by Cooper Eaton
“AHHHH!” I screamed as gravity took over.
The floating ended, and now I was going down! This is it, I’m going to die! And then out of nowhere, I felt two strong hands grab mine! My fall ended as I was jerked to a sudden stop! I felt something tear in my arm!, but it didn’t matter, I wasn’t falling anymore, anything was better than falling.
“Ahhhhhh!” I screamed as I hung there suspended by a pair of brown angelic hands holding onto my own.
“Stop being a baby and help me out! I can’t pull you up, you have to help me!” Jessica shouted between strangled grunts.
Hearing her voice pulled me back to reality. I pulled with my left hand and held on to Jessica’s hand with my right! Then I placed one dangling foot on the wall and began to push with everything I had!
Gravity seemed to shift in our favor, and I slid up! I’m gonna make it! And make it I did. Jessica pulled me up and into the tunnel!
We laid there for a second panting heavily on the cold rock floor.
“Thanks.” I gasped.
“Your welcome.” She said struggling to catch her breath.
I turned to sincerely thank her, and our eyes met! For a moment I saw something, it felt like everything would be alright between us, and then she quickly looked away. I felt a thrill run through me, I like this girl, I just gotta figure a way to prove myself. There’s gotta be a way.
She stood, and I followed. I felt all of the blood rush to my head and spots appear before my eyes. "Can you give me a second," I asked as I tried to fight through the pain that had now surfaced in my shoulder!
"We don't have time to waste; we have to move, follow me." She commanded before turning and starting out in the creepy rock hallway we had entered.
Sneaking through the hallway turned out to be deceiving. The building looked small from outside, but inside the tunnel seemed to stretch forever. I decided not to tell Jessica about my shoulder, I didn’t want her thinking less of me than she already did, so I just clenched my teeth and held the shooting pain in.
As we walked, I kept thinking about last night, and I finally decided to broach the subject. "Sorry about last night."
When she said nothing, I tried again.“I didn’t mean what I said. All I meant was that you are very pretty and that you must have had a good upbringing."
She turned around, and I knew instantly that I had brought up last night too soon. "What you mean is you thought that I was pretty because I've had an easy upbringing and that I must come from a rich family."
“Well… I… I thought maybe you were...”
"What, you thought that I was a dumb blonde. You thought that just because I'm pretty, there was no way I could be smart and that I might have had to work hard for everything I have!" She began to raise her voice. "You thought that just because you had a hard life that no else's could be that hard! Well, I have news for your William, my entire life has sucked! I've barely ever had any money, much less food, and I got cheated on the higher learning test just because of my economic status. So news flash, life is hard on everyone!" She said angrily stepping closer.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I’m sorry if I offended you.” I stumbled out an apology.
"Whatever," She responded carelessly. "I don't want to talk to you right now." And with that she turned and walked around the corner, leaving me standing there feeling like a complete fool.
She couldn't have been gone more than three seconds when "Ahhh!”
Oh no! I came around the corner full tilt and, BOOM! I was slammed by a wicked arm bar. I flew off my feet and slammed backwards onto the ground! All of the air was chased from my lungs and breathing became impossible! "Huh, huh, huh!" I gasped trying to fill my empty lungs. The pain in my shoulder doubled ten times to the point of a searing burn! "Ahhh!” I screamed out in between mouthfuls of air.
“Haha, Madha Ladayna hna? .” The man laughed as he spits forth words in a foreign language that I somehow understood. "What do we have here?"
In his arms was Jessica, who was in what looked like a very severe chokehold.
As I lay there completely helpless, Jessica took over once again. She somehow spun out of the man's chokehold and then shoved him away as he reached to grab her. He stumbled backwards and tripped on my helpless, extended legs. He fell backwards with a loud, "CRACK!" as his head smacked a stone jutting from the carved out hallway.
“You okay?” I asked in shuddering gasps.
“I’m fine, let's move before anyone sees us.” She said looking down with pity in her eyes as she helped me to my feet.
Unknowingly she grabbed my injured shoulder, and I cried out inwardly. AHHH! Once I found my feet, She left me to my ends and began to move forward.
“We have to hurry, follow me.”
She drew her gun and cocked it with what looked like expertise. I have no idea how, since guns have been outlawed for over 20 years, but none the less it looked like second nature to her. I drew my gun with my still usable left hand but made no attempt to cock it.
She motioned me forward as a branch off tunnel appeared out of the shadows. The previous tunnel had been dim, but this tunnel was pitch black. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face! I felt the hair on the back of my neck begin to prickle in anticipation.
At the end of the tunnel was a room that didn't look like it belonged in a rock. Inside were two scientists and 3 giant men! All of them looked Arabic except one who might have been American, but I couldn't tell because of his darker complexion. The room was very modern, and there were science experiment tools everywhere!
Jessica leaned in close and whispered in my ear. “On three, 1, 2, 3, go!”
We rushed inside, and Jessica began shooting! One of the giant men went down, as did a scientists while everyone else went for cover including myself.
I wish Jessica would have shot the guards first!
“If you would like to jump in that would be great!” Jessica shouted.
I cocked the gun as I had seen Jessica do and then lifted the gun over the table I was behind so I could fire blindly without being shot myself.
"Zing, zing, zing!" Came the sound of my gun as it fired laser rays at the enemy.
“Ahh!” One of the guards screamed!
I think I may have hit one of them! I kept pulling the trigger until, “Click.” Nothing was happening! I’m out!
“Click, click, click.”
“Ah crap, I’m out!” I shouted over to Jessica realizing that no one was firing so the only guard remaining had clearly heard me.
“Do you think you could have been any louder William!” Jessica antagonized as she put up one finger and pointed to her gun. “Create a distraction,” She mouthed.
I heard the giant guards footsteps approaching. I did the only thing I could think of.
Standing I threw my gun right at the giant man’s face! It was a pretty good toss, but as it closed in the man raised his fist and slapped it away!
He raised his own gun and “Zing!”
I fell backwards onto my butt and sat there for a moment feeling my chest for the opening!
Nothing’s there! I’m okay! I looked back up only to see the Arab fall to the ground! My eyes panned the room and off to my left knelt Jessica looking like a superhero, gun raised, staring at the fallen villain.
Her gaze quickly shifted to me, “Great distraction. I guess you really do act carelessly all of the time.”
She opened her mouth to say something else when Josh ran into the room huffing, and puffing gun raised.
“You guys all right?” he asked trying to catch is breath.
“Yeah, we’re fine.” I returned with sarcasm, but Josh’s focus was no longer on us.
He was looking everywhere as he began to look through supplies and pull drawers out. “Hurry up and look for the vile. We have to get out of here!”
“I got it,” Rachel’s arabic body hollered from across the room where
she had slipped past me without my knowing.
“Good, let's go! Everyone follows me and be on the lookout for guards. let's move!” Josh yelled with a slight tremor.
We got outside and a big arabic man I’m guessing, because he was wearing a turban, came barreling around the corner.
“Zap!” Jessica shot him without hesitation however, her gun had been right by by my ear. I felt the ray burn my ear slightly.
“You idiot! Why’d you have to shoot right next to my ear,” I screamed in pain.
"I just saved your life, and all you can do is wine, grow a pair."
"Quiet down. We don't want everyone in here to know where we are. I'm surprised you haven't already been discovered." Josh reprimanded.
We sprinted down a set of stairs taking two and three at a time just to keep up with Josh! Without waiting for us to catch up he burst outside!
“Why are we going to fast?” Rachel questioned.
“Boom! Zap!” A ray slammed into Josh’s chest as he turned briefly. The ray seared a hole right through him! “AHHHH!” He screamed as he stumbled falling to one knee.
Without thinking, I ran under one of his arms for support and began to run towards the trap door that would provide safety.
Rasben, Rachel, and Jessica all took off for the secret tunnel, and I was left dragging Josh to it as ray fire scorched the earth all around us.
Luckily Jessica stayed behind and held the trap door open for me. “Hurry William let's get out of here!” Jessica pleaded as I carried Josh’s now almost lifeless body to cover.
I pushed Josh in first and than “Zing!” A ray connected with my shoulder and sent me tumbling in behind him.
I heard the door slam and Jessica run over too me. “Ahhh! It burns! I screamed in agony! “You're gonna be alright, here let me help you.” Jessica did her best to help me to my feet as I screamed in pain.
"I know it hurts, but you have to come now, or I'll have to leave you behind."
“What about Josh?”
"We can't save him; he's almost dead anyways. The only people we can save now are ourselves." She pleaded and pulled me gently forward by my hand.
I looked back and knew she was right. It was bad. He had been hit in the chest, and it looked like it had burned through one of his lungs. His body was a gruesome mess, and I quickly turned away only to hear him call for me.
“William.”
Jessica began to pull me further and further away, and with his final bit of strength, he shouted. "It's all real. Everything is real." And then he was silent as the life vanished from the young man who had only moments before been so filled with it.
“Their in here, follow me!” The weird language that I somehow understood rang from outside the door.
Jessica took off, and I didn't wait around either. It was hard to keep up with her. One shoulder was burned beyond recognition, and the other was sending jolts of pain throughout my entire body with every step!
“Hurry, they're catching up William!” Jessica cried impatiently.
My legs were on fire! I could barely stand up much less jog! Everything seemed to be telling me to give up. I’ll never make it. I’ve doomed us both!
I looked back but couldn't see the men yet. When I faced forward again, Jessica had disappeared! Uh oh! I continued to run until I came to the trap door that we had entered only and hour or so before.
Pushing out into the hot and warm air felt like stepping into a whole new world. I ran to my right and could hear the trap door opening behind me when someone started pulling me backwards!
“Shhh!” She whispered into my ear as she pulled me into a crevice between two rocks.
I looked back at my savior only to realize that it was Jessica, who had only moments earlier left me to die.
“Where are they?” Came a male voice very close by.
Jessica and I could barely fit into the small crevice, but we both squeezed in as far as we could setting my world afire as my burned shoulder rubbed against rock.
“Ahhh.”
“Shhh.” Jessica quickly shushed me.
The men continued to talk to one another, but their voices seemed to be getting further and further away. "Everyone divide up, and we'll keep looking. We'll meet back here in an hour.
Phew! I went to move out, but Jessica held me back. “We need to wait just to make sure.” I complied, and the two of us stayed pressed together in that tiny crevice for close to 15 minutes. Normally I would have been happy to be in such close contact with such a beautiful girl but as it was my entire body was screaming in protest at being smashed into such a small space. I felt blood begin to run down my back and side. This can’t be good.
"Alright, I think we're good." She whispered before peeking her head out and looking around. When she deemed everything safe, she stepped out of the crevice, and I managed to push myself out and back into the sunlight. "Ahhh. It hurts.” I cried sinking to my knees.
"The quicker we get to the drop-off point the quicker we'll get out of this simulator and the quicker you'll be out of your misery." She said without looking down at me as she gazed into the distance looking for possible threats.
“Jessica, I hate to break it to you, but there is no way I’ll make it, your gonna have to go without me," I whispered barely capable of speech.
She looked down for the first time taking in the sight before her. "Fine, I'll fix you up with some codeynex and ointment, but then we have to get moving.” She said pulling a small pouch from her pocket.
From the pouch, she withdrew a syringe and a bottle of some sort of ointment. "You're gonna have to sit up William.”
I complied forcing my body to move on the brink of failure. And then she stuck me in the arm quickly and without warning.
“Owww!” I yelped.
The liquid within the syringe seeped into me and began to spread a warm feeling throughout my body. As the medicine moved, my pain seemed to vanish. "What is this stuff," I asked only slightly slurring my words.
Without replying she began pulling my robe top off. “Whoa, take me to dinner first.” I slurred with the effects of whatever the medicine was that she had injected.
“Oh shut up.” She laughed lightly and began to spread the ointment onto my burn.
I looked up, and our eyes met. I know it wasn't much, but I saw something in them. It wasn't as though she'd forgiven me yet, but it looked as though she were beginning to melt. I could see her mind working on what to think of me as she gently massaged the ointment into my burn with her soft and caring hands. And then the unthinkable happened.
“Ewww! Gross!” Jessica pushed away from me. “Are you serious!”
I looked down in confusion only to realized that due to my excitement all of my blood was flowing to a certain area!
“Can you not control yourself at all!”
My face flushed with embarrassment “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” ¶“Oh, Shut up! I cannot believe you! You're awful!” She began to walk away without looking back. “We’re not talking anymore, so you can keep your sorries to yourself. I’m leaving so come now, or die out here alone! And don’t get to close. I don’t want to look at you!”
I quickly grabbed my robe shirt tunic and began to run awkwardly after her.
It took us two hours, but we finally made it back to the drop off point where the simulation was supposed to end. Jessica held true to her word and didn’t talk to me the entire walk.
I was so embarrassed that I was glad she didn’t speak to me. No matter how it happened I was truly sorry, and she would never know how entirely embarrassed I was.
As we came over yet another hill, we saw Rachel and Rasben’s avatar women waiting near a lone tree. I felt the pain from my burn returning. It wasn't bad, but if we didn't hurry, I had a feeling the pain was gonna get a lot worse.
"Thanks for nothing guys," I said as we approached.
They both looked away, and I was about to light into the
m for leaving us when speech suddenly became impossible!
I was once again ripped from my body! The sensation was extremely painful. I was pulled into a tornado of light that seemed to pull at me in all directions. I lost my sense of direction as my consciousness flew everywhere all at once and then just like before, "boom!" I was back in my body!
I melded instantly, but something felt different. I don't know what it was, but my body felt more familiar. It felt easier to control, and it felt overall more comfortable. It was nice to be home.
Chapter 3: The Devil’s Game
We'd all waken in our normal bodies except for Josh. He just laid there while we looked on. With no idea of what to do, we'd waited. Eventually, a nurse had come, and we told her about Josh's death. She'd looked very surprised and had sent us to our rooms.
We’d only had to wait there briefly before an announcement came over the small holo-speaker mounted in one corner of our room. "All testers, be please report to the dining hall immediately, repeat, all testers, please make your way to the dining hall immediately. Thank you." and with that, the strange bot’s voice cut out.
“Alrighty then.” I stood, followed by Rasben and we both walked out.
Making our way to the dining hall was only slightly difficult due to all of the bodies we had to fight through to get there.
Upon our entering, we found a table and sat quickly. I didn't see Jack, Chris, or Steven, but hoped I'd see them eventually. A tall woman entered with an air of authority. She tapped her amplifier on and began speaking. "Hello, boys and girls. My name is Mrs. Nasdin, and I will be taking you on a tour of our beautiful ASTA testing building. If you'll all follow me quietly through the halls, you'll get a glimpse of your home for the next few weeks." With that, she turned and headed for the door.
I stood along with those around me and moved with the sea of excited people. The woman walked fast; I practically had to run to keep up with her. She lead us through many different hallways, all of which were mesmerizing. As we went, she announced the names of rooms and objects we passed. "Over there is the Library." "Outside this door is the outdoor pool you've probably all seen." "Down this hallway is all of your individual simulator rooms, which you've already been in today." "Down this hallway are ASTA workers and Guards rooms, so don't go down here."
