The Trial

Chapter 4

I woke up almost an hour before my alarm went off, so I got up and started getting ready. after I was dressed, I closed the bag around my dress and tucked it away in my pack. it was still a little damp, so I'd have to unpack it as soon as I could to keep it from getting all wrinkled and smelling musty. 

after I reheated my extras from dinner, I hurried to eat and headed out, opting for a brisk speed. I made it to the training grounds in under half an hour. I figured that I'd be the first to arrive, since I was still about an hour early, but the hunters were already there, along with Simon. 

as I crossed the grounds, watching them, I wondered why they'd be so early. as I approached them, Simon gave me an almost non-existent nod and motioned to the building behind him where we had our first test. I gave a single, tight nod and headed for the building. 

after I passed them, I felt someone following me, but I tried to ignore it, until it felt like someone was about to touch me. I automatically and instinctively spun around and caught their hand; much to their surprise and mine. it was a hunter, so I immediately let go and stepped back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean -"

"I was attempting to see how well your senses were. it's not very often a human can evade one of my kind, especially when it's human nature to panic in the darkness. tell me. how did you manage to avoid detection? we heard no sound at all from you. it was even difficult to smell you."

"I can calm my heartbeat and my breathing. as for my scent, I'm as curious about that as you are. then again, I wasn't aware that hunters were in the room."

"what did you presume was there?"

"honestly, I half expected a vampire."

his deep laugh made me smile. "we wouldn't put a trainee in any real danger."

"you sure about that?" I half joked, glancing at the building behind me, still smiling a little. 

he chuckled a little more and gestured for me to continue toward the building. "I've been doing this a long time, and I have yet to see any real, physical harm come to any trainee."

"what about mentally?"

"that's another story. unfortunately, I've seen many of your kind break. most of them are fine now, but they weren't able to continue with the Trial."

as we reached the doors to the building, he reached out and opened the door, gesturing for me to go in. "thanks." I murmured and slipped inside the same room from yesterday. 

"tell me your actions from yesterday." 

"when the door slammed shut, I retraced the thirteen steps I'd taken away from the door and slid along the wall to the corner. I kept my eyes closed, until I heard the third trainee scream and heard all of you searching the space. I knew you had searched the opposite side of the room and we're working your way to where I was. I needed to move, so I took off my shoes and opened my eyes, before I pointed myself in what I'd hoped was the opposite corner."

"you said you heard us?" his voice was full of disbelief.

I nodded and said "your shoes made the tiniest of noises, but, with so much silence, it was easy to pick up the sound. although, I had only counted five of you moving around. it didn't dawn on me that there were more of you holding the others in their places."

he nodded and asked "how did you silence your heartbeats?"

"my dad taught me a long time ago how to calm myself down and stay silent. it's mostly a mental ability." he raised his brow in a questioning fashion, so I added "I'm not sure how to explain it. I just know how to do it."