After they left the area that had been terrorized to avoid contact with the police, Billy and Ellie were kept in the trunk of a van among other children who had also been taken from their homes. Two armed terrorists were assigned to watch over them as the vehicle moved.
All the children were tied up and blindfolded. Throughout the long night journey, Billy made sure to hold onto Ellie tightly.
By morning, they arrived at an abandoned structure, hidden deep within the woods, far from the city.
The boss stepped down from the van and ordered his men to lock the children in separate cells. Billy clung to Ellie, refusing to let go, remaining silent despite still being blindfolded. One of the men called the boss's attention.
"Boss, this little boy refuses to let go of his sister. He thinks he's a man now."
The other men laughed. The boss approached Billy slowly and removed his blindfold, then asked,
"What's your name, little boy?"
Billy refused to respond. He simply stared at the boss, his eyes burning with pure rage as glimpses of his dead parents flashed through his memory.
The boss smirked and said,
"Ahh, yes, that stare... I am known as Dreadfang. Do you know what that means, little boy? It means terror. It means fear." He then laughed before continuing, "I had that same look in my eyes when I killed my own father. He was a monster anyway! I just did the world a favor."
Turning to one of his men, Dreadfang instructed, "Don't separate these two. I want to see how useful he will be. Who knows? I might keep him for myself."
One of the men grabbed Billy and Ellie, whispering,
"You think you're tough, huh? Let's see how long you last in here."
He then untied their hands and shoved them into a cell.
"Kids... I hate kids. There's a toilet in the corner, a bed at the other end. You'll be served food in the morning and evening—if there's any left. And if you want to die, do it quickly. No one here has time to save anyone. That will be all for now. Good luck."
Billy hugged Ellie as she stood frozen in shock and disbelief.
"Ellie, we are going to get out of here, okay?"
Ellie, unable to speak, simply nodded.
Billy moved forward, scanning his surroundings. All around him were cells just like his, each containing other children. Looking up, he noticed a massive screen elevated above them, positioned so that every cell had a clear view of whatever was displayed on it.
Billy thought to himself, *What are they going to do with us? I don't want anything to happen to Ellie.* He turned back to Ellie, who remained silent, still frightened by everything happening around her.
Hours later, armed men spread out across the cells, pushing trays of food. Billy watched as the other cellmates acted aggressively, fighting for their meals.
*How long have these people been here? What have they done to them?* he wondered.
One of the men approached their cell, prompting Billy to instinctively step back toward Ellie.
"So, you're among the new kids that arrived this morning, huh?" The man slipped their meal under the steel bars. "Here, this is your food. I'm Freddy. You'll be seeing me more often."
Billy glared at him and responded,
"You pretend to care, yet you're involved in holding us against our will."
Freddy smirked and replied, "You're a little too smart for your age. You won't understand. I don't have a choice. But we're giving you kids a choice—a choice I never had."
Billy, not understanding, raised his voice.
"What do you mean by that? We had a family, and it was taken from us! We were brought here against our will, and now you talk about choices?"
Freddy looked stunned, his eyes widening with realization. Tears welled up as he murmured, "What do you mean? But that's not what I was told... What's going on?"
He quickly turned and walked away.
Billy called after him. "Mister! Mister Freddy! Please, don't leave!"
Exhaling deeply, he turned back to Ellie, who still hadn't spoken. Her silence worried him even more.
"Ellie, here. Have some food. You haven't eaten since we left."
Ellie slowly turned to Billy. "Billy, where are Mom and Dad? When will they come to get us?"
Billy's heart sank. He hugged Ellie tightly as she began to cry.
*We will leave here together, I swear it,* Billy thought, tears rolling down his face as he clenched his fist. *I don't know how long it will take, but we have to leave.*
Suddenly, Billy noticed a surveillance camera positioned at the top corner of their cell. He stood up and stared directly at it, knowing full well who was watching.
Dreadfang smirked as he observed Billy through the monitor.
"Hah! I knew he was something, after seeing that death stare... I'd like to see how he turns out," he muttered before standing and leaving the room.
One of his men, watching Billy's cell, asked, "What's so special about this kid?"
Dreadfang overheard and responded with a question of his own.
"How many of the cell occupants noticed the camera on their first day?"
Silence filled the room.
Dreadfang continued, "None. Even I didn't notice it when I was taken to a place like this."
He grinned. "This boy is different. He will make a fine sale when he's ready."