The escape.

I wake up in a massive white room. The beaming white walls are filled with bodies strapped onto them. I look around to see that in the middle of the room has everybody from my Science, Maths, Philosophy and Form classes. Then I look back to the walls and see that the bodies strapped to them are actually every other year 8. I’m sitting beside my boyfriend James. He gives me a funny look and looks around. He doesn’t know who anybody here is apart from me and my best friend Paige. I wonder why he is here. I mean, he goes to another school.

“Hello and welcome. I’m sorry to wake you from your wonderful sleep. But you have 10 minutes to complete this. Everyone in the middle must pick someone from the outside, unstrap them and go through the door. So there will be some people left on the outside. Choose wisely. Your 10 minutes starts now.” GlAdos says. I can recognize that voice from anywhere. It’s from the famous game Portal.

I close my eyes and put my head to my hands. There is no way I can pick. Out of all my friends I can’t pick just one! A tear pricks my eye and I start crying. My sister Alex, Mum, Dad and James come up to me.

“Who do we pick? We know no one here. And why are we here? You seem to know nearly everyone.” Alex says. Mum and Dad continue asks questions just like that one.

“I DON’T FUCKING KNOW! JUST CHOOSE!” I scream at them. Alex puts her hands up like she was surrendering to a cop and walks off. I sit there crying watching Mum, Dad and Alex unstraps someone and run for the door.

James holds me while I cry into his chest. He plays with my hair and runs circular motions on my back. He starts kissing my forehead. I feel a tiny smile form on my face. He can always make me smile.

 I get up. He gives me a funny expression. I tell him to go unstrap someone and run for the door. I don’t want him to end up losing the game. I couldn’t live without him. He goes and unstraps Paige because he knows she means A LOT to me.

I sit there curled up in a ball.

“There is 3 minutes remaining. Better hurry Caity.” I hear GlAdos say.

How does she know my name? Then my brain clicks. This whole thing is revolved around me. That is why Alex, Mum, Dad and James are here.  That’s why everyone in the middle is the people in my extension classes and form class. I can’t believe it.

“YOU BITCH! WHY ME! WHY DO YOU FUCKING HAVE TO CHOOSE ME!”

I sit there sobbing and repeating why me?

“You are very fun to play with, you know? Oh and by the way. 2 minutes remaining.” She replies.

I stand up and look around. My vision is kind of blurry because of the tears and my eyes are puffy. There aren’t many people that I know very well left to choose. I go up to one of my enemies. She doesn’t know that I hate her though. She smiles and starts crying thinking I’m going to choose her. I give a little laugh and continue walking around the edges.

Then I see Caitlin. She used to be my best friend. I would tell her everything. We were name buddies seeing my real name is Caitlin too. We would walk around the school listening to My Chemical Romance holding hands. We were the crazy ones who did whatever we wanted to.

I go up to her and start to undo one of her straps. They are rubbery and hard to undo.

“What about me? We used to be friends in primary, remember? I helped you fit in and get friends!”

A girl strapped in 2 slots down yells at me. I look at her and see that it’s Kate Davey. I let out a very loud laugh.

“You? Being MY friend? HA! That’s gotta’ be a joke, right?  And you never helped me ‘fit in’, I never have. Also, to be honest, I was happy with my one friend in primary.” I say back to her.

“Okay, okay, okay! Sorry ‘bout it! Oh and by the way, what friend? You had no friends in primary. You were a sore loser. Wait, did I say were? I meant you are.” She laughs and looks away. That bitch. I mouth the word Paige to her. I look back to Caitlin and continue to undo the straps. It takes a while.

“30 seconds to go.”

Caitlin starts crying. I try to comfort her. Then I tell her to shut up because I can’t concentrate while listening to her sob. She does what I tell her to.

I finally unstrap her and get her out of the slot. She smiles and we run for the door. As soon as I run through the door slams shut. I look around to see no Caitlin. I was to late.