If you haven't read chapter one, two or three make sure to check them out!

One: https://steemit.com/story/@mel1ss/chapter-one-the-beginning
Two: https://steemit.com/writing/@mel1ss/chapter-two-reckoning
Three: https://steemit.com/writing/@mel1ss/chapter-three-sorrow

Chapter Four: The Death Trials

I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing. We were in a dark room but everyone could see clearly, they were all silent. There were bodies everywhere, all around us, but the room didn’t smell. The room was like a long corridor with a huge golden door at the very end, lighting the way. The only way to get to the door was to walk past the mountains of bodies.

I couldn’t help but speak up.

‘What are they all doing here?’ My voice trembled but I looked the ‘Creator’ right in the eye. I wanted him to know that I’m not scared, not of him, and not of the Death Trials.

‘We put them here as examples. Once you die in the Trials this is where your body ends up, you don’t take it to where you’re going. We reuse the bodies and will sometimes incorporate them into the Trials.’ His voice was calm and controlled, almost like he’d been asked this question thousands of times.

‘How do you reuse them?’ An older man asked. He looked about 80, maybe he died of old age? He didn’t seem afraid or maybe he was just trying to act confident.

‘You will soon find out, follow me.’ The Creator didn’t answer any more questions after that.

We walked passed the bodies and I couldn’t help but look at all of them. Maybe I know someone in there? The scene reminded me of WWII movies where you see all the unfortunate bodies of war, piled up on top of one another.

Maybe some of these people deserved to die? But who am I to say that, I didn’t know any of them, I didn’t know their stories. Once we finally reached the golden door I turned around and saw one face that stood out from the rest. It was Will. It didn’t make any sense to me, he hadn’t been picked for the Trials, not yet. I ran towards Will but I couldn’t get to him. His lifeless face stared back at me but there were too many bodies in the way. I felt a force grab hold of me and take me back to the group.

‘Don’t try and run, it won’t save you.’ The Creator didn’t even look at me when he said it. Instead, he just looked at the golden door and bowed his head.

‘All bow your heads, now.’ His voice was stern, controlling.

We all did as we were asked and the door slowly opened. The door was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Made of pure gold it was truly magnificent, and it would’ve been about as tall as a fully grown oak tree. It was the last nice thing I got to see before heading into the Trials.

We followed the Creator through tiny corridors, small and tall doors, and then we finally reached it. The entrance to the Death Trials. There were other creators around, watching us.

‘Everybody take a seat.’ The creator pointed to a set of seats conveniently located right in front of the entrance. Nobody wanted to sit on the front row, besides from me. I’ve always liked being up close and personal so why stop now. As the final person took their seat the creator positioned himself in front of us.

‘Please keep hands and feet inside at all times.’ We all looked around at each other, confused. Before anyone could say anything we began to float.

‘Now, we wouldn’t send you into the Death Trials without a little bit of background. The trials were created to give one of you a second chance. Unfortunately, we can’t allow for all of you to live again as we are working at creating better, improved lifeforms, and we can’t do that from an already used life. It just doesn’t work. So, those of you who don’t make it and die in the Trials, it means your life is up and there’s no going back to Earth. The Trials consist of four stages with each stage getting harder as you go along. You do not have to stick together as we’ve found many people prefer doing things alone.’ As the creator’s speaking, we’re moving. Below us we can see the Trials. It looks like a big game and whoever gets to that big gold thing in the middle wins, but I don’t know for sure.

‘You may run into previous contenders of the Trials, leave them. They’ve either fallen behind or refuse to do the next stage which means they’ll be wondering the Trials forever, or until we decide to kill them. The Trials will test you, they’ll bring out the worst in you but you must be stronger, otherwise you will fail and you will die.’ We stop floating and return to the ground.

‘Good Luck.’ Those were the last words we heard from the Creator before he disappeared. Probably back to his penthouse apartment where he’d pick another 20 unfortunate souls.

After he left we were all given new clothes, backpacks, and weapons. We all got the same weapons, axes. Our clothes were made out of some sort of indestructible material, I’d never felt something like it before. The other creators never said a word to us, only pointed and gave us things. It didn’t take long before we all found ourselves back at the entrance to the Trials.

We were put in a line, I think it was oldest to youngest, as I was at the very end. One at a time we were taken and put into the Trials. I watched as everyone before me faded away until it was my turn. I hesitated when two creators came and grabbed my arms, but I had no choice, I made my legs move and I went with them. They readjusted my backpack and toughened my grip on the axe before pushing me through the doors and into the Death Trials.

It was cold in the Trails but it didn’t bother me, I’d always liked the cold. Although, I couldn’t see a thing. There was some sort of mist surrounding me, consuming me. It felt hard to breathe. I stretched my arms out in front of me and started walking, hesitant that I was going to walk into something. My axe was starting to get heavy and already I had a feeling like I wasn’t going to survive.

I heard someone running up behind me and I waited for the pain but nothing came. Instead, they touched my shoulder and opened my backpack. They handed me a pair of glasses and without saying anything they zipped up my backpack and ran away. I put on the glasses and all of a sudden the mist disappeared. I looked around to see if I could find the person who’d helped me but I couldn’t see anyone. All I could see was a blinding white, the room had no other colour.
It was a huge room but I saw no door. Where had everybody else gone?

I ran around the room trying to find a way out but there was nothing, no escape. I felt something on my feet, I looked down and realised the room had started to fill with water. I keep trying to find a way out but I can’t. The water was rising too quickly and before I knew it I couldn’t keep my head above it any longer. My mind was racing; I’d always feared drowning. I tried to think clearly, this is what the Trials are for, they bring out my fears. The glasses fell off and in my struggle to retrieve them I noticed a faint outline of a door, the glasses must’ve been hiding it from me. I swim towards the door but I can feel my lungs giving away. As I reached the door I pushed it with all the energy I had left.

I’m thrown out of the room but the water doesn’t follow me. As I struggle to catch my breath I look back and realise the water stayed in the room. The door slams shut and I’m left alone.

I lay on the floor for a while, trying to not let my emotions take control of me. It took me a while to realise that I’d just completed Stage One of the Death Trails. I wonder what Stage Two will entail.

Thanks for reading. Make sure to check back in next Monday for Chapter Five.

Until next time,

Meliss