, or I will." Alfie said. Joy bit her lip.
Day 58
"Jerome I have to tell you something." Joy said during lunch. Alfie made himself scarce, or as scarce as possible. "When we first started to hang out, I didn't think I'd ever think of you in any way other than... y'know... Jerome."
Jerome smiled. "Likewise."
Joy let out a shaky voice. "You need to know the truth. I... Mara and I..."
Jerome watched her with curiosity.
"We devised a plan to get back at you. You... You would fall for me, and I would break your heart." Joy finally got out. Jerome replayed the words in his head.
"So... It was all fake?" he asked finally. Joy shook her head.
"No, not all of it. I... I began to-" Jerome stood up and walked out. Joy began to tear up. She glared at Alfie.
"Thank you, Alfie." with no hint of sincerity.
Day 67
After Jerome realized Alfie knew, Jerome got angry with him. He realized he had no business being angry at him. When he went into Alfie's room, he didn't expect Joy to be in there. He didn't expect Alfie to be in there kissing Joy.
Day 69
Alfie and Jerome were sparing for Ming. It was their toughest fight yet. Joy watched with a lump in her throat. Finally, Jerome swiped a knife and put it to Alfie's throat. Ming was incredibly entertained.
"FINISH IT!" Ming yelled. Jerome and Alfie stared at each other. Alfie gulped, feeling the knife's blade on his throat. But Jerome's arm went limp, and Alfie kicked him away. Jerome dropped the knife and they continued sparing, much to Ming's disappointment.
Day 71
"I have a job for you." The Commander said. "You are going to hunt this person down, get the money he owes me, and come back. Real simple. If he doesn't have the money, kill him."
"No way!" came Alfie and Jerome's immediate answer.
"We'll do it, sir." Joy said. The boys gaped at her. The Commander handed her the pictures with an appreciation. When he was out of earshot she turned to the boys. "We're getting out of here."
The Commander watched them leave, and handed Jerome the keys.
Day 72
They didn't know where they were driving, but they had been driving for a long time. The tension in the car was unbearable.
Day 75
He found them.
Day 76
When Joy woke up, she was somewhere chained up. Alfie and Jerome were next to her and she gasped. Jerome was bruised and Alfie was bloody. The Commander was in front of them. He smiled at her. "I wanted you to be awake for this, but you just would not wake up."
Joy pulled on her restraints.
"I thought I'd have to put an alarm clock to your head or something." he said. "But now that you're awake we can begin."
He pulled out what she knew to be a kukri knife approached her. "I'm getting really tired of the disobedience here." He pressed the knife to her temple and traced it down to her chin, slowly. She screamed every second, which made the boys groan. "I think it's time to teach you a lesson."
Day 79
Every part of him was bruised, bloodied, or broken. He didn't have any tears left, he couldn't even scream anymore. "Okay," Alfie said hoarsely. "I will do anything you ask of me."
Alfie was broken. And that, broke Jerome and Joy.
"I'll do anything." Joy pleaded. "Please."
Jerome grunted, "I'll do whatever you ask just make it stop."
The Commander put bullets in every one of their heads.
Day 80
Jerome woke up, no pain on his body. He was in his bed. He jumped up, ran out of his room, and collided with two bodies.
They just laid there, hugging each other, crying, apologizing, forgiving.
Day 97
They put their all into training now, it wasn't just an activity. They knew what they risked when they didn't do what they were told. Ming was impressed with their determination.
The Commander gave them a job. He looked them all in the eye when he gave them the keys.
They got in the car, and drove to where they were told. They saw their target, the same one from before, and followed him in. Luckily, he was able to give them the money, saying had they come any earlier he wouldn't have had it.
They grimaced. They were supposed to come earlier.
Day 124
"Finish it!" Ming yelled, like he did every time he trained with them. The Commander was watching as well this time. Alfie was in a position where he could easily snap Joy's neck. But let go.
The Commander came over and touched Alfie's shoulder. Alfie flinched. "Good job."
Alfie smiled slightly.
"But I believe you were told to finish it." he said calmly. He kicked the side of Alfie's knee and Alfie fell hard to the ground with a loud shout. The Commander handed Joy the knife. "Now, finish it."
Joy gulped and took the knife. Alfie nodded, and she took the neck of the blade and plunged it into his chest.
Day 145
They've been lucky. They've worked three jobs and they were able to let them all go without any deaths. But not this time.
Her name was Mandy, and she was asleep in her home when they came through her window. She pulled out a gun and threatened to call the police. When they mentioned their boss, fear came over her face and she shot a bullet through Jerome's head.
Joy quickly got the gun out of Mandy's hand and held it pointing at Mandy threateningly. Jerome stood up, and fear came over her face as Jerome got up and wiped blood off of his forehead.
"I think I'm starting to get used to being shot in the head." Jerome said groggily as if just waking up. "The pain that is. It's quick"
"Listen Mandy, all you have to do is give us the money you owe him and it's all over. We can go home and sleep," Joy said. She realized she'd called the training center home. Who knows when that white nightmare became home. "You can sleep easily here..."
"Although I can't imagine why you would want to." Jerome scrunched up his nose at the mess.
Mandy looked at the three teenagers. "I don't have it."
Alfie's heart hammered. "You have to have it."
"Does it look like I have it?" Mandy yelled, but shrunk down again.
They looked at each other. "I can't." Joy said. "I can't do it."
"We have to." Jerome said Mandy watched them, looking around for an escape. Joy walked out handing the gun to Alfie. He was really good at hitting the target. Jerome held Mandy and Alfie held the gun up.
She started screaming and tried to get out of Jerome's grasp, until Alfie pulled the trigger.
Day 190
They were excused from training while renovations were being made.
Day 257
They had become trophies.
Sometimes when The Commander had clients, he brought them to their home. He let the people observe them train with the new one sided window. It was unspoken, but someone always has to die while people are watching them. So they can see their 'best feature'. That day it was Joy. Alfie snapped her neck.
Day 289
Adam Napier
39
Married
Two Kids
2,500£
They took him out of his house so his kids wouldn't find their dad's body on their ground.
Day 348
Terry May
24
No family
No home
3,000£
Joy did it. She knew she'd have to at some point, and at least this way, she was putting the girl out of her misery.
Day 365
"Happy anniversary." Joy said tipping her bottle of water up. The boys tipped their bottles and they all took a drink.
Day 395
"Do you think we're the only ones who are stuck in our door?" Joy asked one night. Sometimes they all laid in one room. Today it was Joy's. Jerome shrugged dismissively.
"Maybe." he said.
"What do you think they're doing? You know, if they made it back home?" Joy asked.
"Well... They're probably not dying." Alfie muttered. Joy glared at them.
"Seriously?." Joy spat at him.
Jerome groaned and sat up. "Well, they would all be in Uni by now right?"
Joy smiled. "Mara's doing great. Acing all of her classes."
"Nina studying Egyptian History." Alfie said. "Actually she's teaching the class."
Joy and Jerome laughed.
Day 411
"You don't think they've forgotten us do you?" Joy asked them. Jerome scoffed.
"Patricia would never forget you." Jerome answered.
Day 429
She faced Jerome. He was smirking. She probably had a similar look on her face. Somewhere along the way, they began to find the fighting fun. Maybe because it got their frustrations out. Or maybe they were becoming the machines that The Commander wanted them to be. They spared for a while, but Jerome was just humoring her.
"Fight back!" Joy yelled.
Jerome shook his head laughing as he blocked all of Joy's punches. Finally having enough, Joy did the butterfly kick she had just perfected and knocked Jerome down, and put a foot on his neck.
"Finish it!" Alfie yelled. She pushed down, blocking his air, until she saw the familiar blank look on Jerome's face.
"His body will recover, but will his ego?" Joy asked. Alfie laughed and high fived Joy, just for him to flip her. She landed on the ground with a thump. She laughed and kicked him in the balls. He crumbled to the floor.
Day 489
Maurice King
56
Married
No kids
4,700£
It was fast. They asked. "Do you have the money?" He answered. "No." One bullet to the head.
Day 500
They had specific instructions to make it last long. The Commander said, "He's been avoiding me now for nine years, little bugger."
At first Alfie and Joy were going to have no part in it. But at some point Jerome handed Joy the knife, and she didn't refuse it. Alfie was the one who finished it though.
Day 575
Train. Eat. Train. Sleep. Train. Eat. Train. Sleep. Job.
Train. Eat. Train. Sleep. Train. Eat. Train. Sleep. Job.
Their days were fairly simple.
Day 621
Sometimes they did deliveries, which was a nice way to switch it up. But not often.
Day 657
When The Commander handed Joy the joint and a lighter with a sly smile, she thought it was a joke. But there they were smoking marijuana and laughing at nothing.
"No we were abducted by aliens!" Alfie said. "That's how we ended up in the four door room!"
"It was probably Rufus." Jerome said inhaling.
"It was probably my dad." Joy scoffed. It shouldn't have been funny, it should have been tragic, and yet it was hilarious.
Day 688
It became a tradition to smoke before every job. The Commander provided. It loosened them up. But it probably made them look crazy, because now they were sharing conspiracy theories and laughing while they pointed a knife at someone who owed them money and then laughing about it all.
Day 702
Joy knew she was twisted.
He stopped giving them weed. It was making them too loose.
Enjoying fighting was one thing, but she knew she was deeply disturbed and too far gone when she started enjoying the jobs.
But she wasn't the only one. She watched Alfie and Jerome as they messed with the guy, she forgot his name. They were mocking him. It was almost as if the old Jerome and Alfie were back. Teasing and mocking like they used to. Only darker.
"Nice rings." Joy said joining the fun. "How'd you get them?"
The man sputtered and Jerome held his hands down while Joy cut off his fingers. Alfie started talking about he'd once saw someone do that on a tv show and trying to remember what show it was. The man was screaming. The screams didn't affect them anymore.
Day 730
Usually they just killed themselves every time they were uncomfortable with pain, but sometimes they just dealt with it. They felt like it made them stronger.
But Alfie's arm had been killing him, and it was just slowing him down. So when Jerome's hands were around his neck, he didn't do anything about it.
"FIGHT BACK!" Joy yelled.
"Fight back." Jerome repeated. Alfie shook his head.
"Finish it." Joy instructed. Alfie saw Jerome's slight head nod, and it didn't take long before he had finished it.
They heard a gasp and saw the one person they never expected to see.
"Amber?" Jerome asked.
"Is he- is he-" Amber sputtered.
Jerome shook his head not knowing what to say, it was pretty hard to explain.
"You don't understand," Joy began.
Amber had backed herself into a wall. The only way for her to understand is if she saw he was okay.
Wake up Alfie, wake up. Jerome thought.
"I saw it all! I saw it all you, you-"
"Amber?" came Alfie's surprised voice.
Finally.
They watched her as her brain was working trying to piece together what she saw.
"What is happening?" She said in a shaky voice.
"Amber when we first came here, we realized right away we weren't in the right place. We tried to leave, go back and try one of the other doors, but it wouldn't open." Jerome started immediately before she completely freaked out.
"We hoped whoever found the right door would come find us." Joy continued. "We lost hope after a while."
"That's why I'm here!" Amber exclaimed. "Why would you lose hope?"
Alfie shrugged. "We kind of figured after five months-"
"Five months!" Amber shot up. The other three took a step back. "It has not been five months!"
Jerome narrowed her eyes at Amber.
"No..." Jerome said slowly as if speaking too fast and too loud could make Amber combust into flames. "It's been two years."
Amber shook her head. "No. No. No way."
Then it hit Joy, had it been different times?
"How long do you think it's been?" Joy asked.
"I don't know! Less than a day that's for sure, like a class period! A little more I guess. more like lunch time."
Jerome stared at her. No way.
"You mean it's only been like an hour for you?" Alfie asked.
Amber nodded. "Does that mean time moves faster here?"
"I guess so." Joy scratched her head. She would kill to have only been in this place for an hour.
"Wait! Wait a minute, I just witnessed Alfie die someone tell me what he's doing in front of me talking to me!" Amber yelled. Jerome stepped forward.
"Amber put your hand here." Jerome said moving her hand so it was on his chest in front of the heart. They had hearts, they were somewhat human. But they pumped very slowly. There was no need for it to pump very fast usually. "What do you feel?"
"Nothing."
"Exactly." Jerome said.
"You have... no heart?" Amber asked horrified.
"We have... something." Alfie said. "Because we bleed."
"We can kill ourselves any way possible, we won't die." Joy said. She shivered. She hadn't realized how twisted it was. Well she realized, but she forgot. "I've died every single way, and yet here I am."
Amber shook her head again. "H-How?"
"We're not..." Alfie began."We eat, we sleep, I can feel every prick on my skin and every emotion. But at the end of the day... we're not real. We're not, we're not..."
"We're not human anymore." Joy finished.
"The minute we stepped through the door," Alfie sighed. "We became something else."