New: Worlds

New: Worlds (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2: I think I’m in a game show (Allison's POV)

Two days earlier

Connor, Bri, Clay, Ellie and I landed on cold ground on the other side of the mirror. The portal was closed now. There was dim light that showed us the room. It appeared to be an auditorium. We were sitting on the floor of the stage. There were rows and rows of seats, and a dim spotlight shone on my friends. Connor was sitting on the floor, wiping some of the fake blood off of his neck and face. His whitened eyes fell on me. It was a long story, but he and I had to pretend to be zombies. Clay was still in his black ninja outfit, and his black bandana hung from his neck. Bri and Ellie were sprawled on the floor. “Where are we?” Clay asked aloud. His voice echoed through the room. Suddenly, we were all engulfed in our own personal white lights. I was blinded for a second, but my vision cleared to reveal that I was wearing a black dress. Ellie and Bri wore the exact same dress. It was simple; it had only one strap and a regular sash was tied around my waist. My brother and Connor were wearing black blazers, white t-shirts, and black dress pants. It looked like were going to a funeral. A draft suddenly entered the room. My teeth started to chatter a little. Connor walked over to me. He took off his blazer and rested it on my shoulders to keep me warm. “Can I have your blazer, Clay?” Bri asked. He took his off and tossed it to her. “Knock yourself out.”

“BRRRR. I sure wish I had a something to keep me warm. Clay, can I have your shirt?” Ellie asked out loud. “NO.” We all shouted. “Remember what happened last time he took his shirt off?” We all chuckled at the thought. Little did we know that that was the last laugh we’d have for a while. The lights turned off. Darkness spread throughout the room. I heard footsteps from the back of the auditorium. “Glad you could make it. Shall we begin?” a voice said. The lights turned on to reveal a man, in a grey suit and tie, smiling giddily in the very back row of the auditorium. “Begin what?” I asked him. He got up out of his chair. “The test,” he said simply. “What test?”

“The test to see if you survive. DUH.” I got up and straightened myself out. “Do you like the new outfits? They match well with the coffins waiting outside,” he said grimly. The smile had disappeared from his face. “Think of this as a game show,” he continued to say. The lights turned off. When the lights came back on, there were 5 glowing podiums behind us. Each one had a name on it: Clay, Connor, Bri, Ellie, and my name. “Please stand behind the corresponding podium.” None of us moved. Did we just get sucked in here to play a game show? “I said,” the man said, lowering his head. “STAND BEHIND YOUR PODIUM.” His eyes glowed a crimson red. My body grew a mind of its own. I was forced behind my podium. As were the others. “Now be quiet, and LISTEN UP,” the man commanded. My mouth was glued shut. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t open it. The man in the suit was in the front row now. He chuckled. “There are three parts to this test. The first two are tests to see how well you know your friends. The last is to see if you are smart and worthy enough to even speak with Nalex. He’s kind of like the top dog here. ANYWAY, the way you handle the tests and whether or not you pass them determines whether you move on to the next task. If you fail one of the tasks, you are disqualified, and you’ll be returned to the after world. If you cheat-“

“Let me guess. We die.”

“No. No no no no no no. Killing is much less painful, so I won’t do that. No no no no no. I will burn you,” he replied with a smile.

“Hate to break it to you, Pops, but burning doesn’t work on us,” Clay told the man. He cocked his head towards me. “SILENCE,” the man yelled. Our mouths were shut tight again. “Very well. I’ll think of something.  I understand that you came here looking for someone? Yes? Nod your little heads if that’s correct,” he explained. I slowly shook my head. “Well, the only way to find them is to get to that tall building on the other side of the planet. And you can’t get there without passing the tests. How’s that for an incentive?” There was a flash, and suddenly the man was on the stage. I looked over at my friends. All of them, except Ellie looked determined. “Wait a minute, so I’m just supposed to risk my life for someone I don’t even know? Give me two good reasons why I should do that.” Ellie asked out loud. I thought of two on the spot. “One: If you don’t we’re going on without you. You can go home and be destroyed with the rest of the Earth. Two: You know you’re the water petal right?”

“Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?”

“And we’re looking for the air petal, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“You know that water can’t exist without air, right?”

“Fine. I’m in.”

The man smiled again. “I’m assuming you all accept those terms? Good. Let’s begin.”