Beginning

The flashing rave video and the fake fog that swirled in the dark room made it difficult to read the chat room transcript on the flat-screen monitors, but Brian knew he’d been betrayed as a fool.

minerofLove: where do you want to go miranda: we could go anywhere, outta here. U up 4 a little peeping? minerofLove: i dont … I never miranda: its the closest we can get to sex mike: is he never gonna get it? homealone: dude, shes a guy he tries this with evry1 peter: put him out of my misery miranda: OK, Im busted

He could almost feel the flush that colored his face when he had a body. It didn’t matter what had happened to him, what changes he’d gone through, he was still the same hick kid he’d always been. The whole night was a mistake and these people weren’t what he’d thought. He looked at the rave on the monitors and contemplated the fate of the young people dancing outside the room. You’re all going to die and end up like us. You can dance to all the Christian rock you want, it won’t make any difference.

Well screw them, he thought. I don’t have to put up with any of this. If I want to leave, I can.

He started toward the open doorway when he saw a man outside close the door to the room.

What the hell, he thought. Why’d they shut the damn door? Maybe one of these jerks knows who to call. Which is when he noticed the last comments displayed on the monitors.

miranda: who closed the door mike: hey the walls moving

None of the people dancing outside noticed anything.