EQAO

Chapter 20 - Weeding Them Out

There was  a floating platform with a traditional checkered flag hanging above it. My friends carried me towards it faster now. When we got there, they put me down, and I barely managed to stand. All the blood rushed to my feet, and I felt slightly dizzy.

A bunch of people were already there, and were looking at me curiously. Collin seemed surprised to see me, but Mia looked furious. She looked like she had been the first one there, and had waited for my friends to arrive without me. Anger boiled up inside me.

Mia was the one who tampered with my jet pack. She tried to kill me! Well it looks like she forgot something important, friendship.

I gave her a smug smile as she stormed away. Suddenly, the announcer started speaking,

"Well, that's seems to be everyone, finally. Looks like Jessica couldn't figure out how to work her pack, so her friends had to carry her the whole way!"

I gritted my teeth.

"Now," he continued, "Let's see who didn't go through all the hoops. Brianna Burbs, step forward."

A muscular girl stepped forward.

"You did not go through the last hoop."

She looked embarrassed.

"I didn't fit." she mumbled.

"What's that?"

"I didn't fit!" she shouted to the crowd.

"A pity. I suppose you'll have to be eliminated."

At that last word, the floor opened up underneath Brianna, and she fell downwards screaming, until we couldn't see her anymore. Then the floor returned to its former self.

"Diego Pacite, step forward."

A smaller, scared looking boy did as he was told.

"You missed the fourteenth hoop." the announcer said in a bored voice.

"I went through all the hoops!" he squeaked.

"This footage says otherwise."

Suddenly, a large screen rose up in the middle of the crowd. On it, was Diego, flying, and off to his right, a little ways away, was a golden hoop. Diego looked doubly frightened now. He looked down, as if expecting the floor to open up at any moment.

"It seems you're -say it with me-"

The crowd and the voice chanted,

"-ELIMINATED!"

Instead of the floor opening up, a small arrow came out of nowhere, and pierced Diego right in the heart. This type of thing happened six more times, each one quickly being disposed by soldiers. Finally, the booming voice told everyone to line up in front of two doors that seemed to exit out into the vast sky. It turns out however, that it was actually just another elevator.

I was almost used to these rides now. So I wasn't fazed when I exited the elevator, and found myself in a room with rows of chairs, and competitors sitting in them. I sat down in an empty chair.

Eight people just like me, dead. All because they didn't do what Ms. Gerdalli wanted.

I realized that I had been zoned out. Back in reality, I saw that a small, greenish liquid in a glass was in front of me. I looked around, and saw that everyone else had one too. On it, was a label that said,

"Nutrients"

I was confused, then figured that it was supposed to substitute food. We drank this, and we'd be ready for the next event without eating. I knew I had no other choice.

I drank it.