One Way Out
You found Brandon down the hallway. He jumped when he saw you. "I hear you're helping John now," he said quietly with no emotion.
"Yes, John wants you. In the commons," you matched his coldness.
"Do I have a choice?"
"Sure, you always have a choice," you said, giving him a cold smile. Some choices are definitely better than others, of course.
Brandon mirrored your smile and sighed. He started walking to the commons, you followed behind him. John was sitting on the floor, looking at Landon. Landon was tied to the husky in the middle. John stood up when he heard our footsteps echo through the commons.
"Brandon! Our guest of the hour! You know what to do," John said as he handed Brandon a flint lighter and a can of what looked like gasoline. Brandon's eyes flickered for a second. He steeled himself and threw the black liquid onto Landon. Landon gasped and Brandon flinched. He was still alive. He was going to be burned alive.
"Well, get on with it!" John yelled.
Brandon continued to douse Landon with gasoline. "Stop," Landon whispered but you could hear it from this far away. The gas can was empty. Brandon backed up and clicked the lighter on and threw it. Landon was a flaming ball now. It was impossibly bright and you had to shield your eyes from the fire. When the screams stop, you turned back to the corpse. The fire was still burning, but not as strong as before.
You looked around. John was smiling peacefully, staring at the flame. Brandon was on his knees, head down. John clapped his hands. "Well, that was fun," he exclaimed happily.
"Fun?" Brandon said quietly. "You sick, twisted sadist! You and your little accomplice," Brandon looked right at you. "You shouldn't have done that, you shouldn't have helped John, you're going to regret it one way or another."
He turned around and went to leave.
"Yes, John wants you. In the commons," you matched his coldness.
"Do I have a choice?"
"Sure, you always have a choice," you said, giving him a cold smile. Some choices are definitely better than others, of course.
Brandon mirrored your smile and sighed. He started walking to the commons, you followed behind him. John was sitting on the floor, looking at Landon. Landon was tied to the husky in the middle. John stood up when he heard our footsteps echo through the commons.
"Brandon! Our guest of the hour! You know what to do," John said as he handed Brandon a flint lighter and a can of what looked like gasoline. Brandon's eyes flickered for a second. He steeled himself and threw the black liquid onto Landon. Landon gasped and Brandon flinched. He was still alive. He was going to be burned alive.
"Well, get on with it!" John yelled.
Brandon continued to douse Landon with gasoline. "Stop," Landon whispered but you could hear it from this far away. The gas can was empty. Brandon backed up and clicked the lighter on and threw it. Landon was a flaming ball now. It was impossibly bright and you had to shield your eyes from the fire. When the screams stop, you turned back to the corpse. The fire was still burning, but not as strong as before.
You looked around. John was smiling peacefully, staring at the flame. Brandon was on his knees, head down. John clapped his hands. "Well, that was fun," he exclaimed happily.
"Fun?" Brandon said quietly. "You sick, twisted sadist! You and your little accomplice," Brandon looked right at you. "You shouldn't have done that, you shouldn't have helped John, you're going to regret it one way or another."
He turned around and went to leave.