Free Little Dead Monsters by Kieran Song Page B

had privileges to leave the underground Arena whenever we wished. Everyone else needed special permission to set foot on the surface. Despite having satellite dishes installed at the tallest buildings in order to block satellite images from peering into Bimini, Ryker was still paranoid of the Arena’s discovery by an outsider.
     
    It was cloudy tonight, which was a shame. I rarely set foot outside and when I did, I enjoyed looking at the stars. The air had a smell to it too that reminded me of back home. God, I missed the world outside of this Arena. Everything seemed to make sense back in Jersey. Kids go to school, grow up, get jobs, get married, and have kids of their own.
    Meanwhile in the Arena, kids get caged, tossed into a pit, fight, and if they survived, get caged again and the cycle repeats itself. It just didn’t make any sense to me.
    I’ve been thinking about it for a long time now. It was only till after I saw the look in those children’s eyes as they tried to run away from Zombie that I decided it was time for me to go. I’m going to leave the Arena, and tell the world about the crap that’s going on in here.
    They’ll throw me in jail, but I don’t care. I deserve to be locked up. God help me, but I need to do at least one thing right in my life, and nothing seems more important to me than ending Ryker’s insanity.
     

Chapter Fourteen.
     
     
     
    The burlap sack smelled like rotten potatoes and Dog wanted nothing more than to get the damn thing off his head. The stench was nauseating.
    Minutes ago, Dallas and a couple other guards entered into Dog’s cell and bound his hands and feet with chains. At first, Dog thought he was scheduled for another fight but when the nasty sack went over his head, he realized that there was something else in store for him. They grabbed him by the arms — blind and helpless — and escorted him through the tunnels.
    “Watch your step,” Dallas said as they shoved him onto a platform. As he felt the ground beneath him move, Dog realized they were in an elevator. They were going up.
    When the elevator finally stopped, they shoved him out of it and dragged him through a hollow corridor; every footstep they took echoed. They eventually stopped while one of the guards fiddled with a mechanical panel, which was followed by the sounds of gears turning in some sort of machine.
    The sudden gust of wind against his skin was a pleasant surprise. The cold air was refreshing and it invigorated him. It was ironic that while living on the street, Dog struggled to be indoors as much as possible, and now that he was a prisoner inside the Arena, it was the opposite. He longed to be outside and roaming free once again.
    He was forced into a vehicle and he almost cringed when he heard the sounds of the metal doors slide close. It reminded him of the first time these people forced him into a van. At least he had a hamburger to eat then, instead of a moldy bag on his head. The ride was a quick one and the vehicle soon pulled over and Dog was instructed to get out.
    As soon as his feet touched the ground, the bag was removed from his head and he inhaled a deep breath of clean air. It was euphoric.
    “Welcome to Ryker’s home,” Dallas said as he pushed Dog along the gravel pathway to a beautiful two-storey home. “Nice house isn’t it? Ryker had it built to look like one of those plantation homes, the ones the white masters lived in while their black slaves picked cotton in the fields. Not a style I would choose for myself but Ryker mentioned something about honouring his ancestors.”
    Dog stared at the extravagant house and was puzzled.
    “What am I doing here?”
    “You’re lucky,” Dallas said. “Because of your recent status as champion, you get to dine with Ryker tonight.”
    Dog shrugged. “Whatever,” he replied, despite the fact that his stomach was rumbling. He ignored the hunger pains. Dog was used to them.
    Dallas led him, still bound in chains, into the lavish