Pixelated

The Test

The Test

Finally, the moment I've been waiting for, for the past 15 years and 355 days. My sixteenth birthday. Everybody looked forward to this day. The day you could tested to go into Caliatha. 

Excited is not the word I would use to describe my emotions right now. I can feel the fire in myself, yearning to be able to go already. I feel nothing for my horrid family, they had all isolated me after my decision to go to Caliatha. Both my parents tried to convince me that it was the wrong thing to do, but I stubbornly refused to listen to anything they had to say.

I vividly remember the look my older brother, Collin, had on his face. Sadness, sympathy --he must have known the lecture I would have gotten-- and regret. What he would regret, I have no idea. Though, I knew what I wouldn't; I would never, ever regret going to Caliatha.

Hate is a strong word, but I hate the world. I hate it so much. Everyone on Earth has become vain, cruel, and so protective of everything. Food was becoming scarce, land was almost impossible to get, the government was already demolished. The air was so polluted you could barely breathe.  This is why I want to leave, why I need to leave.

So here I am now, gazing at the large building ahead of me. The world so dark and musty. Dust rising from the ground, as if the dead, underground from the war, were trying to tell me something. 

Nobody could stop me now, I think to myself.

I slowly ascend up the grey steps leading up to the Caliatha Main Building, savoring the last moments I would have on Earth for awhile. Several other buildings surround me, some for certain mini games held in Caliatha, some for the production of virtual food. Even avatar's needed to eat. The large glass doors are the only thing keeping me from going now. I find myself turning around, checking for anyone, anything, that cared enough to try and stop me -- although why they would stop me, still blanked my mind.

Without any more ado, I turn back to the doors and open them, stepping inside. Ahead of me is a desk, and behind it, a secretary. She is hard at work furiously typing away at her computer. I clear my throat, struggling to say the words in my mind, "Joelle Adams".

The secretary looks up at me, whose name I can now clearly see on her name tag, Raina. She stares at me for a few moments before turning back to her screen and mumbling something. 

"Pardon me," I say impatiently.

Instead of saying something, Raina just points at a sign, clearly written out right in front of me.

New Testings Wait in Room 58

I follow the arrow pointing to my left, counting down the doors I pass. 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58. Another sign on the door of room 58 read:

Sit patiently in chairs provided.

I twist the door knob without any more hesitation.

The room is rather unique. On one side there are the promised chairs. Behind them, darker colors of paint splash across the wall. On the other side, there was a gaming system. The walls this time displayed every color you can imagine, and the largest stack of games known to man.

Ignoring what the sign read, I walk straight to the the large flat screen TV. A beautiful black haired girl sits cross-legged with a controller in her hands; she looks simply flawless. Two boys were also playing the game she is.

One boy, about average height, with short dark brown hair, strongly attached to the game they were playing. The other is the exact opposite - he's goofing off. He seems extremely tall, his hair similar, yet a bit shorter and lighter.

I clear my throat, attempting to get their attention. Accepting my failure, I just sit down and grab the nearest controller. Finally noticing me, they go back to the main menu to add me, not saying a word.

"I'm Mia," the girl notifies, her bright blue eyes staying attached to the screen.

A moment passes before Mia nudges the two ignorant boys, muttering something. 

"Matthew, but you can call me Matt," the shorter one grunts. 

"Riley, and you can call me Riley," the other adds enthusiastically.

I chuckle while mentioning my name.

"You know this game?" asks Mia.

"Actually no, what's it called?" I reply.

"You haven't played Black Ops? Wow, your missing out!" Riley exclaimed.

"Black Ops? That game is ancient! How did you guys get a hold of it?" I ask curiously.

"It was in that pile. All the good games are. They even have Mario and Luigi in there," Riley replied.

"Wow," I murmured.

The game begins and I catch on quickly, sniping everyone that gets in my way. I don't win, but I still do pretty well for a first time player.

"Winner! You guys owe me a pack of Skittles!" Mia yells, enthusiastic of her win.

"Wait! You have Skittles?!" I question, surprised.

"We found them in the mini fridge." Riley gestures his hand to the small blue fridge in the corner of the room. "Guess they wanted us to be well nourished for the test. Although why they put them in a fridge still boggles my mind."

The fridge? Maybe to keep them fresher, I thought, who knows, maybe they taste better cold.

Both Skittles and Black Ops? Wow, the government has been keeping a lot to themselves. I wonder what ancient object we'd find next.

Matt hasn't said much during our long conversation about the history of Skittles. He seems like the quiet, yet rebellious type. Then there's Riley. He isn't too talkative, but he definitely has a whole new exciting kick-ass type of personality. He's also the more attractive flirty kind of guy, as Matt is very kept to himself. Mia is the shy-at-first-impression type of girl that turns into a caffeine loaded monster the moment she comes out of her shell.

If we all get into Calithia, I know we would be --yes this is cheesy-- the best of friends.

I take the time Mia and Riley spend chatting away, to observe my surroundings more. Turns out two other girls are sitting in the waiting chairs, obviously in deep thought since they both don't notice my staring. My gaze turns to Riley. He is most definitely the more attractive guy between him and Matt. Well, to me anyways. Mia must think differently, since she continually tries to get him into the conversation, and did the occasional flip of the hair. 

I wonder how long we have been waiting. 

Right before I'm about to ask the others when the test begins, a woman comes into the room calling the two girls' names out, and leads them supposedly to another room. They three leave the rest of us befuddled. 

We look at each other trying to find a positive reasoning as to why the two girls are the only ones to leave. Finally, after what feels like forever, the same woman that had taken the girls, comes back to the room.

"Congratulations, Mia Fermalie, Matthew Cutters, Riley Thorack, and Joelle Adams. You have passed the test."

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 Edited by TaylorWaffle