Last Ones Out

Chapter 2

My heartbeat was slow and steady, although it started picking up some speed. Nervous, I looked around the place. It was dark, but I could make out black wires, faint lights, and an icon of some sort. It was a circle with a line in it, and it reminded me of my friends making weird jokes about sticks in holes. Just then, I realized that the chamber I was in wasn't just filled with darkness and silence. There was a faint blue light that seemed to have no source, and there was also a faint hum and a distant clicking noise. Looking down, I saw water. I was standing on some kind of mesh. I tried to reach down for it, but something strong and firm locked my hand in place. Yeah. Really helpful. I thought. I looked around, and another one of those lit up icons was underneath my hand. Oh, of course. Now I notice. I gave it a touch, and the metal straps let go of my arm and legs. I stumbled forward. I didn't know what was happening, and I heard my heart racing. My body fell to the floor, and I felt my limbs stiff and awkward.

After a bit of struggling, I managed to get myself to stand up properly. Something about my back felt wrong. I tapped on the stick-in-a-hole icon and an opening formed in front of my face. It wasn't dark like the chamber, it was, in fact, lit up with yellow lights. I slowly limped out of the chamber, thinking I was underneath the sun. It turned out that the light was not the sun, but an artificial lamp. No, not an artificial lamp, but lots of them. I put my hand out to block out the light and started exploring the room. Across from the chamber was a desk. Any old desk you would see. Next to it was a shelf with some items on it. I knew the brand of the shelf. What is it? Iko? Ikoe? IKEA! The items on the shelf were unknown in my eye. Looking back at the desk, I saw a holographic monitor perched delicately on it. On the desk was a sleek, black pad with icons on it. They were all blue, except for one. It was at the bottom left hand corner. The icon was blue, but had a red border. My finger hovered over the icon, about to tap. There was a debate going on in my head. This was what it sounded like. Don't do it. It might unleash some kind of beast that'll tear you to shreds! My logic told me.
What if it gives you special powers?! Won't that be cool?! My normal voice told me.
There might be something cool waiting to be discovered by you! Just do it! YOLO anyway, right?! My curiosity told me. At the thought of YOLO, you only live once, I gave the icon a tap, and the monitor lit up.