Chapter 2
"Consider this your very first test. Escape the building by any means." her voice pierced the confusion. A handful of trainee's had already bolted out into the hall. Some out of fear. Others, eager to prove themselves. "If you are eliminated by the threat, you will fail"
Priar got up from his seat, his legs still jelly. The crowd of trainees pushed him beyond the threshold of the auditorium, into the packed hallway. Priar tried his best to escape from the buildup, but there were too many bodies thrashing at him on all sides. It had felt like he was back in public school, trying to get to his first class of the day, stuck behind a group of unaware freshmen.
BANG
A single gunshot rang his ears. He could not see where it came from, but he didn't care. All he knew was that he needed to get out as soon as possible.
The congealed crowd became more violent, faces turned mushed to a single color. Priar could no longer tell one apart from another, all moving as a ball of chaos. His head felt light, the pressure of failure quickly instigated violence. One of the faceless men had elbowed him in the ribs, another had kicked him in the back pushing him further forward.
The panic of it all didn't feel human, these were not people to him. These were all animals trapped in a cage. Prey to the slaughter, and soon he'd be next in line- served on a platter. This wasn't a school, this was a breeding ground for the worst monsters a man could make. Monsters that he'd be locked away with for the next four years, that is if he could survive that long.
A hand tightly enclosed around Priar's wrist and yanked him back through a wall of trainees. The scrawny hand belonged to Slug. He caught a glimpse of just how many people were still exiting the auditorium, but worse than that he saw above the door was an opening from the balcony for those on the 2nd floor to watch them scramble for their lives. One of the gentlemen holding a smoking gun, aiming it to the ceiling. He had a greyed buzzcut and a clean shaven face.
Just what did they mean by "eliminate"?
"Are you alright?" He'd gotten to the tops of his toes to yell in Priar's ear.
Priar's eyes still rolled around in his head. He could hardly stand up straight, but despite it he gave Slug a thumbs up."I'm good!." The breath hardly made it out of him.
"C'mon this way." Slug led him through the crowd, but a few stubborn trainees did not allow him to pass, they pushed him back stumbling into over a dozen bodies. Slug, despite his size, got back up and pushed harder clearing the way. The pair made it to a less condensed space along the wall, not at all comfortable, but at the very least it was breathable. Only a few shoves further was a door leading to anything better than their current situation. Priar had hoped for a magical exit, but Slug knew what beyond waited only a temporary sanctuary.
BANG
Another gunshot. Priar turned his attention to the balcony once more and witnessed the old man that held the gun was now aiming it at the crowd below. Firing off into whatever he thought looked most appetizing. The threats headmaster Dahlia mentioned spoke of were not intruders sneaking themselves into the school, but instead they were the students, instructors, parents. They'd watched the trainees like sheeps in wolves clothing, picking out which one they'd eliminate first.
Slug shoved Priar into the room, slamming the door shut behind them. The"sanctuary" he had in mind lined the walls in freshly polished stoves and ovens holding baked goods covered in foil. Slug had led Priar into a secluded room with only one way in or out. A death sentence for them both.
"Is this what you had in mind?" Priar asked nervously.
"Yeah! Something like this." Slug said with an oblivious grin. He pushed a table in front of the door, solidifying themselves in a hiding spot there would be absolutely no running from.
"What's that going to do, Slug?" Priar snapped.
"Keep them out! What else would it do?" his naivety angered Priar, but what else could they do. Everywhere outside would be a no man's land. What he needed was to think. Think of anything to get them safely out of this mess and back on that plane home because Priar surely wasn't staying in this school full of psychopaths.
Slug moved a stool to pile onto the barricade he was beginning to form. Sweat formed at his brow as he went back to grab another table. "Would you help me move this, Bud? Kind of getting tired of doing all the work myself."
"Hell, fine!" Priar's thoughts were frantic, he could only imagine his meaningless end. Shot by his teacher, left to die by his classmates. He hadn't even had a girlfriend. To die like this would be a disgrace to himself.
His fingers found hold underneath the table, and pushed it to the door. His body ached for rest. This was not at all how he imagined his first day would go, but then again he'd never imagined much for himself to begin with.
The two of them finished the barricade, tables and chairs stacked on one another until it brushed against the ceiling. Slug sat against the wall furthest from the door, the halls finally coming to an eerie quiet. Priar sat beside him, out of breath. The last time he'd been this active was in the 8th grade.
"What's the plan now?" Priar asked, grasping at any hope to hold on to.
"Now, we wait and hide." Slug said, never once taking his eyes away from the door. "Eventually the hunters will go past this room to look for the others and that's when we'll make a run for it."
"You think they didn't see us come in here? They were shooting at everyone from the balcony!" Priar explained.
"Fake bullets, just to scare us."
"How do you know?"
"Do you see any blood under the door?"
As simple as it sounded, Slug was right. Not only that, but no one as far as he could tell was hit by anything. "Then why do this in the first place? I can't imagine they'd recruit a bunch of people just to expel them for failing the test."
Slug put up his hands in surrender, "I don't know everything, man. I only got here an hour ago."
Priar looked down to the cold surface tiling they sat on. The room only allowing a ray of light from the sun outside to peek into the room. If they were to hide they'd need to keep it dark anyways. Slug finally looked to Priar, noticing the concern painted on his face Slug punched him on the shoulder to snap him out of it."You gonna puke again?" He teased.
"What? No, definitely not." Priar replied, but on further thought "Later, maybe."
Slug laughed at him "Well if you do make sure you do it quietly, I don't wanna get eliminated over your gagging."
"I can't make a guarantee on that." A silence over the both of them, Priar spoke up, filling the silence. "What do you think they meant by elimination by the way?"
Slug shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? I don't wanna find out though." Priar nodded in agreement as silence took the room again. Despite Slug's careless nature, Priar noticed a hint of unease.
The doorknob began to shake, whoever was on the other side was either desperately trying to escape or hungrily on the prowl. Slug's eyes widened as he rose to his feet, he hadn't thought this far ahead.
"Shit! What do we do?" Slug whispered.
"Hide!" Priar replied, unable to think of anything else.
THUMP
The person on the other side of the door had started kicking it in, wood shavings exploding from the hinges. This was no trainee.
Priar hid himself in one of the cabinets under the sink, tucking tightly beside a bottle of bleach. Slug hid in the darkest corner of the room and slid over a fridge to block him into the darkness entirely. The person had broken a hole through the door with their foot, most of the barricade toppling over. A head looked in and saw the scattered tables. He whistled in amusement.
"Ms. Catherine's not going to be happy with this." the newcomer said. From a shroud of darkness he yelled "Is there anybody here?" He sounded no older than 20. Maybe a year or two older than Priar. "I'm one of the good guys, you're safe with me." He attempted. "I'm supposed to help you all get to the exits so if you're in here let me know now." Priar had almost felt compelled to give away his location, but something inside of him held his voice back. Slug seemed to have sensed it too. Neither of the boys giving themselves away. With one heavy shoulder, the last table left blocking the door slid out of the way. He was in the room now and all Priar could do was hope. "Come on out, guys. I know you're here. You can trust me!" he checked a corner quickly, as something crackled to life. A blue light illuminating a frustrated glare. Long brown hair tied neatly behind his ears, his face painted with a frustrated glare. "You guys did a good job on the door, but i'm afraid we don't teach any courses on desertion, so sadly zero points.
The man crept closer to Slug's side of the room. He pulled himself further into the shadow, but it would only have the opposite effect as Slug bumped against the fridge, shifting it only slightly.
The electricity crackled to life once again revealing a grin. "Gotcha."
Priar, from within the cabinet, heard Slug's pleading, before a deafening silence. He flinched when he heard Slug's body hit the ground. All he could do now was stay as still as possible. Priar moved his hand to his mouth to cover his breath, in his fear his hand hit the bleach bottle, causing it to tumble over. He closed his eyes hoping the man didn't hear it. Not long after his cabinet door swung open, his widened eyes painting an image for Priar's nightmare to run with for the next few years of his life. That same electricity crackled from a taser, held only inches away from his chest.