I'm stuck inside a very small hallway.There is no entrance or exit visible.There are dim,pale orange lights on the walls.There are no other decorations,though.Just a smooth wall and floor.
I wait for about three more minutes until I hear a beep.I zip on my dark jacket and get prepared to go.Words in red appear on the wall in front of me.
Run.Complete The Lap.Survive.
"Welcome to The Lap,"a robotic voice of a woman speaks.The voice echoes through the small hallway. "There are no rules,except no killing off another Lapper personally.Of course,accidents happen.If you survive long enough to aboard a Track,you will have to hide from the Stones.If all Tracks are destroyed,you will have to run all the way to The Lap Exit.Good luck."
The wall slides over.A doorway to The Lap.I see green hills and trees.A few small wooden houses that belong to the Stones,which are human-like figures.They have no emotions,no heart.They will see a Lapper and go after it without mercy.
I also see dark caves.Those are where the bears live.They will go after anything until it gets destroyed by them.They are very fast,but Lappers are usually awoken by fear that they start to run faster.
I move to the edge and look back.The safe rectangle I had been in for three days will be left behind.I look down from the edge and see a small hill ready for me.Without hesitating,I jump.Wind roars in my ears and I fall on my stomach.I quickly stand up and look around,alert.
I see Lappers climbing the walls.It's quite high to reach the Tracks.One seat in the Track is already moving.The Lapper riding it carries a small kid.They reach a part where they must stack up anything they find to hide from thirty Stones.Soon their Track keeps moving onto the next lane.Lane Forty-five.
Some Stones are carrying bricks.Others are chopping trees or farming.You can tell who's a Lapper and who's part of the Stones.Lappers wear dark jackets and dark combat boots.Stones wear no jackets and wear dirty and very old looking shoes.Of course,some Lappers lose their jackets or fling them over to a bear's face,but the combat boots are still there unless you want to be shoeless.
A scream sounds in the distance.A girl falls down from her climb and meets two bears.A thing most Lappers do is run to another Lapper or Stone.There,the bears might attack someone else that's closer.Sounds pretty mean on the Lapper's part,but everyone wants to live.Some kind Lappers choose to fight the bear.Others choose to outrun the bears by running,climbing,or jumping over obstacles.Keep in mind we have no weapons here already made.
I find myself running the opposite direction of the girl.Why? Because she's on Plan A of bringing the bears over to me.
I jump over a box that belongs to the Stones and run up another hill.There's a giant wall.Above it is a Track,but there's nothing I can climb to get there.
"Hey!"I hear from the Tracks."Grab!"
A giant rope is dropped next to me.I secure the end around me and start climbing it.The girl with the two bears screams in frustration.
She unties her pony tail and her blond hair sways with the wind violently.She flings the tie like a bow and arrow.It hits the eye of one bear.The bear steps backward and falls.The other bear stands on its hind legs.
The blonde tries to climb where I've just been.She screams in pain,frustration,and of fear.One bear claws at her waist just as I reach the top.I can't watch the blonde die.
I fling the rope down to her.She frantically reaches it.She tries to climb as the bears claw at her.I try to help by pulling.
I am about to shout that she will make it when one bear jumps and shoves her down.She falls harshly and is unconscious.The two bears claw at her and I look away.I pull the rope back up.It's less heavy now.No one is trying to climb it.
I stay still with the rope in my hands.The blonde is gone.Dead.
"Don't feel bad." I had almost forgotten the girl who gave me the rope to climb. "At least you didn't fail to save forty others.Especially ones you knew and got to know well."
I turn around to see a girl with beautiful,dark red hair and dark brown eyes.She gives me a sad smile.
"I'm Emily,"she says."Number sixty-seven."
"I'm Dianne,"I hear myself say.My voice cracks a bit."Number ninety-three."
Her expression turns grim,but she quickly replaces it with a normal face."I had a friend named Jakobe.Jakobe Greely.He had brown hair and green eyes.He was strong and brave.He was Number ninety-two."
"Oh,"I say in reply.There is absolute silence.I look behind Emily.There's a beautiful orange and pink sunset. "How many others did you manage to save by this rope?"
"A lot.I've actually lost count."
"Where are they?"I ask.
"They've all left.They went off in the Tracks.Only two stayed.One of them died."
"I brought some fresh water." I turn to my left.A young girl about the age of ten with blond hair in a pony tail and brown eyes comes walking towards Emily.She carries two canteens filled with water.She gives one to Emily and then turns to me.
"Thirsty? Here." She hands me the other canteen,which was probably for her.I'm about to say she can keep it when she walks off to a backpack and brings out another canteen of water.She drinks it quickly,like if she hasn't tried water in months."We've got plenty,"is all she says.
"Bridie,this is Dianne,"Emily says.
Bridie comes over and stretches out her hand.We shake hands and she goes over to put the canteen of water in her backpack.
As she does that,she explains how I can just put the canteens back in the bacpack,but draw a line of color to know which one's for who.
"Which color do you want?"she asks.She pulls out many permanent markers and names them as she lays them down on the hard,rocky ground. "We have red,orange,yellow,green,blue,purple,white,black,gray,pink,brown.My color's orange.Emily's is red."
"I'll go for blue,"I say.
"Ah,good choice.These colors will be seen in the night since they aren't really that dark.But,boy,black is really dark." Bridie marks a blue line around the smooth surface of the canteen.
Emily puts her canteen back in the backpack.I see the red mark that means it's Emily's canteen.
"Blue will be your color,"she says."For whatever thing is yours,you mark it with blue."
"By the way,"Bridie says,"I am Number twenty-three."
"Ninety-three,"I reply.
"How long you been 'ere?"she asks.
"This is my first day,"I answer.
"Well welcome! I've been here for three weeks!"
"I've been here for four,"Emily says."But Jakobe had been here for two months,almost three.And that girl you tried to save,yeah,she was a four month Lapper."
"Lasted a good long while,"Bridie says,with a sad expression."Wonder if I'll last that long."
"You will,"Emily replies."We all will."
Bridie sighs and then gives a smile.She picks up the backpack of water canteens and wears it on her shoulders.
"Who shall sleep first?"she asks.
"Dianne,you can sleep first,"Emily suggests."You need to rest.Bridie and I've had a nice long sleep already."
