The Hell Within Us All

Chapter 2

My on my slip of paper number is 49. When my number is called out, I must stand in front of the Decider. She has a helm. I know what it is. The Helm of Assigning. It attacks you mentally, and you must hold it off. It can tell if you are holding back. It seeks out your true potential. To our world, you are in there for ten seconds max, but in there? Longest I've heard is a week.

"Number 47," the Decider announces. "Can you come up here please?"

Caelan strides up. He shows his number to the Decider, then puts the Helm on. He smirks as the device lights up, then loses consciousness. His body goes rigid, he screams and shakes like crazy, then he opens his eyes. The Helm's light goes off. Caelan is still shaking. Still screaming. When he stops screaming and has calmed down, The Decider clears her throat, pausing before delivering the result.

"I choose you to be a... Frontier," she announces. Caelan quickly regains his personality and smirks. I think he was aiming to be one anyways. A Frontier is an assistance to a Masarith. It is a huge honour, again, depending on who you are. A round of applause goes through the Hall. Caelan does a cocky bow, then returns to his podium.

"Number 48," the Decider calls. "Please come up."

As the girl who was Number 48 stumbles up, and while she shows her number to the Decider, Caelan whispers to me,

"Beat that."

I shrug it off. I honestly don't care what he says. When the girl puts the Helm up, it lights up for a milisecond and and she barely blinks. That didn't take long. The Decider has no hesitation.

"Ore-Gatherer."

That was the job I wanted. Wanted? Do I not want it anymore? Maybe I want action. Do I?

*****************

"Number 49," the Decider says. "Please come up."

I hold the slip in my hand tightly. I walk up slowly and put on the Helm.

The Decider says something, but all I hear is a long, continuous buzzing noise. I know I'm saying it, but I can't hear that either. I repeat it.

"What?" I can hear now.

"I said 'Slip of paper?'" the Decider answers. I show it to her, and she nods.

The Helm lights up. I can feel a hollow feeling in my stomach.

This is it. Prepare, I hear in my head, except it's not my voice. This will decide your future. Be brave Jason.