Saturday, February 7, 2009

clone
chapter one: solitary days, lonely lunches, and empty nights

pete wentz sat up from the cold metal table; his brown eyes were wide as he stared around the pristine white room. he wasn't surprised or anything, no he was far from surprised. pete was more accustom to his surroundings it was the pain that always made his eyes go wide.

"alright peter were done for the day." a faceless voice said from behind the two way mirror in the room. pete nodded thankful that that day's tests were finished but honestly he wasn't sure how much more he could take. the steel door, the only exit out of the room slid open and two of the many scientists who studied him on a daily basis stepped into the all white room.

"come on peter, let's go back to your room" the taller older man said as if he were talking to a child. pete nodded and slid off the too cold metal table.

his body moved as if by routine and nothing more. pete dropped his hands to the pockets of his all white pants and stuck them inside. upon reaching the scienctist pete was grabbed by the younger one and was searched just in case he had managed to concel a weapon.

"he's clean" the young scienctist told his partner as he shoved pete towards the older man; the man nodded and placed his hand on pete's shoulder.

pete relished the touch of the older man, it being his only human contact for the last week. he was happy for even this simple act. the metal door opened once again. as they left the room pete spared one last glance at the large machine that had been running test's on him. he felt a chill run through his body because he knew he'd see that machine again all too soon.

the men in white led pete from the testing room down a shiny hallway that spilt off into two parts. the left lead to more rooms like the one pete had just been in and many places just like it. the right passage lead to more hallways and doors some pete had been in and some he had not.

for today the trio took the right hallway the one that lead to pete's room. as he walked pete looked around always watching for anything or anyone to pass by. on a few occasions pete had seen other people wearing all white just like him and he loved these few instances of social interaction, but pete hadn't seen another person in nearly a week and he was afraid he was beginning to develop cabin fever.

pete was about to pass by the cafeteria of the insitution and he silently prayed that people would be there. his prayer was denied though as they passed by and just like all the days before peter found that no one else was around.

"where is everyone else?" pete asked the men that were walking with him.

"hmmm everyone else is testing peter, just like you" the older man said again in his simplistic tone as if speaking any differently would suddenly cause pete to not understand.

"oh" pete said his voice dropping down to barely a whisper "well maybe i'll see someone tomorrow" pete thought using that as his last shred of hope.

eventually the men lead pete down through a few more hallways until they reached the hallway were pete's room was located. as they walked through the hall pete read the numbers on the door's trying to picture each person inside.

"room 1219" the older scienctist said stopping infront of pete's door. the two men released pete and proceeded to pull out twin keys from their pockets. the men looked at one another before nodding and putting their keys into the two locks that adorned either side of the door. instantly the door shuddered open slowly revealing peter's room to the trio.

pete stood outside of his too small room for a moment, he was allowing himself to believe that he had freedom, if only for a moment. pete's second of fake freedom was up all too soon as one of the men cleared his throat causing pete to know that it was time for him to go in the room.

peter lowered his head as he stepped into the echous room. the men gave him one last nod before the door lowered itself down and pete watched as the men were slowly enveloped by the door. the door closed with a final "snap" and pete moved sorely to his lumpy bed with the itchy blue blanket.

he flopped down not quite caring that he was lying atop his blankets. at this point it just felt good to lie down after all those rigorous tests. pete lifted a hand and rubbed his tanned arm that was now marred with pokes from the needles that were used on him earlier. he sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

now was his favorite time of the day when he was done with the tests and could go to sleep. it didn't matter that it was still daytime and that pete wasn't exactly tired as he always fell asleep anyway.

the reason pete loved sleep so much was because when he slept, he dreamt and his dreams were far better then the reality that he was stuck in. in his dreams he was never alone, there was always someone in bed lying there next to him. he swears he can feel the phantom touches of his bed mate as soft arms wrap around his back and the voice he always hears; a young womans voice hazy with sleepiness mutter.

"i love you peter" but it's always too faint and too far away for him to hear properly, but no matter how much peter thinks it's real it still never makes it real and those warm touches, and the person lying next to him, and even the soft sleepy voice always disappeares the second he opens his eyes.

pete's eyes fluttered open as he was awakened from the dream by nothing in paticular. he lazily rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before turning his head slightly to look at the spot on the bed beside him. he was thinking that maybe, just maybe someone would be there this time, but no one ever was.

pete sat up in the middle of the bed and ran a hand through his medium long dark hair. pete wasn't really unnerved by the dreams, no he was used to them by now. after all he had been having the same dream everynight for as long as he could remember. which wasn't that long actually. to be honest peter's first memory was waking up here at the ridgemont institution completely naked on the same cold metal table he had just been on today.

he was told by the workers of the instiution that he was found wandering around in the middle of nowhere beaten half to death and that he should've been dead, but he wasn't and that's why they had to test him. of course peter believed the workers what reason would he have not to? but at the same time pete couldn't remember anything before that night.

pete had been found two years ago and ever since then he had been living here at the instiute. he had also been working hard to regain his memories that he knew he had. like the ones from his dreams. it was sad at best, he had been here for two whole years and still remembered nothing more then the day he had arrived.

sometimes late at night when pete laid in bed and the release of sleep, of his dreams wouldn't come he'd start to think. pete would begin thinking and worrying

"what if there are no memories to remember?" he'd wonder and a fear would seize his heart, but after a few moments he'd calm himself down

"that's ridiculous of course i have memories! everyone has memories. i just can't remember mine" pete would convince himself that he had memories to remember and that he had to work harder to do so.

of course lack of memories wasn't the only unwanted thoughts that crept into his head at night. he'd often wonder what he was still doing in the institute, if it was true that he was found wandering about the wilderness shouldn't someone be looking for him? wasn't there someone who cared about him? the girl from his dreams perhaps? if she did exsist wouldn't she be searching for him? pete thought it best not to think too much about the phantom girl or what he thought was real and instead to keep himself forever working on getting back those memories.

pete was brought out of his thoughts and fears by a knock on his door. the knock was nothing more then a polite gesture being that to get into the door all you needed was a key. almost like the person on the other side of the door read his mind the door opened up.

"hello, peter" the man who had entered the room said. a warm smile revealed on his slightly chubby face. pete watched the man not really saying anything and not returning the smile. the brown haired man took notice of pete's lackluster attitude and his smile faded a bit.

"it's dinner time peter. are you hungry?" he asked. pete thought about not saying anything at all but the growl of his stomach said otherwise. before pete could tell the worker that he was ready to go to dinner a loud gruff voice interrupted them.

"spencer! is he coming or what? we don't have all fricken day!" the voice issued from just outside the door.

"yeah were coming jon. just calm down!" spencer the man who was in the room with pete anwsered.

spencer turned back to peter the smile once again returning to his face.

"come on peter, let's go" spencer told pete. this time pete nodded and stood following spencer out of the safety of his room. upon leaving the room peter came face to face with the loud gruff man named jon. jon was currently resting against the wall his arms folded in a clearly annoyed manner and his shaggy hair and scruffy beard hid his moody face.

jon spared a passing glance at pete but said nothing. instead opting to push himself away from the wall and stand on pete's right as spencer had done on his left. just as it had happened earlier the trio took off down the same halls that pete had been traveling that morning.

it was always that way, the institution had a rule that two workers must escort a patient around the facility at all times.

"are you having a good day peter?" spencer asked out of the blue. pete nodded but didn't say anything. pete never quite felt comfortable around any of the workers and he was never around any two long enough to get to know them. even though he had seen both spencer and jon around the institute before he had never spoken to them besides for the small talk that was currently taking place.

spencer, jon, and pete made their way down the long hallway turning to the left hall that lead to the cafeteria. pete wasn't expecting much as they went to get his dinner. after all there hadn't been anyone else in the cafeteria for the last three days and pete didn't want to get his hopes up that anyone would be there now.

the trio turned the corner into the cafeteria and pete was pleasantly surprised to find a large number of people sitting there eating their dinners. instantly pete's heart swelled with happiness at seeing other people and his handsome face showed it with a grin.

as he entered the cafeteria and saw all the people. pete was tempted to skip his meal all together and just go straight to finding a seat at a table full of people. pete seriously considered this until the delicious aroma of that night's dinner wafted under his nose making his mouth practically water. pete decided that human interaction could wait and quickly got in the food line with spencer and jon behind him.

spencer laughed a bit as he saw pete's sheer unbridled excitment for the people and the food.

"what the hell are you laughing at?" jon asked from behind spencer his bad mood apparent to all.

"geez jon your in such a bad mood one would excpect a little storm cloud to be over your head" spencer laughed and this time pete joined in.

of all the workers pete had been partnered with he like spencer the best jon he could give or take. there was something about spencer that was familar to pete. maybe it was his laugh, or his voice, but pete knew there was something and just like everything else in his life pete couldn't put a finger on it. jon made a face and resigned himself to wait in line quietly.

it was in the food line when pete first noticed the man staring at him from across the room. the man in question was a slightly short chubby young man with medium length strawberry blonde hair, thick black glasses, and a hat placed firmly on his head.

pete shrugged it off as a coincedence or maybe his imagination. the man who appeared to be nothing more then the janitor was doing nothing but sweeping up the cafeteria's floor. pete watched the blonde haired young man and for a moment he considered asking spencer about him but decided against it for fear of making jon mad.

the line moved and it was now pete's turn for food. he hurried this task along grabbing his food from tamara the jolly lunch lady. he hurried mostly because he was starving and wanted to eat quickly. after pete got his food he glanced around the cafeteria to look for a place to sit before he could choose a place of his own he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see spencer behind him.

"come on peter let's sit over here" spencer said motioning towards a large table to the left of the room. pete noticed that there were a few people at the table so he nodded knowing that a few was better then none and began following spencer to the table.

the three of them sat down pete sat across from spencer while jon sat on spencer's side but farther down with a group of other people. spencer gave a smile to pete as pete began to eat shoving the food into his mouth.

"you do know that the food isn't going to run off your plate don't ya pete?" spencer asked laughing, pete grinned and continued to eat while he watched spencer.

pete just couldn't shake the familarity about spencer that he had felt earlier. he had a feeling that he knew the boy from somewhere but he just couldn't place it and it was beginning to drive him mad.

"maybe" pete thought "maybe i just reconize him from around the institution. yeah that's probably it." pete persuaded himself to believe this because really there was no other explanation for it.

"hey pete you want my dessert?" spencer asked holding the pudding cup towards pete.

"yeah sure thanks" pete said taking it from spencer. that was odd and pete began to wonder why spencer was being nice to him. in all his time here he had never encounter a worker who had been as kind to him as spencer was being now and though pete may live to regret it he wanted to ask spencer why.

"um spencer?" pete began choosing to watch his own hands instead of spencer's face.

"yeah?" spencer mumbled back through a mouthfull of corn.

"uh i just wanted to ask...um why are you being so nice to me?" pete rushed out finally looking spencer in the eyes. spencer looked surprised as if that was the last thing he had ever expected peter to say. spencer held his surprised face and for a moment pete thought that maybe he wouldn't anwser, but pete's fears would be put to rest when spencer broke out into a smile.

"because pete" he began, while scooping up another spoonful of corn. "were friends" he said finally taking his bite.

to spencer the words he just spoke would probably mean very little, but to pete they meant the world. spencer's words meant that pete wasn't all alone anymore he now had a friend. with the newfound warmness of friendship inside him pete was happier then he had been in months. between bites of their meals spencer again was asking pete questions. little things like how his tests were going and anything else of general interest.

after they finished eating spencer offered to throw away pete's food tray. pete agreed and spencer left heading towards the trash cans. pete glanced down the table at jon who he noticed was a heck of a lot happier looking as he sat with the other workers. jon was too engrossed in his conversation to notice pete looking at him and pete himself was too busy watching jon to notice that someone was watching him.

peter looked up to see that again the chubby blonde man from before was staring at him again. this time he was right next to peter mopping the floor beside him. there was a moment of awkward silence while pete and the man stared at one another the whole time pete was getting more and more nervous and creeped out. finally pete saw spencer walking back towards him and before he knew it the blonde janitor was gone.

pete glanced around the cafeteria, his eyes scanning the entire room for the mystery janitor.

"what are you looking for pete?" spencer asked as he approached the table.

"uh nothing." pete said as he didn't find the man anywhere in the room. spencer grinned and again took his seat across from pete and began talking to him once again.

pete was confused he knew there was no way that the janitor that had been watching him could've left the cafeteria that quickly. was it possible that due to his lonliness pete had just imagined him? pete already knew not to be too quick to rule anything out.

dinner was finally over and spencer and jon proceeded to take pete back to his room. pete was considerably more happy now then he had been at the start of dinner. he now had a friend in spencer and some human contact, and heck even a good meal. it made him think for a moment that life here at the institute wasn't so bad.

peter was let into his room by spencer and jon and grinned as spencer waved goodnight to him. he was tempted to head over to the bed and sleep off his full belly but instead he trudged over to the desk in the corner of his room and sat down before opening the bottom drawer and pulling out a notebook.

pete had been writing down the dreams he'd been having every night since he arrived. most of the enteries read the same thing, all talking about the phantom lover and her lack of an identidy, but a few here and there read when he discovered something new in his dreams. pete scribbled down the contents of his dream and then walked over to the bed. he stripped down to his boxers and laid down under the seemingly always itchy blue blanket.


chapter two: it's not kidnap if you're willing

pete slept again even after his routine nap earlier in the day. the dream was the same as always with the phantom soft touches of hand's on his skin and light words of love whispered in his ear. except for after those words he heard a man's voice, a smooth and sad voice that sounded like it was breaking

"i'm so sorry pete!" he heard the now sobbing voice cry out. pete woke with a start, he was confused and sweating.

he lay back still in his bed his eyes closed trying desperately to remember the new part of his dream. he was concentrating so hard that he didn't notice the hand on his shoulder for a good minute and a half.

pete shot up knocking the intrusive mystery hand away from him as he looked to the spot in the bed beside him, to his confusion or was it relife? no one was there but that didn't mean someone wasn't in the room with him. standing right beside his bed was none other then the janitor! the same blonde young man who had disappeared at dinner.

now pete was seriously beginning to think that he had imagined the young man because really there was no way he should've been able to get in the room. peter looked at the janitor waiting expectantly for him to say something. he was dissapointed to find his imagination was seriously lacking as the janitor did nothing but stand there gawking at him.

"alright who are you?" pete demanded to know the identity of his imaginary companion. the imaginary janitor looked nervous for a moment before anwsering

"you don't remember me pete?" he asked. ok so it was obvious that his imagination knew him but he still didn't know the man before him.

"no, can't say i know you even though you are my imagination" pete said calmly to the man. a blank stare took over the man's face before he shook it off

"imagination? i'm not imaginary!" the blonde proclaimed in an almost offended way.

"yeah, you are how else did you get in my room?" pete asked in a prove it kind of way.

"i got in with this" the janitor said holding up two swinging keys. pete's mouth dropped open as he stared from key to man and back to key again.

pete was still silent as he stared at the man, deep brown eyes trying their best not to show any fear at the sudden intruder. when pete still didn't talk the man took it upon himself to speak.

"pete my name is patrick-" the man began. pete heard the words coming out of the man's mouth, ok well he heard the first sentence but then he went blank and the explosion in his head drowned out the man's words.

patrick? why does that sound so familar? pete wondered and as if his brain already had an anwser prepaired something returned to pete, something lost to him before this moment, something he wanted to call a memory but was too afraid to classify it as such.

"patrick are you in some kind of trouble man?" he heard a voice that sounded like his own say once upon a time, too long ago for him to remember.

patrick had been talking to himself for a minute and a half before he realized that pete wasn't listening to him. pete was off in his own world somewhere, his head tilted down and his eyes open but glassy and unfocused.

"pete?" he tried once to reclaim the man's attention but he got no response. "peter!" he said a bit louder this time and it seemed to work as pete slowly lifted his head and his eyes appeared to lock onto patrick's form. "god what has this place done to you?" patrick asked not expecting an anwser.

pete heard the words patrick had said and the way he spoke. it all made it seem like maybe this patrick knew him before he came here. he wanted to ask, oh god he wanted to ask more then anything he ever wanted to do in his life, but he was afraid now. pete was afraid that he had gotten his hopes up and if patrick really didn't know him then he might just die from the crushing loss of hope. pete avoided the question he really wanted to ask and asked a different one instead.

"what are you doing in my room patrick?" patrick appeared to think for a moment maybe he was trying to decide what words to use.

"i'm here to save you peter" patrick said rather bluntly with a sad smile on his face.

pete was atonished "save me?, save me from what?" he asked. wondering what in the world this chubby young man could do to save him.

"save you from this place peter! i'm getting you out" patrick said a new look or determination replaced that sad smile. pete was almost overjoyed at patrick's words but part of him didn't want to believe that they were true. after all this could all just be some trap or trick or some new form of test that the institute was conducting.

"why would you help me?" pete asked his voice lost somewhere between excitment and fear. patrick again had that sad look on his face and pete didn't like it

"you really don't remember me pete." patrick said before sighing and running his fingers over the hat he wore. "pete i knew you before you came here! you were my bestfriend! and i'm taking you home" patrick said in a don't argue with me kind of way.

pete was floored, he was known on the outside! he did have someone who cared about him! but why would the institution be keeping him if he had someone who knew him?. suddenly pete's faith in the rules of the institution were wavered and he trusted the man before him a little more.

"ok i want out, but how are you going to get me out of here patrick? i mean there are guards and cameras everywhere!" pete asked as he slid off his bed and for the first time stood level with patrick. patrick grinned at pete apparently happy that his old friend was cooperating so well.

"don't worry pete i have a plan" patrick said as he stepped into the hall for a moment, he returned pushing a large full laundry hamper into pete's room.

"this is your plan?" pete asked a little disbelieving that anyone actually used this old rescue cliche anymore.

"hey this works all the time in movies!" patrick argued as he patted the laundry hamper.

great pete thought, i'm trusting my freedom to a guy whose idea's are old movie cliches!.

"hurry pete get in the hamper we don't have a lot of time" patrick said his voice stricken with urgency.

pete looked at the hamper for a moment before sighing and climbing inside with a little boost from patrick, pete was settled in the hamper his long legs slightly smashed against the sides.

"ok pete make sure you stay quiet no matter what you hear and don't move or say anything until i tell you." patrick said as he looked down at pete. pete nodded and patrick grinned as he threw the sheets and clothes on top of pete to disguise him.

they moved slow at first pete guessed that patrick was having a hard time pushing the hamper with his added weight in it, but after a moment patrick seemed to find his rythm and they moved seemlessly down those shiny halls that pete was all too familar with. they were both quiet the only sounds were the dull thuds of patrick's steps and the rumble of the heavy cart as it made it's way towards pete's freedom.

it looked like they would be getting out, pete could see it all now. his freedom and a life where test's weren't required everyday, where he could walk around and do as he pleased. pete could taste his new life and it was like ectasy.

pete's dreams of that life were almost all but shattered when he heard the sounds of other voices. he could hear them down in his hiding place their voices growing closer and closer and he was afraid, afraid that he and patrick wouldn't make it or worse that patrick would chicken out and turn him in.

pete's heart beat faster then it had ever done before and he didn't dare to breath as he felt patrick round a corner and the voices hit him loud. they didn't seem to notice patrick as their conversations mostly revolved around something that pete couldn't quite hear. pete thought for a moment that they would get away unscathed without challenge but maybe if he had been living in the real world he would have know that nothing is ever that easy.

"hey you there" pete heard a gruff voice say as he and patrick rounded a corner. patrick didn't bother to respond to the man and pete couldn't tell if that was a good decision or not.

"hey! i'm talking to you." the voice said once again and pete felt patrick stop, and pete's breathing stopped right along with him. as he lay still in the laundry hamper he waited and listened it was all he could do.

"yeah?" patrick said his voice a little too high and nervous to do either of them any good.

"i need to see your authorization badge" he heard the man say. god patrick, please have a badge. pete thought desperately because he didn't think he could bare being caught and being punished and the worst of all he couldn't bear the tought of losing that hope.

"it's right here" patrick managed to spit out his voice retaining something similar to calmness. there was silence as the man checked the badge, pete could swear that they'd all hear his heart as it beat wildly fast.

"alright it checks out" the man said and pete almost let out a breath of air in relife, "but i'm afraid i'm going to have to check your hamper before i let you go"

oh god, no! pete's mind was blank and he was scared now. there was nothing patrick could do to stop this and he lamented the fact that he was so close to freedom before it all came crashing down.

"i'm sorry, i'm in a hurry actually" patrick said now perfecting his i am a calm janitor voice.

"doesn't matter you still need to be checked for clearence" the man told patrick. as he moved ever closer to the hamper. pete could feel the man's body pressed to the side and he knew that he was mere inches away from being revealed.


chapter three: escape via a movie cliche

pete was now offically freaking out. he now knew that no one could save him and he'd be in a mountain of trouble for even trying to make it out of the institution. pete didn't know what had come over him. why he had tried to escape from the only life he knew. just because someone told him that he knew him. it had never crossed his mind that patrick could've been lying.

"no, really i must be going. surely you can let me slide just this time can't you?" pete heard patrick reasoning with the guard. the guard sounded like he was smirking.

"no, really i can't." he said and pete felt the weight of a hand touch the layer of clothes that protected him.

"this is it" pete thought. every ounce of hope leaving his body, quickly being replaced by a massive fear that was flooding his mind. in mere seconds he would be caught and hauled back to his room. where men in white would come and inspect him and probably punish him, while patrick would likely be fired and arrested.

while pete was filling with fear and perpairing to be caught he heard patrick speak.

"i'm sorry!" patrick yelled and pete felt a sudden lunge forward before the hamper began moving at a quicker pace as if patrick were running.

"hey!" pete heard the guard yell and he knew in that moment that patrick was running. it also helped that he could hear the dull quick thuds of patrick's shoes hitting the shiny floors. pete wasn't sure what he should do. should he stay hidden? or peek out and see what was happening? he wasn't sure, pete made up his mind and popped his head up from the hamper.

sure enough patrick was currently running as fast as he could down the halls, trying his best to get away from the burly guards. pete was nervous, patrick wasn't the most fit of guys and those guards were awfully fast. it must've looked odd even funny to someone viewing the scene, a man pushing a hamper with another man sitting inside. but at the moment pete could think of nothing but the sweet taste of freedom.

"patrick! take a right!" pete yelled as the duo neared a corner. patrick's eyes went wide and he tried his best to manuver the hamper around the corner. it was a sharp turn that caused pete to fall over into the hamper. the hamper itself caught the corner a bit but managed to get around the corner and as pete pulled himself back up he prayed that patrick knew where he was going.

pete turned and looked back at the guards that were following them, this wasn't the best idea because upon seeing him the guards went into a even worse panic. "he-he's stealing one of them!" the guards bellowed and pete watched as one of them stopped and said something into a small radio he held at his waist. patrick said nothing but continued running, pete looked up at him. seeing that his face was turning a fine shade of pink and that his breathing had become more ragged. he knew patrick was getting tired.

by now as pete surveyed their surroundings he realized that he had no idea where they were. he had never been in this part of the institute. it made him worried that there really was no ending to this place. "patrick, are we near the exit?" pete hollered at him and patrick managed out a breathy "yes"

pete didn't have to wait long to find out that patrick was right. he peered ahead and saw the large docking area which would become their escape route or so pete thought. just as pete and patrick neared the exit the guards were terribly close to them and pete knew it was a good thing that the guards didn't carry guns. they were too close now and pete knew he just knew that there would be no way he'd go back to his institute life now.

the guards were now just a few measley steps behind and patrick was losing it quickly. pete was desperate to get out and he was perpaired to fight tooth and nail for his freedom. pete shakily managed to slowly get to his knees then even stand up in the hamper, all the while patrick shouted at him to get back down.

"we're going out the docking bay right?" pete asked and patrick sweating nodded. pete didn't know where this risky side of him was coming from. all he had ever known himself to be was someone who followed orders and did what was right. something about patrick changed all that. pete bent and placed his left foot on the side of the hamper nearly falling as he did so. using his strenght pete leapt from the by now slow moving hamper and landed on the shining white floor.

pete turned seemlessly and grabbed hold of patrick's arm pulling him away from the hamper. the hamper itself without anyone pushing it continued rolling down the hallway. the duo of pete and patrick headed towards the docking bay door and to pete's relife he found that patrick was a great deal faster without the added weight of a full hamper and pete.

now that pete had gotten them back on track it was time for patrick to take over as he knew where they were going while pete did not. patrick quickly ducked into the docking area and pete saw their open door of freedom. the only sound was their feet slapping against the cement floor and pete could feel the cool night air of outside.

they had done it, they were home free. there was no way they'd be caught now. pete never pegged himself as an optimist but in that moment those words were all he was thinking. pete should've know to never get ahead of himself because just as he darted through the boxes of food and other random things being delivered, he heard patrick cry out. pete turned instantly to see that a guard had a good hold on patrick and that soon his friends would come along and drag patrick away.

pete hesitated for a moment. he glanced to his right seeing the open door to freedom and to his left stood the now caught patrick.

"pete, just go! run man! run!" patrick shouted as he attempted to free himself from the man's grip. pete knew that he could never let patrick remain here alone, he wasn't sure why but he couldn't do it. pete rushed back to patricks side despite patrick's objections and grabbed his free arm tugging as hard as he could. with patrick's thrashing coupled with pete's furious tugging and lack of back up the guard didn't stand much of a chance. patrick's arm slipped from the jacket sleeves and he was freed leaving the guard holding on to an empty jacket.

pete and patrick were gone before more guards could show up. they had escaped and were now running down the dirt path that lead away from the institute. the grass and shrubs surrounding them. pete could see far down the path there were some massive woods and once they reached those woods they would be free.


chapter four: welcome home parties shouldn't be this bad



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