"Before we start this operation, you need to take a bath first," Mike Barrow declared. Mitchell pinched his nose.

"Yeah, dude! You smell like unwashed gym socks, pickles, and a hint of moldy cheese!" he yelled. Ren sniffed his armpit. He normally didn't mind on days when he chosen not to shower.

"Are you bastards really this ignorant on what goes on between the inmates? So don't expect me to smell like roses!" he snapped. Mitchell pointed a big finger in Ren's face.

"Suck it up! You're locked up for a reason!"

"Now, now. Let's settle this like gentlemen," Mike drawled. Ren's cheeks flushed, but he did not say anything.

...

Ren heard the dreadful click of the key locking his 'bedroom' door. Gathering up his rough towel and rag, he went to the bathroom. The water was already drawn for him, a bar of soap resting peacefully on the soap dish. Ren undressed himself from his stinky prison uniform and slid into the tub. He rubbed the bar on his rag and scrubbed the dirt from his skin. He even washed the little strays of hair upon his head. Suddenly, Ren heard footsteps come in the bathroom. He looked up from his bathing. It was Anne, giggling at his confused facial expression.

"What-what-what are you gawking at?!" Ren demanded. Anne rolled her eyes.

"Keep your voice down. I'm here to check on you," she said matter-of-factly. Ren's jaw clenched. How dare she act so casual after she betrayed him?

"Well, I'm not doing anything wrong. For all I know, those bastards are probably monitoring my every move as we speak," Ren laughed soundlessly, shutting his lids. Anne leaned over to him. Ren opened his eyes, paling as he noticed that some of her cleavage were on display.

"Do you think I lied to you?" she whispered into Ren's ear. He trembled. He knew what game Anne was playing.

"No, my love," Ren said.

"Good. I always admired you from afar. I'm sorry that you have to go through this punishment, but it's for your own good. To keep you safe."
"I understand, love."
"You don't have to pretend to understand. It's okay." Anne brushed her lips against Ren's wet neck. Ren felt sluggish after she pulled away. She grabbed his head and tilted it up towards her.

"No matter what I do, just remember whose side I'm really on." That was the last sentence Ren heard before a blanket of darkness settled over him.

...

"This is just stupid! All of this, I'm telling ya!" someone muttered. Ren cracked his eyes open a little bit. He saw a woman bash her head over and over again on a closed laptop. Ren shifted his body, wiggle his fingers, anything. He could not move. Not even his head. The woman opened her computer again, typing away endlessly. She stopped to unbraid her brown hair and comb it. She drained her coffee cup quickly.

"Where-where am I?" Ren croaked. His throat felt thick, making it hard for him to form compressible sentences.

"Huh? Oh, man. Almost forgot," the woman said. She walked briskly to Ren's side. He noticed how baggy her eyes were.

"What are you going to do to-to me?" he asked.

"Not supposed to say. Just pay attention and do what we tell you." The woman hooked something to Ren's eyelids, making them not blink. She returned to her desk, typing away at her computer again. A man appeared in front of Ren. He held a cage of scuttling, squeaking things. Ren swallowed. The man sauntered toward him. He opened the cage and slammed it against Ren's face. Ren screamed. Rats, he thought. The rats chewed and gnawed on his fur, scratched their long and rough nails across his cheeks. Ren let out a howl, struggling against the binds holding him to the chair.

"STOP! STOP IT! MAKE IT GO AWAY! MAKE IT GO AWAY!" he begged. A rat yanked out his eyelash with its sharp yellow teeth. Will they let him suffer like this? Nobody came to his aide. Ren fought harder. He cursed out Mike Barrow and his fiancé, the woman, the cage man, his parents, women in general, Winnie, Winnie's henchmen, and himself. Himself for being so gullible. Panting after the first beautiful girl that acknowledged him, smiled at him. Ren wanted to strangle Anne for her web of lies. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED THIS MONTH! DO THIS STUFF TO ANNE, NOT ME! SHE CAME TO ME FIRST! SENT ME NOTES, KISSED ME, HAD INTERCOUR-," Ren confessed loudly. Then, the rats jumped back into the cage. The man coaxed them in with a hunk of cheddar cheese. He dropped it down the cage and banged the door shut. Ren sucked in huge, satisfying gulps of sweet air. The woman grinned at him sadly.

"Enjoy that while you can. Part Two begins tomorrow." Ren's hands shook. Part Two?

"Why must I suffer like this? I didn't do anything wrong!" he protested. The woman unlatched the binds ensnaring his arms and legs. Ren dropped to the floor, trembling. He touched his face. Blood covered his palms. The woman helped him up. Ren batted her hands away.

"Don't touch me," he snapped. The woman stuffed her hands in her pockets. A nametag was pinned on her Blur shirt. Alexandria E. Baker.

"Sorry, Mr. Hoek. Uh...I doubt Mrs. Barrow will get in trouble for her little crush," she said, rubbing the nape of her neck. Ren exhaled through his nose. As he followed Alexandria through the door, he noticed the Office Word document opened on her laptop. The name Anne screamed out at him. Ren gulped.

"Are...you working for the press or something?" he asked nervously.

"Nope. Just writing a book," Alexandria replied curtly. Ren decided not to prod her further. He did not trust her. He did not trust anyone. Alexandria stopped Ren with a tentative hand on his shoulder. He flinched away.

"I know I shouldn't tell you this, but-," she began.

"Don't."
"But there won't be rats next time. People will examine your reactions to certain...things. Remember this, the 'things' are not real. Fakes," Alexandria said. She had a strange glint in her bright azure eyes. Ren assumed she was crazy.

"What's the point of reacting to shit? Why do they want me to do that?" Ren asked indifferently. Alexandria pressed her lips, but didn't say anything. Before Ren went inside to his bedroom, Alexandria muttered something. He turned toward her.

"What?"
"I said, I don't understand the point of torturing criminals to reduce trouble. When you really think about it, we're no better than they are. Than you are." Alexandria walked away, leaving Ren with a tornado of thoughts swirling around in his mind.

***
"Psst! Hey, wake up!" whispered a voice. Ren opened his eyes. He pretended to fall asleep in order to trick the cameras. Big racoon-shaped pink eyes bored into his. Winnie.

"Come on. Let's go," Winnie commanded. Ren shook his head.

"No. I won't," he whispered firmly.

"Why?"

"I don't trust you. Not anyone else for that matter."

"Yeah. I heard about the rat incident," Winnie said, wiping her eyes. Ren noticed that they were filled with tears.

"You did?" he asked, shaken up.

"Come with me and the boys. You can avoid the next punishment the bastards have cooking up!" she begged. Ren sighed.

"I wish I could, but I have no choice. And how'd you get in here anyway?" he questioned. Winnie picked up the same bobby pin she used to unlock his handcuffs.

"You can read all the racy mags you want. I'll even let you have the biggest amount of cash we can find!" she prattled on. Ren held his hand up.

"No," he groaned.

"I'll murder that bitch for you. No charge." Ren gasped. Winnie's head snapped back, spraying blood across the walls. She collapsed on the rug. Anne walked in with a handgun. She pressed it against Ren's neck.

"I'll let this one slide if we...," she smirked, pressing a kiss above his eyebrow. Ren tried to shove her away, but she climbed on top of him.

"After this, I'll tell Mike that I lied about everything. We can even get married afterwards," Anne laughed. Ren felt sick. He wanted to throw up.

"Why would I want to marry you?" he asked in disgust. Anne ignored him.

"I have names for all of our children. Would you like to hear them?" she tittered and put the gun between his lips. Suddenly, a voice piped up.

"Okay, that's enough!" Ren instantly recognized the voice as Mike's. Lights lit up, revealing the press, tv interviewers, and Ren's old colleagues from work. Mike looked at Mr. Horse hopefully.
"What'd you think from that performance?" he inquired.

"Hmm...yes, sir! I like this!" Mr. Horse said enthusiastically. Ren gazed at the woman who pretended to be Anne. She had a long spill of red hair, jade eyes, tan fur, and-Ren's stomach churned as he thought this-curvy. She fluttered her lashes and licked her lips at him. She then bowed to ogling audience and scampered away. Mike beamed proudly.

"Yep, that's Johanna! Best actress we have!" he said. Cameras flashed, each trying to get a good picture of the humiliated chihuahua.

***
Stimpy attempted to read the newspaper while eating his favorite cereal. He blushed when Rocket tapped him on his shoulder.

"Do you know where my skates are?" she asked. Stimpy was about to reply when he saw a caption that made his heart drop. A headline showing his former best friend with a disturbed expression on his face. Rocket gaped at the photo.

"It's that new operation the government wanted to try out. God, I thought it would never work!" Stimpy gulped. He didn't know what to do.

***
Ren put on a suit and tie laid out on his bed. The blood on the walls were cleaned up. The actress Johanna nuzzled her head into his shoulder.

"You're cute. I meant what I said about getting married," she whispered. Ren's lips paled. His torture felt like a bad dream and he just wanted to wake up for good. He stood up. He wrenched his eyes away from Johanna's sparkling silver dress that hugged her hourglass body.

"I wish not to get married. I wish not to do anything that involves girls for a long time," Ren announced. Johanna sniffed, obviously hurt by the rejection.

"Guys are so fickle!" she huffed. To Ren's relief, the actress sashayed away with her nose up in the air. To be honest, Ren had no desire for females unless he felt the need to pass on the Hoek family bloodline. Two familiar figures loomed in his view. Ren's mouth dropped open. It was Stimpy and his father! Ren darted to them. He kept a respectful distance from Stimpy.

"So, son. You've gone and done it, haven't you?" Hans remarked.

"Dad, that stuff wasn't true," Ren said weakly.

"Oh yeah?! Who the hell should I believe?! You?" Hans shouted angrily. Ren jumped. His father hardly ever raised his voice.

"Direct your anger towards the girl. I did not do anything wrong," Ren snapped.

"Shut up! Just shut it! Why do you always have to be a disgrace to this family? Why?!"
"Stop yelling at me," Ren said quietly. Tears shone in his eyes. He had seen so much horrible things done to him. He wanted it all to end. Hans backed off. Stimpy cleared his throat.

"Mr. Hoek, can I speak with your son? Alone?" he asked. Hans stalked off, glaring at Ren over his shoulder. Ren let the tears fall, not caring that anyone saw. Stimpy hugged him tightly.

"Buddy," he whispered. A chihuahua girl scuttled past, bumping against Ren. Their eyes met. The girl blushed. Ren considered that she would be his best option for a mother. If she was willing to after all. Someone hugged Ren. Their hug was even tighter than Stimpy's. Ren choked.

"You're alive!" Rocket shouted. Ren didn't mind, letting his cousin kiss him on the forehead repeatedly. The female looked dejected. Ren mouthed to her that Rocket was his cousin. The girl brightened again.