Chapter 3

Roger

The group of three men entered into the first room... They had to open up a large sliding steel door, that had SAL painted on it in large letters, to get inside. It was a long hall, with painted spirals trailing down the walls. Right in front of them, was a large flat steel circle connected to a track on the floor. What was interesting about it was the chair in the middle, as well the four posts surrounding the chair. Each post looked like a mechanical arm that could buck forward... And at the end of each post was something sharp, be it a large pare of shears, a few knives, a ball of razor wire, and a sharp trident like tool. Jeff didn't even enter the room, but Blake and Eric did. It wasn't hard to notice, that on the side of the wall, was a raised ledge. On the raised ledge is where another billy puppet sat in a small chair. Blake or Eric didn't mess with it yet..

"... Hello Sal... The reason you're here is you're occupation. You make a living, taking real world events, and twisting them. You lie to the people. Some might call you.. A spin doctor... Well, now you get to experience a real spin for yourself. At the end of this long tunnel is one of the five keys to the door. As you can see, the hall is also narrow... But just wide enough to fit my favorite ride inside..." it continued. Blake looked over the large, perplexing, thing.

"You'll have to take this ride all the way to the end of the tunnel and back to retrieve the antidote. But, I would cautious on that ride... Because with each 90 degree spin, one of the four arms with lash out at you... Enjoy the ride.." the puppet laughed before finishing it's message. Eric didn't destroy this certain doll, since he was too worried about the trap.

"... So how the fuck are we supposed to get that key?... Whose going to ride this?" Blake, asked timidly. Jeff wasn't even in the room, so he wasn't an option..

"... I'll do it..." Eric said, coldly.

"What?" Blake asked.

"I said, I'll ride the damn thing..." Eric muttered. He stepped up onto the now stationary circle, and walked to the end of it. He put a foot down on the tracks and ground, almost. He felt an odd electric buzz anytime he put his bare foot near the ground.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Blake yelled.

"... You see the switch behind you... Flick it when I tell you.." Eric pointed behind Blake. Indeed, there was an on off switch for "The Ride". Eric sat down in the chair... There were no restraints, so he could dodge at his leisure, but it probably wouldn't be easy.. He took one final breath...

"Are you sure?"

"... Go.." he said. Blake flicked the switch, and reeled as it began to move. It started off slowly, and the first thing to buck down was the sheers, that moved so slow Eric could dodge it. But it wasn't long before it got progressively faster... And things weren't so easy to dodge.

"Oh m god!!" Blake cried. Eric tried like mad to dodge the objects, which was difficult while spinning. At about halfway down the tunnel, he couldn't do much more.

"FUCK!!" the razor wire, struck him in the shoulder, and cut him up. Next was the knife that came down and penetrated his leg. Eric used his arms to guard his head, and his biceps got cut up by the sheers and that dreadful trident.

"GOD DAMNIT!!" Eric shouted through gritted teet as the horrible thrill ride spun like a pinwheel.

"... Oh fuck.." Blake said quietly. Eric's eyes were covered, so it was up to Blake to stop it at the end. He did so, right before the trident was about to take it's toll. Eric whimpered in pain as he felt it come to a stop. He looked up and saw the key in-front of him, on the wall. Attached to it, was a glowing red light. He reached out, with the hand that hadn't been torn up too badly and retrieved it.

"Are you ready?" Blake called.

"JUST FUCKING DO IT!!" Matthews shouted. Blake flicked the switch and the ride started again.

"DAMN IT!!" Eric cried, while muffled through his arms. He curled up on the chair, covering his chest as he was cut up even more on the second trip. Blake had to endure watching every horrific second before Eric pulled up to the original point. Blake switched it off, and ran to get Eric off of the ride. Jeff was still outside, huddled in a ball, terrified by the screams of complete strangers.

"I don't get it... Why did John pick you?" Kerry asked, resting an elbow on the table.

"I was just as confused as you are..." he said.

"... But you know why he did, right?"

"She picked me because I learned my lesson.." he told Kerry.

One Year, Seven Months Earlier

... The stench.. Roger awoke to the sight of a large, corroded, brick wall. He tried walking forward, but his feet were stuck in something. He looked down and saw that they were shackled, and bolted to the tile floor. He also felt an odd numbness in his back. But, he couldn't maneuver himself to see what was the matter. The stench...

Not only did he smell something, but he also heard something behind him. It was a crackling, searing sound. He turned around, to the best of his efforts, and saw that two rods were pointed into a large fire on a short pillar behind him. The rods connected back into gears on the wall. Roger couldn't imagine what would happen next, as he panicked for a way to get out of the restraints on his feet. In front of him, on a pedestal was a safe, and behind that was the door. He could only assume it was the way out. Just before he had a chance to call out for help, something he had noticed before turned on. It was a TV screen on a ledge to his right. Alex's head whipped over to the screen to see what it was.. Even though he knew what it was before it started.

A disturbingly cheerful little doll turned it's head to face Roger.

"What?" he gasped.

"Hello, Roger... " The Billy Puppet said.

"No.."

"You lead a good life, as a computer hacker, destroying the work of large corporations to create large benefit for yourself. For years you've made you're mark on several companies, making them go bankrupt. But, now, I will have to leave my mark on you... Or rather.. In you." the puppet laughs at the expense of the horrified Roger.

"The fire behind you holds two brands, that have been sitting in the fire since before this morning. You're also probably feeling an odd sensation in you're back. That's the side effect of the sedatives that are numbing you're lower back, that no longer has an epidermis... If the brands make it to you're open wounds, you're organs should pay the price.. And you should feel it, even with the sedatives... They'll burn straight through you." The puppet continued. Alex tried desperately to turn around and see, but he couldn't.

"In front of you, is a safe, inside the safe is a key. Now, the combination to the safe is complicated, but I'll give you a clue... Hopefully, you can remember the name of each company you sabotaged, in order. And I also hope you know how many letters are in the alphabet... you have 3 minutes, when this tape ends...Live or die... Make you're choice..." The T.V. screen clicked off, and immediately, Roger's mind raced.

"... Fuck.." he sighed. He racked his brain, trying to think of the four, long company names. Once he had figured out the first one, and dialed it in, he heard the gears behind him begin to turn. He turned around and saw the tips of the two brands. Two Jigsaw pieces, both glowing red hot.

"HELP!! SOMEBODY!! ANYBODY!!... FUCK! DAMMIT!" Roger shouted, pounding his fist against the wall. He thought quickly, and entered in the next company. He now regretted ever doing any of it. He looked behind him and saw the rods begin to advance, slowly towards his open wounds.

"JESUS!!" Alex whipped back around and rubbed his head trying to think of how you spelled the third company.

"Shit..." he said, now quietly. As he pounded his head against his fist, he felt heat building behind his back. He turned around and saw they were now closer to his wounds as could be. He was too late.

"FUCK!!!... I deserve this.." he wept into his hands, awaiting the impending burn...

After about thirty seconds, Alex looked up and rubbed his eyes. He still felt the heat of the brands behind him... But they were still. He turned around and saw them slowly, jumpily, go backwards away from him, and turn back into the gas fire witch dulled down as soon as the brands entered. Alex heard a click somewhere, and the large fluorescent bulb above him lit up. He kept looking up, until he heard a noise in front of him. He only saw a thin, faceless figure in the doorway.

"Don't worry, Roger... You're going to be okay.." a female voice told him.

"Where am I?" he asked, wriggling his head on his pillow.

"Stop, stop.." Amanda said, putting her hand over John's forehead. "You're fine, John" she told him taking a chair next to his bed. He laid flat, looking up at the ceiling.

"... I'm dying, Amanda.." John said.

"You have cancer... There's no cure..."

"... I thought that I would be complacent with death... But a tumor isn't the way I wanted to leave this world.." John told her, solemnly.

"You have another session of Chemo, tomorrow... You'll be fine.." she reassured him for the thousandth time, while rubbing her eyes. She hasn't slept since she said goodbye to Daniel, before he was knocked unconscious.

"I just hope my Doctor can follow the rules well enough..."

"He has so far..." Amanda told him. "Now go back to bed.." she kissed the top of his bald head and began to leave the room.

"... How did Roger do?" John asked, before she left.

"... He's still alive.." Amanda informed him, before walking through the doorway.

"... After that, my home was with her and John.." he said.

"So I was right... John did brian wash you."

"He helped me realize something I didn't want to know... He helped me.." Roger told her.

"Can you do it?... Can you be reborn?" John asked.

Roger set back the bear trap and flung his arm inside... He screamed out in pain, with more tears than just one rolling down his face this time. He may have broken his left arm.

"I can't set back the trap, Roger, I'm too weak... You're in somewhat of a dilemma." John said, the same malicious grin on his face. Roger thrashed his arm around the room, hollering in pain. Blood spurted onto the ground, and on the trap as Roger continued to scream in pain. He finally fell the floor and planted both his feet on the levers that would release the trap. He tried pushing with his feet, but since it wasn't on any surface, it just began tearing at his arm as more blood poured onto the floor. He got back up on his knees and began pushing with all his strength on the right lever with only one hand. If he didn't get it off soon enough, he would probably die from his sudden loss of so much blood.

John enjoyed every second of Roger hollering while pushing down on the trap before it snapped open. Roger fell back onto the floor, holding his gnarled arm. John wheeled his chair over to meet him on the ground. He looked down at the man.

"Congratulations... You've endured an actual, common cause of death in this country... I'll make sure she tends to you... Goodnight.." John smiled the same twisted smile and left Roger on the floor gasping, holding his bloody arm.

"... So that's how it really started." Roger explained, holding his arm that was, in reality, fine.

"... Is that what he does? He finds people and almost kills them before recruiting them as their 'tech guy'?.." Kerry asks.

"He was helping us... Helping us realize what he realized when he started doing what he's doing."

"Us?"

"Remember.. The woman."

"You can't stop talking about her, how could I forget?"

"... You just did." Roger smiled.

"You still can't even tell me her name?"

"I'm afraid, I can't..." Roger yawned.

"What about her appearance?" Kerry asked.

"I can't tell you that either.."

"Why don't you tell me about HER in general.."

"... She's a very stressful person.. Until recently she used to cut herself... I couldn't stand it.. That's actually how she started to like me.. When I showed that I care." he reminisced.