P O L A R I S j o s h l e r

T I G H T E R

Filler but still very important chapter

A high pitched whine pierced Tyler's ears. Bright lights had been flicked on, breaking through Tyler's closed eyes. He was afraid to open them.

Wherever he was, he was sitting in a cold steel chair with his hands in tight, bruising handcuffs as they sat in his lap.

"Open your eyes." A gruff voice demanded.

"No." Tyler whimpered, his voice hoarse. His jaw trembled in fear and he only squeezed his eyes shut tighter.

Another man spoke, his words hushed and quick. "Josh, no, don't-"

"OPEN THEM!"

Tyler jumped in his seat, his eyes snapping open. He couldn't see anything beyond the light that streamed down upon him. It was blinding; causing his eyes to hurt the moment the light hit them.

He couldn't see who the voices belonged to, and that scared him. He was shaking where he sat, tears already spilling down his cheeks.

"Jesus, you already made him fucking cry."

"I don't care. The meteorite landed in his backyard and now it's gone. I want answers." The first voice seethed, seemingly growing closer to Tyler.

"Please don't hurt me," he whimpered. "I'll do whatever you want. I'll tell you whatever you want."

"See, Red Hot?" The second voice sighed. "He'll tell us everything."

Whoever Red Hot was, he didn't seem to be satisfied. He rounded the table between them, moving his face down close to Tyler's. The younger was able to smell his cologne, though masked heavily by the stench of cigarettes.

"Are you gonna fess up?" The man growled.

Lips pursed together tightly, Tyler nodded. "Yes, I will. I-I will."

Josh sniffed, standing back up straight. He sneered down upon Tyler; the sniveling mess of a man. But he didn't buy it. He knew he did something with the meteorite, and until the government interjected, it was his mission to find out just what that was.

"Turn off the light, Gibson." Josh said, walking back to the exit, where he would be letting in a woman to question him.

Gibson shut off the light, wheeling it over to the corner. Tyler blinked over and over again, sniffling like a lost lamb. Finally able to see, he gasped.

He was in a cinder block room. Four walls, no windows, just a mirror. He knew that it was a two-way mirror; he had been in a room exactly like this years ago. Wherever he was, he was unable to do anything to protect himself.

And it scared him.

Gibson watched the man from the corner with the light. He noticed that simply looking around him caused sweat to roll down the side of his head, and his breathing picked up.

In his lap beneath the tabletop, his hands were fidgeting like crazy. His feet never stayed still, nor did his eyes. They constantly bounced off the walls as he tried to regain any sort of breath.

"Are you scared?" Gibson finally spoke, triggering a knee-jerk jump in Tyler.

"S-scared?" Tyler asked him. He was unable to form any other words. Instead, he nodded.

"Don't be," Gibson said as the door opened once more and he moved towards it. "Mrs. Black here is a very nice woman."

In the doorway stood a thin, long-legged blonde woman around Tyler's age. Her face was beautiful, yet simplistic. Kind, as well.