Trials

Chapter 2

             Noah awoke to the jarring sound of the loudspeakers in his ears. Noah groaned as he rolled to his side and turned his ear to the speakers on his white ceiling.

            "...Today is Trial Changing, " The broadcast booms in a robotic voice. "Please report to your newly given trial. You have ten minutes."

     The announcement kept repeating himself as Noah got dressed. The attire Noah was given for the Rainforest Trial. looked a lot like his attire for the Cave Trial. A dark green shirt, light jacket, camo print pants, big black boots, and a rainproof black duffel to carry with him.

       Noah prepared quickly, packing an apple, his headphones (which connected with to this father's playlist and replayed nearly a hundred songs each day), and the pin Natalie gave him.      

         He never forgot it. Ever. It was like the last piece of her he held on to.

       Noah's stomach squirmed as he ate his rationed breakfast and hugged his mother and father goodbye. Noah's knees shook as he stood by his home door and waited for it to beep open. His head was swimming in anxiety as he staggers down the white halls.

      Other kids were pouring out as well, all excitedly headed to their new trial. Since Natalie had left, Noah wasn't ever as excited as them.

      "Noah!"

      Noah jumps as a hand lands square on his back. He relaxes when he sees the familiar grey eyes and dark hair fastened nearly into a high ponytail.

      "Oh... Jay!" He chuckles. "You scared me!"

      Jay bounces along beside him.

      "What kind of animals do you think they put in the rainforest trial? I want to see a sloth!" She says to him.

      He shrugs. Jay slows in realization. Her brow dipping in recognition.

       "I'm sure she's happy somewhere Noah. A-and I'll bet she misses you so much! She's probably dying to get a chance and break you out of here."

       "Thanks."

       "It's true though. Now hurry up you turtle! I can see the trial gate!"

       Noah ran a bit slower than Jay's dash down the metal corridor. They stopped at a crowd formed behind a set of two large metal doors. On the top of it was engraved the word                        

       "Rainforest".

      Jay smiles at him and then quickly disappears off into the crowd.

      "Wow..." Noah trails off as his heart beat faster.

      "It's exciting, right!"

      Noah turned around to see a smiling girl with freckled pale skin and brown hair cascading down her trial shirt in waves.

      She stuck her hand out.

      "I'm Mya!"

      Noah shook it.

       "Noah."

      Mya brushes back her wavy hair.

      "I'm new this year. My brothers already have been here for a while, Mom has been excited for me to finally join them. What about you?"

       Noah was taken aback by her bright confidence.

        "Y-yes," he answers. "I mean yes about being new. Not about the brothers or anything. I mean- I had a sister that went here- I mean- sorry...never mind."

       Mya laughs jokingly. "You are odd, Noah Rainforest. I look forward to getting to know you-"

       Mya stopped as a boy with black hair puts one arm around her and one arm around Noah.

       "Come on fellow newbies, let's go die in a rainforest just like the dear old Silent want us to."

       "Stop scaring them, Zach. This isn't the Dark Trial anymore!" A girl calls.

      "My apologies, I didn't know to tell the truth was against rules now." He chuckles and grips them tighter.

      "Were you drinking last night, Zach?" Someone else asks.

      "It's Trial Changing! And I finally found the key to Dad's alcohol cabinet! Of course, I was drinking!" Zach laughs.

      The girl groans. Zach flashes a mischievous smile.

      Then the gate started to creak open. Noah and Mya both tense. Even Zach drops his arms.

      The door opened and pale gray light filtered through, once it opened all the way, Noah finally caught a glimpse of the damp forest, alive with colors and sounds.

      All of the new kids stood in awe, but the older kids who'd stayed in the trial darts forward to come in. Noah and Mya were pushed forward and Noah caught a glimpse of Jay towards the back. He followed the older kids' lead as the let out hollers and ran under the thick canopy. Mya laughs as a splash of water hits his face and he jumps back. He grins a grabs a fistful of mud. Mya freezes once he flings it at her. Noah backs away.

      "Oh- I'm sorry Mya- I mean I didn't mean to-!"

      Mya piles mud in her arms and dumps it on Noah's head. He laughs and rushes to grab some more.

      Noah sees Zach whip around and lets out a holler.

      "Mud fight!" He calls to the others.

      The new kids tackle each other into the mud and dodge as others throw it at everyone else.

      The older kids let out scoffs of exasperation and roll their eyes, but it only took only one person to throw mud at their face for them to team up and join in.

      "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!!"

      Everyone froze. A tall boy with dark messy hair, a muscular build, and a scar running across his forehead stood with a malicious expression at the front.

      The older kids dipped their heads and retreated behind him.

      "That's Liam," Mya whispers to him hesitantly.

      "My brothers have talked about him before. Did you know he's seventeen? Seventeen! He's not even in this Trial age range! It's a mystery of why he's still here. My brother Josh said that it was because the Silent just forgot about him. My brother Nathan says it's a punishment. What do you think, Noah?"

      But Noah wasn't listening. If Liam was seventeen he would've been around when Natalie was here. Could he know what drove her to escape? He had to talk to Liam.

      A burst of laughter finally caught Noah's attention.

      "I'm sorry." Zach snickers from behind him. "But just who do you think you are?" He growls.

     An uneasy murmur ripples through the crowd. Zach was poking a tiger ready to pounce.

      Liam approaches Zach casually. The older kids stood rigid as he circled Zach. Zach rolls his eyes.

     And before Noah knew it, Zach was on the ground. Liam had struck him with a heavy blow to the face. Zach wipes the blood off and stands up, looking Liam in the eyes with a deadly expression.

   "Consider that a warning. Next time I won't be so...reasonable. I give the orders in this Trial. Do you understand?" Liam hisses, quite cooly.

       "You're no leader of mine!" Zach spits at him as he throws another punch.

           Liam ducks quickly and twists Zach's arm back roughly, making Zach let out a pained grunt.    

          Liam turns him around and grabs him quickly by the collar.

           "Such defiance is not tolerated here. But I am still reasonable. How about I banish you to the deep forest. Sound good? Hey, maybe if anyone follows you then you can start your own separate group in this Trial." Liams says sarcastically. "In fact, let's see. Would anyone like to follow our friend into the deep forest?"

       The clearing stayed silent.

      "Good." Liam grins. Then he pulls Zach closer. "It's the furthest west, so you may want to get going. And if I ever, see you come here again, I'll kill you myself."

      Then he gave Zach one last final shove to the ground.

      "Stop!" Noah shouts, barely recognizing his own voice. "He doesn't deserve this. Just let him go!"

      "You don't have to defend me." Zach grunts on the mossy forest floor.

       Liam looks at him and turns to Zach.

        "Get up. Before I get in a worse mood, you should leave."

      Noah jumped in between them.

      "I said stop!" Noah snaps.

       Then Liam pauses to turn to Noah.

      "Trying to be the hero?" Liam gave a deadly grin.

      "Wait... I know you." Liam mutters.

       Noah grunts as he's pushed roughly to the ground.

      He looks at Zach out of the corner of his eyes.

       Run. He mouthed to Zach.

       Zach hesitates for a moment.

          Noah's eyes glinted in pleading. Zach slowly disappeared into the crowd and out into the forest.

      Noah looks up to see Liam glowering over him. Everyone stood back as Liam hauled Noah to his feet.

        "I know who you are!" Liam growls in his ear.

        "You... do?" Noah asks, confused.

         "You shouldn't be here." He says seriously. Noah shivers at the urgency in his tone.

          Liam dropped Noah and stood to face the crowd.

        "Here in the rainforest you follow my rules, or you become lunch for a jaguar." He booms.

            Mya rushes to his side.       

           "Are you okay Noah?" She asks.

       "Fine," he grunts. "Just a bruise."

      She helps him up anyways.

      Noah spits Jay among the crowd and she gives him a worried glance. He nods that he was fine and fixed his eyes on Liam. The name was certainly familiar. Perhaps Natalie had spoken of him?

       Liam continues. "We have simple rules here. And those who don't follow them, well, be prepared to take a trip to the deep forest."

        Noah shudders.

       "Rule number one: Never go anywhere alone. Strength in numbers isn't such a superstition here. There are worse things in this misty forest than just poisonous plants."

       Noah looks to Mya. "Did he say..."

       "Yep." Mya nods knowingly.

       Liam doesn't turn around, but his stiff stature proved that he heard them. And he could do a lot worse than those poisonous plants if they didn't shut up.

       "Rule two:" Liam barks. "We work together here. Everyone does their part. Without any rebellious alliances."

       Noah caught Jay's smirk at him. He purses his lips to keep from laughing. His best friend. Always the rebel

       "Rule THREE," Liam says with a glare at Noah.

       He said his words looking directly at Noah.

      "Anyone's ridiculous plans for escape will be thwarted, and punished fairly with public maiming and banishment to the deep forest for as long as I say they need it,"