The Elevators

Chapter 8 - Let The Games Begin

The elevator is spacious. I’m nervous and my heart is about to explode.  

Calm down, clam down, I tell myself. I take deep breaths as we ascend to the 1st floor. I try not to think about death. I have to try and survive for Mary and Dany. Caleb. I shook my head. Did he confess to me earlier? I’m confused. Wait, why am I thinking about boys when I’m going to meet my death in a few minutes? Caleb will have to wait, I need to concentrate on winning this, I’ll think of Caleb later.

Everyone starts to stretch and warm up their bodies and I join them too. I stretched and stretched, remembering and following my PE teacher’s instructions before we start PE class.

“Psst, psst.” I heard someone say next to me. I look to my right, she has blond hair and light-brown eyes. I recognize her from the reaping. I think her name is Carrie or something. She gives me an encouraging smile, “Good luck.” She whispers.

“Thanks.” I quietly reply her back.

Suddenly I heard someone say ‘Participants’ in an enthusiastic way. It was Simon’s voice, no mistake. His face shows up on top of the elevator door, I didn’t notice the board on top of the elevator. So this is how the participants know what’s coming. In broadcasts, Simon would explain the floor to viewers first, then it’ll show the participants flagging off into the fire.

“Your first floor will be a race. Hand-to-hand combat will not be needed. The last three people to not get into the next elevator will not move on to the next floor. Your objective is to get a grey cardkey at the end of the room and bring it back to THIS elevator. Taking two or more cardkeys will count as sabotaging.  Sounds easy enough right? You have one minute left until the floor starts. Good luck.”

Is it just me or this elevator is so slow.

The elevator seems to get slower and slower until it stops. Suddenly the elevator doors become transparent. I can see the first floor. It’s big, wide and of course made of metal. I can see the grey cardkeys at the other end of the room, hanging on the wall.

“5, 4…” We were all stunned by the sudden countdown, we took our places infront of the doors.

“3, 2…” The doors open and we run.

……

I run as fast as I could. Some participants have already gotten their cardkeys. The Vaughn brothers were already there. Suddenly they were on their knees and hands. What’s going on?

I ran to the other end of the room and took a cardkey. Running to the other end of the room was easy. Too easy.  As I took a cardkey I was on my knees too. Suddenly the room seemed to be moving. It became more longer and the elevator further away. Then it stops moving.

We quickly ran back to the elevator again. Something wasn’t right. The floor started to wobble. I heard a girl scream. The floor suddenly shots up into the air. Keep it together . Some of the floors were shot up and some didn’t. I stepped on a floor and I was shot up as well. I had to continue. Going back down would be dangerous. I jumped at the nearest floor while clutching my cardkey as if it’s my lifeline. The floor is playing around now. It went up and down. I jump at a near floor but it suddenly went down abruptly. My shoulder hit the ground. I got back up in my feet and continued to run. Dodging the flying floors, I decided to stay on the ground.

Something whizzed pass by me. Someone cried out in pain. I dared to look back and saw a boy pulling out a knife out of him. Knives?  All the floors came down to the ground, back to it’s original state but more knives whizzed pass by. A knife cut through the side of my arm. This is going to be difficult. The knives pass by so fast it would be hard to catch them. I concentrated on one knife coming at me. It almost passed by but I successfully caught the handle. With the knife I caught, I hit it at the other knives which were coming at me.

Huh, I didn’t think I could do this.

The number of knives began to lessen. Some participants have already made it to the elevator. I keep hitting knives out of my way until no more knives went by. The room began to stretch again. The elevator is now more further away from me. Part of a ceiling came down very close to the ground but just enough to fit my body. I throw away my knife and slide underneath it. I start to crawl. My shoulder nagged at me, pleading me to stop but I kept on going. I have to move more faster there weren’t much participants left, most of them went into the elevator already.

I finally went out of the small space and started to run on my feet again. I’m getting more tired and tired. My feet kept pounding on the floor repeatedly. Sure I run from time to time back at home but it wasn’t as intense like this.

“There’s four of you left!” Someone said from the elevator. I can’t believe it. Only one more person gets to go in. Fortunately I’m faster than the remaining participants. I can make it but I’m getting more tired. The room began to move again. This is getting frustrating. Behind us floors began to fall down and I’m thinking we’re not supposed to go down with it. This made the other three faster. Even though it made the three of them faster I’m still leading. The elevator is close now and the doors opened for me, I think.

Suddenly the floors in front of the elevator began to fall down as well. There’s nothing to do but jump into the elevator and I jumped.

……

I landed on my bad shoulder first. The doors shut. I got up on my feet. Did I make it? Can I go to the next floor?

“Congratulations participants! You passed!” I sigh of relief escaped from my mouth.

“The next floor will start in ten minutes.”