Visionless Reality

Fifteen

        Filling up the bucket, with those pretty soulful memories, we were creating a better bond between all the members. Reminding myself of the first day, I figured out that the meditation was really a self-healing task. Although it did not work perfectly for everyone, but it did make them all feel the energy of peace and harmony. The team was more strong than it was before any of the tasks. It was fun to have some new friends in the list with the old ones. Old ones… Oh! I would have forgot every friend of mine from the real world… Safina, Trisma, Kanei… and some more I did not remember. I felt like losing my memory. But memories could be revived by meeting them all after the 5th task. I was much more focused on completing the tasks… for I was to meet Safina next day… but for what reason? I couldn’t remember things that happened last night in the real world. It was all messed up in my mind.

‘Recruits… you have been provided with points and latest ranking board is generated. It is disappointing that most of the recruits can’t even stay with Joshua for a minute. Only one recruit… out of 40, was able to complete the given task successfully. Only that recruit is awarded with maximum points. All the others are awarded on the basis of time period; you were following Joshua. Check your ranking and wait in the lobby for the next announcement.’-Instructor.

        With everyone rushing towards the noticeboard, I realised that the ‘only recruit’ the instructor was talking about, was me. Getting the maximum points in that task, I was relieved for my rank would have been increased too. Crouching to get inside the crowd, to trying to stay up for long near the noticeboard, I noticed that I have achieved a higher ranking. From 13th rank to 5th rank… it was actually a leap of faith. I was happy for the success, but worried about future tasks too. With increased levels of task, the intensity of tasks would be increased too… for all we have to do was, to survive the competition. But what actually were we doing that could harm us… That was strange as well as a thoughtful situation.

‘Congrats buddy for getting a higher rank… I was not expecting such a leap. You are pretty good with these tasks huh?’-Recruit-38.

‘Ya right. Like I have the blueprints to all the tasks right here with me.’

‘Does anyone know which recruit was able to follow Joshua to that monster thingy?’-Recruit-147.

‘I too want to know… Please find him… this was the most irritatingly insane task ever.’-Recuit-399.

‘That was me. I followed Master Joshua to the end of my dreams, and killed that monster, that was stopping me from reaching the ultimate knowledge. I was not sure what to do but I just followed his voice. He took me where I was supposed to go.’

‘That is good… but tell me… How were you able to sustain the urge of sleeping, and not implement it? I mean, I tried hard to focus on his deep male voice, but that voice drowned me into the pond of ultimate rest.’-Recruit-147.

‘Yes really… Even I tried to focus on what he was saying, but I ended up in my dreams too.’-Recruit-399.

‘I have done this kind of meditation before. It helped me heal when I was out of tune.’

‘You really are an interesting person 5.’-Recruit-38.

‘Recruits! Gather at the testing field asap.’-Instructor.

        It was time for another task… task-4. I was ready for this one with all my patience, skills and knowledge that I gathered with the course of time. The taskmasters had already tested our major skills, and I was wondering, what other skills did they want to test in the recruits. Getting back to the testing field, this time with a bit shaky legs, I was trying to get confident about the next task but I don’t know why… I was having this gut feeling, that something was not right.

‘Okay recruits… ready for your next task? Well, I think that you all are refreshed, after that meditation session… and the sleep ofcourse. This task of yours, will test your presence of mind, your stability and ofcourse, you will be putting your lives on risk, to get some of the things, to complete the checklist that we provide, to every teams… present here.’-Instructor.

        ‘Checklist? Things? What are they up to?’. Thinking about the fact, it was going to more and more insane heights. Completing some checklist… just to prove our abilities? It was not a right deal. And as the instructor already said… we were going to risk our lives in the task, it was going to be more… brutal.

‘The checklists that we hand over to you, contains some of the materials that are found near the shore of the Island-22, Nation-A. These materials are required by our pharmacists, and our scientists to create and research on some of their uses and their properties. We all use those items in our daily life products like resin in the elastic straps of the gloves… and so on. All the checklists are different… and carefully made to test your skills on the journey of task-4. Please collect your checklists, maps and all the things that you will require for your journey, from the attendant inside the lobby. Although you are risking your lives to complete the checklists, try to get back to this camp as soon as possible but… without any casualties.’-Instructor.

        Okay… Now that he had already mentioned that there could be casualties on the way to the island, I was feeling the task… hanging on my head like a guillotine… ready to slice my head, and leach the land with the fountain of blood. I could feel my legs shaking and perspiration on my forehead… for I could sense the danger… that was waiting for us.

‘Why are you sweating so hard dude? Is everything okay?’-Recruit-147.

‘Yes… yes I am okay.’

‘But you are all wet already and it is not hot here anymore. It is a pleasant evening with the cool breeze all around us… How could you even sweat?’-Recruit-38.

‘I having this gut feeling… We should not go there. It is not safe for anyone here. I don’t know why but… I am sure, something is out of tune.’

‘Everything is okay dude… Just relax… I think it is a side-effect of the monster you killed in your dreams. Nothing is real… don’t worry. Take a rest and then… we’ll be ready to go.’-Recruit-399.

        Although my teammates were trying to make up my mind, so that I may continue the journey… I was still not sure that was it the right thing to do or not. I spent a few moments in the lobby, with all the other teams, and we all were ready to pave our path to that island. Every recruit was given a backpack, with their tags on them… carved on a silver sheet. I was very much curious about the thing that we were going to use and for that, I tried to give the items inside a look. It was dark outside and thus we had to have a flashlight or something like that. The first thing that I felt with my hand was a fabric pouch. Something that felt hard, was a flashlight… It was durable and heavy duty. Moving my hand inside the bag, I laid my hand on something familiar. It was my butterfly knife. I was happy to get it back. A compass, water container, metal container, medical kit and a map... these things were provided to every recruit, ready for the task-4.

‘Should we start the journey right now or tomorrow early morning? What say fellas?’-Recruit-147.

‘I think, starting tonight, right now, we will reach that island early in the morning. Gathering all the material in our bags, we would make our way back to this shack tomorrow evening.’-Recruit-38.

‘Don’t be fooled by this tactic. This task is not as easy as it looks. The task may look pretty straight forward, but there must be various perils in our way to that place. We do not know what they are going to test in this task but as the instructor said, it is risky for our lives.’-Recruit-399.

‘He is absolutely right. For this task is not time based, we can get some rest and plan for the way before leaving.’

        We postponed the journey for the next day and started planning for the task.

‘Moving from the camp, in the east, we have a hill in our way. It must be having some steps for us to climb, and passing through it, lies the sea. After swimming for a few minutes, we would be able to reach this Island-22.’-Recruit-147.

‘Exactly… this is the best way we can trace to that place.’-Recruit-38.

‘Do not try to keep your expectations high. These people are very clever. They make the things look clear, but they are actually deceptive. You don’t know what lies under a rock that is left unturned.’-Recruit-399.

        We did try to sleep but no one was really able to. Everyone was trying to think about the hidden and untold dangers, that laid on our journey to the island. Waking up the next morning, I realised that I was asleep… and also I did not encounter any of the dreams that were disturbing me. All the other teammates were ready for some action, and so was I. Other teams were still here, looking out for someone to make a step. We started our journey, reaching out of the camp. The camp looked much bigger from inside, than from outside. Heading to the east, the rising sun gave a warm look, like welcoming us with its orange rays and the blue sky above us, with the white clouds marching with us… it all felt very joyous journey. I wished it would stay with us for long…

‘Lavender… Black sage… Horsetail… Wait, horsetail? Where would we find a horse on an island?’-Recruit-38.

‘Leave that thought, think about what will they do with a horse tail? Is it not illegal to t*****e an animal?’-Recruit-147.

‘Do we really have to kill a horse? We do not have any weapons. Was this the danger they were talking about?’

‘Oh please, can you give your minds some rest? This is nothing about a real horse. Horsetail is a plant that looks like miniature bamboos. They are often used for its medicinal properties.’-Recruit-399.

‘So what about this catclaw? Is this also some kind of plant?’-Recruit-147.

‘Ofcourse that too is a plant. How the hell do you think are we going to find a cat on an island?’-Recruit-38.

‘Okay so… timber, webcap mushroom, beeswax?’-Recruit-38.

‘I don’t want to get bitten by a bee. It feels like hell. I have had an experience when one of the bees did bite my lower lip and I looked awful.’-Recruit-147.

‘Oh really? I thought you would look like Angelina Jolie.’-Recruit-38.

‘Are we going in the right direction guys? Coz I don’t think we have to climb this hill…’

‘Oh my holy father! I can’t think of getting over it.’-Recruit-147.

‘This thing is huge… Can’t we find of a better way up there?’-Recruit-38.

‘Ofcourse we don’t have to climb it. It already has some grooves. All we have to do is to follow the grooves, and they will lead us to the top.’-Recruit-399.

        The hill was bigger than imagined. Also the way beyond it, was not known. Although it got some visible paths, they were risky to follow. This was the most exciting journey, that I was going to witness in this world. But, how was I able to get into this world. I know that I do not belong to this world and this one is an imagination, but how was I able to get into it?