BackBone

Flashbacks

As soon as I fixed the pod in my ear, a similar robotic voice spoke.

"Welcome on board Kaecy, please proceed to the door on your left".

A bit startled, I exhaled. A door on my left? What door?

And then I saw it, I didn't realize it at first, but now I see it, a silver door, waiting for me as well as others to go through. Just right there, at my left.

I pulled the rope of the tag over my head, and hid the card inside my shirt, wouldn't want anyone seeing my face. Nope, thank you very much.

And I walked, my heart hammering in my chest from too much excitement and anxiety. I've never felt goosebumps before, but I'm certain I feel it now.

Once in front of the door, I stop, I half expect it to open, but it doesn't.

"Please hold up your card in front of the scanner".

Jesus! I'd better get used to this voice or I'm going to suffer from a heart attack for sure.

Pulling out my card, I hold it up to the slightly big scanner by the side of the door. It's makes a whirling sound, then beeps and turns a green color. The door opens and I briskly walk in, palms starting to sweat.

The room is bare, nothing except for the big pod in the middle. I can see a long glass stand inside it, and....mud?

I walk closer to the pod and sure enough, there's mud? What's mud doing there?

"Kaecy, you are to step into the pod, once you do, the door shuts and your timer begins counting down. You are to answer the question, solve puzzles and decipher codes and riddles, a total number of five in fifteen minutes, solve as fast as you can to avoid getting sucked into the quick sand".

Quicksand???!!! Why would I want to step in quicksand?

"Failure to solve any displayed puzzle on the glass computer will send you down the pod and back outside, where you will submit your card and ear pod and be dismissed. Time will be displayed on the glass computer. If you want to quit, do so now".

Do I? I don't want to quit, for some reason I don't. Still, I wonder what I'm doing here anyway.

I suck in air and step into the pod, into the slimy mud, I instantly feel myself sinking.

"Your time starts now. Remember, people are watching".

The pods door slides shut, the computer beeps to life and the time shows boldly in green. 15:00.

The first puzzle appears on the screen. God! I'm a nervous wreck! I skim through the puzzle. There's a bold headline, and five empty square fields with instructions and options.

WHAT'S THE CODE?

A numeric lock requires five digit key to unlock it.

5.1.2.3.9.{Two numbers are correct and we'll placed}.

1.7.6.8.3{No number is correct}.

4.7.0.6.8{Two numbers are correct, but wrongly placed}.

2.9.1.4.5{Four numbers are correct, but wrong placed}.

0.4.5.1.7{One number is correct, but wrongly placed}.

A) 09452

B)05249

C)95042

D)52920.

What is the code?! I struggled to relax, glancing at my time, my heart raced faster. Time wasn't helping, plus the sinking feeling, I could feel me going lower. 10:20.

But just as my hands hovered over the computer, I was hit with a strong force, one so strong that I felt nauseous, and not only that, I zoned out, I saw everything.

The computer glass stared up at me, the puzzle a bit blurry, but correctly exact. Breaths of a girl fairly steady, hands hovered above the computer, timer counting down.

I shook my head hard, nearly collapsing from what just happened, I spread my hands out to my side, supporting my weight with the pod doors and I tried to steady myself, even if I could pass out right now.

What was that? I'd just seen the game, everything was exact. Somehow, I was seeing it, somehow I stopped seeing it, but what is going on?!

Again, the strong wave hit me and I zoned out again.

There's the puzzle again, this time, I see a hand reach out, and tap option B. Then the screen blinks a big, bold, white, correct.

Then it ends, I'm back in the pod. Blinking rapidly and strongly shell shocked.

Who was playing that? What just happened? Was this part of the game? Was this meant to happen? How could I see that? There was someone playing! I saw hands! Female! It was a woman! Why could I see the answer to the game. Was it a test of some sort?

I'd forgotten I was sinking, and by the time I realized it, it was too late. It was already up my shoulder, and I was sinking faster, the loud countdown filling my ears, until I couldn't hear them anymore.

5...4...3...2...1.

I was swallowed by brown, murky, quicksand and flushed right through a pipe, out of the pod and dropped right outside the building.

I hit the hard floor, but the impact was less, thanks to the mud. Once I struggled up, I noticed the man standing there, watching me, I knew exactly what to do.

Pulling off my sticky card and ear pod, I dumped it into the open paper bag, noticing that mine wasn't the first. I turned around and shuffled to my bicycle, covered in mud, sticky and highly irritated.

I just got eliminated.

First game, easy stage, big fail, with people watching. The feeling of sadness and loss were great, but the one of confusion was greater. I had to figure out what happened to me in there, who was the woman? Why could I see her? Why was she playing a game that just got released? Was she some other player with psyche abilities? If so, why psyche with me? Was she Michelle? Which couldn't be possible, but if yes, why help me? Or get me eliminated?

My head buzzed with questions as I got on my bicycle and started riding home. First, I needed a nice bath and I needed to throw this cloth away and give my bicycle a nice wash. Then, I needed to think. Deep thoughts.