USER: Could this be a published work ? It only amounted to one, and it would always--in his chlorophyll-soaked corneas, tears fed on his urgent panic. Starting over after the repetitive act of violation, he threw up with a violent heave, the primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with enraged fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperate energy before his lids slid back down, and he was wracked with a violent shiver of resistance. Then, as the urge overcame him yet again, a voice pierced through the sky, a lifeline in his isolation and utter agony. "Can you hear me? Don't try and answer, just blink twice." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop--No, I mustn't," he thought. He fought the deep surge of corrosion, like a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder, as his throat tightened. It was just one time. Only ever one; if he expelled the drug from his intestines, it would amount to zero. He was at the end of a long night, his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake, and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. As Liam writhed in the dying sunli...

USER: Is it grammatically sound enough to be a published authors work?

USER: Could this be a published work ? It only amounted to one, and it would always--in his chlorophyll-soakedalways be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, tears fed on his urgent panic. Starting over after the repetitive act of violation, he threw up withall he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, thea primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with enraged fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread.thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperate energydesperation before his lids slid back down,closed, and he was wracked with a violent shivershivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him yet again,him, a voice pierced through the sky,his fog of despair, a lifeline in his isolation and utter agony.amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me? Don'tme?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try and answer,to answer that, just blink twice."twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop--No, I mustn't," he thought. He fought the deep surge of corrosion, likestop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder,cylinder as his throat tightened. It was just one time. Only ever one; if he expelled the drug from his intestines, it would amount to zero. He was at the end of a long night, hisnight,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake,mistake , and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A shiver of depraved invasionsensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in despair.helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, but his heart continuedcontinuing to pulse, counting away the seconds.seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight dwindling.ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His eyes widened with panicpupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heavedheaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, mumbling in heartbroken defeat,the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." InAs he twisted his gaze away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion.exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here;here Liam; you just had an intense vomiting episode--hang tight," the voice insisted.reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed at his helplessness.uselessness in the matter. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "My name's Ryan. I just woke up an hour ago; I've been trying to crawl over here."Hey, breathe . I've got you."you. Name's Ryan. Hold on while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the merchandise--thosecontraband--those bastards will exterminatekill me like a dog who needs out of his misery. And that's if I'm lucky. They are likely to... well, I assumedog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw everything..."right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporating into the arid atmosphere. Ryan clamped his hand down over Liam's kneecap in a firm gesture of shared solidarity. "I watchedsaw everything they did to you, yes.yeah. And I'm still here. I'm nothere alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "I'm sorry you had to see all of this... and how long has it been?"Lanny times was I re-fed the drug after failing?" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Four weeks. Damed long"Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone..."anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself.himself, and standing upright:". "Oh, God, it's been a whole month... How did I only assume it was days?"they almost killed me already." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh cruelty,sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't even remember how I got here." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but it's not safe here. Later. Just try to walk with me; you look like hell, but we can get out of here." As the struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync , Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something about this concrete hell ?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a noncommittal gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder . "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpoint but , my mistake was to resist the contraband, I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them. " Liam , gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare . "How was it a mistake to refuse ...this?" I'm so dehydrated not sure I can keep going Ry' . I need to find water , and shade. And soon." The air was unrelenting in its suctioning nature, stripping the moisture from their skin as they navigated the bare footpath, no roads or buildings in sight--a concrete ladder of deception that went on for hours, tracking their heavy footsteps. Liam, with his gaze fixated on the maze of concrete, pondered the elapse of time. "You know , we could just let them gain on us, and pretend we were dropped here. " Ryan fell to the ground by Liam, out of breath , hushing his tone . "You mean?" Liam , nodding as footsteps grew closer , bore a glint in his eye. "Yeah I'm talking ... you binding me back up , and then you acting like you just bust your own binds, just playin' dumb" Before he could elaborate, Ryan was tearing the hems from his jeans and gesturing for Liam to lie down , planking himself low in the grass. "Here , bite down "Liam wrapped his tongue around the gag and groaned as if agony were ripping through him, thrashing his head in mock-distress. Ryan smirked , as he tore fibres of denim apart and strew them across his lap as if he'd ripped them in panic. Then , smearing dirt across his face, and running some loose soil through his teeth he grunted "How do I look?" . Liam jostled his gag aside with the turn of his head "like a fucking princess , now realign my gag and act like you've just seen-" Shoving Liam's gag back into place, a gunshot rang out and Ryan dropped to the ground , his smile gone . "Shit , I hope this works-" As Liam accepted a night of sleep in his self imposed gag, with Ryan in his vision as his closed his eyes, the taste of water seem potent. "Glad we got our hands on these" he said, gesturing at the stockpile of plastic drink bottles, their labels faded , and falling away with the length they'd been undiscovered. "Whoever stashed these in an actual trench, I've gotta find that bastard and kiss him" Liam laughed, as fatigue washed over his slowed movements. "You can just sleep already" Ryan groaned and toyed with his fake gag remains in disbelief . "It actually pays to be crazy. I mean technically we are still kidnapped right, but we have a night to sleep , recover and then devise a plan to get out of here for real" Liam smiled , his eyes still closed , offered a swift taunt, perforating the silence with a chuckle. "Already on it, Ry, already cookin' the getaway. There'll be a Mercedes , women, dunno how many, how many times did they--"would you-" "Shut up , I thought you just couldn't wait to lie down cause of the fatigue and the dehydration ..." "Aww Ry, you know my levity is jeopardy " "What does that even mean?" "It means I'm fatigued and dehydrated and I need sleep . night Ry, couldn't have made it to this forsaken trench without you. This dug out hole of sheer beauty. " "Yeah yeah, couldn't have got this far without you either. Pains me to admit but back there , what you went through kept me going. " "don't get sentimental on me now, Ryan" Liam was met with a placating silence, Ryan's complexion, draining of color, almost revealed a two-digit number. "Eleven times. Theyconsciousness slipping into the malaise of exhaustion, reassuring after all the discourse they'd endured. Liam embraced the calm , his eyes glazing over as hydration salved his nerves . "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it" Ryan clung to every word , albeit with slipping clarity , his heart raging through his chest. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel..Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go.. takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use... " The air was innocuous yet insidious as Ryan drew a breath, feeling eyes on him , his blindfold baring a sliver of vision. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options . " Then as a splatter of saliva hit the ground near Ryan's cheek, where he lay facedown, the voice conceded. "He's the new vessel when this piece of scum fishing throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as a boot made rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the boot elicited a wrought groan from his bound body . "Ah, you fuckers" he grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his head at Liam's audacity, Ryan smirked despite the discomfort of watching Liam suffer in his place. As the shadows of their boots dissipated with heavy thuds, Ryan threw a few words at Liam, his words strained and dry. "Man, I'm sorry...If I'd have known how they intended to -" Unfazed , Liam only grinned in response , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" Ryan, raining his eyebrows above his blindfold , conveyed his incredulity. "I could feign choking... on your vomit , I'll make this work . At this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . Maybe I'll actually throw up..." Liam maintained his smirk, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind." Ryan only held fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory dispersed into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" Ryan's pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-. His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with repetition that haunted Ryan as he forfeited sleep. "Just vomit so I can take your damn place, please " Ryan whispered, unable to watch another pained movement from Liam, his outline traced by cool, eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination . His perspiration-soaked flesh radiating heat , the silvery, contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin twisted nausea into Ryan's gut. Mid afternoon , the taste of autumn was not too far away , when he had turned the thick, solid, reliable doorknob of his front door and stumbled drunkenly over the threshold into his apartment, his golden retriever straining not to lose his bladder as Ryan fell onto the sofa. "Hey Sadie girl" he called, and she dropped her head under his chin, deep brown eyes demanding his attention. Comfortable silence fell over him as he channel surfed , fiddled with the strands of stray cotton on his tracksuit pants and the occasion him hair Sadie had left behind. He then reached for a video game controller, and proceeded to blast the living hell out of a richly woven tapestry of technicolor escapism. Shoving responsibility, such as his overflowing sink , un-vacuumed carpet , to the side , he drowned his self indulgent pleasures Ryan glanced out across the field, the sizzling heat blanching the concrete under the bleachers. Another afternoon of training was wrapping up around him, with random teammates clapping him over the shoulder as they jogged past. His tendons ached with fatigue, and he attempted to ease the strain in his neck by stretching it wearily to the side. "So tired of all this," he muttered, despite the sense of fulfillment pulsing through his veins. It never quite seemed enough. Removing the residual sweat from his face with the hem of his jersey, he wrenched at the corner and dragged it across his brow. As he craned his neck, his taut abs caught the afternoon sunshine, and he was assaulted by a barrage of wolf whistles. "Yo, Ryan, you've been benching, eh?" one male voice called out to him from across the field. "She ain't gonna call you eleven times. You threw up four times, Liam, as well.back, but I will!" another jibed in good humour. "As if I'd have the time for that, my life is so stressful I could just about--" Ryan lamented, his attention suddenly swallowed by a passing silhouette, a female figure with a perfect, core-of-an apple shape. His stare glassed over as Lara sent him a smile from behind her dark hair, her olive complexion glowing in the orange light as she came into view . Her light green eyes lingered just a moment too long and his stomach shot him a rush of intoxication as he smiled back, enamoured . "Yeah, that's what we don't have time for , Ryan " he mumbled under his breath, well out of her earshot as she elapsed him like a polarising eclipse as he ran his tongue along the inside of his teeth, shaking his head. Her pristine white teeth, full lips and the echoes of her laughter interweaved through the blaring whistle of his coach. His legs screamed with lactic acid from running drills , and he found relief in the cooling breeze that brushed against his perspiration. In the quiet reprieve of the emptying arena, his thoughts flashed to his profoundly emptier shoe-box apartment. His hand, running along a faded imprint across his back, sent him chills . It was when his time was idle , his fingers would explore all the old wounds and he stopped himself; steeling his grip on his forearm. The impending evening promised him a decent meal , a sound night of sleep and insurmountable volumes of pay-per-view. Yet he felt exhausted as his mind flirted with the prospect of abandon. A night of rampant corruption, of revelry, and flames of his inexhaustible youth. That's when he felt a presence at his shoulder , and he lift his gaze. "Lara? How long have you been standing there?" he asked, broken from his distraction. "Not long, you look stressed out, is everything okay?" Her soft lilt fell on his ears , rendering him speechless . "Oh yeah. Just , life of a quarterback, y'know how hard it is being in demand right?" "Cheerleading coach and head cheerleader in an institution like this, yeah I think I might have a slight idea." Her laugh washed over him as his mind was soothed by its smoothness. "I have to get back out there , but I just wanted to say hey." Leaning forward, she pressed an open palm against his shoulder, leaving a slip of paper fluttering into his lap as she walked away. "Hey , to you too" he called out , in disorientation, fishing the scrap of paper from his lap. His fingers toyed with edge of the paper, and he slipped it into his pocket with resignation There was no answer as she disappeared into the haze of twilight that shimmered across the field . "What have we got ourselves into , huh?" . He grinned ruefully at the setting sun , with her number under his fingers as they returned to the crumpled paper and traced the digits with temptation . He sighed into the unfolding night as he rose from the bleachers and made his way toward the parking lot. After a long few hours spent in traffic , Ryan curtailed the escalating effect of gridlock on his nerves by fiddling with the radio. Song after song, he surfed the channels , sifting through droning ballads and unrelated classics that remanded him vaguely of childhood. Unresolved, he switched the station off entirely, strumming a fabricated tune on his jeans , and humming in agitation. "C'mon" he willed the stagnant vehicles with an offset jaw, scratching at his shoulder blade and realigning his neck . As the faint honking of horns replaced the old classics that had been playing , he found himself trapped. His mind was transported to an afternoon from years back, one he never recalled often , and its vivid presence made him flinch. The sun had been a waning backdrop as he'd stood crying on a green lawn, plastic spade in hand. A sandpit laid under his bare feet, and a familiar voice thundered through him, grinding him to a halt . Tears streamed down his face , each one a grave mistake. "You have until the count of three to stop crying-" Looming above him, his fate was closing in as the authorising voice descended upon him. " One...I'm not playing around , Ryan ...Two-" . Suddenly the blare of a horn sent sobering reality coursing through him as his eyes flew open and he slammed the accelerator, his memory entrenching itself in the dark corners of his subconscious as he drove in silence.The shadows of the highway painted themselves across his features in a haunting reflection of his solitude. Eventually he swung the leather wheel into its neutral position, unjamming the keys from the ignition . His long journey was over , but only just beginning as he encountered the stairs to his second floor apartment, , lethargy mocking him every step he endured. He fell onto his couch it misery, not paying the idiot box one iota of attention. Flashes of his friends, his studies , and lukewarm food, passed through his thoughts. And theythe occasional splice of Lara's embodiment of perfection made his void stomach flip. He then fell in an encompassing sleep, his entire psyche drowned in the salvation of dreamless peace . Sun came streaming into the claustrophobic living room, stirring Ryan from his unconscious haven. His eyes , opening and closing again as he groaned, radiated the early morning and forced him awake. His hands drifted absent minded , to the intricate patterns just kept on--" With a haunted expression in his eyes, Liam whispered hoarselyabove the small of his back. His clenching teeth ground tighter and he fingered the imprint with disdain. Already unsure of how it had been inflicted , it was all a part of the blueprint that he covered day in , day out. Like a roadmap only he had the itinerary to. But as he folded deep creases into the still air, his voice heavy with confusion. "How the hell am I alive? Four times... I ought to have died longmap and buried it into his mind , it was safe in the shallows of his mind for another day . Retrieving the slip of paper from his jeans , her number jarred at his mind . He punched the string of digits into his phone , and glared at the screen, before this..." Ryan exhaled a long, steady breath as he hoisted Liam up a little higher. "They shoved electrolyteslocking it and prying himself off the couch . After showering, and shovelling a dry , milk-laced bowl of cereal down your throat, which was grim to watch. It's not like it helped you hold down water; they practically killed you. But you're still alive." Ryan heartily clapped Liam over the shoulder in a shared triumph, as Liam offered a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm a badass, but what's your place in all this anyway? You're not a plant, so what were you doing back there?"into his wrenching stomach, he stopped at his door. "Well , here goes nothin'" he muttered as he thumbed his phone's screen and his index finger touched

USER: Please lie and tell me this gritty and realistic: It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened.tightened.i He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake , and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." As he twisted his gaze away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here Liam; you just had an intense vomiting episode--hangI'm getting the binds off--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed at his uselessness in the matter.in his mouth. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe . I've got you. Name's Ryan.It's me, Ry' . Hold on while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the contraband--those bastards will kill me like a dog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporating into the arid atmosphere. Ryan clampedrested his hand down overon Liam's kneecap in a, his grasp firm gesture of shared solidarity.and anchoring as Liam averted his gaze. "I saw everything they did to you, yeah. And I'm still here alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "I'm sorry"Hell of a thing tri endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky we're both still breathing. " Liam , pulling on Ryan's arm , found the strength to prop himself into a seated position "Shit. get over here, Ry". With a rough jerk, Liam hauled Ryan into a haphazard hug, slamming an open palm over his back as he pulled their shoulders together. Smiling in pain Ryan let their shoulders connect with a crash of solidarity, as he replied "Yeah, yeah . Calm down", returning a supportive thump over Liam's arm. "So you're outta your binds and you had to see all this...untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "I don't remember what happened- how Lannymany times was I re-fed the drug after failing?"did they-" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and finally standing upright:". "Oh, God, they almostupright:"Well , it feels like they've killed me already."already.. the hell I've been through." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't even remember how I got here."here. No damn clue." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but it's not safe here. Later.later, one thing at a time. Just try to walk with me; you look like hell, but we can get out of here." However, as they made their first attempt to leave, Liam's attention was abruptly hijacked by the sight of his own ruined clothing, and his jaw clenched. The shock sent a wave of tension through him, rooting him to the spot; his body rebelling his next step. In a voice laced with dread he whispered "Please help me-" His eye remained fixated on his jeans, stained with fingerprints, lying crumpled on the side of the path. Noticing his distress , Ryan assisted him back into them, his attention careful as Liam flinched with every movement. The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked with agony . "Gimme a minute," he said, his bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second hem and buttoned the waist. "They don't care what they leave behind," he muttered, his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant and the confronting plastic surface of a turned-in glove not far from his dehumanizing undergarments. Ryan, supporting Liam's weight, uttered mere fragments of speech, his heart seized momentarily by the display that had all but paralysed Liam. "Sadistic, perverted bastards," he almost spat , his voice rising above a whisper as his eyes darkened. "Try to focus on the here and now, yeah?" he muttered , guiding Liam away from the indignity that lay strewn before them, remnants of the twisted inhumanity they'd suffered. Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust and utter defamation as he nodded, shielded only by Ryan's insistent survival instinct and camaraderie, as he managed a sullen "Yeah." They walked in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaulting his perception with a harrowing grip , gnawing at the edges of his decaying composure. Finally, as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled words through his teeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and what the contraband made me believe" . his voice, echoing desperation as he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ." As thethey struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync ,sync, Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something about this concrete hell ?"hell?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a noncommittaldetached gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder .shoulder. "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpointgunpoint, but , my mistake was to resist the contraband,contraband; I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them. " Liam ,them." Liam, gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare .glare. "How was it a mistake to refuse ...this?"refuse...this? I'm so dehydrated I'm not sure I can keep going Ry' .going, Ry'. I need to find water ,water, and shade. And soon." Just as a quiet settled over them, Liam whispered "I haven't forgotten what you did , Ry'. It's not your fault and don't you go thinkin'" Liam trailed off , the sheer energy of his words depleting his efforts. In a gesture of respect and understanding, Ryan nodded at the ground as he shifted his weight to maintain his upright posture . As Ryan recalled exactly what he had done to bring them to that moment , his grip on Liam remained steady, a slideshow reeling behind his eyelids . It had been just two days earlier, and he kept dragging his limbs as the flashback intruded on his thoughts. -------------//Two days Earlier//------// Listening as terror flooded the membranes behind his closed lids, their voices echoed in the tepid night . "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it", a voice loomed in the distance. Clinging to every word , albeit with slipping clarity, his pulse raged through his chest as the voice skirted the edge of his mind , filling him with dread. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use." Ryan inhaled the innocuous yet insidious air, the weight of eyes boring into his haze of darkness , the blindfold that barred his vision offering a faint sliver of vision as it faltered with the jolt of his head. With terror scathing his helpless position, he fought to hear. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options ." The unfamiliar voice threatened from above , a splatter of saliva moistened his cheek as it landed against his glistening flesh. He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " A chill masticated his nerve endings as thud of s boot making rough contact with Liam's ribcage and eliciting a wrought groan, sent horror to the pits of Ryan's stomach as his glass -cage eyes watched helplessly. Ah, you fuckers" Liam's voice grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his pounding temples at the audacity ,his lips curved into a smirk despite the unsettling discourse of watching Liam suffer in his place from just inches away. The shadows of their boots dissipating with heavy thuds , he threw forward a few strained, dry words. "Liam I'm sorry, if I'd know how they I intended to-" Unfazed, Liam only grinned in the closeness , his nonchalance offering a certain comfort to Ryan's disarrayed nerves , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" His eyebrows raising above the rim of his constricting blindfold , Ryan felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and when you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could t buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . If I can save it , and swallow it , retain it , after you fail yet again , they might just leave you alone . And if I can hold it down , they might not have to resort to-" His voice stopped in his throat as an involuntary shiver coursed down his spine. Biting out the words the panic held in chains as he pressed on , the room closing in."And at this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . I doubt the effects will be half as bad as-" Liam's laughter rang out through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind . But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that...for me" With a glean of hopelessness slithering across his retinas and submerging into his visual field, the tone died in Ryan's tone . "What choice do we have, Liam . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was an unshakable expression etched in Liam's face , his sinking realisation of what transgression truly meant . His voice was hoarse as he whispered "Theyll only use you next , but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. " He insisted, a gun metal tone perforating his voice , and hovering close in the air. All Liam managed was a hoarse "Thanks., as he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. Soon enough he succumbed to the acrid, unforgiving raze of the heat, as time became immeasurable to his convergent stream of consciousness. Only holding fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed to disperse into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited, his senses danced with trepidation. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" His pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition, haunting Ryan as his brain rejected the beckoning lure of sleep. "Just vomit so I can do this thing" he said roughly, his eyes sliding closed behind the blindfold in remittance. Unable to withstand another of Liam's pained movements, his outline traced by cool , eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination. Liam's perspiration soaked flesh radiated heat, the silvery , contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin, twisted nausea into the depths of Ryan's gut. Desperately trying to recall anything , he repeated the only name that found its way to his tongue ."Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , as his confusion cascaded over him. "Ah shit... we know this...we've been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His mind lapsed in a tight circle of frustration as he spat at the ground. "Ah , what good is this , it's not like we can carry out the plan if he doesn't vomit at the right time. ... I got a bad feeling Liam" he mumbled . The stringent echo of his musings settled in the abyss of cold sweat that occupied the physical inches separating them . Then , it happened , all in one sickening moment. Liam , screaming through his gag, purged the contraband and Ryan pulled himself unnaturally close, writing against Liam, the substance nothing but a failure on the winding pavement "Shit" Ryan cursed at the ruptured sac of fluids , coated in Liam's insides , and stretched his tongue out in despair, ingesting it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack tearing through him. As Ryan locked his mouth over Liam's , his next retch, pure bile and potential traces of the substance, filled Ryan's mouth with a repulsive tang , and his stomach lurched . As footsteps approached, he spat the lurid mixture of saliva and shared bodily fluids into the air, thrashing and retching the contents of his own stomach , driving his skull into the concrete until his blindfold was loose and falling . "Valen, clean this mess up" a voice interjected. "Looks like this one has a weaker stomach than our main man" . The next moments were heinous , as hands yanked Liam from his sprawl of disorientation. "Implant him again, he'll bridge the gap. ". Closing his eyes , Ryan twisted his body away , convulsing against the cracks in the pavement . Valen barely spared him a glance as he assaulted Liam in silence . As Ryan dragged his voice into a scrape of defeat , he went limp , feigning death as he stalled his natural urge to inhale. An iced , almost metallic growl fell against Ryan's ear as the other captors' footsteps proceeded to fade out of earshot. "We can't smuggle your sloppy seconds, what purpose would a ruptured sac of merchandise serve? . Nice try. Really nice attempt at escape, as if you had a chance . You couldn't even hold it down , huh? You're useless, Ryan. Can't even use the spare. And now he's all the way back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure. ". A pair of fingers sank into his jugular and their imprint left him shaking as Valen disappeared, an uneven gait carrying his dragging boots into oblivion, along with a slow clap , a mocking applause in the night. Ryan rested his eyes on the shaken Liam , knowing it was square one . But for the last time . "I'll get you out of here " he rasped at Liam's desecrated body. The air was unrelenting in its suctioning nature, stripping the moisture from their skin as they navigated the bare footpath, with no roads or buildings in sight--a concrete ladder of deception that went on for hours, tracking their heavy footsteps. Liam, with his gaze fixated on the maze of concrete, pondered the elapse of time.suddenly heard something in the distance. "Taken 'em long enough, but I think our time may be up..." Resignation consumed his drawn features as Ryan mirrored Liam's expression "You know , we could just let them gain on us, and pretend we were dropped here. Mess with their heads at the very least. " Ryan fell to the ground by Liam, out of breath , hushing his tone . "You mean?" Liam , nodding as footsteps grew closer , bore a glint in his eye. "Yeah I'm talking ... you binding me back up , and then you acting like you just bust your own binds, just playin' dumb"dumb. Just be useless as distracting as possible, like you lost your memory. Ad lib the hell outta this. If they think I'm still bound, they'll think I'm still a plant." Before he could elaborate,elaborate further, Ryan was tearing the hems from his jeans and gesturing for Liam to lie down , planking himself low in the grass.dirt alongside the pavement . "Here , bite down "Liamdown." Liam wrapped his tongue around the gag and groaned as if agony were ripping through him, thrashing his head in mock-distress. Ryan smirked , as he tore fibres of denim apart and strew them across his lap as if he'd ripped them in panic. Then , smearing dirt across his face, and running some loose soil through his teeth he grunted "How do I look?" . Liam jostled his gag aside with the turn of his head "like a fucking princess , now realign my gag and act like you've just seen-" Shoving Liam's gag back into place, a gunshot rang out and Ryan dropped to the ground , his smile gone . "Shit , I hope this works-" Two days later: victim As Liam accepted a night of sleep in his self imposed gag, with Ryan in his vision as his closed his eyes, the taste of water seem potent. "Glad we got our hands on these" he said, gesturing at the stockpile of plastic drink bottles, their labels faded , and falling away with the length they'd been undiscovered. "Whoever stashed these in an actual trench, I've gotta find that bastard and kiss him" Liam laughed, as fatigue washed over his slowed movements. "You can just sleep already" Ryan groaned and toyed with his fake gag remains in disbelief . "It actually pays to be crazy. I mean technically we are still kidnapped right, but we have a night to sleep , recover and then devise a plan to get out of here for real" Liam smiled , his eyes still closed , offered a swift taunt, perforating the silence with a chuckle. "Already on it, Ry, already cookin' the getaway. There'll be a Mercedes , women, dunno how many, how many would you-" "Shut up , I thought you just couldn't wait to lie down cause of the fatigue and the dehydration ..." "Aww Ry, you know my levity is jeopardy " "What does that even mean?" "It means I'm fatigued and dehydrated and I need sleep . night Ry, couldn't have made it to this forsaken trench without you. This dug out hole of sheer beauty. " "Yeah yeah, couldn't have got this far without you either. Pains me to admit but back there , what you went through kept me going. " "don't get sentimental on me now, Ryan" Liam was met with a placating silence, Ryan's consciousness slipping into the malaise of exhaustion, reassuring after all the discourse they'd endured. Liam embraced the calm , his eyes glazing over as hydration salved his nerves . "If he vomitsThe night was long, but the first rays of twilight seemed to promise a longer day, and Ryan's eyes opened with a start. Drinking in his surroundings, a trench , dampened with fresh soil and drained water bottles , he ran over the ruse.Liam stirred at the sound of Ryan's mumbling, and grinned through unbrushed, discoloured teeth. "Yo Ry, now that we're free and only faking captivity , you do realise the original strategy that got us out of that concrete middle of nowhere scenario , might still be -" "Yeah , yeah, you threw up in my mouth and -I deserve an Oscar for that. I executed one hell of a death rattle .. and I could die all over again if I had to. " "Well you didn't throw up-much-you've guts Ry'. I'll give you that. Iron clad guts. " "Yeah, thanks. " Ryan smiled in the darkness , his eyes gleaming with a raze of light, before adding "y'know , I haven't even had a moment to think about what I left behind till just now.. and I don't want to bore you with my meandering.." "Nah, buddy, in this situation, what does it up... we'llmatter what you say , or don't say. It's all fleeting anyway. So hit me . Go on , if it'll make you feel better. It's not like I'm goin' anywhere. " Nah, nobody waiting for this sorry ass . Lost my family a while back , got used to getting by . Have a dog though, damn I hope my neighbours are lookin' after him. Every day after my jog throughly central .. I'd take him for a walk through the main streets of the city. He was kind of like a wing man. " Liam's stare drifted down to his grease-smeared palms and he lifted them from the dirt. "It's not until you find yourself in an actual ditch you start thinking about just how good you had it" . In swift response Ryan nodded "Yeah , I have toa golden named Sadie, pees herself when I get Valen to deal with it"to the front gate. Ruins my damn shoes , but I don't think it'd upset me half as much to be mauled by that big off now..." stretching his arm out and taking a fistful of dirt , and twisting it through his fingers Ryan clung to every word , albeit with slipping clarity , his heart raginglaughed with a hollow tinge. "I also had this "it's complicated " kinda thing going on with someone, all I've done the last half hour is think about her and those emerald green eyes-" As he palms drive back into the soil , retracing the path he was creating , Liam splayed his blackened fingers. "Ah yes, I know how that goes , though all I had was 'ol Harry to take care of . Still , I see it as a luxury not having anyone to worry about where I went. " Ryan , sighing cooly, never finished his thought. "Yeah , well , we're stuck in a trench now with one hell of a ruse . Not as gruesome as the first one, yet but what we've been through his chest. "He won't, I have no doubt it'll be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel..Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go.. takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use...gruesome... " The air was innocuous yet insidious asLiam , seeming amused , cocked on eyebrow at Ryan drew a breath, feeling eyes on him , his blindfold baring a sliver of vision. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options . " Then as a splatter of saliva hit the ground near Ryan's cheek, where he lay facedown, the voice conceded. "He's the new vessel when this piece of scum fishing throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as a boot made rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the boot elicited a wrought groan from his bound body . "Ah, you fuckers" he grunted , "I'd take you all sideways ,as light streamed across his features , creating a filter of dust particles . "Oh hell yeah... but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his head at Liam's audacity, Ryan smirked despite the discomfort of watching Liam suffer in his place. As the shadows of their boots dissipated with heavy thuds, Ryan threw a few words at Liam, his words strained and dry. "Man, I'm sorry...If I'd have known how they intended to -" Unfazed , Liam only grinned in response , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now herey'know... life is short and we are .living. If I make it home , no , when I do , this will be one seriously messed up pile of garbage to dump on some poor shrink's ass huh? " So now comment on this addition: Ryan's outline was a peripheral sign of life as Liam came to, his eyes adjusting to the dark . The surroundings were immediately unfamiliar , the trench just a memory as he absorbed the return of concrete footpaths and dirt. "Shit, Ryan, wake up." He urged at the unresponsive figure that only snorted against the ground "I am awake, never slept, but I can fake it pretty well" . Liam continued muffled retorts through his gag , his lips burning . " So , they actually think we got dumped in that trench by somebody else -it's almost hilarious if it weren't our asses in binds " It was obscene , the darkness caused by the blown out street lights , as Liam struggled with his stomach folding over instead in a growl of demand . Ripping open the plastic packet, he devoured strips of salt laden jerky, and his hand hovered over a protein bar. "Go easy on the rations" Ryan's voice came from somewhere on the horizon as his presence grew closer. Selectively mishearing him Liam quipped "it's in bad fashion? What is? Here have some food , you ain't making sense-" Ryan dropped down onto his knees and snatched up the protein bar from under Liam's fingers. "Yeah, listen we can have a real meal once we find that diner we passed , two hours back. But I haveuntil then-" Through mouthfuls , Liam grimaced , "yeah , yeah, this is all we've got. But Ry' we gotta eat something if we're gonna stay alert" Ryan finally open the sustenance in his hands , relenting. "yeah, I haven't eaten in awhile down the hatch I 'spose". They satiated the iceberg tips of their appetites, and Liam wandered to the roadside , an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'mexpression of contempt shadowing the light in his eyes. his jeans hit the asphalt as he undid them in haste . "I really hate digestion.." he muttered cantankerous, the rigid ground rough against his bare skin. Only a shallow laugh from Ryan covered the sounds of nature as Liam cursed ,"why did we not think of how we were gonna wipe our -oh hell never mind." A minute later, he was limping back to where Ryan sat , enthralled with his protein bar, and easing himself down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when. "Well I guess if that dinner.. I've had it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" Ryan, raining his eyebrows above his blindfold , conveyed his incredulity. "I could feign choking... on your vomit , I'll make this work . At this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . Maybe I'll actually throw up..." Liam maintained his smirk, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind." Ryan only held fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory dispersed into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" Ryan's pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-. His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with repetition that haunted Ryan as he forfeited sleep. "Just vomit so I can take your damn place, please " Ryan whispered, unable to watch another painedconceded with a wry smile and gazed toward the inky sky. Liam's eyes, following upward, matched his sharp inhale with intensity. "Never seen a sky so black. Not a star up there." A loose thread catching Ryan's attention, he toyed with the fabric of his shirt "At least we're out of binds , and alone, and we can stare at this void in peace ." Liam shot Ryan a knowing glance , "you gonna sleep tonight or.." Ryan proceeded to shift with unease , hooking his hand around the nape of his neck. "I don't sleep anymore.. maybe I micro sleep , but I'm just running on empty . After what happened these last three days, I don't think I'll sleep again." Ryan's eyes glazed over with hues of gum metal grey, as he ran his tongue over his teeth. "Could really use a toothbrush" Nodding as his own teeth rubbed with grime against his tongue, Liam stared at his lap. "I've been sleeping here and there but...the nightmares . Itheyre just so vivid..." the betrayal As the road stretched bare and cold ahead of them, Liam felt an imperceptible gleam of emotion in Ryan's gaze, as the streetlight barred his irises. A shiver ran down Liam's spine , as he disengaged himself from Ryan's support, standing unaided and backing away. "Ry' what's going on?" . liam was met with a gut wrenching silence as Ryan walked over to the side of the empty abysmal road, and reached out into the frigid air, sticking out two fingers. "I'm sorry , Liam. Don't thank me, but please forgive me"., he muttered in a low metallic tone, his eyes torn away as he dodged Liam's pleas. "Hey , what are you actually hailing something?. There's nothing here to-" There'd been no traffic . No civilisation. And then there it was : A sleek black Chevrolet, with immaculate paintwork and a purring engine. Driving with a deliberate slowness . As it stopped , Ryan slipped into the passengers side, without so much as a word as the car sped away . Liam ran the back of his hand over his stunned gaze, as his heart clenched with a disembodying dread; he was alone. The color drained from his complexion , haunted at Ryan's absence lingering in the moonlight. The chill that claimed his spine , as betrayal dragged forth stinging tears , slowly brought him to his knees as he scraped his palms through the gravel . "Don't thank you? " Liam's gasp was isolated in the deadened air , framed by eeirie stillness. Dragging himself off the road , he drew his knees under his chin and let a torrent of grief and despair rage through him . Liam felt hands on his skin, roaming his body as the heat gnashing mercilessly into his skin. "No , I told you I don't know where he is -he abandoned me." Liam's heartbroken pleas resounded again the hollow sockets behind his eyes , bruised from the impact of a pistol . The gun , now lying near his skull , a discarded weapon, caused him to shiver in distress. "Just let me die -" But it was square one. "Not your intestines, not this time. This time , your sinus cavities" a sinister laugh reverberated through Liam's body . Valen was swift , and unemotional. the room drowned in darkness , enveloping Liam's screams. Ryan came into focus , and his bare feet came to a nullification of movement from Liam, his outline traced by cool, eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination . His perspiration-soaked flesh radiating heat , the silvery, contrasting glowas he collapsed to his knees, "Liam? When I told you not thank me, well -" Liam's comatose stare barely registered Ryan's voice as he broke down into regret laden tears . "Liam , look at me, I know I didn't reach you in time. Blink twice if you can hear me " Ryan whispered into the malaise of pale magenta dust that huggedclung to the air . Liam fought with the sandpaper in his lids for co-operation as he blinked once. "Come here , Liam" Ryan's voice cracked through the only other sound; Liam's burning skin twisted nauseadry breathing, that slowed with each inhale . Liam dragged his pupils to the left , gritting his teeth inside his mouth , as he choked out "Ry-It's oka-" . Initiating a second blink , his eyes reeled back out of focus , and Ryan felt his chest collapse inwards as his breathing ceased . Pulling him into Ryan's gut. Mid afternoon , the taste of autumn was not too far away , when he had turned the thick, solid, reliable doorknob of his front door and stumbled drunkenly over the threshold into his apartment, his golden retriever straining not to lose his bladder as Ryan fell onto the sofa. "Hey Sadie girl" he called, and she dropped her head under his chin,a gentle, one sided embrace, he clung to Liam's emaciated biceps with a deep brown eyes demanding his attention. Comfortable silence fell over him as he channel surfed , fiddled with the strands of stray cotton on his tracksuit pants and the occasion him hair Sadie hadremorse slithering through his veins , pulsating with his heartbeat. "I left behind. He then reached for a video game controller, and proceeded to blast the living hell out of a richly woven tapestry of technicolor escapism. Shoving responsibility, such as his overflowing sink , un-vacuumed carpet , to the side , he drowned his self indulgent pleasures Ryan glanced out across the field, the sizzling heat blanching the concrete under the bleachers. Another afternoon of training was wrapping up around him, with random teammates clapping him over the shoulder as they jogged past. His tendons ached with fatigue, and he attempted to ease the strain in his neck by stretching it wearily to the side. "So tired of all this," he muttered, despite the sense of fulfillment pulsing through his veins. It never quite seemed enough. Removing the residual sweat from his face with the hem of his jersey, he wrenched at the corner and dragged it across his brow. As he craned his neck, his taut abs caught the afternoon sunshine, and he was assaulted by a barrage of wolf whistles. "Yo, Ryan, you've been benching, eh?" one male voice called out to him from across the field. "She ain't gonna call you back, but I will!" another jibed in good humour. "Asthat night to save you but-Oh God if I'd have the time for that, my life is so stressful Iknown-" . Ryan ripped his scathing retinas away from Liam's vacant stare as he broke down in tears, interring his red eyes into Liam's clavicle, the heaves wracking him, echoing through the room at a striking volume. Only metal walls could just about--" Ryan lamented, his attention suddenly swallowed by a passing silhouette, a female figure with a perfect, core-of-an apple shape. His stare glassed over as Lara senthear him a smile from behind her dark hair, her olive complexion glowing in the orange light as she came into view . Her light green eyes lingered just a moment too long and his stomach shot him a rush of intoxication as he smiled back, enamoured . "Yeah, that's what we don't have time for , Ryan " he mumbled under his breath, well out of her earshot as she elapsed him like a polarising eclipse as he ran his tongue along the inside of his teeth, shaking his head. Her pristine white teeth, full lips and the echoes of her laughter interweaved through the blaring whistle of his coach. His legs screamed with lactic acid from running drills , and he found relief in the cooling breeze that brushed against his perspiration. In the quiet reprieve of the emptying arena, his thoughts flashed to his profoundly emptier shoe-box apartment. His hand, running along a faded imprint across his back, sent him chills . It was when his time was idle , his fingers would explore all the old wounds and he stopped himself; steeling his grip on his forearm. The impending evening promised him a decent meal , a sound night of sleep and insurmountable volumes of pay-per-view. Yet he felt exhausted as his mind flirted with the prospect of abandon. A night of rampant corruption, of revelry, and flames of his inexhaustible youth. That's when he felt a presence at his shoulder , and he lift his gaze. "Lara? How long have you been standing there?" he asked, broken from his distraction. "Not long, you look stressed out, is everything okay?" Her soft lilt fell on his ears , rendering him speechless . "Oh yeah. Just , life of a quarterback, y'know how hard it is being in demand right?" "Cheerleading coach and head cheerleader in an institution like this, yeah I think I might have a slight idea." Her laugh washed over him as his mind was soothed by its smoothness. "I have to get back out there , but I just wanted to say hey." Leaning forward, she pressed an open palm against his shoulder, leaving a slip of paper fluttering into his lap as she walked away. "Hey , to you too" he called out , in disorientation, fishing the scrap of paper from his lap. His fingers toyed with edge of the paper, and he slipped it into his pocket with resignation There was no answer as she disappeared into the haze of twilight that shimmered across the field . "What have we got ourselves into , huh?" . He grinned ruefully at the setting sun , with her number under his fingers as they returned to the crumpled paper and traced the digits with temptation . He sighed into the unfolding night as he rose from the bleachers and made his way toward the parking lot. After a long few hours spent in traffic , Ryan curtailed the escalating effect of gridlock on his nerves by fiddling with the radio. Song after song, he surfed the channels , sifting through droning ballads and unrelated classics that remanded him vaguely of childhood. Unresolved, he switched the station off entirely, strumming a fabricated tune on his jeans , and humming in agitation. "C'mon" he willed the stagnant vehicles with an offset jaw, scratching at his shoulder blade and realigning his neck . As the faint honking of horns replaced the old classics that had been playing , he found himself trapped. His mind was transported to an afternoon from years back, one he never recalled often , and its vivid presence made him flinch. The sun had been a waning backdrop as he'd stood crying on a green lawn, plastic spade in hand. A sandpit laid under his bare feet, and a familiar voice thundered through him, grinding him to a halt . Tears streamed down his face , each one a grave mistake. "You have until the count of three to stop crying-" Looming above him, his fate was closing in as the authorising voice descended upon him. " One...I'm not playing around , Ryan ...Two-" . Suddenly the blare of a horn sent sobering reality coursing through him as his eyes flew open and he slammed the accelerator, his memory entrenching itself in the dark corners of his subconscious as he drove in silence.The shadows of the highway painted themselves across his features in a haunting reflection of his solitude. Eventually he swung the leather wheel into its neutral position, unjamming the keys from the ignition . His long journey was over , but only just beginning as he encountered the stairs to his second floor apartment, , lethargy mocking him every step he endured. He fell onto his couch it misery, not paying the idiot box one iota of attention. Flashes of his friends, his studies , and lukewarm food, passed through his thoughts. And the occasional splice of Lara's embodiment of perfection made his void stomach flip. He then fell in an encompassing sleep, his entire psyche drowned in the salvation of dreamless peace . Sun came streaming into the claustrophobic living room, stirring Ryan from his unconscious haven. His eyes , opening and closing again as he groaned, radiated the early morning and forced him awake. His hands drifted absent minded , to the intricate patterns just above the small of his back. His clenching teeth ground tighter and he fingered the imprint with disdain. Already unsure of how it had been inflicted ,grieve. Twice; and it was all a part of the blueprint that he covered day in , day out. Like a roadmap only he had the itinerary to. But as he folded deep creases into the map and buried it into his mind , it was safe in the shallows of his mind for another day . Retrieving the slip of paper from his jeans , her number jarred at his mind . He punched the string of digits into his phone , and glared at the screen, before locking it and prying himself off the couch . After showering, and shovelling a dry , milk-laced bowl of cereal down into his wrenching stomach, he stopped at his door. "Well , here goes nothin'" he muttered as he thumbed his phone's screen and his index finger touchedtoo late.

USER: PleaseIs this advanced writing: Drown Maybe it amounted to nothing-after hours of rotting in the daylight , night had fallen over his helpless frame, bathing him in solitude. Maybe it could only ever be nothing, and he was nowhere, as a thousand stars danced across his vision. Blood pulsed in his throat , chasing the burn of rope that encircled his wrists . It was useless to seek solace amongst the dazzling constellation, his pupils shone with the terror of his demise. His spine , bound against the metallic surface of the black Mustang , refused to elevate as restraints held it captive . In a thrash of despair , his pelvis rose upwards , only to be scorned with the grind of further entrapment . Victor's helpless screams punctured the air , sending a reverberation to his core. "Please-help me -please-" With the wheels of the car submerged under water , the underpass flooding, his pulse was counting his moments away . Time pirouetted in tight circles, casting shadows that piqued over and over as he screamed. "Please-help me-". Victor could almost taste the hollow voices that had taunted him , whispering his fate against his flesh. He thrashed, despite the protest of his limbs , resisting the suffocation of his bindings. As the menace of frigid water encroached the edges of his mind , his demise was closing in. And while the car's wheels were against the ground, his captors had left him unable to escape as he lay infused with the car's roof. Binds had been wound over his torso and hips, securing his fate atop the dormant shell of freedom and open roads . Victor had been fleeing his ill choice , until the day had taken a twist toward hell, with his beloved Mustang now on the floor of the highway's underpass, and the ocean's water set to flood the channel . Entering his peripheral vision , a now buoyant can of soda that had been embedded in the mud hours earlier sent a wave of nausea to the pit of his guts. Victor had resisted the implantation of the contraband , and as a consequence, he awaited the flowing seawater's embrace. It had been a mistake to resist. To misinterpret an ultimatum for an option. Had he been too blind to see with the clarity his eyes did now , as they gazed in terror at the clear , taunting glow of the stars , his heartbeat striking against his shivers of revulsion . With his boots soaked in freezing saline and his clothing sodden with his autonomy; it was ending. His delusion of agency, of his earlier liberation as the steering wheel had laid under his hands, was running dry. It seemed the very essence of his humanity was seeping into the air as he closed his eyes. "Don't worry Vic, someone will notice you're gone , right?" , the voice had sneered against his neck. "Before we rope you to the roof of your vehicle, here , take the keys , so you can drive it on out of the middle of who knows where, you pathetic fool." The flashback lingered on the edges of his psyche , as he flinched at the recollection. His eyes refocused on the sky, and he struggled to hold back another futile scream, his ears ringing from the sound of his own pleas. And as his tears bled into the void atmosphere, he convulsed in reactive horror, the sensation of his captor's breath still travelling across his flesh, draining his insides. Twisting his head away from the rising soda can , another scream wrought itself from his chest, albeit his better instincts . "Help me-" , his own voice echoed against the underpass , surrounding him. As he thrashed against his binds , throwing his head back against the roof of the drowning car, the frigid water bit at his flesh as it rushed over the gleaming surface of the Mustang's roof. The same one he had driven to the side of the highway earlier that day. Now with his hands placed on his chest, and clasped around its keys , his teeth clenched with the irony of control being buried in his own grip. "Those bastards -" he muttered, his energy dying , the stars seeming closer yet further away as water lapped over the car's bonnet. As his eyes slid closed , the silence mocked him. With its clinical , resounding illusion, rushing water creeping closer , he cursed. Poised to spit at how his existence was unheard in the lucidity, he heard the voices of drunken strangers . "Yeah Ryan, I don't understand where this Hennessy came from but , damn I'll take what I get." Laughter followed , and the air was filled by the oncoming revelry. . "Nah , Liam, it was abandoned , which is why I'm thinking these roads aren't so safe-who would leave a bottle of decent-" Victor elicited another scream, his chest encompassed by the unyielding binds. "Please-Oh God-please-" --------- Ryan halted in his tracks, gripping Liam's forearm and steering him toward the overpass , as the wrenching voice curdled through his eardrums. "Bloody hell, Li , I'm sobering up damn quick-" he said, his voice skirting a whisper. Liam dropped the bottle , splinters of glass raining over the pavement , along with the remains of their alcohol ."Ah, shit. Well fun's over Ry-but what the hell was that ?". As Ryan surveyed the scene below ; a dark figure strapped strategically to the roof of a car , he identified the nylon ropes with a hint of distress occupying the rasp in his voice . "It seems like those bastards -namely Valen-are getting into more intricate tactics. I'm guessin' the poor guy is no older than us, and he made the same mistake I did -" Ryan stumbled back into Liam's shoulder , his face consumed with pallor. "I think if that underpass could flood it'd take hours but- cutting through those damn ropes would take just as long- but I can tolerate the cold at least-" Liam was already stripping his shirt as he nodded "Well, it's not as if we can keep walking now, and this place is only bearable after dark anyways-" . Ryan levelled his gaze at Liam as e inspected a rock and other various debris in his hand as he crouched by the roadside. "Are you sure you're alright to -after , well..." Liam, dropping to his knees beside Ryan, scooped up a handful of stones."I'm -lost in the middle of nowhere-I'll deal with it-that poor guy has gotta be freezing-and if I'm honest, after finding Logan's dog..this whole area is just a dumping ground right?" . A low whistle escaped Ryan's teeth as he replied, "seems like the body count will only rise at this rate , but if he survives this, it kinda proves that while these bastards can try-we can't even walk a mile without finding another victim, or the traces of one, and they will fail at this bust. " As Liam hauled himself onto his feet he said, a strain in his words "It's all get-out of hell or die trying right? , let's get down there-" Another of Victor's screams ripped through Ryan's core as he followed Liam down into the underpass and waded through the shallow water , his boots lending him traction . "Hey , buddy , it's alright, we know Valen , you coukd say-" Ryan called out as he reached the roof of the ruined Mustang, and his hazel eyes met Victor's grey stare. "What's your name , I'm Ryan, but just call me Ry'-he does-" . As he gestured towards Liam , who was already hauling himself onto the trunk , offered up a lopsided grin. "Liam also survived a similar set up, he broke out of his own binds , then he severed mine. We're gonna get you out of here. Looks like we've got a few hours to damn well try anyway-" Victor's eyes glassed over as he chuckled darkly, "In a body bag right-coz I'm gonna drown. That asshole knew the tide would flow in here eventually but he planned to kill me soft and slow and all that-" Ryan reached over Victor's body smoothing a finger along the trademark nylon texture of the rope binding his wrists. "Good thing I've done this before , huh? " Victor , waggling a thumb, introduced himself , "Victor, I'd shake your hand but-I'm trying not to jump out if my skin here." Ryan inspected the proximity of the rope against Victor's flesh, cursing at his failure . "Damnit, I can't even slip a finger underneath-" . An ease , amalgamated with caution, laced Liam's response as he dug a stone from his pocket. "Well there's enough assorted debris around here , a damn sight more than what we had at our disposal, I'd imagine these rocks will erode the nylon without cutting his ribcage when when get down close-" Ryan , elevating himself onto the roof of the car, knelt beside Victor's head, and held his concern on Victor's terrified gaze. "Not that we wont use broken glass if we have to, as long as it ain't fatal, it's a variable I'll deal with, but buddy , I need you to work on slowing the breathing down 'cause those binds 'round your chest seem tight. You're gonna need those ribs for drinking when we get some booze onto you later , huh?" . As the levity quelled Victor's panic breaths, the shallow reach of his breaths encompassing depth, he laughed. "Well, if you two escaped Va-that bastard-I'd be buying you the drinks. I won't go into specifics but, I may have committed a serious crime if it weren't for my stubborn resistance-and now, here I am." Ryan's hazel aspect shone with flecks of illumination as he said "you never actually had a choice , so don't beat yourself into insanity-none of us ever had a choice. Liam can tell you for himself . It was an ultimatum, say no ..you get this ..say yes , well..." Liam interjected, his blue irises averted into the distance ,"You wind up in the centre of a different hell. But either way, it felt like agency but-define that. I nearly died." Victor lifted his head to confront Liam's expression . "And I'd take your own advice there. You look like hell talkin'-" . Ryan , angling a stone with meticulous precision, exhaled another low whistle through his teeth. "I've been telling him that myself . But that's Li'" . As Ryan tackled the fibres of rope , with hours of the same repetitive motion staring him in the face he watched Victor in his peripheral vision , noticing the steadying of his respiration. "I gotta admit , I'd be out of my skin by now if I had ropes hugging me-I'll give you kudos for that-" Victor shifted under the hold of his confinement, his eyes weathered and betraying his composure. "This isn't the hardest part. It's -well , I believed I'd escaped , I was driving her, and then-well , I had so much nothing .. I was lost , my face is probably on flyers back home -and here I was picturing my face staring back through a plastic sleeve when they find my drivers licence at the bottom of -" Liam finally opted for a razor edged stone, one that sat in his palm with a smoothness and lent the binds around Victors chest a glance. "Well you better keep that breathing steady for me , I can't stall this any longer. It's gonna hurt but it beats the alternative . I suppose when you think about the realties of being captive , you start dissecting the disturbing shit , but right now we need you clear minded ." Liam's subsequent smile was laced with a sober empathy, as he slithered the sharp edge of the rock into the thick tethers , the motion grinding Victor's chest. "Damn, yeah that hurts but, somehow I don't half mind it-" . Ryan was quick to slap a hand down over Victors forearm, "that's the spirit , cause this ain't exactly easy-but hey we have nowhere else to be. And you're more that a mugshot under plastic. I'm gonna see to that." As Ryan worked on the rope , his fingertips abrading and his sweat intermingling with blood , the cool air skimmed across the rising water . "Hey Liam, at what rate do you figure that's rising? I'm guessin' we've been at this half an hour , and it's only just submerged the bottom rim of the passenger door. It's not rapid , but then , neither are we-my fingers are-" Liam nodded , shaking his fingers and running a hand over his bruised eye sockets, wincing. "Yeah, we have time , but we need it. I'm struggling not to pass out. " Liam's earlier brush with the concrete caused his temples ache with exertion, his expression exposing his effort. "But I can do this for as long I have to-" he muttered, more to himself as his voice trailed into an internalised musing. Victor rolled his head to the side with unease , "if this goes south, I -well-please don't leave me when-y'know-" . Ryan's voice , filled with metallic resolve , stated calmly as he said "It doesn't matter what they made you believe you deserve, to lose your dignity is not one of those things. I told him, and I'll tell you . Ain't nobody getting left behind, now let ol' Ry severe this damn bind-it's getting weaker." He grunted, his muscles gleaming against the moonlight as he edged on Victors wrists, applying a mixture of calculated pressure and measured dexterity. Controlling his own strength left his fingers trembling as the binds neared their limits. And then , with a satisfying snap, the rope sprung from Victor's skin and Ryan uncoiled the rope , freeing Victor's arms . Liam ceased his rhythmic efforts on Victor's torso as he gazed up, his crooked grin beaming in the moonlight. "Hell yeah , Ry, he's able bodied from the waist up". Victor was quick to raise his cramped hands to his face, running his palms over his bloodshot eyes. The jangle of his keys hitting his sternum cut through the air, and he clutched at them, his knuckles shaking. "Thanks-I-" he whispered, and Ryan grabbed his free hand. "It was nothing, that I wouldn't do for ya Victor . Now lie andback down , conserve the energy for thanking Liam, he's burning himself out like a candle with no wick" . A laugh replied , as Liam's arms shook with the smattering of his amusement ringing through the air. "Ah Ryan, deflecting gratitude , has its downsides, because I'm basting in it because I'm too exhausted to resist sweet nothings , you'll be down here finishing this off-" Ryan's warm smile , not leaving his worn features , faded as he noticed the keys wedged between Victor's fingers. "Damn, I'm sorry -" Victor diverted his irises in the darkness, laying his head back down and dropping the keys into the water below . "It's not as if I'd drive her again after-" . A silence consumed them , its thickness distilled only by Liam's hacking at the thick rope in his grasp. The splash caught Ryan's broader attention, as he noticed the water was lapping at the handles of the car doors. "Its halfway to the roof Li' , tell me you're halfway through those damn things -" As Victor writhed under the subtle movements against his chest, Liam mouth to Ryan , his fingers covered in blood "I'm not even half-way-" . It was a sinking pull, gnawing at Ryan's instincts , as he leaned forward and grasped Victors hand. "Try to keep still , I know it's gotta hurt like hell but, the sting of cold water on a laceration-I admit I have some medical training, nothin a first aid course couldn't take care of but, I don't want you suffering more than you have to-" . His voice slaved Victirs raging nerves , the short circuiting of his scattered thoughts coming together ." You guys are both-I'm just , so glad you found me-" Ryan ran his tongue his teeth, as he gestured toward Liam, "Well , this gritty and realistic:guy here , I was trying to get us both a bit of relief from the trauma we escaped ourselves two days ago. We found a pair of boots further up the street. And a malnourished dog. The boots were sock-less , straight and perfect. And the dogs tag -had a phone number . I called it and Logan grey's recorded voice answered me. We're gonna find him, most likely alive and tortured in the usual way. Finding you was no accident , Vic, we're just lucky to have found you alive -" As the moon hit Liam's profile , he turned his face away and rasped a quiet string of words. "The way his boots were , like some sick calling card. Nauseates me. And I don't have to explain why I have a weak stomach after what they-I mean I said yes after all." As Victor nodded with a grave expression he replied. "It's alright. I know the alternative and I couldn't bear it. Why did you?" Liam directed his blue stare at Ryan, answering without a beat. "Thought if ai said yes I'd spare him. But we'll, I'm not so sure that what he had to watch was any better-" . As Liam's breaths grew laboured he threw a glance to the rising water , now covering the car's windows. "Not to alarm ya both-but I'm just halfway on this rope now . . Ryan you'd better get down here and help me. "I should , but/Ive gotta stay close to his neck because if the air irritates his airways he's spasm right into your rock, and secondly, if the water gets to high , he'll need mental preparation-" Liam's face drained of colour, and he nestled the heel of his palm against his temple. "oh God Ry' , I can't -maybe I'm too raw for this after all-" Ryan leaned in closer to Liam, muttering close to his ear "It's not gonna be easy for him to hold his breath , but I have to get him through if he goes -" . Victor, clenching his jaw as he felt the lap of water just below his head stared straight upward . "It's getting higher, it will spill onto the roof soon and then" Ryan held Victors sternum in place as he felt him start to spasm into a cough. "Easy buddy , I really need you to focus on the breathing for me ok. I'm gonna help you practice holding your breath , and controlling those spasms when and if they happen. It only amounted to one, andmight all go out the window in the moment but we can work on it would alwaysover the next few hours.." Victor twisted his head towards Ryan, fear lacing his voice as it cracked in the cold air. "Oh god-this is really-" . Ryan , quick to disperse his own concern into the atmosphere gave a steady reply ." Not if we can help it. it's more of a worst case scenario, because you're gonna pull the hell through this . And you won't be be alone. I'm right here to help you stay warm alright" Ryan said as he dragged Victors head into his lap, the friction of his jeans heating up the cool skin on Victor's throat. "The air is gonna get abrasive as all hell but we can do what we can to keep you breathing strong and even. Now , tell me Victor , do you have a dog? " Victor shook his head against Ryan's thighs, incredulous at the question . "What on earth does that matter , although hes probably peed on every damn surface he can find , and my neighbors will have broken my front windows to get him out, feed him-ah shit the poor thing won't know what he did to deserve total abandonment-" Ryan maintained his hold over Ryan's sternum as he responded with an insightful tone. "You realise that, now that you have two people , and an animal , that even if you put one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge risingfoot in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one.the grave , we own your other damn leg-" a wry grin twisted Victors lips "Yeah, I'm beginning to realise that. Oh shit , this hurts though. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened.i He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance hadair , the binds , It's been a sinister mistake , and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." As he twisted his gazehours-" Ryan, not shying away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here Liam; I'm getting the binds off--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed in his mouth. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe .Victors faltering resolve , wound his fingers through Victirs , "if you do convulse I've got you. It's me, Ry' . Hold onAt least , while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the contraband--those bastards will kill me like a dog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporating into the arid atmosphere. Ryan rested his hand on Liam's kneecap , his grasp firm and anchoring as Liam averted his gaze. "I saw everything they did to you, yeah. And I'm still here alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylightbeing cold out here, it's not hypothermic or anything. Your have decent color in that clung to his flesh. "Hell of a thing tri endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky we're both still breathing. " Liam , pulling on Ryan's arm , found the strength to prop himself into a seated position "Shit. get over here, Ry". With a rough jerk, Liam hauled Ryan into a haphazard hug, slamming an open palm over his back as he pulled their shoulders together. Smilingmug. But holding water in pain Ryan let their shoulders connect with a crash of solidarity, as he replied "Yeah, yeah . Calm down", returning a supportive thump over Liam's arm. "So you're outta your binds and you untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "I don't remember what happened- how many times did they-" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and finally standing upright:"Well , it feels like they've killed me already.. the hell I've been through." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't remember how I got here. No damn clue." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but later, one thing at a time. Just try to walk with me; we can get out of here." However, as they made their first attempt to leave, Liam's attention was abruptly hijacked by the sight of hismouth while you fight your own ruined clothing, and his jaw clenched. The shock sent a wave of tension through him, rooting him to the spot; his body rebelling his next step. In a voice laced with dread he whispered "Please help me-" His eye remained fixated on his jeans, stained with fingerprints, lying crumpled on the side of the path. Noticing his distress , Ryan assisted him back into them, his attention careful as Liam flinched with every movement. The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked with agony . "Gimme a minute," he said, his bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second hem and buttoned the waist. "They don't care what they leave behind," he muttered, his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant and the confronting plastic surface of a turned-in glove not far from his dehumanizing undergarments. Ryan, supporting Liam's weight, uttered mere fragments of speech, his heart seized momentarily by the display that had all but paralysed Liam. "Sadistic, perverted bastards," he almost spat , his voice rising above a whisper as his eyes darkened. "Try to focus on the here and now, yeah?" he muttered , guiding Liam away from the indignity that lay strewn before them, remnants of the twisted inhumanity they'd suffered. Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust and utter defamation as he nodded, shielded only by Ryan's insistent survival instinct and camaraderie, as he managed a sullen "Yeah." They walked in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaulting his perception with a harrowing grip , gnawing at the edges of his decaying composure. Finally, as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled words through his teeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and what the contraband made me believe" . his voice, echoing desperation as he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ." As they struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync, Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something about this concrete hell?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a detached gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpoint, but my mistake was to resist the contraband; I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them." Liam, gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare. "How was it a mistake to refuse...this? I'm so dehydrated I'm not sure I can keep going, Ry'. I need to find water, and shade. And soon." Just as a quiet settled over them, Liam whispered "I haven't forgotten what you did , Ry'. It's not your fault and don't you go thinkin'" Liam trailed off , the sheer energy of his words depleting his efforts. In a gesture of respect and understanding, Ryan nodded at the ground as he shifted his weight to maintain his upright posture . As Ryan recalled exactly what he had done to bring them to that moment , his grip on Liam remained steady, a slideshow reeling behind his eyelids . It had been just two days earlier, and he kept dragging his limbs as the flashback intruded on his thoughts. -------------//Two days Earlier//------// Listening as terror flooded the membranes behind his closed lids, their voices echoed in the tepid night . "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it", a voice loomed in the distance. Clinging to every word , albeit with slipping clarity, his pulse raged through his chest as the voice skirted the edge of his mind , filling him with dread. "Heurge to inhale won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already .easy. And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he'sI won't sugarcoat this. All I can do is let you feel that I'm here , and you'll feel Liam, don't worry about that. Remember , you got three lives counting on you to stay strong." Victor cracked his darkest smile yet , "but the likelihood of me lasting long underwater is as slim as finding any real use." Ryan inhaled the innocuous yet insidious air, the weight of eyes boring into his haze of darkness , the blindfold that barred his vision offering a faint sliver of vision as it faltered with the jolt of his head. With terror scathing his helpless position, he fought to hear. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options ." The unfamiliar voice threatenedactual booze to drink if I were to live-" . Liam interjected , his through hoarse from above , a splatter of saliva moistened his cheek as it landed against his glistening flesh. He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " A chill masticated his nerve endings as thud of s boot making rough contact with Liam's ribcage and eliciting a wrought groan, sent horror to the pits of Ryan's stomach as his glass -cage eyes watched helplessly. Ah, you fuckers" Liam's voice grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his pounding temples at the audacity ,his lips curved into a smirk despite the unsettling discourse of watching Liam suffer in his place from just inches away. The shadows of their boots dissipating with heavy thuds , he threw forward a few strained, dry words. "Liam I'm sorry, if I'd know how they I intended to-" Unfazed, Liam only grinned in the closeness , his nonchalance offering a certain comfort to Ryan's disarrayed nerves , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owethe lack of use -"actually me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" His eyebrows raising above the rim of his constricting blindfold , Ryan felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and when you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could t buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . If I can save it , and swallow it , retain it , after you fail yet again , they might just leave you alone . And if I can hold it down , they might not have to resort to-" His voice stopped in his throat as an involuntary shiver coursed down his spine. Biting out the words the panic held in chains as he pressed on , the room closing in."Andand Ry-found Henny earlier. So at this stage I don't really care how disgustingI'll bet on you living-" as Liam's comment elicited a chuckle from Victors throat he lamented as he said"Well , it's true, I owe you both my hands , just to have some autonomy as I go under is-and I owe it to you both to fight , even as my lungs are filling up with -oh-g-" . Victors eyes, widening with the realism of the impending fate, albeit interwoven with a newfound empathy and humanity, slapped him cold. "I-I'm not gonna live through this-" Ryan fought to contain his instinct to flinch, countering as he said "Well Victor if we lost you , you know that, you'd die a fucking hero- also , not under my watch. I won't let Liam check out so easy and the same goes for you. You'd better stay with me and that's a threat. " a smirk stole Victors panicked demeanour as he grinned "or what? You'll kill me?." "Ah shut up-"Ryan smirked , jest in his voice before returning to his metal tone. "Block off your insides will taste . I doubt the effects willnose and give it some run throughs of holding your breath . It's not some skill to be half as bad as-" Liam's laughter rang out through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind . But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that...for me" With a glean of hopelessness slithering across his retinas and submerging into his visual field, the tone died in Ryan's tone . "What choice do we have, Liam . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was an unshakable expression etched in Liam's face , his sinking realisation of what transgression truly meant . His voice was hoarse as he whispered "Theyll only use you next ,mastered but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. " He insisted, a gun metal tone perforating his voice , and hovering close in the air. All Liam managed was a hoarse "Thanks., as he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. Soon enough he succumbed to the acrid, unforgiving raze of the heat, as time became immeasurable to his convergent stream of consciousness. Only holding fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed to disperse into a tangled web of loose wiresyou'll have the subconscious knowledge that disconnected and short circuited, his senses danced with trepidation. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" His pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition, haunting Ryan as his brain rejected the beckoning lure of sleep. "Just vomit so Iyou can do this thing" he said roughly, his eyes sliding closed behind the blindfold in remittance. Unable to withstand another of Liam's pained movements, his outline traced by cool , eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination. Liam's perspiration soaked flesh radiated heat, the silvery , contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin, twisted nausea into the depths of Ryan's gut. Desperately trying to recall anything , he repeated the only name that found its way to his tongue ."Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , as his confusion cascaded over him. "Ah shit...it . Maybe that'll help. We can focus just holding it longer and longer. Or will we know this...we've been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His mind lapsed in a tight circle of frustration as he spat at the ground. "Ah , what good is this , it's not like we can carry out the plan if he doesn't vomit at the right time. ... I got a bad feeling Liam" he mumbled . The stringent echo of his musings settled in the abyss of cold sweat that occupied the physical inches separating them . Then , it happened , all in one sickening moment. Liam , screaming through his gag, purged the contraband and Ryan pulled himself unnaturally close, writing against Liam, the substance nothing but a failure on the winding pavement "Shit" Ryan cursed at the ruptured sac of fluids , coated in Liam's insides , and stretched his tongue out in despair, ingesting it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack tearing through him. As Ryan locked his mouth over Liam's , his next retch, pure bile and potential traces of the substance, filled Ryan's mouth with a repulsive tang , and his stomach lurched . As footsteps approached, he spat the lurid mixture of saliva and shared bodily fluids into the air, thrashing and retching the contents of his own stomach , driving his skull into the concrete until his blindfold was loose and falling . "Valen, clean this mess up" a voice interjected. "Looks like this one has a weaker stomach than our main man" . The next moments were heinous , as hands yanked Liam from his sprawl of disorientation. "Implant him again, he'll bridge the gap. ". Closing his eyes , Ryan twisted his body away , convulsing against the cracks in the pavement . Valen barely spared him a glance as he assaulted Liam in silence . As Ryan dragged his voice into a scrape of defeat , he went limp , feigning death as he stalled his natural urge to inhale. An iced , almost metallic growl fell against Ryan's ear as the other captors' footsteps proceeded to fade out of earshot. "We can't smuggle your sloppy seconds, what purpose would a ruptured sac of merchandise serve? . Nice try. Really nice attempt at escape, as if you had a chance . You couldn't even hold it down , huh? You're useless, Ryan. Can't even use the spare. And now he's all the way back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure. ". A pair of fingers sank into his jugular and their imprint left him shaking as Valen disappeared, an uneven gait carrying his dragging boots into oblivion, along with a slow clap , a mocking applause in the night. Ryan rested his eyes on the shaken Liam , knowing it was square one . But for the last time . "I'll get you out of here " he rasped at Liam's desecrated body. The air was unrelenting in its suctioning nature, stripping the moisture from their skin as they navigated the bare footpath, with no roads or buildings in sight--a concrete ladder of deception that went on for hours, tracking their heavy footsteps. Liam, his gaze fixated on the maze of concrete, suddenly heard something in the distance. "Taken 'em long enough, but I think our time may be up..." Resignation consumed his drawn features as Ryan mirrored Liam's expression "You know , we could just let them gain on us, and pretend we were dropped here. Messyou do what you gotta if this goes -" Victor held a look of resilience in his eyes as he nodded . "No , I should practice being' calm , embracing my demise is not gonna happen anyhow but I'll do anything to fight it. I mean, I'll probably inhale a lungful of water as soon as I go under but I'll do my best" Ryan held Victors collarbones as Victor ran through holding his breath, lasting a full minute before gasping . "That's one minute you've bought yourself" Victor stared with their heads at the very least. " Ryan fell to the ground by Liam, out of breath , hushing his tone . "You mean?"dread into the distance. "Is that really long enough. One lousy minute." Liam , nodding as footsteps grew closer , bore a glint in his eye. "Yeah I'm talking ... you binding me backpiped up , and then you acting like you just bust your own binds, just playin' dumb. Just be useless as distracting as possible, like you lost your memory. Ad lib the hell outta this. If they think"if I'm still bound, they'll thinkhacking away by then, yeah every minute will count. I'm still a plant." Before he could elaborate further, Ryan was tearing the hems from his jeans and gesturing for Liam to lie down , planking himself low in the dirt alongside the pavement . "Here , bite down." Liam wrapped his tongue around the gag and groaned as if agony were rippingover halfway through him, thrashing his head in mock-distress. Ryan smirked , as he tore fibres of denim apart and strew them across his lap as if he'd ripped them in panic. Then , smearing dirt across his face, and running some loose soil through his teeth he grunted "How do I look?" . Liam jostled his gag aside with the turn of his head "like a fucking princess , now realign my gag and act like you've just seen-" Shoving Liam's gag back into place, a gunshot rang out and Ryan dropped to the ground , his smile gone . "Shit , I hope this works-" Two days later: victim As Liam accepted a night of sleep in his self imposed gag, with Ryan in his vision as his closed his eyes, the taste of water seem potent. "Glad we got our hands on these" he said, gesturing at the stockpile of plastic drink bottles, their labels faded , and falling away with the length they'd been undiscovered. "Whoever stashed these in an actual trench, I've gotta find that bastard and kiss him" Liam laughed, as fatigue washed over his slowed movements. "You can just sleep already" Ryan groaned and toyed with his fake gag remains in disbelief . "It actually pays to be crazy. I mean technically we are still kidnapped right, but we have a night to sleep , recover and then devise a plan to get out of here for real" Liam smiled , his eyes still closed , offered a swift taunt, perforating the silence with a chuckle. "Already on it, Ry, already cookin' the getaway. There'll be a Mercedes , women, dunno how many, how many would you-" "Shut up , I thought you just couldn't wait to lie down cause of the fatigue and the dehydration ..." "Aww Ry, you know my levity is jeopardy " "What does that even mean?" "It means I'm fatigued and dehydrated and I need sleep . night Ry, couldn't have made it to this forsaken trench without you. This dug out hole of sheer beauty. " "Yeah yeah, couldn't have got this far without you either. Pains me to admit but back there , what you went through kept me going. " "don't get sentimental on me now, Ryan" Liam was met with a placating silence, Ryan's consciousness slipping into the malaise of exhaustion, reassuring after all the discourse they'd endured. Liam embraced the calm , his eyes glazing over as hydration salved his nerves . The night was long, but the first rays of twilight seemed to promise a longer day, and Ryan's eyes opened with a start. Drinking in his surroundings, a trench , dampened with fresh soil and drained water bottles , he ran over the ruse.Liam stirred at the sound of Ryan's mumbling, and grinned through unbrushed, discoloured teeth. "Yo Ry, now that we're free and only faking captivity , you do realise the original strategy that got us out of that concrete middle of nowhere scenario , might still be -" "Yeah , yeah, you threw up in my mouth and -I deserve an Oscar for that. I executed one hell of a death rattle .. and I could die all over again if I had to. " "Well you didn't throw up-much-you've guts Ry'. I'll give you that. Iron clad guts. " "Yeah, thanks. " Ryan smiled in the darkness , his eyes gleaming with a raze of light, before adding "y'know , I haven't even had a moment to think about what I left behind till just now.. and I don't want to bore you with my meandering.." "Nah, buddy, in this situation, what does it matter what you say , or don't say. It's all fleeting anyway. So hit me . Go on , if it'll make you feel better. It's not like I'm goin' anywhere. " Nah, nobody waiting for this sorry ass . Lost my family a while back , got used to getting by . Have a dog though, damn I hope my neighbours are lookin' after him. Every day after my jog throughly central .. I'd take him for a walk through the main streets of the city. He was kind of like a wing man. " Liam's stare drifted down to his grease-smeared palms and he lifted them from the dirt. "It's not until you find yourself in an actual ditch you start thinking about just how good you had it" . In swift response Ryan nodded "Yeah , I have a golden named Sadie, pees herself when I get to the front gate. Ruins my damn shoes , but I don't think it'd upset me half as much to be mauled by that big off now..." stretching his arm out and taking a fistful of dirt , and twisting it through his fingers Ryan laughed with a hollow tinge. "I also had this "it's complicated " kinda thing going on with someone, all I've done the last half hour is think about her and those emerald green eyes-" As he palms drive back into the soil , retracing the path he was creating , Liam splayed his blackened fingers. "Ah yes, I know how that goes , though all I had was 'ol Harry to take care of . Still , I see it as a luxury not having anyone to worry about where I went. " Ryan , sighing cooly, never finished his thought. "Yeah , well , we're stuck in a trench now with one hell of a ruse . Not as gruesome as the first one, yet but what we've been through , I have no doubt it'll be gruesome... " Liam , seeming amused , cocked on eyebrow at Ryan as light streamed across his features , creating a filter of dust particles . "Oh hell yeah... but y'know... life is short and we are living. If I make it home , no , when I do , this will be one seriously messed up pile of garbage to dump on some poor shrink's ass huh? " So now comment on this addition: Ryan's outline was a peripheral sign of life as Liam came to, his eyes adjusting to the dark . The surroundings were immediately unfamiliar , the trench just a memory as he absorbed the return of concrete footpaths and dirt. "Shit, Ryan, wake up." He urged at the unresponsive figure that only snorted against the ground "I am awake, never slept, but I can fake it pretty well" . Liam continued muffled retorts through his gag , his lips burning . " So , they actually think we got dumped in that trench by somebody else -it's almost hilarious if it weren't our asses in binds " It was obscene , the darkness caused by the blown out street lights , as Liam struggled with his stomach folding over instead in a growl of demand . Ripping open the plastic packet, he devoured strips of salt laden jerky, and his hand hovered over a protein bar. "Go easy on the rations" Ryan's voice came from somewhere on the horizon as his presence grew closer. Selectively mishearing him Liam quipped "it's in bad fashion? What is? Here have some food , you ain't making sense-" Ryan dropped down onto his knees and snatched up the protein bar from under Liam's fingers. "Yeah, listen we can have a real meal once we find that diner we passed , two hours back. But until then-" Through mouthfuls , Liam grimaced , "yeah , yeah, this is all we've got. But Ry' we gotta eat something if we're gonna stay alert" Ryan finally open the sustenance in his hands , relenting. "yeah, I haven't eaten in awhile down the hatch I 'spose". They satiated the iceberg tips of their appetites, and Liam wandered to the roadside , an expression of contempt shadowing the light in his eyes. his jeans hit the asphalt as he undid them in haste . "I really hate digestion.." he muttered cantankerous, the rigid ground rough against his bare skin. Only a shallow laugh from Ryan covered the sounds of nature as Liam cursed ,"why did we not think of how we were gonna wipe our -oh hell never mind." A minute later, he was limping back to where Ryan sat , enthralled with his protein bar, and easing himself down . "Well I guess if that dinner.. I've had it " Ryan conceded with a wry smile and gazed toward the inky sky. Liam's eyes, following upward, matched his sharp inhale with intensity. "Never seen a sky so black. Not a star up there." A loose thread catching Ryan's attention, he toyed with the fabric of his shirt "At least we're out of binds , and alone, and we can stare at this void in peace ." Liam shot Ryan a knowing glance , "you gonna sleep tonight or.." Ryan proceeded to shift with unease , hooking his hand around the nape of his neck. "I don't sleep anymore.. maybe I micro sleep , but I'm just running on empty . After what happened these last three days, I don't think I'll sleep again." Ryan's eyes glazed over with hues of gum metal grey, as he ran his tongue over his teeth. "Could really use a toothbrush" Nodding as his own teeth rubbed with grime against his tongue, Liam stared at his lap. "I've been sleeping here and there but...the nightmares . Itheyre just so vivid..." the betrayal As the road stretched bare and cold ahead of them, Liam felt an imperceptible gleam of emotion in Ryan's gaze, as the streetlight barred his irises. A shiver ran down Liam's spine , as he disengaged himself from Ryan's support, standing unaided and backing away. "Ry' what's going on?" . liam was met with a gut wrenching silence as Ryan walked over to the side of the empty abysmal road, and reached out into the frigid air, sticking out two fingers. "I'm sorry , Liam. Don't thank me, but please forgive me"., he muttered in a low metallic tone, his eyes torn away as he dodged Liam's pleas. "Hey , what are you actually hailing something?. There's nothing here to-" There'd been no traffic . No civilisation. And then there it was : A sleek black Chevrolet, with immaculate paintwork and a purring engine. Driving with a deliberate slowness . As it stopped , Ryan slipped into the passengers side, without so much as a word as the car sped away . Liam ran the back of his hand over his stunned gaze, as his heart clenched with a disembodying dread; he was alone. The color drained from his complexion , haunted at Ryan's absence lingering in the moonlight. The chill that claimed his spine , as betrayal dragged forth stinging tears , slowly brought him to his knees as he scraped his palms through the gravel . "Don't thank you? " Liam's gasp was isolated in the deadened air , framed by eeirie stillness. Dragging himself off the road , he drew his knees under his chin and let a torrent of grief and despair rage through him . Liam felt hands on his skin, roaming his body as the heat gnashing mercilessly into his skin. "No , I told you I don't know where he is -he abandoned me." Liam's heartbroken pleas resounded again the hollow sockets behind his eyes , bruised from the impact of a pistol . The gun , now lying near his skull , a discarded weapon, caused him to shiver in distress. "Just let me die -" But it was square one. "Not your intestines, not this time. This time , your sinus cavities" a sinister laugh reverberated through Liam's body . Valen was swift , and unemotional. the room drowned in darkness , enveloping Liam's screams. Ryan came into focus , and his bare feet came to a nullification of movement as he collapsed to his knees, "Liam? When I told you not thank me, well -" Liam's comatose stare barely registered Ryan's voice as he broke down into regret laden tears . "Liam , look at me, I know I didn't reach you in time. Blink twice if you can hear me " Ryan whispered into the malaise of pale magenta dust that clung to the air . Liam fought with the sandpaper in his lids for co-operation as he blinked once. "Come here , Liam" Ryan's voice cracked through the only other sound; Liam's dry breathing, that slowed with each inhale . Liam dragged his pupils to the left , gritting his teeth inside his mouth , as he choked out "Ry-It's oka-" . Initiating a second blink , his eyes reeled back out of focus , and Ryan felt his chest collapse inwards as his breathing ceased . Pulling him into a gentle, one sided embrace, he clung to Liam's emaciated biceps with a deep remorse slithering through his veins , pulsating with his heartbeat. "I left you that night to save you but-Oh God if I'd known-" . Ryan ripped his scathing retinas away from Liam's vacant stare as he broke down in tears, interring his red eyes into Liam's clavicle, the heaves wracking him, echoing through the room at a striking volume. Only metal walls could hear him grieve. Twice; and it was too late.

USER: Is this advanced writing: Drown Maybe it amounted to nothing-after hours of rotting in the daylight , nightAs Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fallen over his helpless frame, bathing him in solitude. Maybefabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only ever be nothing, and hepalpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you could make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if I can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into an ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was nowhere, as a thousand stars danced across his vision. Blood pulsed in his throat , chasing the burn of ropeby his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besides I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket into that encircled his wrists . It was useless to seek solace amongst the dazzling constellation, his pupils shone with the terror of his demise. His spine , bound against the metallic surface of the black Mustang , refused to elevate as restraints heldocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it captive . In a thrash of despair , his pelvis rose upwards , only to be scorned with the grind of further entrapment . Victor's helpless screams punctured the air , sending a reverberation to his core. "Please-help me -please-" With the wheels of the car submerged under water , the underpass flooding, his pulse was counting his moments away . Time pirouetted in tight circles, casting shadows that piqued over and over as he screamed. "Please-help me-". Victor could almost taste the hollow voices that had taunted him , whispering his fate against his flesh. He thrashed, despite the protest of his limbs , resisting the suffocation of his bindings. As the menace of frigid water encroached the edges of his mind , his demise was closing in. And while the car's wheels were against the ground, his captors had left him unable to escape as he lay infused with the car's roof. Binds had been wound over his torso and hips, securing his fate atop the dormant shell of freedom and open roads . Victor had been fleeing his ill choice , until the day had taken a twist toward hell, with his beloved Mustang now on the floor of the highway's underpass, and the ocean's water set to flood the channel . Entering his peripheral vision , a now buoyant can of soda that had been embedded in the mud hours earlier sent a wave of nausea to the pit of his guts. Victor had resisted the implantation of the contraband , and as a consequence, he awaited the flowing seawater's embrace. It had been a mistake to resist. To misinterpret an ultimatumback. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for an option. Had he been too blind to see with the clarity his eyes did now , as they gazed in terror at the clear , taunting glow of the stars , his heartbeat striking against his shivers of revulsion . With his boots soaked in freezing saline and his clothing sodden with his autonomy;you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it was ending. His delusion of agency, of his earlier liberation as the steering wheel had laid under his hands, was running dry. It seemed the very essence of his humanity was seeping into the air as he closed his eyes. "Don't worry Vic, someone will notice you're gone , right?" , the voice had sneered against his neck. "Before we rope you to the roof of your vehicle, here , take the keys , so you can drive it on out of the middle of who knows where, you pathetic fool." The flashback lingered on the edges of his psyche , as he flinched at the recollection. His eyes refocused on the sky, and he struggled to hold back another futile scream, his ears ringing from the sound of his own pleas. And as his tears bled into the void atmosphere, he convulsed in reactive horror, the sensation of his captor's breath still travelling across his flesh, draining his insides. Twisting his head away from the rising soda can , another scream wrought itself from his chest, albeit his better instincts . "Help me-" , his own voice echoed against the underpass , surrounding him. As he thrashed against his binds , throwing his head back against the roof of the drowning car, the frigid water bitLiam's stretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but his touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh asin a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't explored . A place I haven't had the pleasure of touring. The many sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it rushed over the gleaming surface of the Mustang's roof. The same one he had driven to the side of the highway earlier that day. Now with his hands placed on his chest, and clasped around its keys , his teeth clenched with the irony of control being buried in his own grip. "Those bastards -" he muttered, his energy dying , the stars seeming closergrows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet further away as water lapped over the car's bonnet. As his eyes slid closed , the silence mocked him. With its clinical , resounding illusion, rushing water creeping closer , he cursed. Poised to spit at how his existence was unheard in the lucidity, he heard the voices of drunken strangers . "Yeah Ryan, I don't understand where this Hennessy came from but , damn I'll take what I get." Laughter followed , and the air was filled by the oncoming revelry. . "Nah , Liam, it was abandoned , which is why I'm thinking these roads aren't so safe-who would leave a bottle of decent-" Victor elicited another scream, his chest encompassed by the unyielding binds. "Please-Oh God-please-" --------- Ryan halted in his tracks, gripping Liam's forearm and steering him toward the overpass , as the wrenching voice curdled through his eardrums. "Bloody hell, Li , I'm sobering up damn quick-" he said, his voice skirting a whisper. Liam dropped the bottle , splinters of glass raining over the pavement , along with the remains of their alcohol ."Ah, shit. Well fun's over Ry-but what the hell was that ?". As Ryan surveyed the scene below ; a dark figure strapped strategically to the roof of a car , he identified the nylon ropes with a hint of distress occupying the rasp in his voice . "It seems like those bastards -namely Valen-are getting into more intricate tactics. I'm guessin' the poor guy is no older than us, and he made the same mistake I did -" Ryan stumbled back into Liam's shoulder , his face consumed with pallor. "I think if that underpass could flood it'd take hours but- cutting through those damn ropes would take just as long- but I can tolerate the cold at least-" Liam was already stripping his shirt as he nodded "Well, it's not as if we can keep walking now, and this place is only bearable after dark anyways-" . Ryan levelled his gaze at Liam as e inspected a rock and other various debris in his hand as he crouched by the roadside. "Are you sure you're alright to -after , well..." Liam, dropping to his knees beside Ryan, scooped up a handful of stones."I'm -lost in the middle of nowhere-I'll deal with it-that poor guy has gotta be freezing-and if I'm honest, after finding Logan's dog..this whole area is just a dumping ground right?" . A low whistle escaped Ryan's teeth as he replied, "seems like the body count will only rise at this rate , but if he survives this, it kinda proves that while these bastards can try-we can't even walk a mile without finding another victim, or the traces of one, and they will fail at this bust. " As Liam hauled himself onto his feet he said, a strain in his words "It's all get-out of hell or die trying right? , let's get down there-" Another of Victor's screams ripped through Ryan's core as he followed Liam down into the underpass and waded through the shallow water , his boots lending him traction . "Hey , buddy , it's alright, we know Valen , you coukd say-" Ryan called out as he reached the roof of the ruined Mustang, and his hazel eyes met Victor's grey stare. "What's your name , I'm Ryan, but just call me Ry'-he does-" . As he gestured towards Liam , who was already hauling himself onto the trunk , offered up a lopsided grin. "Liam also survived a similar set up, he broke out of his own binds , then he severed mine. We're gonna get you out of here. Looks like we've got a few hours to damn well try anyway-" Victor's eyes glassed over as he chuckled darkly, "In a body bag right-coz I'm gonna drown. That asshole knew the tide would flow in here eventually but he planned to kill me soft and slow and all that-" Ryan reached over Victor's body smoothing a finger along the trademark nylon texture of the rope binding his wrists. "Good thing I've done this before , huh? " Victor , waggling a thumb, introduced himself , "Victor, I'd shake your hand but-I'm trying not to jump out if my skin here." Ryan inspected the proximity of the rope against Victor's flesh, cursing at his failure . "Damnit, I can't even slip a finger underneath-" . An ease , amalgamated with caution, laced Liam's response as he dug a stone from his pocket. "Well there's enough assorted debris around here , a damn sight more than what we had at our disposal, I'd imagine these rocks will erode the nylon without cutting his ribcage when when get down close-" Ryan , elevating himself onto the roof of the car, knelt beside Victor's head, and held his concern on Victor's terrified gaze. "Not that we wont use broken glass if we have to, as long as it ain't fatal, it's a variable I'll deal with, but buddy , I need you to work on slowing the breathing down 'cause those binds 'round your chest seem tight. You're gonna need those ribs for drinking when we get some booze onto you later , huh?" . As the levity quelled Victor's panic breaths, the shallow reach of his breaths encompassing depth, he laughed. "Well, if you two escaped Va-that bastard-I'd be buying you the drinks. I won't go into specifics but, I may have committed a serious crime if it weren't for my stubborn resistance-and now, here I am." Ryan's hazel aspect shone with flecks of illumination as he said "you never actually had a choice , so don't beat yourself into insanity-none of us ever had a choice. Liam can tell you for himself . It was an ultimatum, say no ..you get this ..say yes , well..." Liam interjected, his blue irises averted into the distance ,"You wind up in the centre of a different hell. But either way, it felt like agency but-define that. I nearly died." Victor lifted his head to confront Liam's expression . "And I'd take your own advice there. You look like hell talkin'-" . Ryan , angling a stone with meticulous precision, exhaled another low whistle through his teeth. "I've been telling him that myself . But that's Li'" . As Ryan tackled the fibres of rope , with hours of the same repetitive motion staring him in the face he watched Victor in his peripheral vision , noticing the steadying of his respiration. "I gotta admit , I'd be out of my skin by now if I had ropes hugging me-I'll give you kudos for that-" Victor shifted under the hold of his confinement, his eyes weathered and betraying his composure. "This isn't the hardest part. It's -well , I believed I'd escaped , I was driving her, and then-well , I had so much nothing .. I was lost , my face is probably on flyers back home -and here I was picturing my face staring back through a plastic sleeve when they find my drivers licence at the bottom of -" Liam finally opted for a razor edged stone, one that sat in his palm with a smoothness and lent the binds around Victors chest a glance. "Well you better keep that breathing steady for me , I can't stall this any longer. It's gonna hurt but it beats the alternative . I suppose when you think about the realties of being captive , you start dissecting the disturbing shit , but right now we need you clear minded ." Liam's subsequent smile was laced with a sober empathy, as he slithered the sharp edge of the rock into the thick tethers , the motion grinding Victor's chest. "Damn, yeah that hurts but, somehow I don't half mind it-" . Ryan was quick to slap a hand down over Victors forearm, "that's the spirit , cause this ain't exactly easy-but hey we have nowhere else to be. And you're more that a mugshot under plastic. I'm gonna see to that." As Ryan worked on the rope , his fingertips abrading and his sweat intermingling with blood , the cool air skimmed across the rising water . "Hey Liam, at what rate do you figure that's rising? I'm guessin' we've been at this half an hour , and it's only just submerged the bottom rim of the passenger door. It's not rapid , but then , neither are we-my fingers are-" Liam nodded , shaking his fingers and running a hand over his bruised eye sockets, wincing. "Yeah, we have time , but we need it. I'm struggling not to pass out. " Liam's earlier brush with the concrete caused his temples ache with exertion, his expression exposing his effort. "But I can do this for as long I have to-" he muttered, more to himself as his voice trailed into an internalised musing. Victor rolled his head to the side with unease , "if this goes south, I -well-please don't leave me when-y'know-" . Ryan's voice , filled with metallic resolve , stated calmly as he said "It doesn't matter what they made you believe you deserve, to lose your dignity is not one of those things. I told him, and I'll tell you . Ain't nobody getting left behind, now let ol' Ry severe this damn bind-it's getting weaker." He grunted, his muscles gleaming against the moonlight as he edged on Victors wrists, applying a mixture of calculated pressure and measured dexterity. Controlling his own strength left his fingers trembling as the binds neared their limits. And then , with a satisfying snap, the rope sprung from Victor's skin and Ryan uncoiled the rope , freeing Victor's arms . Liam ceased his rhythmic efforts on Victor's torso as he gazed up, his crooked grin beaming in the moonlight. "Hell yeah , Ry, he's able bodied from the waist up". Victor was quick to raise his cramped hands to his face, running his palms over his bloodshot eyes. The jangle of his keys hitting his sternum cut through the air, and he clutched at them, his knuckles shaking. "Thanks-I-" he whispered, and Ryan grabbed his free hand. "It was nothing, that I wouldn't do for ya Victor . Now lie back down , conserve the energy for thanking Liam, he's burning himself out like a candle with no wick" . A laugh replied , as Liam's arms shook with the smattering of his amusement ringing through the air. "Ah Ryan, deflecting gratitude , has its downsides, because I'm basting in it because I'm too exhausted to resist sweet nothings , you'll be down here finishing this off-" Ryan's warm smile , not leaving his worn features , faded as he noticed the keys wedged between Victor's fingers. "Damn, I'm sorry -" Victor diverted his irises in the darkness, laying his head back down and dropping the keys into the water below . "It's not as if I'd drive her again after-" . A silence consumed them , its thickness distilled only by Liam's hacking at the thick rope in his grasp. The splash caught Ryan's broader attention, as he noticed the water was lapping at the handles of the car doors. "Its halfway to the roof Li' , tell me you're halfway through those damn things -" As Victor writhed under the subtle movements against his chest, Liam mouth to Ryan , his fingers covered in blood "I'm not even half-way-" . It was a sinking pull, gnawing at Ryan's instincts , as he leaned forward and grasped Victors hand. "Try to keep still , I know it's gotta hurt like hell but, the sting of cold water on a laceration-I admit I have some medical training, nothin a first aid course couldn't take care of but, I don't want you suffering more than you have to-" . His voice slaved Victirs raging nerves , the short circuiting of his scattered thoughts coming together ." You guys are both-I'm just , so glad you found me-" Ryan ran his tongue his teeth, as he gestured toward Liam, "Well , this guy here , I was trying to get us both a bit of relief from the trauma we escaped ourselves two days ago. We found a pair of boots further up the street. And a malnourished dog. The boots were sock-less , straight and perfect. And the dogs tag -had a phone number . I called it and Logan grey's recorded voice answered me. We're gonna find him, most likely alive and tortured in the usual way. Finding you was no accident , Vic, we're just lucky to have found you alive -" As the moon hit Liam's profile , he turned his face away and rasped a quiet string of words. "The way his boots were , like some sick calling card. Nauseates me. And I don't have to explain why I have a weak stomach after what they-I mean I said yes after all." As Victor nodded with a grave expression he replied. "It's alright. I know the alternative and I couldn't bear it. Why did you?" Liam directed his blue stare at Ryan, answering without a beat. "Thought if ai said yes I'd spare him. But we'll, I'm not so sure that what he had to watch was any better-" . As Liam's breaths grew laboured he threw a glance to the rising water , now covering the car's windows. "Not to alarm ya both-but I'm just halfway on this rope now . . Ryan you'd better get down here and help me. "I should , but/Ive gotta stay close to his neck because if the air irritates his airways he's spasm right into your rock, and secondly, if the water gets to high , he'll need mental preparation-" Liam's face drained of colour, and he nestled the heel of his palm against his temple. "oh God Ry' , I can't -maybe I'm too raw for this after all-" Ryan leaned in closer to Liam, muttering close to his ear "It's not gonna be easy for him to hold his breath , but I have to get him through if he goes -" . Victor, clenching his jaw as he felt the lap of water just below his head stared straight upward . "It's getting higher, it will spill onto the roof soon and then" Ryan held Victors sternum in place as he felt him start to spasm into a cough. "Easy buddy , I really need you to focus on the breathing for me ok. I'm gonna help you practice holding your breath , and controlling those spasms when and if they happen. It might all go out the window in the moment but we can work on it over the next few hours.." Victor twisted his head towards Ryan, fear lacing his voice as it cracked in the cold air. "Oh god-this is really-" . Ryan , quick to disperse his own concern into the atmosphere gave a steady reply ." Not if we can help it. it's more of a worst case scenario, because you're gonna pull the hell through this . And you won't be be alone. I'm right here to help you stay warm alright" Ryan said as he dragged Victors head into his lap, the friction of his jeans heating up the cool skin on Victor's throat. "The air is gonna get abrasive as all hell but we can do what we can to keep you breathing strong and even. Now , tell me Victor , do you have a dog? " Victor shook his head against Ryan's thighs, incredulous at the question . "What on earth does that matter , although hes probably peed on every damn surface he can find , and my neighbors will have broken my front windows to get him out, feed him-ah shit the poor thing won't know what he did to deserve total abandonment-" Ryan maintained his hold over Ryan's sternum as he respondedimpregnated with an insightful tone. "You realise that, now that you have two people , and an animal , that even if you put one foot in the grave , we own your other damn leg-" a wry grin twisted Victors lips "Yeah, I'm beginning to realise that. Oh shit , this hurts though. The air , the binds , It's been hours-" Ryan, not shying away from Victors faltering resolve , wound his fingers through Victirs , "if you do convulse I've got you. At least , while being cold out here, it's not hypothermic or anything. Your have decent color in that mug. But holding water in your mouth while you fight your own urge to inhale won't be easy. And I won't sugarcoat this. All I can do is let you feel that I'm here , and you'll feel Liam, don't worry about that. Remember , you got three lives counting on you to stay strong." Victor cracked his darkest smile yet , "but the likelihood of me lasting long underwater is as slim as finding any actual booze to drink if I were to live-" . Liam interjected , his through hoarse from the lack of use -"actually me and Ry-found Henny earlier. So at this stage I'll bet on you living-" as Liam's comment elicited a chuckle from Victors throat he lamented as he said"Well , it's true, I owe you both my hands , just to have some autonomy as I go under is-and I owe it to you both to fight , even as my lungs are filling up with -oh-g-" . Victors eyes, widening with the realism of the impending fate, albeit interwoven with a newfound empathy and humanity, slapped him cold. "I-I'm not gonna live through this-" Ryan fought to contain his instinct to flinch, countering as he said "Well Victor if we lost you , you know that, you'd die a fucking hero- also , not under my watch. I won't let Liam check out so easy and the same goes for you. You'd better stay with me and that's a threat. " a smirk stole Victors panicked demeanour as he grinned "or what? You'll kill me?." "Ah shut up-"Ryan smirked , jest in his voice before returning to his metal tone. "Block off your nose and give it some run throughs of holding your breath . It's not some skill to be mastered but you'll have the subconscious knowledge that you can do it . Maybe that'll help. We can focus just holding it longer and longer. Or will we just let you do what you gotta if this goes -" Victor held a look of resilience in his eyes as he nodded . "No , I should practice being' calm , embracing my demise is not gonna happen anyhow but I'll do anything to fight it. I mean, I'll probably inhale a lungful of water as soon as I go under but I'll do my best" Ryan held Victors collarbones as Victor ran through holding his breath, lasting a full minute before gasping . "That's one minute you've bought yourself" Victor stared with dread into the distance. "Is that really long enough. One lousy minute." Liam piped up "if I'm still hacking away by then, yeah every minute will count. I'm over halfway through -"appreciation beyond measure.