One Up

Chapter 14

The guard leads me down the long, white corridors once again. I take in my surroundings - the white brick walls, the rectangular LED lights, the hum of the air conditioning that sends goosebumps up my arms. Our footsteps clack against the white marble flooring as we head to the first session of our Fearscape.

The squeal of door hinges down the hall catches my attention and I see another guard pulling out a disgruntled Sage. "Move it along, Clone," the guard says as Sage stumbles. He looks back at me as he regains his composure, his usual worried look replaced with anger and determination. I let my eyes drift down so that the guards don't know we know each other. What the guard said to Sage runs through my mind on repeat. Clone. How can he be a clone?

Sage's guard waits until my guard walks up beside with me in tow before we continue on our way. They pull us along like slaves as they chat about their day. With Sage beside me, I steal a glance and find his eyes on me. When our eyes meet, I give him a reassuring smile. He doesn't give one back and I instantly feel more nervous than before.

Tearing my eyes away, I look at the floor, thinking about the Fearscape. It wouldn't scare me as much if it only brought to life my known fears, the ones I'm already mentally preparing myself against. What scares me most is the fears I don't know I have, the ones I can't prepare for. I let my mind drift to the days before this mayhem. Closing my eyes, I imagine the autumn air as Rachael and I walked down Main Street, feeling the buzz of life as we passed the cupcake shop just on the corner. Most people had electric cars, but some still have the older antiques, and I enjoyed the smell of of the octane from the older muscle cars. I let my mind drift too long - I realize, when I slam into the back of the guard.

"Watch where you are going, b***h," he says with venom as he whirls around, yanking me down to the floor. I look at him in annoyance. "I'm the one with my hands bound. Perhaps learn to be better at controlling? I was so sure that you had that down by now," I retort. I can see him seething as he raises his hand, angered by my words. He is about to lash at me when a hand wraps around his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

We turn and find a younger male holding his wrist. His dark hair falls into his brown eyes as he looks at the guard with anger. He stands over the guard about six inches, making him a foot taller than me at five foot four.

"If I were you," he says in a dark, lightly accented tone. "-I would be mindful not to hit anybody. There are plenty of spaces left for you to take a dirt nap. Got it?" he scolds dangerously. The guard nods quickly before standing to the side. I follow the man's line of sight as his gaze meets mine, his anger replaced with forced gentleness. "Forgive this guard. He seems to have forgotten his training," he says, giving a cold glance to the guard who cowers away. I roll my eyes. Why apologize when you're apart of the corruption in this facility?

"Who are you?" I ask curiously. Not for the sake of heart, but to identify him once I'm out of here. The man puts a hand to his chest with an almost hurt gaze. "Where are my manners," he says. "I'm Sergeant Lucien Calloway. I am the head guard of this institute." Sage scoffs beside me. "You seem rather young to be a Sergeant," he says. Lucien only nods. "I get that a lot. I started training here in Australia at the age of eighteen, and I'm twenty."

His words make me stop dead in my tracks. Australia? How did we get in Australia. I clear my throat, catching the Sergeant's attention. "Um, sorry, did you say Australia?" Lucien nods. "Yes, Australia. Now, I will lead you into the rest of the way. Matthew, go to the barracks and clean up. There better not be a single speck on the ground by the time I come to check," he orders my guard. The guard quickly turns and walks down the hall away from us. Gently, Lucien grabs ahold of my wristbands before taking us the rest of the walk to the warehouse.

When we arrive, Lucien gives the guard at the door a nod, before the guard swipes his key card and opens the glass doors. Lucien leads us over to the rest of the group where the scientist waits.

"Where were you? You are ten minutes late," the scientist says. Lucien looks at her with mild annoyance. "We got caught up in the hallway. One of my men got out of line. Forgive me, Amrielle," he says. The scientist he referred to as Amrielle lifts up her hand as if to shoo him away. "No matter," she says. "Just leave them and we can get started." With another nod, Lucien lets us go, unlocking our cuffs before him and Sage's guard saunter out of the warehouse.

Sage and I turn as Amrielle gazes over us. "Okay then, let us begin." A moment later, a clipboard is in her hands as she calls out names and numbers. One by one, a player goes to a numbered pod with a guard stationed right outside to ensure that the player enters. Some players struggle and the guard forces them in.

After a moment, my name is called to nineteen, and Sage is called to twenty. We make our way to the Fearscapes. Not bothering to fight it, I go to mine, and as I'm about to open my door, I feel a hand grab my arm. Turning, I find Sage standing behind me. "Be brave, Samara," he says as a guard shouts at him to get to his station. I grab his hand, giving a gentle squeeze before I enter my pod. He enters his -with a loving shove from the guard- before taking his headset.

I am just about to put on mine when the loudspeaker overhead in the Fearscape alerts me. Amrielle's voice booms through.

"Testers," she starts, almost making me laugh as she avoids our obvious predicament as prisoners. "-you may put on your headsets. Failure to comply within a certain time frame will result in your immediate death. You may begin."

I watch as a digital clock illuminates above the flat screen within the pod. Five minutes. That's all I get to compose myself. My heart starts hammering in my chest as I am left with the most difficult decision. I can wait five minutes and die, play this stupid game, and die, or somehow make it through and die. No matter which way I looked at it, death was knocking at my door and no matter which way I choose, I will have to answer it.

I think to Jordan. He would want me to keep going, to face this. He would want me to last as long as possible in order to find a way out.

That is what I am going to do.

For you, Jordan, I think inwardly, before grabbing my headset and going into my Fearscape.