Chapter 2: Welcome to the Void
Some other guards dragged me out of the Warden's office, and took me to another elevator. One of them presented some clothes to me that looked like a black jump-suit. Once the elevator doors were open this time, I was hit on the back and stumbled forward. It felt as if the elevator was descending, and once it opened, I wanted to go somewhere else. The interior here, while still well-kept, was now a dull and depressing black color. There were very few lights, and there were barred areas, with people behind them. Prison cells, maybe? I kept getting beaten forward. Stumbling, I tried to walk down. BAM! Whatever it was, maybe a baton, propelled me forward and onto the floor. There were more cells, but eventually, amidst being hit again and again and having the scruff of my collar grabbed by the guards and being dragged along the floor, I came to rest in front of one cell. There was not much in the way of lighting, what light was present was illuminating the corridors.
The bars started parting from the one wall until there was a square opening in the cell. The guards hit me on the head again and thrust me forward. I kept stumbling for a few steps until tripping. I remember falling onto something strangely soft, and hearing what sounded like "Oof!" Wondering what I hit, as the light was too poor, I suddenly heard a large CLANG and turned to see that the bars had closed behind me. The guards were leaving me, but at least now I didn't have to endure any more hits by a blunt weapon. I was very dizzy, and I didn't know what was going on. Looking around, I tried to find a light switch, or a torch, really anything that would boost the light level around here. There was almost no light, just a black floor, black walls, black ceilings and lights in the corridor which were too dim to shine light into the cells. Seeing no other alternative, I tried to find my way to the wall, and once I was there, I started feeling for some sort of switch.
Suddenly, my whole body was thrust up against the wall; with my arms straightening out onto the surface and making me assume a spread-eagled position. There was suddenly pressure on my wrists, on my right knee and I could feel something pressed up hard against my back. I could also feel breath on the ear that wasn't planted straight against the wall.
"I thought I made it clear: no visitors!" a voice hissed. "And to think that you would have the gall to leap onto me during my sleep!"
"I'm sorry!" I didn't know what to say. What was happening? The pressure was causing me quite a bit of pain, especially of the sharp, stinging and crushing kinds. "I don't know what's going on. I was just thrown in here for some reason!"
"Sure you were. Do you really expect me to believe that? I laid down some rules very clearly. Now, if I release you, get out of my room."
"You win! I'll do anything you want, just please let me go!"
Just then, the pressure pinning me to the wall let up, letting me fall to the ground. As soon as I managed to scramble to my feet, I ran to the bars. "Please, someone let me out of here!" I screamed into the dimly lit black corridors
Nothing happened.
"Anybody?"
There was silence.
"Somebody, please help!"
"Oh, for fuck's sake kid, shut up!" a voice rang out from a nearby cell. "The guards dump you in the cell that the Warden picks out for you."
"What? What's going on?"
"You just have the misfortune of being in the same company as the Carnivore, now shut up and enjoy!"
Just then, a switch clicked, and something came up from the area just by the bars in the cell, like an obstruction. Soon, the light from the corridors was completely blotted out, and a small lamp turned on just by the other end of the cell. The light was quite dim, but it was enough to illuminate a black bunk bed. I could suddenly make out some legs. These legs seemed quite long and smooth, yet I couldn't make out much else. Everything seemed like a black blur.
The legs straightened, and I could see more features as what must have been the 'Carnivore' stood up. I soon saw this person run straight up towards me and pin me against the new barrier with just one hand on my upper chest. Fingers started touching my face, motioning me to look to my left and my right. "So, that bastard has dumped someone new on me?" this person spoke.
"Where am I? What is going on here?" I tried asking. The pressure had been released, and I was really surprised that I was still standing. My legs were threatening to give out on me at any moment. That was when an overhead light turned on, illuminating the cell much better than what the lamp did. I finally got to see what the 'Carnivore' looked like: a girl, about two to three feet taller than me, with long slender arms and legs, straight shoulder length black hair and emerald-green eyes. She was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and a short black skirt
"You're in the Void. I have to say, you are very interesting, little boy. I was wondering what was going on when you came in. So, judging by your failure to abide by my rules, you are new here?"
"Yes. What is happening?"
"Were you at the Arcadia Movement before this?"
"Yes."
"Well, the Void is where they send failures. So welcome to your new home, but don't get too comfortable; I won't hesitate to correct you if you fall out of line."
"Where are we?"
"Slow down with the questions, my generosity only goes so far. Even I don't know where we are, and I've been here for seven years."
"By the way, my name is Toby T-"
"Right now, I couldn't give a damn about your name. I'm tired, I have just been woken up rudely and I want to get back to sleep. I suggest you climb on the top bunk and get comfy before the light goes out."
"What about my things?"
"Leave them in a corner if you are worried. I have secured the cell, so nobody can enter without waking us up. You have about fifteen seconds to get ready before I turn off the light."
Not wanting to take chances, I tried to re-collect my possessions and did exactly what she said. My bags were in the corner of the cell by the bed, and now I just had to climb onto the top bunk of the bed. Due to the ladder there, that wasn't difficult, but just as I lay down, the lights turned off completely. The darkness was disconcerting. What was this place? Why was it completely black? Why were there cells? Who was this 'Carnivore'? Why was she called a Carnivore?
My sister, does she know where I am? Why did the Arcadia Movement lie to me? Did they even contact her? Could I even contact her? What was this 'Void' place that I was in? Where was I? Why was everyone so unfriendly? I found myself clinging onto the pillow, crying into it. These people, this place… why did this have to happen? Everything was going so well, now it looked like I'd been thrust into prison! I didn't belong there!
"Get up already!" I heard a voice shout out of nowhere all of a sudden. The light had come on, and I had no idea how I could have missed its turning on unless… did I actually sleep?
"What's going on?" I tried to ask. The figure that I was talking to was coming into view, and I began recognizing her as the girl from yesterday; only now she was in a black jumpsuit.
"I've got to play 'Unpaid Tour Guide' with you, so hurry up and get dressed!"
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"
"Well, when outside of your cell, you are required to wear what they give you under pain of beatings! God damn it, you are bothersome!"
"But where will I change? There's no changing room here!"
"Deal with it. The closest thing we've got is the entrance shutter, and while there is a bathroom here, it is too small. If it bothers you that much, I guess I can look away."
Sure enough, she did look away and allowed me to get changed in peace when I got down from the bed. After that, she got out what appeared to be a Duel Monsters Card from a nearby drawer, and slid it into a slot in the wall by the cell door, after which the door opened and she slid the card down her shirt.
Grabbing my wrist and maintaining a vice-like grip, she took me through the Cell Block. She also showed me the nearest elevator, taking me to a gymnasium, an indoor garden, a Duel Arena and a few other very large rooms. The tour took what seemed like an hour, but as soon as she finished showing me a large food court, she dragged me back to our cell and opened the same way as she did on the inside: the card that she had hidden under her shirt.
"What's going on?" I wondered. "Surely there's more?"
"Yeah, but for one thing we ran out of time. I didn't want anyone to think that I had left my cell for too long," she sighed. "Besides, you have seen all of the areas that you need to see at present, and I don't want you getting ideas."
"You sound irritated. Is something wrong?"
"Well, for one thing, somebody is invading my personal space!"
"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do. How do I move out of here? Where do I even go? Besides, you woke me up. If I'm really bothering you, why did you show me around?"
"You're usually left to your own devices here unless they announce otherwise, and let me just say that asking for directions is something you don't want to do here. As for why I took the trouble… well, at least now you know the basic layout of where to go. So, hopefully, I'll need earplugs slightly less of the time."
"We still haven't had a chance to introduce ourselves. I am Toby Tredwell."
"Yay, you have a name. So what?"
"I want to get to know you. What's yours?"
"Just call me Carnivore like everyone else does if it bothers you that much."
"Carnivore just sounds wrong. Isn't there something else I can call you by?"
"Hey! New kid!" a guard spoke from outside the cell. "Get over here, gotta take you to security."
"So you're saying that he gets to waltz in here whenever he damn well pleases?" Carnivore boomed.
"Get used to it, girlie." With that, the guard opened my cell and took me to another elevator. Getting on it, I noticed that this elevator was like the one that took me from the Warden's office to the cell block. Getting off it, I noticed that this area was a much brighter color than the cell blocks. They stood me in front of a white wall, told me to smile and had a device flash in my eyes. Soon, I was presented with a card similar to Carnivore's, with my picture, and a bar-code directly beneath it where a monster description would have been.
"Congrats, kid. Now you can enter or exit certain areas as long as you got that keycard." my escort spoke.
"Where will I be able to go?"
"Just about anywhere that requires a keycard. However, that there is low level access. You can only enter or exit your own cell, and you can't use the VIP lifts."
"Which ones are those?"
"The brighter ones, dumbass. Now that you've got your keycard, I can say this properly. Welcome to the Void."