// lightheaded //
Twenty-one glared at me. Her lips puckered and her eyebrows lowered. I knew the Prince's casual "I told you" would only confirm her suspicions of my status as a mole, but I couldn't let her get to me now, not so close to the end.
This next trial, the second to last, sounded easy, but I knew it wouldn't be. We had to cross a field on the eastern edge of Eternity. That was all we were told. I imagined beasts giving chase, perhaps those plants Jack had hinted at lived there.
We had started with thirty, and after three rounds, we were down to seven girls. My heart dropped whenever I thought about the eliminated girls. What happened to them? And what had Jack said? They did their best to take care of us during the trials? What did that mean?
I entertained the thought of more than one victor. But from the way the servant's face had darkened at the mention of the fifth trial, I figured the last one was designed to eliminate all remaining participants except one — or none.
The seven of us followed the castle servant to the horse-like creatures from before. The creature I had ridden, Ryzel, kicked at the ground and shook its head when it saw me.
"The tsulin will take you to the eastern fields." The servant gestured to the herd before us. "They have been instructed to take you there as quickly as possible. I suggest you hold on tight." With a bow, she disappeared.
I approached Ryzel, no longer so hesitant around these creatures. Ryzel trotted to me and nuzzled my outstretched hand. Before the other girls had even neared the herd, I mounted the tsulin and gripped the protrusions at its shoulders.
After exhaling, Ryzel took off. A scream escaped my lips and I tried to flatten myself against its hide.
The scenery blurred by, a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors. The wind whipped my hair straight out behind me, and I worried I would lose my hair-tie. My eyes watered, tears streaking from the corners.
Tsulin were fast.
I scrambled to hold on, knuckles turning white. But despite their speed, I didn't bounce or shift — my muscles quivered from the worry of falling off.
As soon as it started, it stopped. The creature came to a gradual stop, and the world froze. Ryzel shook its head, breathing as though it hadn't run at the speed of light.
I slid off and pet its head. It looked at me with its big brown eyes. A smile bloomed on my face. No matter how strange or eccentric these creatures were (or how frighteningly fast they moved), I found myself liking them. I hugged its head, and Ryzel nuzzled against me. With a final flick of its tail, the tsulin turned and vanished from view.
Out here, on the eastern edge, it was empty. No mountains stood against the horizon, no mushroom-capped trees, no thick walls of plants or moving shadows. A few dilapidated houses spotted the vista, but they almost appeared abandoned. Instead, the eastern edge was occupied by a single field that extended for acres, as far as the eye could see.
From what I could tell, it was a wheat field. The stalks rose to my waist and were a dying gold, almost gray in color. The air smelled like vanilla and honeysuckle, newly bloomed. I thought it odd that something that looked so dead could smell so sweet, so alive.
The objective was to cross the field. I wondered if these wheat stalks were poisonous, or if a creature burrowed in the soil waiting for its next meal.
Pulling in a deep breath and filling my lungs with vanilla and honeysuckle, I stepped into the field.
I sunk a little bit into the damp soil. Sometimes my foot would crunch a fallen stalk. Each time that happened, the sweet smell intensified. As I walked on, I played with the wheat. I would tear at the leaves, causing another puff of the smell. Soon, it was as if my whole body was doused in the scent.
Glancing behind me, I realized most of the other girls had joined me. They were slow in their advance, cautious and skeptical. One of them sniffed at a stalk as if it were a flower. I had to chuckle.
When nothing happened after a long while, I huffed. Bored, I redid my ponytail and adjusted my clothes. I made sure my shoes were tied. I whistled, kicked at the stalks, and spun in circles. I redid my hair three more times, each a different style.
I watched the unchanging sky, waiting for something — anything — to happen. From this angle, I couldn't see the sun and moon. Instead, I just saw a hazy sky painted in gentle silvers and golds.
With a groan, I sat cross-legged. My fingers dug into the soil as I called, "Come on, creature. Quit hiding and come out so we can get this over with."
Here on the ground, surrounded by wheat stalks, the smell was almost overwhelming. My head felt fuzzy and light. The sensation tickled, making me giggle.
I hopped back to my feet, nearly losing my balance. A chortle escaped my lips as I straightened out. I brushed the dirt from my hands and pants, moving forward again.
Whatever it was — my lightheadedness or the tickles — Eternity looked like magic. Bubbles of light passed overhead, floating on the breeze. Thankful something was happening at last, I chased the bubbles, trying to pop them.
Laughing, I leaped in the air and jabbed my finger at a bubble. It popped, sparkling droplets cascading around me. A strong whiff of vanilla, honeysuckle, and cookies fresh from the oven hit my nose. My laughter increased.
I turned to peer behind me. The six other girls were chasing and popping bubbles with me. The fields grew loud with whimsical laughter. The symphony made me laugh harder.
Hands outstretched at my sides, I ran after the bubbles that were changing colors: from transparent to yellow to red to blue to purple. They were like disco balls and strobe lights, and I danced beneath them.
Maybe it was the moment or the song playing in my head, but I could have sworn I heard music. It pulsed in the air to my ears down to my feet. I swayed to the rhythm, feeling at home for the first time since coming here. I lost myself to the music, closing my eyes and trampling the wheat stalks. I didn't care how ridiculous I looked while dancing. I just let myself enjoy this moment of true freedom.
The music stopped. A rattling clap of thunder startled my eyes open. I yelped, jumping back.
The sky had darkened, a foreboding gray. The bubbles had disappeared, and everything was still and quiet. I wondered if it was going to rain.
Another deafening boom of thunder roused a scream from another girl. I pivoted just in time to watch someone clap her hands over her ears and drop to the ground.
I wrapped my arms about me, curling inward. The wind had picked up, bringing with it a biting cold.
Everything darkened with each step. It felt like night.
My foot caught on something, and I fell to the ground. Moaning, I lay in the soil for a moment. My head throbbed, still lightheaded and fuzzy. With a sigh, I pushed myself back to my feet.
I walked on, amazed at how big the wheat fields were. They were endless — my feet were sore.
A tickle on my arm made me scratch at it. The itch returned so I rubbed harder. It must have been a traveling itch, because I felt it on my leg too. I reached down, and my fingers touched something.
Screaming, I jumped backward, flinging my arms out in case it was still on me. In the relative darkness, I glanced down. And I almost fainted.
After pulling in a gasp, my breath froze. Insects crawled up my pants and along my arms. Ants, spiders, earwigs, beetles, worms, moths, grasshoppers — every creepy crawly thing imaginable scrambled up me, trying to get to my face.
I slapped, swung, jumped, and shook them off, screaming and panting. My heart raced and my breathing became quick and shallow. My stomach twisted in nausea, and I wanted to retch.
Tears stung my eyes. No matter how hard I hit or shook, the insects kept coming. I had no idea where they were coming from: the soil seemed void of everything but the roots of the wheat stalks.
I wanted to drop to the ground, flee, puke — do something to get them off. But it was as if they were coming from inside me, pushing through my skin to breathe.
A sob broke through, wracking my body. "Get them off me!" I shrieked, smacking myself hard enough to leave marks.
Hopelessness crashed over me, and my knees buckled. I collapsed to the ground, folding into the fetal position. My cries were unrelenting as I waited for the insects and arachnids to eat me alive.
When the sky brightened beyond my eyelids, I forced my eyes to open. Still crying, I scanned my body. No bugs to be seen. I sat up quickly, looking for any sign of them. They were gone.
I stayed on the ground awhile, breathing in through my nose, out my mouth. My hammering heart calmed, my trembling fingers relaxed. I wiped at my tear-stained face, probably streaking dirt across it. My knees were still weak, but I managed to stand.
No one else was around me. There was no more music, no more laughter. I was alone in the wheat fields. Had the others already escaped? Was I the last one? Was elimination imminent?
As my nostrils filled with the comforting sweet smells, I propelled my legs onward. My arms pumped at my sides, my steps rhythmic. The fuzzy sensation returned to my head, slowing me.
The sky went gold and silver again, the storm passing. The wind vanished. The fields were eerily silent, without a single breeze, footstep, or breath.
I marched on, and whenever a hair moved, I gasped and searched for a bug. They never showed up again, but my heart raced at every sensation against my skin and clothes.
With nothing to focus on, I noticed my lightheadedness more. It felt like someone had stuffed my head with cotton balls and helium balloons. My head seemed to float, separate from the rest of me. It blurred my vision and set me off balance, making me trip every once in a while.
When I saw it, it was already too late. I stumbled into an opening, to what I assumed was a small home. I landed on the ground, surprised to find metal beneath me, rather than soil.
My knees stung from the impact and I rubbed them once I stood. The light from outside shone into the compartment, but there was nothing to see. It was as if it were just a large rectangle.
Lips pursed, I pivoted to leave. But the door slammed shut, removing all light. I had gone blind.
I felt the wall for a handle. But I couldn't find anything. My heart skipped a beat. I knocked against the metal wall, wincing at the echo.
"Hey! There's someone in here. Let me out!"
The only response was the feedback of my own voice inside a metal box.
It was a strange sensation, being deprived of my sight. I had to put conscious thought into breathing, hoping to stave off the panic. To help, I shut my eyes. This way, it felt like a game of hide-and-seek.
My hands trailed along the metal walls, feeling the grooves and bumps. My fingertips searched for holes, fissures, any cracks that had the potential to be an exit.
I found one — two — three — the fifth corner meant I was back where I had started. My whimper grew into a growl that reverberated off the walls. I pounded again, ignoring the sharp echo.
Releasing a slow breath, I lowered to the floor. I wrapped my arms around my legs and rested my head on my knees. Here, there was no sight, no smell. The only sound was my breath and the bounce-back of my voice or knocks.
How did you escape a metal box that had no imperfection to exploit and no exits to find? I had no tools, not even my sight, to help.
Tears welled in my eyes again. I sniffled, the noise bouncing off the walls.
How did they expect us to survive something like this? Was this the waiting game? Did I just have to wait long enough, and then they'd free me from this hell?
I was going stir-crazy. My eyes fluttered open, disoriented from the utter darkness. I rose to my feet and found a wall. Screaming for help, I pounded away, praying someone would hear and come rescue me.
My voice went hoarse from screaming so much, my fists aching. I leaned my forehead against the cool metal, tears dripping off my nose.
Then, a grating noise broke the quiet. I stood straighter, trying to figure out what was happening. My heart leaped at the prospect of someone saving me.
My hands reached out, trying to find the source of the sound. My fingertips hit the adjacent wall, and I stepped before it. When the wall pressed against my palm, I realized with cold dread what caused the constant grating: the walls were closing in.
I was stuck inside an ever-enclosing box.
Despite my sore throat, I screamed again. I pounded harder, faster, begging for anyone to hear me, to save me. Tears streamed down my face. The closer the walls got, the more desperate I became.
It was more difficult to breathe now. My oxygen was running out quickly, and my hyperventilating only made matters worse. My lightheadedness devolved into dizziness.
Soon the walls touched me on all sides. I gave a final plea, crying and shrieking for a miracle. My head lolled and then, there was nothing.