Withering on a cold floor, Jack tenderly caresses his sore area between his legs. A scabbed over surface resides engrained into his burnt flesh where a p***s once hung. Stomach pains bruise his stomach and take his mind away from missing appendage. He sits up slowly and stares up towards the ceiling of his enclosure, four walls about six feet by six feet possibly. The area was cramped and reeked of body excrement. He had to pick a corner to releive himself, although the worst was when he had to urinate. It would just spray from the torn chunk of skin, causing even more pain. In nothing but a pair of blood stained boxers, he sits and wonders why he’s being punished.
The door opens up for a brief moment as a shadow stares at him with lights gleaming behind them. “You’ve earned your chance to be free, this will not be easy. The people have asked for Stairway To Heaven, you’re gonna want to run as fast as you can.”
Jack stands up stammering, “W-wait what is this? What did I do to-”
“We start immediately'”, the shadow replies. The person grabs Jack by his shoulder and guides him down a grim hallway. Stains and scratches etched into the walls told a story that he wasn’t the first to come, nor would he be the last. Looking left to right he passes doors leading up to two large black doors.
“Through the doors you’ll find your chance, nothing short of a miracle will help you through this.” The man pushes him through the doors as Jack stumbles in. The floor was concrete but painted brightly in large spirals. Red, blue and yellow colors. The walls were dandelion yellow and the lights that hung above were fluorescent, ahead of him was one entrance.
“What the? Hello? Is anyone here?” He drags his bare feet across the floor and looks for any way to escape, in the corners her can see red dots blinking next to black ovals drilled into the walls. Cameras.
Waving his arms frantically he screams “Hey can you see me! Please help, somebody!”
A roar echoes through the room with ferocity, something angry was near. Through a hidden door, piercing through the darkness comes a figure of large mass. Entering, poking its head through, reveals a face with exposed raw muscle and slips of bone. Widening its massive jaws it stands on two legs and roars once more, standing before him is a grizzly bear. The face peeled off revealing a very angry beast, possibly hungry and obviously abused. It lands on both feet and charges towards Jack. He begins to run towards the entrance realizing the width was meant for this chase, the bear easily fit through. In the dark the animal’s cries ring in his ears. Closer it gets as he flees in desperation. At the end of the tunnel lies salvation, or so it seems. A wide stairway leads up to a doorway. Shining bright in red letters atop the last step, the sign proudly beams EXIT.
Jack chuckles amidst the tension with tears and forces his legs to work harder. Without hesitation he jumps onto the first step and cries out, looking down he sees sandpaper with what appeared to be tacks glued to it. The bear approaches from behind as he clamps his hand around one knee and pulls it upwards. Metal points slide out in a red ooze from the bottom of his right foot. It lands onto the second step which causes another level of pain, his raw sole lands upon rusted nails. In confusion from the first step, he didn’t pay attention towards it. Crying and screaming, he tries to fight the pain until claws slit his back apart like knives through roast beef. Reality crawls into his head and kick starts his brain sending him into overdrive, he had to move now, or die.
Blood squirts out as the bear swings again on his lower back, this time biting onto his lower left leg as well achieving a clump of muscle as a reward. Jack places his hand upon the third step with broken razors digging into his palms. Blood seeps through his calloused palm, he grits his teeth and raises his left leg quickly. Reaching the same level with his hand, he obtains some balance and springs his body forward. The bear swings at him just out of reach, Jack pushes forward with the next step, the stings prickle among his hands in light jabs. He finds it funny until factory fans come to life from the sides blowing the mystery dust into his face, blended glass.
The dangerous dust burrow into his corneas, squeezing his eyes tight, he yells and pushes forward regardless. Something wet burns his unexpecting palm as it faces the next stair, lifting his hand his skin drips down like melted cheese. His feet fight against the glass, while trying to recover from the splits of razor blades. Pounding, they swell with blood leaking out in slow drips.
Eyes shut, he slams his hand atop the last step, expecting something horrible he is relieved as his hand grazes a smooth surface. The bear continues to roar from the bottom of the steps, furious with blood across its face. Jack steps towards the door and pushes it forward, halting he realizes it’s stuck. Pushing again it opens a hair, the floors then disappear underneath him. A false hope it was after all, just a game to appease the viewers.
The stairs creating a slope, Jack slides down amongst the razors, glass and other distractions. In blindness, he can only imagine what objects are tearing apart his back and shoulders, his lower body and buttocks, his legs and arms, all in a frenzy of pain. Slamming to the floor, riddled in lacerations, he cries out in pain.
His throat is grasped into a iron jaw as he’s thrust around like a rag doll, his body flinging violently with his limbs flailing. Thrown onto the ground, his neck breaks causing his body to go numb. In his last thoughts, he thinks of his wife Karla and daughter Mya. Happiness invades his brain for a second, before a wild bear brings him back to reality gnawing down onto his face. The hungry bear cracks Jack’s jaw apart and begins to eat his face first.
