The Edge Of Town

Chapter 6

After a few minutes, Smith and the other man are pushed in, their hands cuffed behind their backs. I was right, Smith is put in one cage and the other man in the other cage. The chair is lifted from the ring and a box is dropped in. I'm confused so I decide to ask the group of people behind me what is going on. "Well, each one of them will get punished. The punishment is either physical or mental and it's based on your biggest fears. For example, if one of them is scared of being chased and eaten by a lion, then there will be a lion in the ring. Obviously one of them is getting a physical challenge because there is a box in the ring. That's who gets to go first," the guy behind me says, pushing handfuls of popcorn in his mouth.

"How do you know if it's a physical challenge if there's a box in the ring?" I ask, still completely confused as to why this is necessary.

"Because, the chair that was lifted out is for the mental challenge. The mental challenge is a lot harder to get out of. At least with the physical challenge, you have a chance of getting something not so bad but with mental, it goes through your mind and you can't control it. It's not just one fear, it's maybe three or four." I say thank you for the information and then turn back around to face the ring. I'm now hoping that Smith gets the physical challenge so I don't have to see him go through the mental one. There aren't many seats left so people are forced to sit next to me, whether they like it or not. I see the commander enter the room and he too takes a seat in the front row. He has a couple of guards with him and they sit on either side of him. The doors shut and I assume that means it's the start of the punishment. The lights go dim around the seats and the lights in the ring get brighter.

One of the cages opens and the guy walks out, shielding his eyes from the light. I feel my stomach drop, Smith gets the mental challenge. The guy is absolutely terrified, shaking at the knees. He looks around the room at everyone with big, scared eyes and he gives me a dirty look like it's all my fault. The box is starting to move, there's something alive inside and it's trying to bite it's way through. Finally, the animal is able to make a hole big enough to squeeze through so it jumps out. Instead of just one, three large snakes come out, each one at least ten feet long. The crowd gasps and claps along to the sight of seeing these scary creatures. Everyone in the room looks amazed, they look like they're watching a sporting event. I can see Smith in his cage, huddled in the corner and looking at the ground. The snakes are jumping at the guy and he's just standing there like a statue. They're slithering all around him, getting closer and closer. He is shaking terribly now, he's closing his eyes and dropping to his knees. He can't do it, he can't face the punishment. Everyone in the crowd is gasping and cheering over and over at the fact that he's giving up. I look back at his family to see tears in their eyes, the little boy hiding his face in his mother's arms. She's sitting there, holding him as tight as she possibly can.

The snakes won't hurt him, it's just that his fears are controlling him. He signals to the guards that he's done, and the snakes retreat. The guards take the crying man away, dragging him by his arms. I am shocked by what I am seeing. They are going to kill him because he couldn't stand up to his fears. After a few seconds of silence, I hear a gunshot go off which makes me jump. It doesn't do the same for anyone else, they're all used to this. Smith's gate is opened and the chair is lowered back into the ring. The guards push him out of the cage, making him fall to the ground. The crowd laughs but I sit there in disgust. It's inhumane what they're doing, nobody should have to go through this. Smith slowly gets up and walks over to the chair. The guards follow, removing his handcuffs. He sits in the chair and his arms and legs are strapped to it and the guards stick something to his forehead, causing the giant screen in the ring to turn on. Smith is put to sleep and the guards signal that the punishment is starting.

Everybody turns to face the screen, a look of awe on their face. I don't feel comfortable being able to see all of Smith's fears through his mind. He looks so helpless sitting in that chair. In Smith's mind, he's walking towards the commander's office. He puts his hand on the scanner and the door flies open to reveal the commander waiting for him, with a crowbar in his hands. The commander is mumbling something with a look of pure anger on his face and then starts swinging at Smith. Smith is trying to shield himself but it's no use. His arms are broken and his legs are bleeding. The commander stands over him like a tower. I look away from the screen and at Smith who is still sitting in the chair but this time he's trying to wake himself up. I don't want him to because that means they'll probably kill him. I want to run out there and help him, to tell them to kill me instead.