The Damaged

The Second Challenge

I was still shaking from the last challenge when they led us back to the same lake the next day.  I thought it was strange that they were going to make us do the same challenge twice, but I didn't know what they were actually doing.

"Line up!"  The guard yelled, "Get a partner about your same age, height and weight."  I did as he said and found myself with a girl that looked almost exactly like me.  She was from JFWL, judging from the wooding symbol on her uniform.

"Hi.  I', Calya."  I said.

"I'm Alyke."  She introduced herself.  I smiled at her.  The guard came around and told us to put our hands behind our back, where he bound them together with not-quite-handcuff looking things.

"You will get in the lake with your partner,"  He explained, "And try to keep each other afloat.  There is a platform currently raised for you to walk across to the center of the lake.  Survive."  He lined us up and sent us on our way.  I realized something; there were seventy-five of us.  One of us didn't have a partner, or three of us had an extra body.  I tried to yell and ask if that was fair, but I was kicked in the shins by the girl behind me,

"Do you want to get us all disqualified?"  She shriek whispered.  I love how she said 'disqualified' instead of 'killed'.  "Shut your face and just be glad that it isn't you.  It's not your problem, red.  Leave it be."  My hair was brown, not red.  For some reason, a lot of people made that mistake. Still, I shut my mouth and marched with the rest of these zombies to the middle of the lake.  

The familiar count down beeping started and I grabbed Alyke under the arms, and she got me by the waist.  The final buzzer went and we dropped almost immediately.  The currents came and tried to pull me under, but Alyke kept hold of me and hoisted me up.  Then it came for her.  I kicked frantically and pushed her up with all my strength.  Her head came out of the filthy water as we struggled to hold ourselves up long enough to save each other.

People were screaming around us, but all I heard was the blood pounding in my ears alternating with the pulsing water.  All I knew was that Alyke and I had to stay above water.  I heard drums beating, five times for every death, and each one terrified me.  I lost count of how many after fifty.  That was ten deaths in the water that was trying to kill me right now.  The probability of my survival was slim to none.

Suddenly an especially strong current yanked me under, out of Alyke's grasp.  I was pulled under the unusually dark water.  My lungs were on fire, and I had to take a breath.  The water filled my lungs until they burned like acid, and dark spots obscured my vision.  I was vaguely aware of Alyke trying to haul me up to the surface.  The pressure was too much, and I lost consciousness from lack of oxygen, and slowly sank to the bottom with my five drumbeats ringing in my ears.