Earth is Dying

Day 1 - (Layla's POV)

I don't think when miles calls me, I grab the sharpest srick I can find and I stab the hand that's killing one of my only friends as hard as I can. As I force the stick into the glowing hand, liquid gold flows out, and Atlas can finally breathe. He gasps for air, and me and Miles pull him out as fast as we can. When we get him onto land, I hold onto him just like how I did when we first reunited. "I'm sorry,"Atlas coughs, as he looks up from Miles who's folding his arms in disappointment. "It's fine dude, but you both need to listen to me. I know this place, and you guys don't", Miles says. "We need to go get a shelter, food, and a source of light, hopefully a fire to keep whatever's lurking as far away as possible. I nod, and I look at Atlas, who's laying down in the grass, to make sure he nods too. It's an awkward walk, as me, Miles, and Atlas all walk through the forest, but I try not to think about how im the worst situation possible and I try to focus on my surroundings. Miles is a lot taller than I remember, but besides that, he looks the same. He still has soft golden brown hair and blue eyes, contrasting completely from Atlas who has dark brown hair and eyes. They walk together in front of me and look for a possible place to make a shelter. I can't stop thinking about how in the first hour of being placed in the simulation, Atlas almost died right in front of me. Even though I know he wouldn't die in real life, it seemed so real, I thought I was going to lose him. Just the thought of losing him makes my whole body tense up and I want to cry. I think about all that he's done for me, to prove that he thinks im worth something and I realize that maybe a future with him wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe, just maybe, being more than friends with him wouldn't be a bad thing. I need to figure out how to tell him how I feel, but for now I know I just need to focus on surviving. I don't know if I even want to live on the new planet yet, and I don't know if winning would be worth anything, but I have a feeling that its not that simple. I feel like based on the type of people ive seen, like the woman who let the old lady fall and scream multiple times before going to help her that there will be a consequence for losing. The people behind the simulation, the volunteers from the orphanage, the murderers that killed my parents were ruthless and I have a feeling that everything is somehow connected, and that if I don't play their game and win, then their could be disastrous consequences. I continue walking a few feet behind Atlas and Miles, who are talking to each other like they're now best friends. It's a weird feeling, to see my past and my future talking. To see the guy that I was closest to, and the first person who truly hurt me talking to the person who in a way healed me and made me feel worth something. It's sunset now, and it calms me to know that there are sunsets here like there are on earth. It's a peaceful walk, I hear the rush of what seems like a waterfall, the chirping of birds, and the chilled wind brushing against my skin. I see 2 trees leaned against each other formi ng a canopy. "We're home," Miles says. "We're going to use these trees to sleep under since it's a natural place for shade. I can hear water running nearby too which means we won't go thirsty. The last thing we need to find are some logs or firewood for a shelter."Atlas leans against the shelter, nodding as Miles is talking. Everything he does now is so attractive to me all of a sudden. "I can find firewood," he says, while looking out at the golden sky. "I'll come with you, I don't trust you to go alone." He laughs and rolls his eyes over the fact that I don't trust him. "Be careful, don't get hurt," Miles says, and with that, we're off.