#//ty nighttime brain for giving me this gift

[smellslikejail]

The Beginning of the End

Time wasn't quite right here. Sam knew that. His hair was getting longer, and his facial hair was getting scruffy and unkempt. That meant something; but he didn't quite know what.

At least he was in a bigger room. Bigger mat. Softer too. He could stand up and walk around. The small room only let him stand up and lay down.

The small room was bad. There was pain in the small room. Cuts and scrapes. Bruises and aches that filled his whole body. Sam shuddered. They would turn off the lights for so long that he could almost see things in the dark. Shapes and colors that he didn't recognize. Then the lights came back on and there was relief.

But they didn't turn off. On and on and on on on. It burned. He tried to hide from it, but the light was always there. There were tears during that time. Tears and tears and tears. Till there were none left.

Where was he? Oh, the big room. Things were better here. No more screaming. No more pain. Clu would visit. Oh, those were the best times. Clu was warm and bright like the sun...sun...son. He was son once, but that didn't make sense. He was Clu's. Just like Rinzler. Just like the Grid.

Sam looked at his hands. He didn't have red lines before. But he did now. The User (user?) physicaly cringed. When Clu gave him the lines, it had hurt so much. Rinzler had red lines and a helmet. Sam had to wear a helmet now. He liked the helmet. It was dark and quiet.

He could walk now too and not be dragged everywhere. When Clu came, he would put Sam's disc on his back and he would feel better. Or worse. Or both. Rinzler would visit too. He'd sit there and look at him. Sam liked his rumble.

Sam remembered he was afraid of Rinzler once. Afraid of Clu too. But that wasn't right. Clu was his Master. Master of Rinzler too. Said they would do great things together. Sam really wanted that. He wanted to make Clu happy. Make Clu proud. Make dad...dad?

Sam shook his head and tried to grab at the thought, but it always slipped away like smoke. He sighed out of boredom. He wanted to see the Games. To sit by Clu and watch Rinzler.

There were footsteps and he stood up, hoping they were coming for him. Maybe it was Clu or Rinzler. Not the guards. The guards were mean. They called him User, but that was wrong. He was Sam.

The footsteps were getting louder, and Sam watched the door with anticipation.