Fierce

11. Unexpected Savages

I tried to focus my eyes. Determining exactly where I was. I sat up and looked around. A parched land greeted my gaze. It resembled the Sahara desert. The heat was withering almost unbearable.

The intense heat had dried my clothes. I got up and gazed around looking to find any semblance of normality.

A dark and brooding phenomenal stood with dominance in the middle of the parched land sitting on the only patch of grass as far as the eyes can see.

I was on the outskirts of the of the land. It resembled a Palace. It stood out in the vast last. Darkening the sunny facade of the parched land.

A magnificent building it was, that was undeniable. It was built according to the old English castles that held a great presence, quite frightening.

I needed to get to this house. The heat had become unbearable with the lack of water being the main reason. I walked along thinking about the others, wondering if they had encountered these trials.

Apart from the frightening presence this house oozed, I found it quite odd that this house was so familiar. I felt a connection to this building, as if I should know it. But it was the first time I was seeing this castle.

My instincts we telling me to stop, that I was in danger. The field was a huge one but the house stood in the center making it appear small. I started running towards the house as I was sensing danger.

An earth shattering growl cause me to freeze. I recovered and turned around to face whatever challenge this game had brought to me.

Turning around I gazed at the largest tiger I had the misfortune of seeing. Baring it's teeth to me looking murderous and angry. I was calm, assessing this new threat that i would be encountering. I was taught to respond to situations like these.

That was the lesson here: how to react to situations that would be out of your hands? how would you turn the situation in your favor. In the real world we wouldn't be facing larger than life animals, but this animal represented things that were out of control, and me defeating this challenge would show how to turn things in my favor.

The tiger approached me slowly all the while baring his teeth at me, showing me that he was clearly in control; and i was not. He approached me as how an animal would approach his prey, slowly, cautiously, appearing as though he was trying not to frighten me but i knew better, this only intimidated me more.

I could still see the house, I was so close yet so far. He stopped within jumping distance from me. He was calculating, intelligent, too intelligent for an animal.

He suddenly launched at me, but I was alert. I rolled to Side then stood up. Still alert as ever. He jumped again but he was quicker, he ran into me hitting me a foot away from where he was.

He pounced again but this time I stood my ground. I landed a kick to his chest area as he came over me. He lifted his paw to swipe at my face. I moved to the side and he missed me but I lodged my hand on his chest, pushing until my hand was inside his chest.

His screams were deafening, sounding like music to my ears. I found his heart and pulled. His screams were cut off by a choking sound.

Blood splattered my face as he fell to the ground dead. I looked at his heart in my hand and got up throwing it some distance from me.

I got up and started walking towards the house, thankful that I had made it through this fight and more alert to any other obstacles coming my way.

I heard sounds of crashing behind me and I turned around wondering what was happening. I saw the mountains collapsing and the earth opening swallowing everything in its path.

I started to run at high speed. I ran without looking back knowing I had a limited amount of time before the earth opened beneath me. I was now so close to the house that now stood towering above me.

I ran and got to the edge of the grass where I jumped just has the ground where I was just standing caved. I closed my eyes in relief and open the gates that led to the house.

I observed the grounds surveying, trying to find the danger of there was any. The house was just has I described. An awesome structure, terrifyingly beautiful.

The walk to the front door was long, I knocked on the door which opened slightly indicating that it wasn't locked.

I peaked inside and saw a long hall leading to unknown parts of the house. My instincts were worked up, trying to prevent my entry but I had to find out why this house seemed so familiar. Why was it so homely.

So I entered...