THE CULLING TRIAL

CHAPTER 6 — TEETH IN THE SMOKE

Even after  lunch, this eerie feeling and thoughts didn't seem to go away.

Kambi pulled me aside to check my wound. Her face tightened.

"It's getting worse. What happened?"

I narrated the pesticide bath, sweat and exertion. She sighed. "Be more careful."

As she was leaving, I fought the urge to ask her what the old man said but couldn't, what if she's part of them? 

Tobi wrapped his arms around my neck "Ease up K, I'm sure he's just drunk and spewing rubbish. Don't let it get to you." But it was too late, it has gotten to me. 

The afternoon brought endurance training with a different instructor. Running, jumping, crawling through mud, each exercise tore at my injuries until I bit my tongue to keep from crying out.

That evening, Tobi led me to where several boys and girls had gathered near the main gate to board a chartered bus, carrying us through gleaming streets to a massive gathering packed with thousands. We followed a girl through the crowd to a building.

"Better view up there," she said.

We climbed to a balcony overlooking the plaza. Closed gates stood at the far end while steam hissed from vents—some decontamination process.

Then the gates opened.

The crowd exploded in cheers as figures emerged from the mist.

"That's Sorayah!" the girl beside me pointed to the left.

The woman in the vehicle had dark olive skin gleaming, her nose elegant and narrow, eyes that seemed to flirt with the entire crowd. Messy braids framed a face that belonged in ancient poems about beauty and war.

"And that's Chizzy!" The girl pointed to another woman, this one blowing kisses through wire-rimmed glasses. "But everyone calls her Chili."

More names were called with each having their own unique characters but leading them all was a figure that commanded attention without effort. Blond hair caught the light like spun gold—olive skin stretched over muscles that spoke of countless battles. Sharp features that could cut glass, and eyes that had seen things beyond the dome.

"Darius," the girl swooned. "The Savior himself." I stared at him "Our cluster got over half the annual supplies thanks to him, Sorayah and Bello. Darius wanted to do what his predecessor did—making sure all four made it out to secure all our supplies but couldn't.” 

“He was close until one maniac ruined that, forcing them to have five instead.” one chipped in

“It was extended so much that the trial makers were running out of ideas." another added. 

“Why is that?” I asked 

"A champion gives their cluster twenty-five percent of annual supplies which means the entire cluster lives like royalty."

"How do you know this?"

She looked at me, incredulous. "This is common knowledge."

"You don't know your champions?" a blond green-eyed boy with glasses asked. I shrugged.

Everyone except Tobi looked shocked.

"Every Ark should have at least one champion." she added.

I explained no one returns, so we don't know what happens. This disturbed them more.

"So you have no strategy for the game?"

"Game?" I asked. "Isn't it an experiment?"

The boy with glasses patted my shoulder pitifully. "It is, but it's difficult. The trials are death matches."

My mind went blank. From Tobi's expression, he felt the same shock.

The boy stood. "We should head back."

"Jakob's right," someone grumbled. "Almost lights out."

The return trip felt tense—every nerve shivered when I thought about it.

'I might actually die,' I thought. 'I wasn't strong enough for training, and now, I learnt that I'm entering a death game.'

Arriving at the base, we raced to our dormitories, but found the main gate sealed with the lights out.

"Where are we supposed to sleep?" someone whispered.

Suddenly, there was a figure in the shadows, standing at an odd angle in the darkness.

A girl approached the figure and asked, “Hello, sir. We got lost, and we wonder if you have the spare key for the gate?”

It remains mute 

She took a few steps further. "Excuse me? Do you…..” it grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into the darkness. Her scream cut through the night before being abruptly silenced.

Then I saw its face, or what remained of one. Rotting flesh hung from exposed bone, eyes like burning coals. It looked almost human, but wrong in every conceivable way. 

Its limbs stretched unnaturally long, joints twisted at wrong angles, and its face was pure horror.

"Run!" I shouted.

Skeletal fingers wrapped around the belt’s edge. A creature found us, head tilting unnaturally as it peered down. Black pit eyes absorbed the remaining light.

Chaos erupted as creatures emerged from shadows, tearing into the group with rusted claws.

I pulled Tobi behind cover as we fled through the abandoned warehouse. My boots slipped on dusty concrete while claws scraped metal behind us.

"They're gaining!" Tobi shouted, terror cracking his voice.

The guttural snarls grew closer, echoing off rusted machinery casting twisted shadows. My heart hammered against my ribs.

Tobi spotted a gap between conveyor belts. We squeezed through the narrow space, scraping against metal.

"Did we lose them?" I whispered.

Skeletal fingers wrapped around the belt's edge. A creature peered down with black pit eyes.

"Run," Tobi breathed.

We burst out as the creature lunged. Its claws raked my back, tearing through uniform-like tissue. Fire exploded across my shoulders and I screamed.

Tobi hauled me upright, trying to console me as we pressed on. 

Creatures swarmed everywhere—walls, ceiling, moving like spiders. One dropped between us and the exit. Another emerged from behind a pillar, jaw unhinging.

"We're gonna die," Tobi whispered.

"No. There's another way," I said, nodding toward rusted fire escape stairs.

The largest creature stepped forward. This was how it would end—two days before my birthday, torn apart where no one would find us.

Tobi hurled debris at the creatures, creating a brief distraction. We bolted for the stairs as they flowed after us like water.

I grabbed the handrail, legs shaking. My foot slipped on loose steps and I fell backward toward waiting claws. Tobi caught my wrist and pulled me up, but claws raked my ankle.

On the second floor landing, we were trapped against rusted machinery. The creatures climbed slowly, savoring victory.

Gunfire exploded through the warehouse. The largest creature staggered, black ichor spraying from its chest.

"This way! Now!" Kambi descended from the rooftop in tactical gear, rifle ready.

We climbed her rope to the roof while she provided covering fire.

"We need to move," she said. "We're heading to military quarters."

As we crossed rooftops, she asked if there are others outside. Despite Tobi's desperate look, I admitted there were eleven more.

At a gap between buildings, white-hot pain pierced my leg as claws wrapped my ankle, dragging me backward. The creature raised its other claw toward my head.

Kambi's rifle erupted. The creature flung me aside to focus on her. I hit the wall hard, vision blurring.

Another creature perched above me. I threw debris toward a metal structure, and it leaped toward the sound.

I dragged myself toward the escape hole, each movement shooting lightning through my mangled leg. Another creature's claws pierced my arm before Kambi shot it down.

Tobi crawled back, tears streaming. "Stay with me," he said, dragging me toward the hole.

We crawled through backward while Kambi followed, panting heavily.

Seeing my blood loss, her face switched to panic. "Change of plans. We're going to Lex's place instead.”

When we emerged from the tunnel, both of them helped me to my feet, supporting my weight as we made our way to a building marked with the number seven.

She knocked repeatedly when we arrived. "Lex! It's urgent! This patient is very important!"

After several knocks, a tall figure emerged, glaring. "Normal people sleep at this hour."

He had striking hazel eyes and olive skin that glowed in the dim light. Seeing my critical condition, he swallowed his irritation and let us in.

"What happened?" he asked.

Tobi began explaining our escape, but Kambi interrupted. "Not that." She described the creatures to Lex.

His eyes widened as he studied me. "How did he survive all those stings?"

"Can you help?"

Lex's expression turned grim. "I'm sorry Kambi, but this is far beyond what I can do."

What does he mean by that? Maybe I'm clearly misunderstanding him but the look in both their eyes said otherwise. That I was going to die before the trial begins.