Alpha Beta Sigma

Life was going perfectly—at least, it seemed that way. I had just moved in with my girlfriend, Mya, at the local state school, and I was part of the rushing process for Alpha Beta Sigma, the most elite frat on campus. Everything was falling into place. Over the past week, I’d met the brothers, proved my worth, and fit right in. Why wouldn’t I? Back home, I was the star of the football team, and most people thought I had the charm to match.

Today's frat event was the infamous "Volleyball Blast" at the frat house, just a few blocks from where I lived. Mya, my high school sweetheart, tagged along, and I proudly showed her around. Things were going smoothly, except for one incident—a rush was allegedly pushed down a flight of concrete stairs by one of the brothers. The poor guy broke his arm, and an ambulance had to carry him away. But honestly, even that didn’t sour my mood. Nothing could. I felt like I was on top of the world.

By the end of the party, the Vice President, Jack, slipped me a note. He did it with the kind of discreteness that let me know it was good news. “Keep up the good work,” he whispered with a wink.

I looked around warily, and backed myself into a corner to open the note without having to worry about prying eyes. 

Congratulations. You are invited to our final cuts ceremony tonight at midnight. Come to the frat house for this special annual ritual for your chance to be admitted to one of the most prestigious organizations in the country.

My heart nearly leaped out of my chest with excitement and I could hardly wait to get back to the dorm to show Mya the good news.

“So what did you think of the brothers,” I asked, grinning, picking up the invitation and showing it to her as soon as we got back. “Looks like i’ll be joining the ranks soon.”

“Those guys are assholes,” Mya said, looking at me concerned. “You really think I would get along with them? They catcalled me and everything in front of you and you said nothing.”

I froze. That wasn’t the response I expected. “Come on, Mya. That’s just how they are. It’s harmless. You should feel flattered if they think you’re attractive.”

Her face twisted in disgust. “You think it’s okay for your ‘brothers’ to sexualize me like that? What if they went further? What if one of them touched me?”

I shook my head. “They wouldn’t. You’re blowing this out of proportion. They’re my future brothers.”

“They aren’t your brothers,” Mya pleaded. “If they were your brothers, would they make you do all of these horrible things? Would that kid, Jason, have gotten a broken arm if it wasn’t for their antics?”

“That was an accident!” I argued, feeling the tension rise. “Stuff like that happens.”

“Just because it happens doesn’t make it okay,” she fired back, her voice rising. “What if that was you? What if you were the one who got hurt?”

Frustration boiled over. “Then maybe you should leave if you can’t handle it.”

The words left my mouth before I could stop them. The room fell silent, tension thick in the air. Mya’s eyes filled with tears, and I felt like the biggest idiot on the planet. But I couldn’t take it back.

“I can’t stand to see my boyfriend being treated like garbage,” she shot at me. “I can’t stand and watch my boyfriend treat me like garbage either.”

Tears began to pour out of Mya’s eyes and she shook her head at me disdainfully. 

“I thought this was going to be a fresh start for both of us, now that we’re both out of highschool,” Mya said between sobs.

“What do you mean,” I demanded in a near whisper. 

“I tried to give you a chance to grow up. You’re sweet most of the time Michael, but you let other people poison your mind. Peer pressure is your kryptonite. I saw it in highschool with your stupid hockey team and I was willing to let it go because you aren’t seeing any of those guys anytime soon. It’s like I'm seeing your descent into madness all over again. You’ll do anything to fit in. Goodbye Michael,” Mya wept, as she grabbed her jacket and slammed the front door behind her. 

I stood there, numb. I wanted to chase after her, apologize, tell her she was right, but my body wouldn’t move. I felt paralyzed. My muscles weighed me down like concrete, and I couldn’t do anything but collapse onto the bed, sinking into sleep just to escape the reality I’d created.

A few hours later

Hours later, midnight approached. I woke up groggy, still replaying the fight with Mya in my head. But now, I had other things to focus on—like the frat. This was my shot at Alpha Beta Sigma. I forced myself up, throwing on a hoodie before making my way through the dark streets toward the frat house.

As I walked, doubts gnawed at me. Maybe Mya was right. Maybe the brothers were toxic. But then again—joining the frat meant power, prestige, and girls. Plenty of girls. I could forget about Mya. She wasn’t the only one in the world. After all, I was on the verge of something big—why couldn’t she see that? Why couldn’t she be happy for me?

When I got to the house, the frame was darker than it had been earlier. Only a few mere lamps kept the area illuminated. While it was slightly off putting, I couldn’t help but feel at home. There was an undeniable and inexplicable connection to the house, and the people that were waiting for me inside. It felt meant to be. 

I took a deep breath, and began pacing toward the front door. I don’t know If I was distracted from the excitement, or the lack of energy, but I didn’t notice a dark figure come out of the bushes, and strike me in the head quickly.

Everything went black.

I came back to consciousness sometime later, my head pounding worse than I had ever felt in my life. My forehead clenched as the power of a hundred hammers came raining down onto every fiber of my nervous system, sending tides of pain through my entire body. I looked around the room, trying to get a gauge of what had happened and where I was, but my vision was blurry. My hands were bound behind me, tied to a cold metal pole. I tried to wriggle free, but the ropes didn’t budge.

“It looks like our final rush had awoken from his slumber, a familiar voice boomed form somewhere in front of me,” my vision was beginning to clear up a bit better now, so instead of several large blobs swimming in my vision, I could make out the outlines of several different people. 

“What,” I said, my mind in a complete disarray. I wasn’t even sure if I spoke enough to be intelligible by anybody out in front of me. But I knew those voices, they were the voices of the brothers.

“I guess that means we can get started,” one voice said. Several brothers came forward and began dumping several things onto our heads, peanut butter, chocolate sauce, feathers, and other horrible things.

I was nearly drowning in their sick concoction, my skin growing sticky and cold to the core. I hadn’t even noticed I was shivering. I wasn’t sure if it was from the temperature or from the uncomfortability of the situation. I constantly had to remind myself to keep the eye on the prize, it was all going to be over soon. 

One of the rushes next to me cracked. “I’m out! Let me go. I don’t care about this stupid frat!”

Laughter erupted from the brothers. “Are you sure about that?” Jack sneered, twirling a knife in front of our faces.

Suit yourself,” Phillip said.

“Just remember to tell nobody of what you witnessed here tonight,” Jack sneered. “You signed an agreement, and failing to meet your terms of silence will result in a lawsuit coming your way, along with our constant harassment.”

“I don’t give a shit, just let me go, you animals,” he said, gnashing his teeth at the brothers with intense ferocity. 

“Alright, alright,” Phillip said, protruding a knife from his pocket and kneeling down to slice the ropes. “Get lost.”

“Get out while you still can,” the defector warned us, as he was led up the stairs and out of the house by another brother. The message hung in the air with authority, but none of us took the bait. The other three rushes were in this just as much as I was. 

The next few hours were a blur, deep into the night the brothers shouted insults, slurs, and even more horrible things at us for hours. They forced us to watch gore, porn, and many other horrid images on a small flat screen TV, all while they watched in amusement.

 The night finally came to a climax, when one of the brothers came out with an iron hot brander, meant for cattle and livestock. The letters of the frat were emblazoned at  the end of the red hot pole, sizzling in front of our faces. It didn’t take much guesswork to figure out what we were in for.

“Our final trial of the night is to receive the official stamp of our brotherhood,” Jack said, smiling at us. 

“You can’t be serious,” a boy with curly blond hair and glasses said next to me. “Do I look like a cow to you?”

“We all have a stamp,” Phillip said, ripping his shirt off and turning around to showcase his marking on his right shoulder blade. “It’s a longstanding tradition.” The other brothers followed his lead and showed theirs off as well, very proudly. 

“I’m out,” another guy chimed in. “Let me out.”

“Me too,” The guy with curly hair continued. “You guys are crazy.”

“That’s too bad, you were so close,” Jack said, spinning his knife in his palm. 

I looked at the other guy across the room who remained with me on the floor, as the brothers pressed the stamp into his shoulder with force. His eyes were filled with complete terror and fear, as he squirmed around in agony. 

“Welcome, to the brotherhood, Brody,” Phillip said, smacking him in the shoulder and untying the ropes around his wrists.

“Alas our final brother,” Jack said, grabbing the pole from Phillip. “I’m glad I get to do the honors for you. I hope you’re ready brother.”

I nodded slightly, my lips clamped together tightly. There was no way I could speak at this moment, a mixture of fear, excitement and other emotions bubbled inside me. 

As Jack pressed the stamp into me, I cocked my head back and let out the most guttural scream that I had ever managed in my life, the burning sensation was an uncomfortable combination of pain and pleasure. As the press was released from my back, I took a few deep breaths to help regulate the pain. My whole shoulder felt like it had been set on fire, as my muscles and joints burned in agony. 

A roar of approval erupted from the rest of the brothers, as they all began throwing positive compliments to the two of us for the first time in our entire initiation. Jack cut the ropes from around my wrist, setting me free. 

“You’re one of us now,” he grinned.

I forced a grin, but inside, I felt hollow. As I looked at Brody—the only other recruit left standing—his eyes were dead, his spirit broken. I didn’t realize it then, but the frat hadn’t just branded my skin.

It had branded my soul.