Ezra
Everything settles. Every noise, chatter, they all go quiet save for the cackling of the bon fire. The air is thick with anticipation, and the newbies reek with faux confidence.
Deep down, they’re terrified. But we’re not allowed to be scared, and so we hide that s**t up, or better yet, bottle it and toss it somewhere so f*****g far away.
Sweat trickles down my spine, my jaw tight as pain shoots up my bad leg, but I hide it. The throb fluctuates between intense and dull, and f**k, it’s getting harder to stand.
When Ray nods, I nearly breathe a sigh of relief, clutching the bottles of whiskey because we’re about to get this over with.
“This initiation ritual will teach you some f*****g patience,” Ray declares. “Let’s f*****g go!”
A loud shot echoes in the sky, and the newbies at
