The Puzzle

Prologue

I'm alone. I can't see anything and my left arm is killing me. I seem to be tied up in a chair. I close my eyes. This is gonna hurt, I think. I stand, bringing the chair with me, I jump, smashing the chair underneath me. I lay on the ground for a little bit, recovering. Then, I get up and use one of the splinters to cut my ropes. My left arm still hurts. I think it's broken.

I look around to gather my surroundings. My eyes have adjusted to the light and I can see pretty well. I'm in a small room. It's empty, no windows, but a small wooden door to the left of me. It's locked.

I try to remember what happened. How did I get here? I don't know who I am, who put me here, or anything about myself. I sit down, thinking. Okay. I can do this, I think to myself. Walking over to the door, I brace myself and kick it with all my might. I crack it slightly, but it's still there. After a few more kicks, it finally gives way.

I'm in a dimly lit hallway. There seems to be a door every three meters or so, going down as far as the eye can see both ways.

"So, I see you've escaped." A voice says from a hidden loudspeaker. "Comfortable? The riddles are about to get a whole lot harder."

"Hey!" I yell. "Just before this stupid riddles or whatever starts, I want you to know that I'm dangerous. I don't know who you think you are, but you can't mess around with me like this!"

The voice laughs. "How can you say that when you don't even know who you are?" It knows I'm bluffing.

I grit my teeth. Starting with my left, I start opening door by door. They're all empty rooms. The fourth room, however, has an old, dusty chalkboard. On it says 'To solve my next riddle, you must do one task. Pick the goblet without the poison and drink it.'

There are three goblets on a small wooden table. One is a dark, murky red, one is a bright blue, and the other is clear. I have an idea. Taking the murky red one, I walk across the room and pour it on the floor. It bubbles and fizzes, burning a hole in the floor. I strain to see what's below. Falling back, I gasp. My eyes tear up. A horrible stench is coming from the pit. I try to ignore the smell and try the other two. The light blue one made a dent in the metal floor, and the clear one didn't do anything.

Taking the clear vial, I down it quickly. I wait to see what happens. Suddenly, my eyelids weigh five tons. Everything becomes blurry and I lose consciousness. I land on my left arm, and it jerks me awake. Screaming out in pain, I sit up and clutch it. I moan in excruciating pain. My eyes well up with tears and as I try to hold them back even more come.

Over the loudspeaker, I hear a chuckle that evolves into wicked laughter. I've failed, and it knows it. "So, you've managed to injure yourself."

"No. This is your work, you monster," I spat. "Who knows what you've done to other people."

"So, are you ready for the next test?" The voice says.

I wipe off my remaining tears with my sleeve.

"Try me."

The floor under me suddenly disappears, sending me plummeting down about five feet into a gooey, sticky substance I realize to be blood. Keeping my cool, I clench my fist and reach out for a handhold. Gripping what seems to be the side of the vat with my right hand, I manage to pull myself out. The room is full of lab equipment. There is a boy about my age wearing a worn lab coat near one of the tables.

Walking carefully to him, I have my right fist ready. "Hello?" I say carefully. He whips around at the sound of my voice.

"Ahh, a new test subject!" He says brightly, his left eye twitching. "No. I'm looking for my way out. Stay away from me." I said roughly.