An Ordinary Story I guess….

*Ding* *Ding*

The faint sound of bells ringed in my ear, as well as the sound of multiple voices. I really need to change that damn alarm.

I reached out to turn it off, instead, I felt a flat, cold surface.

Thats strange, maybe I fell asleep on the living room floor again? As well as left the T.V. on.

My eyes opened to be met with a blinding light. It took a few seconds for my vision to get clearer; although, I only saw a pure white ceiling. I looked to my sides to find strangers not two feet away from me.

Intrusive thoughts began to flood every corner of my mind, I instantly tried to stand up, but my legs trembled and forced me to sit down. Was that not some awful dream? The sirens, the panicked screams, that… thing.

This was all too much to process, my breathing was all over the place and I could only grasp my head to ease the severe headache, that was when I felt a cold, almost metallic hand place itself on my shoulder.

”Collect yourself for the time being, something big is about to happen ” a deepened voice spoke ”Remember to go left in the hallway ”

It was abnormal, a sense of calmness wavered over me and I regained my breathing, I tried looking up to whoever touched me, but they were already gone.

Estranged by this random encounter, I started to think I was going crazy for probably imagining someone there, despite these thoughts, I need to try and pull myself together for now. I started to look around and noticed a couple of things.

First off, it seems like I was in a giant box made of this pure white paneling, I could see the corners of the room.

The space around me was filled with dozens of people, I traveled around the whole room in about ten minutes with hopes of finding someone I knew but saw no familiar faces. Though I did learn one thing from all the voices I heard, a lot of these people had different accents, some even spoke a different language.

Each side of the room had a group of people, and the center of the room was filled with even more. However, those the center group looked more like strangers to each other as most kept their distances from one another.

I found a spot to rest and collected what little thoughts I had, until a strange collection of sirens went off.

*Wwwaahhh*

Flashbacks of that creature were thrown back into my mind and most people looked freighted; some had a face of disbelief as if this was a bad dream. Strangely enough, I could have sworn I saw a few who looked unfazed.

*ZZTTT*

A disorienting, electronic sound bounced around the room and familiar floating words encased by a colored background popped in front of me, but one appeared in front of the person next to me as well, and another, and one by one different people started having the same thing, some had different colors than me, mine was a light gray as someone elses was purple, red, orange…

Dammit mind, stop worrying about colors, Im pretty sure everyone saw the same words on their screen.

[Introductory Story Objective: Survive to Prove your character! – let everyone know who you are and who you are not]

That sentence doesn sit well in my stomach. Prove your character what is this, a novel?

Immediately after, the center of the room began to sink in a circular shape and most that were gathered there fled to the corners like worried cattle, but as for those that went to the walls of this giant cube, they began to slide down and the roof began to shrink in with the walls.

A vibrant and humid atmosphere hit us all to show an environment with tall, luscious trees that hovered over to block a deep blue sky and the sound of rushing water was heard nearby to what I presume is south.

While most stood in awe at this never-before-seen sight, a circular platform filled with an assortment of bags, clothes, and what appears to be food was now presented in the center.

The people that noticed this first scurried to the supplies and began to take anything they can get their hands on, then the others caught on to what was beginning to happen and followed suit.

”HEY! What do you think you
e doing?! ” A masculine voice yelled from within a small group located on the northern edge of the jungle. Some stopped in their tracks.

”I know this situation is odd but do not think that greed is going to solve your problems ”

This time, he stood away to discern himself, he was tall and had a fit build, he is wearing a police officer uniform.

”We need to split the food and share it equally, Im sure the only thing everyone wants right now is to live ”

As the man continued rambling, my gut started to churn from remembering the words of that stranger and the message that came, why do we need to survive? Or better yet, from what?

I looked to the jungle beyond the cop as the crowing of birds was heard, they sounded disturbed.

Subsequently enough, the shrubbery near the mans group started to rustle, the Policeman was too fixated on his speech he didn realize his group was dismembering around him. Thats when I heard it.

*Pfh* *Pfh* *Pfh*

Something was closing in fast, eventually the policeman caught on to everyones gaze, but it was already too late as a large yellow eye was staring at this new thing.

From the border of the tree line was an exceptionally large beast, colored with orange and black striped fur, protruding canines, and cautious eyes, it is a tiger, except it was far larger than any Ive seen.

The man stood still; this staring game went on for what felt like minutes until he made a rushed movement to get something from his waist, but the hunter was quicker.

It had reached him in but a moment and before I could see the man react, his upper torso was ripped off and quickly guzzled down, the tiger licked its lips and looked at the other free meals running around.

I saw a small division of people run frantically to the opposite side of the room where a wide river laid. There was an attempt to swim across, but some found the current too strong and others suddenly plunged into the water as if they were dragged under.

I have to be dreaming, this can be real, no matter how hard I pinched myself there was no waking up. The tiger continued its onslaught of devouring countless, that was until I noticed a few select people, they gathered near the pile wielding very primitive weapons like spears and blunt objects, I couldn get a good view as there were still people blocking my sight, but it seems to me they are being led by someone.

As a singular fist rose into the air from their front, the followers did the same and charged headfirst to the predator.

A part of me wanted to stick around to watch this spectacular fight, but the other half knew I should not stick around in case things go wrong.

After realizing I was just standing here watching things go down, I need to leave, I couldn trust the river taking up the south and west, going around the tiger seemed even worse, there was one last option, but I could tell it wasn good due to people are pushing against me in the opposite direction.

I don know what was going through my head. One part wanted to go with the crowd, the other wanted to try and take advantage of this large group and attempt to sneak by whatever is distributing them.

Getting to the east side was more trouble than expected, on the way I accidentally bumped into a mother and son.

I didn get to look at them or apologize because the woman instantly picked up her son and rushed off. I then noticed the kid; he was wearing a flat cap that matted down his brown hair and some kind of pea coat. His arm was trying to reach something before he was lost in the crowd.

I looked past the trampling feet out of curiosity and there I saw a pocket watch made of some shiny metal, I managed to snag it quickly and put it in my pocket. Im not sure why I did that but maybe I can find that little kid eventually.

Inevitably, the people began to thin out from the direction I was going, and I could see why, as I saw three unlucky souls who got taken by another beast.

This one being a jaguar or some kind of panther that was the size of a horse. Its black fur was already coated with the stain of red and being occupied by its meal, I questioned if my gamble was worth it as it now seems like a REALLY bad idea coming the way everyone was fleeing from.

I found myself standing alone as the bystanders had already fled to the ”safe ” corner in-between the river and the heroes still fighting the tiger in the distance.

An attempt to walk back slowly was made, but its ears moved in a way as it heard me, then its greenish eyes stared at me. What I did next was probably the stupidest thing I have ever done because I used video game logic and put my arms in front of me like I was trying to tame the animal.

It did not like that, not one bit, because it now growled showing its teeth.

Fuck!

**!

**!

It jumped off the bodies and slowly creeped towards me, I was completely dumb founded, I was never prepared for any of this, how was anyone prepared for any of this? Why am I out here? Am I really about to die because of something I didn want? I know I didn like my life, but I don want to die…

While my stupid self was basically having a midlife crisis in front of this animal, something unexpected happened.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone drop a bag they were carrying and sprint towards me, no, the panther.

The creature turned its stare to a guy with a homemade spear, he had honey colored hair that spiked up at the front and he was wearing some form of rancher getup with dirty jeans held up by belt buckle and a brown, plaid flannel.

Now was my chance, I know its selfish but Im getting the hell out of here.

I dashed to the side of the big feline, which was stupid in hindsight, for its attention went back to me. It took a swipe for my legs. Luckily, it only caught bits of my pants and ripped right through.

I heard it let out a pained growl, but I didn turn back, I just ran to the edge of the forest now, there was a divider of the white floor and the grass where a few large stones laid. Right when I was going to step onto the grass, I heard the scream of the farmer guy, I turned to see him in a hand-to-hand tussle with the cat and a bleeding face.

I would have left him, sadly, I have morals and I probably should thank him for saving me. So I grabbed one of the rocks near my foot and chucked it as hard as I could.

It would have hit the beast right on its head for the exception of some random idiot who I didn see.

He came barreling in, yelling like a manic, but I didn hear that due to my pounding chest. It was another man, he seemed a little older than me and the way he acted and looked made him appear deranged, he wielded two hatchets of different kinds, that left the grips of his hands when he obviously got in the way.

He ended up tumbling into them making it just a big, jumbled mess of paws and hands. Somehow the deranged guy took back control and actually started strangling the panther with his bare hands, but the farmer boy grabbed a hold of his spear and plunged it into its stomach.

Its eyes began fluttering and I could actually see it losing its grasp on life. Its almost sad really, but that feeling was shortly lived when the madman decapitated it in one swoop and grabbed the head like a trophy.

The farmer boy held his face and gathered his items. I took this as the time to get out of here.

I look at the jungle and take deep breaths, if I need to survive it won do any good to be in an open space, I need to hide. That was my original thought, but I heard a whoosh of an object fly past my head, I studied the object and learned that it was a hatchet, now stuck in a tree.

I turn around to see that deranged man yelling out loud in some dialect Ive never heard, he then pointed and sprinted towards me, it was a little funny as farmer boy looked so shocked and for some reason followed suite after, but I think I was more terrified of the madman than that cat.

With no time to waste I scurried into the forest in hopes of losing him.

”вернитесь сюда, вы свинья! ” the deranged man screamed.

I swear his language somehow has a backwards R in there, He was way faster than me, but he had to retrieve his axe after each attempt to hit me, those moments gave me the leg up on him. The farmer boy was also in pursuit shouting things, to my surprise he didn have a rural accent.

After seven minutes of consecutive running through the harsh and humid environment, my legs began to burn, and my lungs felt like they were deflating of air, I couldn keep up and the other two seemed to be just fine, I know it was a long shot, but I need to somehow persuade him or maybe with the help of the farmer I can restrain him.

I immediately planted my feet in the ground and came to a halt, the brute however, charged me into the dirt. We tumbled for a bit util he got on top of me and constrained my arms, I could feel the cold blood drip from his hands.

He opened his mouth to speak, and I laid there praying to my lucky stars.

Our heads turned as we heard rustling from the tree line. He kept one axe on my neck and one towards the noise. I thought it was the farmer, but I was wrong, I was so very wrong!

Before us stood this humongous bear, it had scars all over its brown furred body dug deep into its flesh, one of its eyes was cloudy gray as if it was blind, and its mouth was salivating at its newly arrived snacks.

”Теперь это охота ” he whispered under his breath, his body started to quiver, but I don think it was out of fear, because when I glanced in his gray-blue eyes, I saw excitement.

”Я не простил тебе свинью ” He said while getting off me and getting in a feral like stance ”Укради этот приз у меня, и ты мертв, понимаете? ” he finished what I believe to be a sentence and charged at the bear with wild emotions.

The bear almost seemed threatened, but I had my doubts as it made this really weird face then ran off with the madman chasing after it.

I was still laying on the ground and all I could release was a sigh of relief, I found myself in a small clearing in the jungle area. I decided to rest a bit not knowing how long I had.

I felt my rib being poked by a stick; I opened my eyes to find that rancher guy.

In the short time Ive known this guy he saved my life, and I don even know his name. He raised me to my feet and gave me a bottle of water from his backpack.

After a small conversation I learned that his name is Thomas McAffer and he was just as confused as me about this place, for the short time we talked he asked me strange questions like,

”Do you know how we got here? ”

”Do you think it was aliens? ”

The weirdest question was his last one.

”Don you think its unnatural for bears to be in this type of environment? ”

”What part of any of this is natural? ” I responded.

During most of that conversation, he was taking quick glances behind me, he then grabbed his spear with one hand and threw it through the trees, hitting a perch of some sort

He explained that he saw something in the trees while he was chasing us. He said it was a humanoid figure that wore a dark cloak and claims with just a snap of its weird, metal hand. It brought that bear into existence and that hing was stalking us right now.

He rose8 quickly and pulled out a concealed knife from his boot, he then proceeded to go into a defensive stance. I simply turned to look where he was looking, but saw nothing.

Im starting to think this guy is crazy, or maybe Im crazy? Is this the same mysterious guy who consoled me a while ago?

[Room 1 Introductory Story Completed!]

[Hidden Side Story completed: beasts slain 4/4 – 500 Kredits earned]

[Depending on your involvement! you have a chance of gaining a chapter fragment]

Our attention was now brought to a holographic screen in front of us, they are almost like smartphone notifications at this point.

[Congratulations! Evaluation has been concluded and you will be getting your beginning attributes, skills, stats, and patrons.]

[You have earned a chapter fragment. Yours is-

The notifications went away as a beam of light surrounded us. I felt my whole presence just vanish for a second. I was still conscious though, but couldn see or feel anything.

Even without feeling my body, my gut told me this was not going to be pleasant.