“Unfortunately, yes,” David muttered to his roommate. “Where did they find you?”
“In the middle of the parking lot!” Zeke exhaled in frustration. “I was trying to get a better signal calling home.”
The engine roared to life beneath them, and the vehicle jolted forward, sending them both skidding toward the front of the trunk. It was all David could do to avoid smashing his head against the wall. Judging by Zeke’s groan, he hadn’t been so lucky.
“You blindfolded too?” David managed, shifting himself back upright.
“Yes!” Zeke said. “God. I am an ignoramus. What the hell was I thinking when I joined this club?”
David sighed. Zeke was right. They really only had themselves to blame. The Wolf Club was an unsanctioned social club, and even though hazing was supposed to be banned, everyone knew it still happened. They had both heard some absurd rumors regarding its rituals, but David had just assumed they were only that—rumors—especially because they’d made it so far without anything happening.
“Clearly, we’re both a bit thick,” he said, wincing as he tried, and failed, to loosen his binds. He guessed they must have been biding their time, perhaps to make it all the more unpredictable. “What happened to your phone, Zeke? Do you still have it?”
“No.” He huffed. “They snatched it, right in the middle of a conversation with my grandmother! She’s going to have a heart attack, I tell you. Bloody morons.”
A smile twitched at David’s lips in spite of everything. His influence on Zeke’s vocabulary was quite noticeable already, and they’d only been roommates for a couple months. David secretly hoped Zeke would be calling guys blokes by the time they parted ways.
“Well, I’m sure they’ll give the phone back.” David cleared his throat. “After they’ve done…whatever it is they’re going to do.”
“And what do you think that is?” Zeke’s voice wavered a touch. “Make us rob a grocery store? Drop us in a lake? Bury us underground?”
“Umm…I have no idea. But hopefully none of those,” David replied.
At this point, he was down to hoping that the rumors were grossly exaggerated. That they’d just have to run a few laps around a field or something. Maybe butt naked. He wasn’t exactly an au naturel kind of guy, but even that would be better than doing something illegal.
Uncomfortable silence fell between the two men while David’s mind continued to mull over what could possibly lie in store for them. He shoved himself up against the wall separating them from the front compartment of the vehicle, hoping to catch snippets of conversation. But try as he might, either the guys were being quiet or the engine was simply too loud, because he was still clueless when the van pulled to an abrupt stop what felt like ten minutes later.
The engine quieted, and the back doors swung open. Hands grabbed David by the ankles and dragged him out. Then he was being carried again, the sound of twigs cracking and leaves crunching underfoot. They must be in some kind of forest.
“Oi—watch what your hands are gripping, man!” Zeke yelled from several feet behind.
“Sorry, bro,” one of the boys replied, sniggering. “It’s dark.”
“The sooner your initiation is over, the sooner you’ll be back to base.” Seb’s voice rose up from somewhere on David’s left. “If you survive it, of course…”
“What do you say, boys? Give these cubs the chant?” Max added.
Jeers erupted from around David and quickly transformed into a bizarre chorus of words he couldn’t understand. Apparently, the whole club had been waiting on them out here. The chant sounded like Latin, though the intonation was guttural and downright tribal—effectively turning the creepiness dial up a notch. David had to wonder if they were going to roast them on a spit or something.
The group began to slow, then came to a halt. David was lowered onto coarse grass. Hands on his wrists and ankles loosened the bindings and slipped them off. David immediately reached up to remove his blindfold.
As he pushed himself upright, his eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness. He could hear a chorus of hurried footfalls disappearing into the distance. The guys had scampered already, leaving him with nothing but pale shafts of moonlight to guide his way.
“Zeke?” David called tentatively, rising to unsteady feet. “You here?”
He heard stumbling to his right and turned to see the dazed silhouette of his five-foot-seven friend staggering into the small clearing.
“Yes,” Zeke sniped, swiping at his brow.
David navigated a fallen tree trunk and moved closer. Whatever lay in store for them next—finding their way home, presumably—he figured it was wise to stay close to each other in the gloom.
He’d almost reached his friend’s side when something hit the small of his back. He whirled to see a large white ball at his feet.
“Ow.” Zeke jumped as an identical ball caught him in the shoulder, flying at him from the opposite direction.
As David stooped down to pick his up, he realized it was less of a ball and more of a bundle. There was a white shirt and a pair of white pants rolled up tightly together. He unraveled them and furrowed his brow. Both were at least a size too small.
“I’m not sure how much more nonsense I can take this evening,” Zeke grumbled, unravelling his own bundle. “What are we supposed to—”
“Put them on.” Max’s voice suddenly crackled through the forest, amplified by some kind of loudspeaker. “And leave your old clothes in a pile on the ground. You’ll have no more need for them tonight.”
David spun in the direction of the command, disoriented. So, the others were still in the forest. Where? At least two of them couldn’t be far away, to have aimed the clothes with such accuracy. As David squinted, trying to make out their forms lurking among the trees, Max added ominously, “I also suggest that you be quick. The gauntlet will begin in three minutes.”
There was a sound of loud static, and his voice cut out.
“Gauntlet?” Zeke whispered, his voice suddenly tense. “What is that?”
“I don’t know,” David replied, wetting his lips. “But I think we should get these on.”
Clutching the bundles, they separated, each moving behind a tree. David slipped off his trousers, still feeling paranoid about who was standing where, who might be watching. Tugging on the smaller pair over his boxers, he managed to get them up to his waist—though they looked ridiculous, the hems coming up several inches short around his ankles—then tore off his shirt and replaced it with the white one. Thankfully, it was made from slightly stretchy material, though he still felt like the Michelin Man.
Conscious that their allotted three minutes must nearly be up, he ducked out from behind the tree to reunite with Zeke, who had also changed—into clothes that were clearly several sizes too big.
David grimaced. Whoever had thrown the bundles had bollocksed it up.
Before he could suggest switching clothes, something whooshed past his ear and splattered against the tree beside him. He turned to see a dark splotch.
Then a barrage of tiny balls started shooting at them from all directions.
