Island Girls

by Rodzil LaBraun

  I showed the girls some light workouts that we could do to prepare our muscles for the upcoming athletic event. It was enough to get our bodies ready without tiring us out or taxing our bodies. I assumed that today’s competition would be similar to those in the past. I could be completely wrong. We might have to solve puzzles instead, or balance plates on our heads. We also did a lot of stretching. When the buzzer finally sounded, we were ready both mentally and physically.

  Each of us had taken turns returning to the barracks to use the toilet. The door had been open the entire time. But the prison must have closed it long enough to return our unruly teammate. We were all shocked to see him coming around the building to join us at the arena entrance. His attitude had obviously been adjusted. In fact, he looked rather subdued.

  "Are you okay?" I asked the guy, placing my body between him and the girls. He just nodded without looking at me, kind of absently. Whatever they gave him had him chilled out. I hoped that it did not impede his ability to perform.

  "I'll fuck you up later," he eventually announced in a quiet tone.

  CHAPTER NINE:

  Once again, the arena was divided down the middle separating us from the other team. The video was already active demonstrating our physical challenge for today as we approached. The same two hosts appeared on the screen, wearing the same clothes. I figured that all the competition briefings must have been filmed the same day.

  The first part of the challenge was to pull a rope with a weight attached, forty feet through the sand while standing on a platform. The weight varied between the competitors depending on their size and conditioning. It seemed a little unfair to me to handicap a person because they were in better shape, but there was no one to hear my complaints but my teammates.

  There was a rail blocking us from entering the sand. After we get the weight close enough to reach from the platform, we would have to untie four knots to remove a large key that looked more like a puzzle piece. With that key we would be able to unlock the entrance to a narrow rope bridge that swung above a raging river of yellow flames about eight feet wide.

  I could actually feel the heat from the fire at a distance. I wouldn't want to be on that bridge very long. However, the passageway was a single board with two rope railings to help maintain balance. The demonstrations on screen showed the contraption swaying as people traversed.

  On the other side of the fire pit were a dozen rungs for a ladder laying loose in a pile. The two upright sections of the ladder had slots for the rungs to slide into, but they were different sizes and shapes. So, each rung had its own place. They had to be put in order.

  Once the last rung was put into place, we could reach the team platform at the top. There was a large horizontal wheel with four spokes jutting out about chest high. Each person could begin turning the wheel when they arrived by walking in a circle. The movement would raise a weight below the platform that was equal to the weight of our entire team. It would be difficult to do without all four of us at the wheel.

  Once the weight reached a certain height, it would ignite a flame on a torch above us to signal completion of the event. We were warned that the losing team would face harsh repercussions for their failure. Details would not be provided until after the event. So, no reward for winning this team, only something bad if you lost.

  The final instructions alerted us to the activation of the second button on our left arm. The green one. Pressing it would give us a boost of adrenaline. We would only get one dose per competition, so we were encouraged to time it wisely.

  We took our positions as instructed. Even Bobby lined up without complaint. I don't know what they did to get him in line, but it seemed to have worked like a charm.

  Another buzzer sounded and the barrier blocking us from grabbing the rope simply disappeared. I was curious as to how they did that, but decided it was best that I focus on the task at hand.

  All four heavy cubes for our team were the same size. However, it was clear that they were not the same weight. Nancy and Shira were having roughly the same amount of difficulty as me. And that was considerable. One thing our captors could not account for was determination. A fitness freak would have an advantage because they were so used to digging deep to get that extra repetition or two out of each exercise.

  I completed my task first and worked to untie the knots holding the key. My bulky fingers were a hinderance for this part of the challenge. Shira was second to get her weight close enough, then beat me to freeing her key. Next was Bobby, then Nancy.

  I seriously needed to help my new lover with her strength conditioning. The problem was that we had an arena challenge every day. There was no time for a person's muscles to heal from each exertion that tore their fibers. A one-day break was essential for improving muscle mass. At this rate, a hard workout would only be a detriment, keeping our muscles constantly sore.

  The bridge gave me a lot more trouble than I expected. I almost fell over the rope into the flames three times. My height and upper body size were a considerable disadvantage. By the time I mastered keeping my core low, Shira was already across. Then Bobby. Nancy and I made it to the other side about the same time.

  I gained some ground on the ladder building portion. But, so did Bobby. He beat me to the top of the platform by about three seconds. Ten seconds later Shira joined us. Not long after that Nancy arrived as well.

  I took a peg on the wheel opposite of Bobby, placing our two strongest players across from each other. Once we were all four together, I risked my first glance at the other team. The massive blue weight was at least two feet higher off the ground than ours. I informed my team and suggested that we all use our adrenaline button to gain the lead. Nancy announced that she had already used hers earlier. Bobby ignored me so I assumed that his was already spent as well. Fortunately, Shira still had hers and we pressed our boost buttons to help our team.

  The screen between the teams then went live with close-up views of both team's progress. We had gained some ground, but not enough. Despite all my effort and loud grunting, the blue team won the competition. A big hooray then went up on the display showing the winning team congratulating themselves. They looked as exhausted as we were.

  A new building then rose from the floor in the center of the arena with a walkway connecting to our high platform. Both teams were commanded to enter that building. Once inside we were all eight crowded into a space about ten-foot square. The divider between the two teams remained, so we could not make contact. Conversation, though, was as easy as talking over a neighbor's fence.

  Not much was said before our hosts appeared on the screen between us. Their images were translucent, so our opponents could still be seen. I did my best not to be distracted by Lin's glistening body.

  The other three walls went opaque as a new set of instructions were being provided for a new course. This time, only one team would compete, and it would be against their teammates. An individual challenge.

  We were going to have to drag a rope of weights over four obstacles. Each barrier was higher than the previous one but provided a key to unlock and remove the smallest of the four weights in progression. The final weight would then need to be lifted chest high and placed into a slot. Doing so released three balls.

  A balancing puzzle would be the last stage of the event. We would have to use two side handles to maneuver the balls through a course. The last person to sink the last ball into its pocket would lose the competition.

  The four individual tracks ran side by side with no barriers between us. That gave me some concern. We lined up in our designated tracks to begin the game. Left to right, was Shira, then me, then Nancy, then Bobby.

  The weights were not as heavy as I had expected. Considering our fatigue from the team event, that was a true kindness from our captors. We each reached the first barrier in less than a minute. It was at that time that our hosts announced that the loser of this event would be put to death.

  "What the fuck!" my mind screamed. Imm
ediately after the announcement I saw my three competitors press their adrenaline buttons. I personally waited until after the third barrier before I pressed mine. At that time, I was in third place. Shira was first, then Bobby. Our smallest female was impressive in these events so far. She had a fierce competitive spirit.

  I moved into second with my boost and released my puzzle balls just an instant after Shira. Bobby was ten seconds behind and working on his first ball when Nancy released hers. When they dropped through the chute one bounced off her arm and landed in the sand between her and Bobby. Before she could reach for it the asshole turned and kicked her ball thirty feet away.

  Nancy cried out in frustration and chased after the ball. During that time, I dropped what I was doing, which was manipulating my second ball, and ran through the sand to Bobby's station. He blocked and dodged my first two jabs with my left fist but was too slow to avoid my right cross. The fucker went down instantly.

  I didn't wait to see his condition. Nancy was already working on her first ball, so I ran back to continue progress on my second. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bobby stand up wobbly and grab the handles for his puzzle. His lack of balance due to my fist put him at a big disadvantage.

  Shira finished the puzzle first, then me. But I didn't cheer until Nancy had finished hers. Another horn announced the end of the game. Bobby had regained his composure and was complaining to the sky about the unfairness of my action against him. Nancy ran away from Bobby as I stepped up to face his wrath head on.

  Just before reaching me he was once again struck down with intense pain from within his body. He clutched wildly at his arm to release the pain medication into his blood stream. I could not tell how successful the act was. Though still awake, he fell to the sand and remained immobile as he gasped for breath. But he was alive. I wondered if our arena hosts were not going to follow through with the death threat. Extinguishing someone’s life for losing a game seemed overly harsh, even in this weird prison of ours.

  Four cables then dropped suddenly from an unseen ceiling or crane and grabbed Bobby by his four limbs. He was quickly raised a few feet off the ground and taken to a place near the observation building where the blue team had been watching us fight for our lives. A fire pit rose appeared in the space from below, flames raging like the river before.

  Bobby's body, now struggling against its restraints, was then unceremoniously dropped into the flames. Our hosts had gone through with their threat and killed the loser of the individual challenge.

  The three of us stood there in shock for a moment as our newest teammate’s body burned. His cry for help didn’t even last two seconds. Above us I could see the same horrified reaction from the blue team. The entire arena was then silent for a while, our captors allowing a pause for Bobby's death to sink in. Afterwards we were commanded to return to our barracks. As we walked to the arena exit, I placed a protective arm around my two female companions. Neither of them resisted.

  Nancy leaned against my chest and began sobbing. I couldn’t blame her. Seeing someone put to death in a movie was difficult for many people to handle emotionally. Being present for the act, even knowing the person, was devastating.

  CHAPTER TEN:

  We sat at the outdoor table as we considered the implications of Bobby's death. The first shock to absorb was the fact that we were all going to die if we stayed here, eventually. That was assuming that today’s competition format was going to repeat. Some of us sooner than others, depending on how well we fared in the games. Secondly, our friendships were going to be tested every time that we lost the team game. The day would come when we would have to essentially kill one another in order to stay alive. Teaming up against our fourth member probably would not be tolerated by our captors on a regular basis.

  We had to find a way out of here. No administrators were available to hear our pleas. Shouting at the hosts on the screen during our arena time had been completely to no avail. The video presentation was more like a prerecorded broadcast, except that they couldn't possibly know who the winners would be in advance.

  Escape was the only solution. So far, there did not appear to be any cracks in the confinement or security. I decided to examine the perimeter more closely. Based on the walls that I have seen to this point, there had to be more sections to this compound. The arena took up the entire center, but our barracks and area around it only took up a quarter of the beach. That was assuming that the island was roughly a circle.

  Nancy joined me for a while as I searched. We enjoyed each other's company despite our dire circumstances. Once we escaped, I was determined to stay in touch, possibly build a relationship. It was unlikely that I would be returning to my old job after being gone this long. I was kind of tired of it anyway. This island survival game had changed me. I hear people on television explain how near-death experiences alter their perspective so much that they completely changed their lives. I was beginning to feel the same way.

  When the barracks door reopened Nancy left me to check on new food and drink in the refrigerator. She shouted to me while I was examining the pier to let me know that the meals had arrived. The two of them ate while I was still searching the island.

  A few minutes after completing her meal Nancy started on some exercises that I had shown her. It was good that she was taking self-preservation seriously. I might not always be able to come to her rescue. That's when Shira joined me in my quest.

  "Find anything yet?" she asked as she walked onto the pier with me.

  "Unfortunately, no," I replied. "This place is seamless for the most part."

  "I wonder how deep the water is where the wall ends."

  "Me, too," I replied. "I'm tempted to start walking into the water and see how far I can go. If I can get close enough, I could swim the rest of the way. But my gut tells me that there is nothing on the other side of that wall that will save us. It might just be another barracks and beach. I think our captors give us periodic clues, whether intentionally or not. The four-sided table at our original social event, when we first met Zach and Lin, tells me to expect more teams. That also coincides with the walls coming out at an angle from the arena corners."

  "More teams, huh? Would that improve our survival chances?" Shira asked.

  "Maybe," I shrugged. "They could change up the rules as often as they want."

  "I wish this was like a real prison where I could hire a lawyer. Or have some contact with the outside world. If the media found out about this place we'd be released immediately."

  "That would be nice," I replied. I knew that she was just wishful thinking. This was not an ordinary prison, obviously. It probably wasn't even in the United States. I had assumed that I was in Mexico all along, but none of the other inmates had left the country before being taken. In fact, we all came from different sections of North America.

  "If we could somehow get information about this place to the White House, President Morgan would shut it down fast."

  "President who?" I asked.

  "President Morgan."

  "Of the United States?"

  "Yes, of the United States," Shira responded with confusion. "President Eliza C. Morgan. She would use this to her political favor, but at least it would get us free."

  "She? Is there a new President since I've been gone? And it's a woman?"

  "Morgan is in her second term! Where the hell have you been?"

  "No, no," I shook my head. Something was screwy. Maybe they put Shira here to mess with my head. "What happened to Trump?"

  "Trump?" Shira replied with an awkward chuckle. "Trump hasn't been President for more than forty years!"

  I called Nancy over to join in the discussion. A third party would clear this up. One of us is crazy, and I sure as hell hoped that it wasn't me.

  "Nancy," I called out as she approached. "Do we have a woman President?"

  "Almost," Nancy replied. Ah-hah! I knew it. Nancy had to be referring to Hilary Clinton running against Trump. "That actress lost by a small margin
I understand. I don't really follow politics."

  "Actress?" Shira and I both asked at the same time.

  "Yeah, what's her name? Pinsley? Parsley? She played in that remake of the android lover movie."

  "Paisley?" Shira asked. "That was more than a decade ago. She lost to Showalter."

  "Yes," Nancy replied like it cleared up all the confusion. "President Showalter. He's our current President."

  "No, he's not!" Shira looked at us like we were both bat shit crazy.

  "Wait a minute!" I interrupted. "What year is it?"

  "Twenty-thirty-five," Nancy answered first.

  "What? No!" Shira was getting frustrated now. "It's twenty-fifty-two."

  "Oh my God," I uttered as I sat down on the pier. This news was practically mind shattering. I had chiseled what I thought to be an impenetrable mental fortress. Things could surprise me, sure. But I would do my best not to look shocked or overwhelmed. I was struggling bad with this one. I felt all energy leave my limbs. Could this really be?