Puppet

The First Test

All she wanted was a friend. She was cold, alone, and afraid. She didn't know where to turn.

It was the first night of stage two training. She had been left alone in the wilderness to fend for herself, surrounded by dense undergrowth and hidden dangers with sharp teeth and glowing eyes. She felt them. They were coming for her. She was scared, vulnerable. Terrified. She didn't know what to do. She hauled herself into the low branches of a nearby tree, it's spindly limbs reaching out like outstretched fingers, rattling like dying breaths. She shivered. She couldn't sleep. They said bad things would happen if she slept. She needed to stay awake for every second, eyes wide, listening for the slightest sound. Ready to fight, never to flee. Running away was for cowards. She was not a coward. That's what they'd told her, anyway.

A rustling came in the bushes below. She tensed, gulping. A centipeedle scuttled past, appearing for only a brief second before fading back into the night. She relaxed, letting out a caged breath. She didn't know what to think or what to feel. She didn't know how she could survive this. If the corrupted gem creatures didn't get her, the paranoia and fear definitely would.

The rest of the night crept by, every second an agony of wondering. Wondering if it would be her last. It was dark, the only light from the two distant moons and scattered stars in the sky. The occasional winged creature flitted past, and she would latch onto the tree trunk with shaking hands, trying to put fear out of her mind, trying to be strong, failing. She was just a child. She didn't know how to do this. Would she ever?

She stayed in the tree all night, holding her breath, unblinking. The sun crept into the sky and her superiors came to retrieve her. There were no words of congratulation or encouragement, just curt nods and long strides. She nearly had to run to keep up, and she was tired and emotionally drained. She needed a break. She wouldn't get one, of course. This was only stage two of her training. She had a long way to go before she would be allowed to rest.