by Kim Cormack
“Don’t be too long. We have to leave soon,” Frost said while grasping hold of her arm. He didn’t let go as he stared into her eyes. He was trying to warn her without saying the words. Something bad was about to happen. Kayn felt sick to her stomach. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised. They’d revisited their Sweet Sleeps right before the others left for the Summit. It had been hinted at. She’d been preoccupied. It was the Testing. Whatever it was, it was time. Kayn left the RV and walked briskly down the path to the water. Her eyes teared up. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe, it was the desperate way he’d clutched her arm. It was as though there was so much more he wanted to say. She found the other two. Zach and Melody were sitting on the edge of the dock with their legs dangling in the lake. Kayn sat down beside them and dangled hers in the water. Zach placed his arm around Kayn’s shoulder.
“The Testing... it’s today… isn’t it?” She sighed.
Zach answered, “They only hinted at it eighty times before they left. I’ve known for sure since last night. I had messed-up dreams all night, then the feeling that something bad was about to happen. It must be.”
Melody’s feet splashed around in the water as she added, “To miss these signs, you’d have to be in a coma.”
Kayn smiled, for she’d actually been in a coma. She had been so wrapped up in her personal heartache that she’d been downplaying the signs. The Testing was always this far-off event. Even though she’d known it was coming. It had always seemed like a future threat… until five minutes ago. Kevin must have known. That’s why he cut everything off abruptly the night before. He was talking about the Testing when he told her she had to kill him the next time she saw him.
Kayn gazed out across the glass calm surface of the lake while declaring, “Lexy took on all of the clans by herself at the Summit. If she can do it, then we can do it.”
Melody chuckled, “Did you seriously just say that, because that girl is like frigging Batman?”
“Nah, she’s more like Darth Vader,” Zach chuckled.
They all began to laugh. These were Kayn’s jokes. She’d brought them to the nerdy side. Zach began nervously picking at a sliver of wood on the dock. Kevin always used to pick at things like that. Could she kill him if she had to?
“We can do this. We can anything if we are together,” Kayn assured. “Brains before brawn, remember?”
“I seriously hope that brains before brawn chant isn’t a bunch of bullshit because only Melody’s been Enlightened,” Zach pointed out, “We had our asses epically kicked yesterday.”
Kayn shrieked and yanked her feet out of the water. She apologized, “Sorry, a fish touched me.”
Zach sighed, “We’re so dead.”
“We can’t die. We’re too smart and we care about each other. We have a strong connection. This is doable,” Melody added.
Zach chuckled, “Did you really just say, ‘this is doable,’ in reference to a blood bath?”
They all laughed uncomfortably again and then there was an awkward period of silence. They sat in the stillness listening to the water lapping against the dock. They breathed in the air which was sweeter and warmer than it had been all week. On some level, it felt like a gift. Calm before the storm. Kayn dangled her feet back in the water. She shut her eyes and allowed herself to feel the pleasure of the liquid as it flowed between her toes.
Zach made a random observation, “I guess there’s no time to bathe in salt?”
“Please... I don’t want to think about it. Just one more minute,” Mel pleaded.
They were sitting in silence, enjoying their last seconds of peace when they heard Frost say, “It’s time to go.”
After helping each other up, the trio took a deep breath and followed Frost down the end of the dock and into the woods. As they wandered towards the Ankh crypt, Kayn kept glancing at Frost, hoping he’d make eye contact with her and give her another hint. He wouldn’t look at her. This was also a bad sign. She was attempting to keep pace with him, but he was walking really quickly. If she picked up her pace anymore, she’d be jogging. Who jogs towards certain death? If this was the Testing…that’s what this was. She didn’t have any abilities. She was toast. Kayn spent the duration of the journey memorizing every beautiful thing along the way, wishing Guru Grey would start spewing out positive thoughts. The light flowed in single rays through the trees. It was quite magical. The chirping sounds of the birds. The trickling sound of the stream as it danced through the forest. Where’s that damn grizzly. She heard a toad croak. A dragonfly whirled past her and she ducked out of its path. There were a million reasons to fight for her survival. She looked at Frost’s behind. He was walking in front of her and this was always nice. She giggled. The best laughter was always inappropriately timed. She raised her eyebrows at Mel and began to giggle. Laughter in this moment was like walking the plank over dozens of sharks while finding your impending horrific demise absolutely hilarious. Frost turned around to see what they were laughing about. Zach joined in. He’d deciphered the reason for their laughter.
Frost mumbled, “I think you all might actually be insane.”
“That’s totally possible,” Melody replied.
The trio burst into a fit of nervous laughter. Lexy and Grey were waiting for them at the entrance to the crypt, nestled at the base of the mountain. Grey placed his hand under the lip of the rock and the staircase into the darkness became visible. Grey casually touched the torches as he walked past. The torches lit up, revealing the long corridor.
Frost spoke, “It’s time for the three of you to see how we operate the crypts. This is how we move to different countries around this world undetected. This is also how we travel to different realms.” Frost added, “You must move quickly through each door. They’ll close on you and you can be trapped there.” The immortal placed his fingers in the ridges of the stone and pushed the heel of his hand down. The wall slid open and they moved quickly through the opening, finding themselves in another stone room with carvings on the walls. The engraving looked Egyptian. Wall after wall shifted away and allowed them to pass, until they found themselves standing in the dark.
“Azariah, bring us light,” Frost requested.
The room brightened with glorious shimmering light. The room was made of gold, the walls, the ceiling, absolutely everything. Precious gems had been strewn across the ground. The trio gasped in awe of the splendor. Frost asked Lily to place her hands next to his. They laid their palms flat in handprints on the gleaming wall of gold. Kayn couldn’t help but notice that the engravings on the wall resembled Lily and Frost, their hands fit perfectly in the prints. The wall slid away. They all dove through. It slid shut behind them, leaving them feeling exposed in a room of white nothing. There did not even seem to be a floor. They waited for the stomach churning feeling of plummeting downward, but none of them began to fall. They were standing on nothing, surrounded by nothing.
“Hold hands,” Frost commanded. He closed his eyes and Lily also shut hers as the room began to swirl with color. The scenery around them became a vomitus display of stomach churningly excessive information. There was another blinding flash of white light. They found themselves standing on a floating slab of stone that spanned the horizon. The stone beneath their feet shifted ever so slightly and they sensed the life residing within. Frost announced, “We’re here! This is the Testing!”
“We are fighting the other clans on a floating giant slab of stone?” Zach blurted.
Lily replied, “No, you three are fighting inside it. Under our feet is a floating crypt the size of New York city.”
“Is there a coliseum in this?” Zach asked as he tapped his foot a couple of times.
Lily replied, “After a thousand years, do you not think that the third tiers would get pretty bored of that scenario?”
“So, it’s a giant crypt like what we just went through?” Mel questioned.
Grey replied, “Sort of like a mix of that and a giant maze with walls that move and lead to anything th
at’s ever crossed you mind. There will be randomly available weapons and powers. Remember, this place is magic. There could be anything or anyone in there. There is nothing I can say that’s going to prepare you for this. You three can do this… together.”
“So, it’s like a giant video game?” Zach enquired.
Once again Kayn thought Oh crap. Why did I never embrace the video game thing?
“A bit I guess,” Frost answered while keeping a straight face.
“You need to keep your wits about you,” Lily added. “They want to see how well you’ve been trained. They want to see what you understand, what you comprehend about who you are now. Every five years the clans get a chance to acquire the tombs they need. This is how it’s done. Only the new clan members can play for them. When you’re finished, you will have earned a tomb. You have to finish, no matter how many times you’re killed, you must stand back up. You won’t be fighting on even terms with everyone. Some of you have already been Enlightened. You three are smart and fast. Remember, brains will defeat brawn every time. If you’ve reached the Amber room you’ve made it to the end of the Testing. You’ll know it, when you see it. You need to make it there together to be released. One more thing, kill everyone and everything you see. You are no longer friends. They have been told the same.”
Lexy said, “You’re not allowed to enter the game in the same place. Find each other as fast as you can.” The crimson-haired Dragon signaled for Zach to come with her as she strolled away. Grey walked away with Melody. They all appeared to be having little private pep talks.
Frost stayed with her as the others left. He tilted her chin with his palm and met her fear filled eyes as he softly whispered, “We only have a second to talk. You can do this. It’s going to be hard. Have faith in yourself. The sleep chambers are your only safe place, actually use them. The part of your brain that’s mortal needs to recharge so even if you don’t feel like it. Do it. Watch out for the fountains. Where there’s water there are predators, just like in the wild. You can run. You’re smart. Use your strengths. You won’t stay dead. You have an unlimited amount of lives in the game. Stay focused on finding the Amber room. Stand back up and keep moving. Do whatever you have to do to come back to us. Every time you fall. You stand back up. No matter how impossible it feels, you must find the strength to carry on. That’s life’s biggest lesson. Stand back up.” A shadow of apology crossed Frost’s eyes.
He was afraid for her. This was going to be horrible. The stone shifted beneath her feet. She dropped through into the crypt without any warning. She fell about ten feet and thudded painfully on the stone floor below. She looked up as the stone slab closed above her. Frost’s face was full of undisguised apology as he disappeared from sight.
Lambs to the Slaughter
It took her a second to shake off the sting of the fall. Use logic, the others dropped through where they were standing. They weren’t that far away. After taking a moment to survey her surroundings, Kayn leapt to her feet. She couldn’t die, but that didn’t mean that the premise of excruciating pain didn’t terrify her. What did she know? The crypts had moving walls. Everything was gray, dismal and plain. It felt like she was missing something. Things are never as they appear. Afraid to move, she remained completely still while contemplating her options. Had she turned around as she fell? She’d been startled… She wasn’t sure. A wall slid open, revealing a long narrow passageway. She’d yet to move but this was an obvious direction to walk in. Would it be a trap? She couldn’t stand here forever. She moved quickly through the first open wall, it immediately shut behind her. The walls appeared to be shifting by themselves. She would have to be careful where she decided to pause. Kayn managed to control the urge to call out, knowing she’d also be disclosing her location to everything else. Her stomach tightened. A wave of nausea washed through her. This was never a good sign. Her skin rippled with adrenaline bringing goosebumps to the surface of her bare arms. She felt the familiar urge to void the contents of her stomach. She knew what this was… This was the feeling of impending doom she’d been gifted with on that first day as she walked away from the track and into her new life with the Ankh. Her mind prodded, Move Kayn… steady forward motion. It was game on. Kevin was probably down here too. As hope surged within her heart, logic snapped in. He’d been told to kill her if she’d been told to kill him. If she managed to avoid him, perhaps neither of them would have to find out how far they would be willing to go for their clans. She started to run. The walls seemed to be running on sensors. The second she ran through they closed behind her, leaving no way to change direction. Brains before brawn, she had to figure this place out. Would they open again, once she’d passed through? Kayn stopped cold and spun around to see if she could go back through the door she’d just passed. She might be forced to change direction. The wall didn’t budge. Not even an inch. Problem solving skills. She searched for grooves in the surface. There was nothing. Well, this was inconvenient. Her stomach churned with impending doom. She had to find the others. The wall beside her opened by itself; this was going to be a lesson in trial and error. That much she was sure of. Kayn sprinted through the opening into another long narrow, dimly lit corridor. She stroked the Ankh symbol on her palm. It hadn’t gone off. They were probably wandering around aimlessly, just like she was. Three options opened around where she’d paused to take a breath. She decided to trust her instincts. She took off, allowing her mind to pick an option at a moment’s notice. It felt like she was moving in a circle. She spoke to herself aloud, “Think Kayn...Think.”
Multiple voices began whispering, “Think Kayn…Think.”
The walls were mocking her distress. “This can’t be good,” she commented.
The walls creepily echoed her words, “This can’t be good… This can’t be good.”
She dove out of the way as a wall slid down directly above her. Her only warning had been the crackling of stone. She needed to run. She’d stood in one spot for too long and it was forcing her to move, corralling her as though she were partially immortal livestock. She kept dodging through the ever-shifting walls, until she reached what appeared to be a dead end. Kayn glanced above her and to each side. There was a small crawl space above her to her left. Her heart pounded a steady rhythm of, Brains before brawn. Would that crawl space close on her before she made it through? She had to find a way to test it. While understanding she only had a limited time in each spot, she dug through the pockets of her jeans, thankful she was still wearing her street clothes. There was change in them. She removed a penny from her pocket and held it in the palm of her hand for a second. Logic, use logic Kayn. She tossed the penny into the crawl space and it closed in seconds. There was no way to move through it fast enough. She’d be crushed. The obvious exit had been a trap for the weak minded. Kayn searched the walls for grooves and ridges, anything to suggest a way out. She glanced around the cube-like room; it resembled a jail cell. She looked up, while crossing her fingers and hoping the ceiling would stay put long enough for her to figure out an exit strategy. A sword materialized, suspended from a rope, attached to the ceiling, roughly ten feet above her. She needed to find a way to get that sword. Something crazy popped into her mind, Kevin had made her watch this guy on YouTube. Parkour…Why not? Kayn raced at the wall, leapt half way up and launched her body in the other direction, jumping high enough to reach it. Now, she was hanging on to the rope above the sword in the center of the room. This was definitely not how the situation had played out in her mind. In her mind’s plan, the sword just came off and dropped to floor. Kayn swung back and forth, hoping to loosen it. At least she made it high enough to grab the rope. It could have been worse, she could be hanging from a blade. The grinding of stone on stone, indicated the wall in front of her was about to open. Was it friend or foe? She swung back and kicked off the wall just as a few Trinity dashed through the opening. With perfect timing, she sailed past them, letting go of the rope as she soared through the open wall. She heard the sword ting
as it hit the ground in the chamber. She’d given her enemy the weapon she’d worked for but they weren’t fast enough. One of them raced for the sword as the wall ground shut. Knowing she only had seconds to flee, she raced through each wall as it opened trying to put some distance between her and the Trinity she’d left behind. She needed to be able to defend herself. She quickly scanned each room for weapons as she passed through. She heard the walls opening and closing ahead of her. Someone was coming. It sounded like more than one person setting off the sensors from the repetitive rhythm of the grinding stone. It had mixed together into an intimidatingly ominous thick echoing rumble. She didn’t have a weapon. She had to run! Kayn sprinted down a long stone corridor that curved at the end. She kept running until she saw an out, as the wall opened with precision timing to her forward motion. Just as she leapt through the opening, it slid shut behind her. Was she stuck in a giant maze like a rat? She raced down another gray stone corridor and paused. Wait. Why am I wasting energy running? She needed a moment to think. She had to find her clan. What if she’d just run away and left them there fighting in her confusion? From the corner of her eye she saw something impossible. Nothing good is ever seen out of the corner of your eye. It was a shadow in the distance, a lingering figure in her mind, nothing more than a mirage, based on her own worst fears. It couldn’t be? Her entire body shuddered with revulsion. It’s impossible. This has to be a trick. Salt... she needed a bag of salt. She’d just dealt with this demon. This wasn’t real. The shadow against the wall moved, triggering a vision of the ominous figure in the hallway on the night her mortality ceased. Her body began operating, using instincts built on her darkest day. With a life of their own, her legs spun her around and ran. She heard her twin’s voice reaching out from beyond the grave, imploring her to run for her life, just as she had on the night of her Correction. Adrenaline coursed through her being as her mind travelled backwards in time. The scent of metal accosted her nostrils as she sprinted down the stone corridor. His footsteps were keeping time with hers. He was behind her! Kayn dove through each wall just as the next slid open. She could get away! She could lose him in here! The stone opened and slammed, narrowly missing her. Her perspiring foul scented assailant was closing in on her. It’s not real! It can’t be real! She sprinted through the last opening just as it closed. It felt like she’d escaped his presence. Kayn took a deep breath as she laughed nervously, her surroundings shifted and her blood ran cold. She was standing in the trails behind her house. “It’s not real,” she stated aloud, as if speaking the words could make it true. This is a crypt. We are floating in the sky. It’s like the in-between. I can’t die here. Her stomach clenched and she didn’t need to look behind her because she felt his dark presence just as she had on that night. She started to run again. Every detail was the same. This was the woods behind the house she’d grown up in. As her bare feet hit the wooden bridge she told herself it wasn’t real but she couldn’t will her body to stop running away from the pain that her pursuer would cause. It’s not real. There are no trails here, it’s part of the test. She was about to burst through the bushes into the neighbor’s yard. She braced herself for the excruciating sensation of the knife. There was no man smoking on the porch. She was heading towards the bridge again. After a couple of laps through the forest that abruptly ended a breath before her assailant’s first stab, she realized she was caught in a loop. She came to the same bridge and felt her feet thudding on the rough wood again. She raced through the bushes never reaching the end and then she was on the bridge again. She sensed that by attempting to run away she was only postponing the inevitable. She didn’t hear the steady repetitive echo of his footsteps behind her anymore. She stopped to take a breath as her nostrils filled with the foul tinny stench of blood. The scent had been seared into her soul on that night. Whenever her mind recalled that night the scent of her blood as it evacuated her body haunted her. She felt the sensation of the warm sticky fluid. Her mind was playing tricks on her. She ran her hands over her back and of course nothing was there. This had all been in her mind. She allowed herself to exhale and began to laugh a little bit at the knowledge that her attacker had been a hallucination. A messed-up warped hallucination created from somebody’s ultra-sick sense of humor. In that moment, her mind whispered, Look behind you. She didn’t want to turn around. Shit. The expression on her face shifted in the knowledge of what was about to happen. She’d lived this moment on repeat before. In her dreams at night and even in her thoughts during the daylight hours. Lived, was not the word to be used. Like a mountain lion, he’d crept up on her in silence. His hand covered her mouth, giving her mind only a split second of preparation before his blade seared a scalding path of agony through her torso. It happened, over and over, until her mind began to flicker. She knew there was no help coming. She clawed at his hand, but with her lack of nails it accomplished nothing. The sound of his excited panting mixed with the vile scent of his skin. She was reliving her worst nightmare. She was repeatedly violated by his blade and hit across the face with a large stone. The lights went out.