Don't Look Back! Part 2

Chapter Eight: the Tournament

The guards ready before the entrance, all teams gathered around, each with a different coloured outfit. They all waited for the announcement, and when it came, no one believed their ears.

"Good morning everyone. Today is the final day. You all will be tested on your ability to help. If you pass, if you WIN, a new opportunity will be presented to your team. Should you lose, well, we will find a place for you.

Now, all teams in positions. As soon as you color is called, enter the room that lights up. There you will find the instructions and your time begins as soon as the doors open to the arena"

Lucy stood next to Thomas, holding onto him, their hands shaking with excitement. All this time they had practised, on one another, on team members, they worked like one organism, and now the time had come to prove themselves to the others.

Up on a platform above the doors they had to enter through, Lucy spotted Luke, standing next to Jack, another boy, tall with blond hair and a bright grin, Dr Paige, and two more doctors. They talked about the potential, and expected outcome, and what they would do with the losing teams.

"We will need subjects for the experiments, they would be perfect for that"

Stepping aside, Dr Paige let a few soldiers pass that headed over a ladder into the arena. "Maybe, but I do hope most of them succeed"

"My sister has to, you promised she'd be save"

"We will see, dear" Dr Paige brushed her fingers over Luke's cheek, however at the touch of her skin on his, he flinched.

Too focussed on the conversation above, Lucy did not hear her team being called and thus stumbled and fell to the ground when Thomas pulled her with him. "What?"

Helping her up, Thomas grinned. "You can stare at the boys later, get your butt moving. It's our turn"

"Sorry, bloody hell, stop dragging me" Lucy brushed off the dust from her trousers and stood straight next to Thomas, who grinned again, from one ear to the other.

All ten of them gathered around a table that had a note on it. Pick a card

One by one the children picked one until they all held the cards in hand, puzzled at the symbols on them. They either had a plus or minus on them. Lucy, whose card showed a plus gazed at Thomas, his card with a minus on it, returning the questioning look.

"Children, listen please. All of you have chosen a card. Those of you with a minus on them, please follow the soldiers into the arena, the others will remain and receive instructions. In five minutes the alarm will sound and your fight against time begins."

Three soldiers entered the room, picked out the children with minus cards and guided them into the arena through a short hallway. There, they gave the children certain places to rest and prepared the scene for the other half of the team. With a limited number of supplies, or difficult to reach areas, the soldiers made sure none of the children would move from their spot, removed themselves from the arena via the ladder and waited near the doctors and boys for the signal.

                                                                                            ***

The cards placed back on the table, the children waited until the soldiers had left the room. Right before the door closed, Thomas winked at Lucy resulting in her getting an eerie feeling about the situation. Exchanging glances with Tyler and Sam, who stood at the other end of the table, she closed her eyes for a moment. Jack?... Why would she call him? He had been the one who got her hurt, and for the past few months they had not spoken or met. He acted as if he had never even met her before. It did not matter at the current moment as another click pulled her back from her thoughts.