The X-trials

60 seconds. Thatʼs how much time I have. 60 Seconds to calm my racing heart. 60 Seconds to think. 60 seconds to savor because they might by my last.

! Today has gone by in a blur. It was filled with tears and goodbyes and speeches. A lot of speeches. Right now I have 60 seconds to say goodbye to my friends & family. Well, just my friends. Iʼve had no family since they were killed in a plane crash when I was eight. I was the only survivor of the crash. Thinking about my family causes me to shiver harder, so I push those memories to the back of my mind. Iʼve got enough on my mind as it is..."Sim! Sim! Earth to Sim!" a familiar voice calls in a sing song voice, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Sorry guys. Iʼm just lost in thought, I guess," I say, as I turn to face the speaker. My best friend Rhapsody, or "Dee" for short is standing at my side, along with my boyfriend Flint.

! Currently, I am standing behind a thick metal door that separates me from almost certain death. That sounds very strange but Iʼll explain exactly how I ended up here...

! My name is Sim. I am 16 years old and I live in the country of Skrell. Eighty- three years ago, there was a nuclear world war called "The Break", that left the world in ashes. Not long after, Skrell rose up as the last remaining livable place on Earth. Since The Break was 83 years ago, some of the elders in Skrell tell us stories of the world before The Break. They tell us that the entire planet was lived on by humans, plants and animals. There were oceans, rivers and lakes everywhere. That there was oxygen in the air and there were blue skies with puffy white clouds. Now Skrell is the only known place with life. The only animals are dangerous radioactive hybrids that somehow escaped their testing labs. There are no plants or trees other than iron, and steel replicas that are enhanced to change colour and die with the seasons. Our water is cleaned and pumped to our homes from huge tanks that collect rainwater. Because there are no trees, oxygen on earth is extremely scarce. Skrellʼs oxygen is kept in by a strong force field that surrounds all of Skrell. Blue sky? Puffy clouds? With Skrellʼs swirling greyish-green sky, some citizens of Skrell think that blue skies and white clouds are a myth. I might think the same if I hadnʼt seen if for myself.

! Ever since I was little, my best friends Flint & Rhapsody and I had always gone to the edge of town where the force field started. We would spend hours there. We would bring a picnic lunch and a bag full of stones. When we pitched the stones at weak spots in the force field, they would go through and we could catch a glimpse of blue sky.

! Eleven years ago, Skrell began to get more and more overcrowded. This created a huge problem because with more and more people, Skrell needed to expand to accommodate the large population living there. With nowhere to expand, due to the rest of earthʼs damaged condition, our leaders decided to simply filter how many people lived there: and so, the X-Trials were born. In the schools, grades are divided by age: it started at Grade 5 for five year olds, then Grade 6 for 6 year olds & so on. On the last day of school, as a 16 year old (Grade 16) the entire population of 16 year olds were to compete in the X-Trials; a fight to the death with only two victors. With only two students finishing school and getting a job each year, the overcrowding problem was solved...And here I am...

!

! "60, 59, 58, 57, 56..." a voice booms over the P.A.; the countdown until we are released into the arena has begun. Suddenly, before I can stop myself, I burst out in tears. "48, 47, 46, 45..." the countdown continues. I feel Dee and Flintʼs arms snake around me in an attempt to comfort me. Somewhat embarrassed, I pull back and wipe my eyes. "In the arena, letʼs work together, ʻkay guys?" I say, barely masking the tremor in my voice. "Of course," Dee replies, with a half smile. "Flint?" I venture, turning to face him, "Allies?" Flint looked hesitant. "Whatʼs wrong?" I prodded, beginning to worry. "32, 31, 30..." Flint shook his head, "I donʼt want it to to come down to the three of us. If it does, I wonʼt know what to do. I think itʼs best if we stay apart as much as we can. I donʼt want to hurt you." I put my hand on his arm and look him in the eyes, "Please, if Iʼm going to die, thereʼs no one Iʼd rather spend my last hours with. You & Dee are my best friends in the world," I plead. "24, 23, 22, 21..." Flint looked up, meeting my gaze, "ʻkay, allies," he agreed before pulling me and Dee into a hug. "18, 17, 16, 15..." Tears threaten to spill over and I blink them back. "12, 11, 10...All competitors to their designated doors," a voice booms. Dee pulls back and gives us an apologetic look, "See you in the arena", she sniffs before zipping off for her door. "8, 7, 6, 5..." I hug Flint tight and he buries his face in my hair. "4, 3..." Flint brushes my hair behind my ear and whispers, "Whatever happens in there, I want you to know that I..." "2, 1..." "That I..." Suddenly, a pair of arena guards yank Flint out of my arms and drag him to his door, his unspoken words still hanging on his lips...