The Arena Once More: Sequel to The Demigod Games

The Second Hour

"Quick! Climb onto the book shelves!" I yell. As much as it pains me, I knock a bunch of books into the soon-to-be tile-less floor, and put my left foot onto the third highest shelf. I then put my right hand on the seventh highest shelf, and hoist myself up. I continue to climb until I'm nearly thirty feet in the air.

I tell the others,"We need to find the entrance to the Tenth Ring! It's on the inner part of the ring! The outer leads to Twelve!

I start to climb sideways, and try not to lose my grip. As I move, I knock books into the Pit of Doom so I can get better holds.

Death is hanging over my head. One wrong move, I could slip and fall into the hole, into whatever is down there. Only one wrong move.

That's when something happens. I see something coming up out of the hole. It's a concrete floor...made of small sharp spikes. Well, at least now I don't have to worry about falling into a hole.

I have to worry about falling onto a million tiny spikes and bleeding to death.

I shake off my anxiety, and keep moving. After nearly twenty minutes, I still haven't found an exit. And there's thirty minutes left in the hour!

BOOM!

A hovercraft floats into existence and picks up a body only 6 yards away from me. I climb toward the area, and find the entrance to the Tenth Ring.

If there's an entrance here...then how did the boy die? As I wonder, I see something in the corner of my eye. A little square of shimmering air. Right in the middle of the entrance. Like...a chink in armor.

I grab the book closest to me, and toss it toward the entrance. There's a sharp pop of electricity, and the book bounces off an invisible wall, now charred. Which only means one thing: There's a force field. Which means another thing: I'll have to keep hanging on to these shelves for another half hour. Great.

I can't stay in one spot, or my limbs will get tired. I have to keep going. I start moving back the way I came, when I bump into someone. It's Frank. "Frank! Move! We have to go back!"

"What? Why? I thought the exit was here."

"There's a force field. If you try to touch it, you'll be electrocuted and thrown into the spikes," I explain.

"I didn't even know those existed!" he exclaims.

"Well, that's the future for you. Now, hurry!" We both start a maneuvering around the ring again, trying to avoid imminent death. After twenty minutes, we reach the exit again. "Okay, let's circle back. It should only take ten minutes to go halfway around the ring."

Frank puts his right hand a foot next next to his left, and as he's moving his foot toward his hand, he suddenly loses his grip. He slips, looses his footing, and falls.

"No!" I scream. I slowly climb off the bookshelf, and cautiously kneel. I flip Frank over, and lift his shirt. His back is bloody with a million tiny punctures in it from the spikes. "Oh, Frank..."

I suddenly get an idea. I turn to the books behind me, and, as best as I can with spikes digging into my feet, push all the books off the bookshelf, and into the next ring. I lift Frank up (which, if you didn't already know, is really difficult), and put him in the bottom shelf. Like, I literally shove him in between the two slabs of hardwood.

I then kick his body into the Tenth Ring, and roll into the Tenth Ring. I take off my shoes, and see my feet are bleeding. At least they're not as bad as Frank's back. And now, we're both safe. Until the Second Hour ends, and this ring activates. I decide to drag my friend into the Ninth Ring, so we won't be around when who-knows-what happens.

I grab his collar, and start dragging. It's not easy. I'm losing time. Lots of time.

And I'm not even halfway around the ring when the floor starts descending.