Survival: Fight or Flight

1st Hour: Live or Die

00:00 - 01:00 GMT

00:12 GMT...

I sat on the edge of my bed. I don't know how, or why, or if it was even possible, but I had fallen asleep.

In spite of all that had happened the night before. All that had happened just a little over an hour ago.

Equally unbelievable was the fact that I had stayed asleep for just an hour. I had woken up a little after midnight. Initially my mind was blank, slurry with the effects of sleep.

Then the memories flooded my head without warning. The intensity of it left me feeling light-headed.

Like a video, the memories replayed in my head.

... ... ...

I staggered back when I heard those words...

_There is only one rule. Survive._

Simple, straightforward.

Blunt.

They cemented what my unseen visitor had already told me: What I was about to do - what I was being forced to do, could kill me.

Then denial set in - one of the brain's most pathetic defense mechanisms.

My quickened heartbeat slowed considerably - I was calming. And I felt I was seeing through this obvious practical joke, sick as it was.

I sat back on my bed, and sighed.

"Look, whoever you are," I said, my calm voice surprising even me. Heh. Yeah, they should be feeling doubtful about this stupid joke by now.

"I don't know how the heck you were able to pull this off, and I don't care, but what you're doing is illegal. You might wanna stop this stupid thing and scram before you get caught."

Man, that was impressive. They should be scrambling away with their tails between their legs by now.

I flopped backward onto the bed, satisfied with myself.

For a while I heard nothing.

Hmph. I thought. The coward. That was easier than I thought.

_The game begins at midnight._

I wasn't startled. I had already known that this was no hoax. This was just my denial, my desperate final defense, being shattered.

I sat up nonetheless. If I was, since I was, going to be forced to play this... this game, I might as well listen to what the intruder had to say.

"It doesn't look like I can bail out of this," I mumbled.

_You do not have a choice. I have brought this upon you. You will attempt to survive._

"So basically you're going to try to kill me, but you're warning me about it?"

_If you like. Either way, this is merely a game. And you, Drake, are merely a player in it._

I resisted the urge to yell.

Merely a game?!

I had to remind myself that whoever this was, they must have a distorted view of everything.

_The game ends twenty-four hours after start. During that time you will attempt to keep yourself alive._

"Wait, what do I get if I win?"