The Soldier

CHAPTER TWO

 So far I have made it to my sixth period class without losing my sanity.

I sit on the bleachers, waiting for my name to be called to climb the rope. The rope is not that bad until you get closer to the ceiling it's attached to. The higher you get, the more obstacles you have to overcome. It's a rope that's computer generated. That can change the environment around you. You slip on glasses, that blocks out the whole gymnasium. You never know what landscape the rope's computer may choose. Sometime, it's in a tundra, a desert, or a rainforest. Whatever animals that belong in that area (or, belonged if an animal used to live in that area, but is now extinct), they could appear onto the rope at any time. If you die in the simulation before you reach the end of the rope, you fail your class, you are sent home for two months without anyone's notice, and you take a retaliation class. It's a way of taking out the "weak". I don't agree with it, but there's nothing I can do. If I were to speak out against it, I'd be executed, and still no actions would be taken.

Lindy Lieu climbs the rope with excellent stealth. It's almost like she's a monkey, climbing the walls with perfect measure, making sure she doesn't make any mistakes. I watch and calculate her every step. I may never know if I will have the same simulation as her, but it will help when I start to climb.

When she makes it to the top, everyone cheers, including me. Everyone approves, and she is able to shimmy back down easily.

Now it's Cassandra's turn. Cassandra isn't as lucky. I infer that her climate must be the rainforest. Last year, I had that climate, and I barely made it to the top. The trees in the simulation were so slippery, it was almost like trying to climb a waterfall. The wild animals. What really got me was the animals. I nearly died of fright. I would've fallen off a kapok tree, if it weren't for my father who told me in hunting to stay completely still when a dangerous animal is around. I made it to the top and back safely.

When Cassandra falls, the thump thunders through the whole gymnasium. Immediately, she curls up into a ball, rocking back and forth. I see her face is contorted from where I sit, and feel sorry for her.

No one has run to help her. Not even the coach. I should run up to help her, I know, but I may be punished.

When she finally lets out her scream, it makes me shiver. I curl my lips in disgust with myself. I feel self-loathing for myself.

You coward, why won't you help her? I hear a voice yell in my head.

Quickly getting over the self-loathing, I find myself jumping off the bleachers steps, even though the coach threatens to fail me too. Even though I hear the snickers of my classmates; calling me weak, calling me a coward for not ignoring my instincts, but I don't care what they say. Letting Cassandra stay curled up in a ball like that is too painful. It's wrong not to help her. It's evil. It's wrong.

I lean over her, observing her, to realize how much pain she actually is in. Her face is red. And tears rush down from her eyes like roaring waterfalls. But that's not what makes my stomach curdle. I usually don't cringe at the sight of blood (with my hunting and all), but the blood is all over her stomach. I see a portion of bone sticking out from her arm, and I have to turn my head away.

"Help... me." she manages to breathe out, repeating the silent sullen sentence over and over again as if in a trance.

Over my shoulder, I ask the coach to come help, knowing it's useless. He just smirks at me and shrugs. I turn my face, pushing down the great urge to run over and punch him straight in the nose.

There is nothing I can do. All I can do is hold Cassandra, hoping that she doesn't bleed to death.

Coach must take pity on her, finally, because I hear the muffle of his walkie-talkie. The medics come rushing in, carrying a tray bed with them. They take her away so fast.