Day 0 part 3

The dust cloud slowly reveals two huge circles with tiny black dots in the centre. Eyes. Encasing them, a huge crab-like shell the color and texture of sand– from it, sharp bones in the form of spikes come out. Huge, thick drill-like legs made from the same dark bone-like material.. Two.. No four? Six? The dust settles. Massive fangs that sit exposed. A huge hellish monster that fits like a puzzle piece in its environment looms over us.

Goosebumps ripple across my skin and turn to violent shaking in a matter of seconds. I can hardly keep my body standing. I glance at Rena. Her jaw looks like it's about to dislocate from the rapid quivering. Her lips are trembling so violently I can’t tell if she’s trying to say something and the loud drum-like pounding in my head isn’t helping.

My mouth is agape, slowly filling up my lungs with air until I finally yell out.

“RUUNNNN!” I yank her by the arm and help keep her upright until she starts running on her own.

In the haste I slip several times but catch myself before I’m a goner.

Each of its steps are so quick and powerful they rattle my brain and threaten to throw me off balance as the sand shifts beneath my feet. It’s fast. Too fast. My heart might be faster. Is it gonna explode? Am I gonna die before it catches us?!

Shit. Shit. Shit.

We run for a second or two and-

VOOM

The world blinks for a split second – and the roar of thunder sends us flying in separate directions. As I’m scrambling on the ground, an agonizing screech tears through the air.. I turn, my head pounding as I struggle to figure out what’s happening. I can’t see shit. My eyes are full of tears. All I see is smoke. Did it just get hit by lightning?

“RUN YOU IDIOT!” Rena cries, as she stumbles into me, desperately struggling to help me to my feet. My vision is blurry.. What is that.. I don’t know what to make of it. Like electricity twisting into a humanoid shape in front of me.

“RUN GOD DAMN IT!!” She yanks me hard, nearly sending me off balance, and we take off.

It’s raining. Thunder roars. I keep slamming my feet into the cold sand as hard as I can. Shit! Rena! I turn. Thank god. She’s right behind me.

Rain. A lot of it. I’ve never seen it rain this much. It’s loud.

We run for a few minutes. My lungs are drained of all and any oxygen. My body is convulsing. I feel like I’m going to die. I stop just in front of this huge rock in the middle of the beach. My throat – a desert. Rena. I stumble as I turn to find her. She’s there a bit behind me, gathering herself like she’s been beaten hard. I drop to my knees but still my head is up. I want nothing more than to curl into a ball but I can’t allow myself that luxury. I can’t see anything behind us. Perhaps we were safe.. Safe from what?! What the fuck was that. WHAT THE FUCK. WAS THAT. WHERE ARE WE?!

I hammer the sand with my fist. I’ve never felt like this. So helpless. Like prey… I hate it.

The pounding in my head and the loud rain storm isn’t quite enough to drown out Rena’s cries.

I crawl over to her. I want to appear strong. I do. But the tears.. They just keep streaming down my face.

“It’s okay!” I hug her. “It’s okay..” The two of us curl into a ball. I think we can allow ourselves that. We need it.

A minute or two go by and then I hear a faint noise. Laughter.. It’s coming from behind that rock.

“Pleaseee!!” A desperate scream breaks through the loud song of rainfall.

More laughter.

“I beg y-” Thunder roars. Rena’s also directed her attention to the rock.

That’s it.., I have to know what lies ahead. Maybe then we can have the first move.

I slowly get up, sand glides down my body and I take a few shaky steps. The tears are gone now but I can’t stop the shaking.

“Don’t leave!” Rena catches up and squeezes my arm.

A step. Then another. My hand on the rock. Another step. My hand traces its sharp edges. Here goes. I take a peak and-

“Ahaha.. Aaahhhhh.. “ He cackles – eyes closed, head raised, facing the endless rain. Blood streams down his naked body. A bloodied stone. A broken face belonging to the body of the boy he just killed.

“Moren..” Rena mumbles..

“...”

Thunder roars. The world blinks. Our eyes meet. His smile quickly fades into a subtle frown as he slowly and rather shakily stands up. His hand grips the stained stone harder.

My jaws clench. We’re sizing each other. Like animals. Moren. I know this isn’t a dream but.. This isn’t right.. None of this is. And why would he kill someone? The other guy was begging. So why!? Why would the most popular guy at school murder someone?!

He takes a step forward and my heart skips a beat. I’m getting dizzy. Another step.

“CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL SURVIVING PARTICIPANTS!!!” An incredibly loud and clear voice cuts through the wild sounds of wind, rain and thunder.

Everyone looks up. Nothing.

“ONE PARTICIPANT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED. DAY 0 WILL NOW CONCLUDE. THANK YOU!”

Rena grips my arm tighter. Lips trembling, eyes wide with tears, legs barely keeping her upright.

What?! What the fuck!? She disappeared! I turn to see Moren and he’s as bewildered as I am. She just vanished out of-

Moren is gone too.

My heart beats so loud it actually manages to drown out all other noise. Did they..?! Am I gonna..?! Die?!

It’s suddenly dark. I can’t see anything. Complete silence ensues for a few seconds. I can’t feel my body! What the hell is going on!

“HELLO, HELLO, HELLO DEAR PARTICIPANTS!” A strange voice speaks right into my brain.

“YOU SUCCESSFULLY SURVIVED DAY 0 OF THE GAME OF DREAMS! BE PROUD! AS ANY GOOD GAME SHOW HOST I MUST NOW EXPLAIN THE RULES! OH, APOLOGIES!”

A flicker of bright purple cuts through the darkness ahead and then morphs into a large glowing eye. Its light reveals dozens of shadowed human silhouettes gathered around it. Others like me.

“LET THE EXPLANATIONS BEGIN!” The voice chuckled.

“FIRSTLY, I WANT TO THANK YOU, THE ELITE OF COINMORR - HUMANITY’S MOST PROMISING FACILITY FOR BRILLIANT MINDS AND WELL-ROUNDED PARTICIPANTS! THIS WOULDN’T WORK WITHOUT YOU!” He laughs. I can’t move. Not a single muscle.. I can only look forward. My eyes are glued to this damn eye. Is this how I die?! In.. This?!?

“NO MORE WASTING TIME! THE GAME OF DREAMS IS SIMPLE. ONCE THE PARTICIPANTS GO TO SLEEP, WHICH SHOULD BE AT THE LATEST - MIDNIGHT, THEY ARE TRANSPORTED TO ANOTHER WORLD – ONE VERY DIFFERENT TO THEIR OWN. THERE THEY COMPETE FOR THE ULTIMATE PRIZE – THE WISH. EACH ONE OF YOU HAS A DESIRE SO DEEP IT HAS MARKED YOUR SOULS. UPON WINNING, WHATEVER THAT WISH MAY BE WILL BE GRANTED! ISN’T THAT JUST AMAZING! AND OF COURSE, TO WIN YOU MUST DEFEAT EVERY OTHER PARTICIPANT! IF YOU WISH FOR THE GAME TO END PREMATURELY – THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER WAY – YOU HAVE TO FIND AND DEFEAT ME IN YOUR WORLD! THAT’S RIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I AM NOW A STUDENT AT COINMORR ACADEMY! NOTE THAT BEING ELIMINATED FROM ONE WORLD WILL ALSO ELIMINATE YOU FROM THE OTHER! THE DRAWING OF ABILITIES WILL HAPPEN AS DAY 1 BEGINS. BEST OF LUCK AND UNTIL THEN, I WISH YOU A GOOD DAY AT SCHOOL! HOPE YOUR DREAMS WERE SWEAT!”

…

The chirp of morning birds and the gentle swaying of leaves brings me back to reality. My world.

I sit up in my bed. I can’t keep my heart from racing. My head from pounding. My chest from tightening. My mind from blanking.

The events of the night all play out in front of me. I’m dripping with cold sweat. My hands are shaking. The alarm rings.

It’s time for school.