USER: 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. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood v...

USER: What does the glove mean

USER: One time 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. 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--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. "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. 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 clamped his hand down over Liam's kneecap in a firm gesture of shared solidarity. "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 you had to see all this... how many times was I re-fed the drug after failing?" 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 standing upright:". ", wellWell , it feels like they killed me already." 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." 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." Liam's jaw clenched as he whispered "Please help me-", flinching as the sight of his ruined clothing . Of his jeans , stained with fingerprints , lying crumpled on the side of the path , and Ryan helped him back into them , as Liam winced. "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. Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words , his heart stalled by the sight . "Sadistic , perverted bastards" , his voice rising about a whisper. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?". Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust as he nodded "Yeah." As thethey 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 noncommittaldetached 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." 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.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: 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 . Two days earlier: Ryan's eyes remained closed as he listened in terror. "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 finishes throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as a boot made rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the blow elicited a wrought groan from his bound torso . "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 voice 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, raising his eyebrows above his blindfold , 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 . 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 laughed 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..." With a helpless glean passing across his eyes, Ryan said with a flat tone . "What choice do we have . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was 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. "Ryan insisted, the gun metal tone close in the air. All Liam could muster was a hoarse "Thanks." As he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. They both succumbed to the heat, as time because immeasurable to Ryan's convergent stream of consciousness. There was energy to conserve. Ryan only held fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed 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 a repetition that haunted Ryan as he forfeited sleep. "Just vomit so I can take your damn place" he said roughly, 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 radiated heat , the silvery, contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin twisted nausea into Ryan's gut. In an effort to recall anything useful he repeated the name as it paralysed his tongue. "Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , "Ah shit... we know this...we been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His willing of comprehension encompassed a tight circle of void 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. " His words, more for himself, 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 him unnaturally close, 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 ingested it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack tore 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. 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. Now he's back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure". 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 present: 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. " There was a solidifying moment of camaraderie between them as Ryan rearranged the fabric constraints in his lap, weaving one shredded piece over another, and Liam dropped his chin back onto its mound of filth.

USER: One timeHighlight heart breaking moments : 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. 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--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. "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. 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 clamped his hand down over Liam's kneecap in a firm gesture of shared solidarity. "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 you had to see all this... how many times was I re-fed the drug after failing?" 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 standing upright:". ", Well , it feels like they killed me already." 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." 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." Liam's jaw clenched as he whispered "Please help me-", flinching as the sight of his ruined clothing . Of his jeans , stained with fingerprints , lying crumpled on the side of the path , and Ryan helped him back into them , as Liam winced. "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. Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words , his heart stalled by the sight . "Sadistic , perverted bastards" , his voice rising about a whisper. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?". Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust as he nodded "Yeah." 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." 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, 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. 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 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 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: 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 . Two days earlier: Ryan's eyes remained closed as he listened in terror. "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 finishes throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as a boot made rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the blow elicited a wrought groan from his bound torso . "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 voice 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, raising his eyebrows above his blindfold , 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 . 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 laughed 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..." With a helpless glean passing across his eyes, Ryan said with a flat tone . "What choice do we have . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was 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. "Ryan insisted, the gun metal tone close in the air. All Liam could muster was a hoarse "Thanks." As he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. They both succumbed to the heat, as time because immeasurable to Ryan's convergent stream of consciousness. There was energy to conserve. Ryan only held fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed 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 a repetition that haunted Ryan as he forfeited sleep. "Just vomit so I can take your damn place"do this thing" he said roughly, 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 radiated heat , the silvery, contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin twisted nausea into Ryan's gut. In an effort to recall anything useful he repeated the name as it paralysed his tongue. "Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , "Ah shit... we know this...we been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His willing of comprehension encompassed a tight circle of void 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. " His words, more for himself, 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 himhimself 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 ingestedstretched his tongue out in despair, ingesting it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack toretearing 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. 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. Now he's back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure". 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 present: 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. " There was a solidifying"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 of camaraderie between them as Ryan rearranged the fabric constraints in his lap, weaving one shredded piece over another, and Liam dropped his chin back onto its mound of filth.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. "

USER: Highlight heart breaking moments : 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. 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--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. "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. 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 clamped his hand down over Liam's kneecap in a firm gesture of shared solidarity. "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 you had to see all this... how many times was I re-fed the drug after failing?" 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 standing upright:". ", Well , it feels like they killed me already." 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." 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." Liam's jaw clenched as he whispered "Please help me-", flinching as the sight of his ruined clothing . Of his jeans , stained with fingerprints , lying crumpled on the side of the path , and Ryan helped him back into them , as Liam winced. "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. Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words , his heart stalled by the sight . "Sadistic , perverted bastards" , his voice rising about a whisper. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?". Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust as he nodded "Yeah." 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." 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, 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. 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 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 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: 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 . Two days earlier: Ryan's eyes remained closed as he listened in terror. "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 finishes throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as a boot made rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the blow elicited a wrought groan from his bound torso . "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 voice 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, raising his eyebrows above his blindfold , 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 . 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 laughed 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..." With a helpless glean passing across his eyes, Ryan said with a flat tone . "What choice do we have . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was 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. "Ryan insisted, the gun metal tone close in the air. All Liam could muster was a hoarse "Thanks." As he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. They both succumbed to the heat, as time because immeasurable to Ryan's convergent stream of consciousness. There was energy to conserve. Ryan only held fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed 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 a repetition that haunted Ryan as he forfeited sleep. "Just vomit so I can do this thing" he said roughly, 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 radiated heat , the silvery, contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin twisted nausea into Ryan's gut. In an effort to recall anything useful he repeated the name as it paralysed his tongue. "Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , "Ah shit... we know this...we been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His willing of comprehension encompassed a tight circle of void 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. " His words, more for himself, 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. 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. Now he's back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure". 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 present: 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. " "Well , the last thing I remember was saying "no, can't have any desert Jackson you can just go to your room, you didn't eat -" I just, ah shit. I was tough on the poor kid and now- I have to get back home . Even my dog will be wondering where I upped and offed to. " Liam , cracking his knuckles against the dirt, lifted his chin and pivoted his head to meet Ryan's gaze. "He'll have forgotten what you said , what you did, how tough ya went on him. The strategy, we focus on that , yeah. You're a decent guy and I'm not letting you stew on trivial mistakes . You're going home to your kid. And Lara. I swear on my shredded , masticated guts." There was a solidifying moment of camaraderie between them as Ryan rearranged the fabric constraints in his lap, weaving one shredded piece over another, and Liam dropped his chin back onto its mound of filth.

USER: In this effectively written and filled with moments that should be retained? 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. 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. 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 many 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:". ", Wellupright:"Well , it feels like theythey'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 asclenched. 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-", flinching as the sight of his ruined clothing . Of his jeans ,me-" His eye remained fixated on his jeans, stained with fingerprints ,fingerprints, lying crumpled on the side of the path , andpath. Noticing his distress , Ryan helpedassisted him back into them ,them, his attention careful as Liam winced.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 ,behind," he muttered, his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant,lubricant and the confronting plastic surface of a turned in glove. Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words ,turned-in glove not far from his dehumanizing undergarments. Ryan, supporting Liam's weight, uttered mere fragments of speech, his heart stalledseized momentarily by the sight . "Sadistic ,display that had all but paralysed Liam. "Sadistic, perverted bastards"bastards," he almost spat , his voice rising about a whisper.above a whisper as his eyes darkened. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?".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 as he noddedand 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 ,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 detached 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." 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, 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?"Just as a quiet settled over them, 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. 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 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 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: 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 ,whispered "I haven't forgotten what you went throughdid , 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 me going. " "don't get sentimentaldragging his limbs as the flashback intruded 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 nerveshis thoughts. -------------//Two days Earlier//------// Listening as terror flooded the membranes behind his closed lids, their voices echoed in the tepid night . Two days earlier: Ryan's eyes remained closed as he listened in terror. "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it" . Ryan clungit", a voice loomed in the distance. Clinging to every word , albeit with slipping clarity , his heart ragingclarity, his pulse raged through his chest.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... " The air wasuse." Ryan inhaled the innocuous yet insidious as Ryan drew a breath, feelingair, the weight of eyes on him , hisboring into his haze of darkness , the blindfold baring athat barred his vision offering a faint sliver of vision.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 . " Then as." The unfamiliar voice threatened from above , a splatter of saliva hit the ground near Ryan's cheek, where he lay facedown, the voice conceded. "He'smoistened his cheek as it landed against his glistening flesh. He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as aA chill masticated his nerve endings as thud of s boot mademaking rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the blow elicitedribcage and eliciting a wrought groan from his bound torso . "Ah,groan, sent horror to the pits of Ryan's stomach as his glass -cage eyes watched helplessly. Ah, you fuckers" heLiam's voice grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his headpounding temples at Liam's audacity, Ryan smirkedthe audacity ,his lips curved into a smirk despite the discomfortunsettling discourse of watching Liam suffer in his place. As theplace from just inches away. The shadows of their boots dissipateddissipating with heavy thuds, Ryanthuds , he threw forward a few words at Liam, his voice strained and dry. "Man,strained, dry words. "Liam I'm sorry...Ifsorry, if I'd have knownknow how they I intended to -" Unfazed ,to-" Unfazed, Liam only grinned in responsethe 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-" Ryan,His eyebrows raising his eyebrows above histhe rim of his constricting blindfold , Ryan felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. "ThinkThink 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 . AtIf 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 laughedas-" Liam's laughter rang out through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind.mind . But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that..."that...for me" With a helpless glean passingof hopelessness slithering across his eyes, Ryan said with a flatretinas and submerging into his visual field, the tone died in Ryan's tone . "What choice do we havehave, 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. "Ryan" He insisted, thea gun metal tone perforating his voice , and hovering close in the air. All Liam could mustermanaged was a hoarse "Thanks." As"Thanks., as he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. They bothSoon enough he succumbed to the acrid, unforgiving raze of the heat, as time becausebecame immeasurable to Ryan'shis convergent stream of consciousness. There was energy to conserve. Ryan only heldOnly holding fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed dispersedto disperse into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited.circuited, his senses danced with trepidation. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" Ryan'sHis 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 that hauntedrepetition, haunting Ryan as he forfeitedhis brain rejected the beckoning lure of sleep. "Just vomit so I can do this thing" he said roughly, unable to watchhis eyes sliding closed behind the blindfold in remittance. Unable to withstand another of Liam's pained movement from Liam,movements, his outline traced by cool,cool , eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination . His perspiration-soakedillumination. Liam's perspiration soaked flesh radiated heat , the silvery,heat, the silvery , contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skinskin, twisted nausea into the depths of Ryan's gut. In an effortDesperately trying to recall anything useful, he repeated the only name as it paralysed his tongue. "Valen".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...wethis...we've been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His willing of comprehension encompassedmind lapsed in a tight circle of voidfrustration 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. " His words, more for himself,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. 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. Now he's back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure". 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 present: 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. " "Well , the last thing I remember was saying "no, can't have any desert Jackson you can just go to your room, you didn't eat -" I just, ah shit. I was tough on the poor kid and now- I have to get back home . Even my dog will be wondering where I upped and offed to. " Liam , cracking his knuckles against the dirt, lifted his chin and pivoted his head to meet Ryan's gaze. "He'll have forgotten what you said , what you did, how tough ya went on him. The strategy, we focus on that , yeah. You're a decent guy and I'm not letting you stew on trivial mistakes . You're going home to your kid. And Lara. I swear on my shredded , masticated guts." There was a solidifying moment of camaraderie between them as Ryan rearranged the fabric constraints in his lap, weaving one shredded piece over another, and Liam dropped his chin back onto its mound of filth.

USER: In this effectively written and filled with moments that should be retained? 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. 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; 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 . I've got you. 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 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 daylight 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. 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 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 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 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. "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.

USER: Is this gritty and emotionally resonant ? 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. 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; 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 . I've got you. 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 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 daylight 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. 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 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 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 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. "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.

USER: Is this gritty and emotionally resonant ?Please highlight poignant moments : 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. 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; 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 . I've got you. 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 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 daylight 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. 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 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 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 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. "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.

USER: Please highlight poignant moments : 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. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from...

USER: Does it spell out emotion in a negative way or is the intensity positive in this piece

USER: Please highlight poignant moments :Does the emotional intensity serve the narrative ? 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. 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; 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 . I've got you. 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 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 daylight 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. 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 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 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 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. "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.

USER: Does the emotional intensity serve the narrative ? 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. 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; 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 . I've got you. 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 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 daylight 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. 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 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 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 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. "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. Ryan's eyes drifted open , as Liam's weight dragged him back into the moment, the two of them continuing with the lopsided dance of exhaustion. 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. 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. 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 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 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 . 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. " They both released sighs of resolve and cautious relief, the alleviating darkness of the trench casting shadows across their faces, a contrast from the heat of the past few days. "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."

USER: 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. 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; 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 . I've got you. 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 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 daylight 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. 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 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..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 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 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. "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. Ryan's eyes drifted open , as Liam's weight dragged him back into the moment, the two of them continuing with the lopsided dance of exhaustion. 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. 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. 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 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 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 . 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..now... and I don't want to bore you with my meandering.."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. " They both released sighs of resolve and cautious relief, the alleviating darkness of the trench casting shadows across their faces, a contrast from the heat of the past few days. "Nah,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.."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 slouched on the curb and let a torrent of grief and despair rage through him , his entire body howling with the force of his retches. It would only amount to one.

USER: Is the ending clever? 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. 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; 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 . I've got you. 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 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 daylight 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. 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 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 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 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. "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, 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. 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. 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 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 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 . 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 slouched on the curb and let a torrent of grief and despair rage through him , his entire body howling with the force of his retches. It would only amount to one.

USER: Is theHere is a story. Please do t comment on it, I will post different ending clever?options, for you to asses: 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. 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; 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 . I've got you. 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 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 daylight 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. 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 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...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 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 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. "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, 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. 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. 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 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 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 . 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...now.. and I don't want to bore you with my meandering..."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..."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...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..."or.." Ryan proceeded to shift with unease , hooking his hand around the nape of his neck. "I don't sleep anymore...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 slouched on the curbdrew his knees under his chin and let a torrent of grief and despair rage through him , his entire. Liam felt hands on his skin, roaming his body howling with the force of his retches. It would only amount toas 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.

USER: Here is a story. Please do t comment on it, I will post different ending options, for you to asses: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; 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 . I've got you. 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 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 daylight 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. 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 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 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 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. "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, 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. 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. 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 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 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 . 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.