Endless

Chapter 2

Will - our self-appointed team leader - encourages us to be careful on level one hundred and sixty-eight. The level consists of a long, rectangular bridge with no support or railings that stretches to the edge of this flight, but everywhere you turn, sharp spikes shoot up from the bridge.

Since there are five hundred levels in this eternal sky, there are multiple flights. We, the red team, are only on the second flight out of five. The blue team is a few levels ahead of us, but Will insists that we stay together as a team and wait for all fifty of us (now thirty-eight of us because of some incautious actions) to finish each level.

I remember exactly what we were instructed to do by the voice from the intercom once we all arrived here at level one.

There were exactly one hundred people. There was an intense, deafening chatter among us. Where were we? How did we get here? Did you get pulled through the tube too?

Suddenly, a male's voice erupted from a small intercom attached to the top the glass tube everyone had arrived in. The voice explained vaguely, "There are one hundred of you. Fifty of you will be blue and fifty of you will be red. Divide yourselves with these." All of a sudden, two cardboard boxes came shooting up from the glass tube. Everyone crowded around to see. One box was filled with red jerseys and the other with blue jerseys.

A bit later after vague explanation, the male's voice concluded, "There are five-hundred levels. Once you complete one, you will step on the pad on the base to confirm that you've accomplished the level. Only one will win for his or her team." He paused, "Begin."

I was shaken back to the present by Brooklyn. She said solemnly, "It's your turn." I nod and begin the level. I walk cautiously and slowly in a straight line. Suddenly, a razor-sharp spike rapidly emerges from the ground. I let out a small scream of shock and jump back. I try to steady my breath and carefully walk around the spike.

I can feel my blood pressure rising with every step. These spikes are like jump-scares in horror movies. I am almost near the end of the bridge when I feel the ground beneath me shake almost unnoticeably. I clap my hand over my mouth when I see a blue member shoving Grayson (a red team member) to the edge of the base ahead. Grayson is fighting back, but a few more blues have come to help their teammate.

Suddenly, I break out into a run. I don't care if there are spikes, I'll dodge them accordingly. My feet hit the smooth, bright red coloured ground with a slap. I cry, "Hey!"

I am just about to reach the base when a tall spike flips up from the ground. Its appearance sets me back with a jolt. I bounce on my toes for a split second to stabilize myself and run around it.

I hear the rest of my teammates running onto the bridge behind me, not following Will's one at a time rule. I land on the base with a thud after jumping over one last small spike. Grayson's heels are off the edge already, and I find myself watching in fear with my arms out in front of me.

I am feeling pressured to think of a way to help Grayson. In the meantime I yell, "Get off him!" The blue threatening Grayson over the edge of the base whips around to look at me. "What are you going to do?" The blue releases his firm grip on Grayson's shirt collar.

I am speechless, although I step forward daringly. Before anyone can say or do anything, Grayson takes advantage of his restored freedom and jumps forward and takes one of the blues by his shirt collar and spins him around. Then, with a heavy push, Grayson pushes the blue right off the edge of the base.

The blue's yells echo throughout the everlasting sky as he falls. Everybody steps forward and peers off the edge, and we all watch the blue waving his arms dramatically to keep himself from flipping and turning over while falling. We watch him get smaller and smaller until his body puffs through a large cloud, and becomes indistinct.

Grayson threatens gruffly, "Who wants to join him?" He slams his fist into the palm of his other hand and cracks his knuckles. Grayson glares hard into the two remaining boys' eyes. The boys' eyes widen as they back away slowly. The two then turned and retreated back to their teammates on the other side of the base. Grayson rolls his eyes and brushes his palms together.

Grayson walks over to me and questions, "What exactly is down there?" I bite my inner cheek and say, "As we know it, it's a never-ending sky." Brooklyn interrupts, having been eavesdropping, "So that boy will just keep falling forever?" I reply, "I guess so." I pause, "Forever. That's a powerful word."