20 Days

Link to last week’s entry: https://theprose.com/post/237839/20-days

Part 2

The door opens and someone walks in, probably a colourless and I listen as they walk into the room and open another door before closing it. Safe they didn’t notice me, yet I still have to stand in this tight space, alone as the colourless are very sensitive to movements and will notice if I move even an inch.

Standing still I suddenly notice how cold it is in here, like icy chills travelling painfully slowly from the tips of my toes all the way up, until it seeps into my skull. I explain this feeling away as just nerves and stay still hoping, praying that I’ll make it through, that my last breath will not be taken so far away from home.

My body is starting to burn from standing so still, I don’t know how long I’ve been here but I’m not sure how much longer I can stand for, it’s suffocating in here, and then I hear it. The glorious sound of the front door opening and then closing again and I’m about to move when I realise that it could just be another colourless that’s randomly strolled in, feeling defeated in my over cautiousness I decide force myself to wait until the colourless go to bed before sneaking out.

I was settled on the plan when I became aware of just how close the footsteps had gotten to my closet. I was panicking internally as I watched the closet door open just a crack, letting in the blinding light from outside before it was thust open with a sudden force revealing a colourless boy standing before me.

If you thought I was standing still before then I was frozen now not even the hairs on my back dared to stand up as I stared at the colourless boy, fearing that he would be the one to curse me for eternity....“Blink” The boy said in a monotone voice, the same voice as every other colourless.

“Blink!” He said louder this time and that woke me up as I blinked and that’s when I saw it, his skin suddenly had colour, I blinked again and he returned to looking like a white sheet. Were me eyes deceiving me?, have I begun to halucin- “You see?” he said interrupting my thoughts.

I was confused. Is he colourless or is he like me a player?, he looks colourless now but he didn’t after I blinked following his instructions.

“Follow” the boy said after a few minutes of awkward silence and I shake my head refusing to willingly walk to my death no matter whether he is colourless or not there is still another person here that is without a doubt, colourless.

“I can hide colour” The boy said as if sensing my fears, although I don’t know what he’s saying, does he mean he can hide my coloured skin?, I don’t know, he speaks like them.

I still don’t want to move so he starts to drag me along as I cling to the bars of the closet. “let go” the boy says harshly pulling with increased force and stinging my hands as they were ripped off the bars. With great efforts the boy managed to drag us out the door and towards the lake before he pauses and looks and me. It’s as if he’s analyzing me, a few seconds go by and then he drags us into the lake.

I start protesting struggling to get free but he doesn’t speak, just tightens his grip on my arm and continues to pull us further down until my head is under and I can’t breathe.

Slowly I open my eyes and blink repeatedly before the image of a boy appears above me, the boy who dragged me here, he has colour this time and it didn’t disappear when I blinked, so my eyes aren’t deceiving me.

“You!” I say pointing at him my eyes going wide with rage and fear “Calm yourself, you blacked out, you’re a few miles underwater now so there’s no point escaping” The boy said his face still remaining emotionless

“It’s your 17th day, now get up” he said. The 17th day wait but when I blacked out it had only been the 7th day. I’ve been out for 10 days, that’s terrifying information; I could have had my soul taken and I won’t even be awake to realise it.

Suddenly I was dragged off whatever I had been lying on. “Come on” the boy said looking irritated and I reluctantly followed. We walked in silence as I realised that asking questions won’t get me any answers from him.

We walked for hours before I heard the faint sound of a massive conversation. I remained silent until we got closer and the voices suddenly sounded distressed and I realised that this boy, he probable dragged them all here like he’d dragged me here.

“Who are you?” I asked suddenly becoming very aware that he probable wasn’t a player

“Quit talking” and it was back to silence again until we arrived at the source of the noise and the boy opened the door making everyone go quiet. “Go in” he said and I hesitantly walked in, not wanting to be dragged again. The door shuts behind me and then the floor and ceiling becomes transparent and I see people, players below and above us crammed together and I realise that this place, it wasn’t a game at all, this is a farm, A human farm and we’ve all been put into the slaughter machine.

I realised too late as I watch everyone’s eyes grow distant and the colour from their skins fading, I feel a tug as if someone’s pulling something out of me. The boy, he is the farmer, and he’s harvesting our souls. There is no escape everyone who isn’t captured up there gets taken here before their 20 days are up.

The tugging sensation stops and I feel nothing.