Number Ten

The air rushed back into my lungs and I snapped my eyes open but immediately regretted it. Stars swim in front of me and I realized just how much my body ached. I put my hand up to my pounding head in hopes to calm the raging headache I was experiencing. My senses slowly come through to me and I look around to take in my surroundings. Woods. Every which way I looked there was an expanse of trees that seemed to never end. I start to panic because I can't remember why I am here. The memories in my mind seemed blocked. I don't know when I got here, or who put me here. The last memory that floats through my mind was me driving home from work. But was that even true? I couldn't recall a single thing from the past or anything that could have happened after that memory. I gingerly get up and steady myself on a nearby tree. I attempt to call help but lose hope. Who else was I to find in the middle of the woods?

I look down at me and realize what I'm wearing. They were similar to army fatigues, but all black in color. On the ground beside me was a large backpack. I crouch down beside it and start to go through the various zippers. There were a few empty containers, some cloth, rope, a Swiss Army knife, and a jacket. The amount of confusion swirling through me was almost unbearable. What was I doing here? There seemed to be nobody else around, and I was starting to get nervous. I feel around the pockets on my pants. No cellphone. The more I started to think back on my last memory the less I remember it. It was as if everything was fading away. Almost like my life never existed. I pick up the bag and hoist it onto my back, and do the only thing I can. I walk. As I walk I start to notice the complete silence that I am enveloped in. There are no birds chirping, no squirrels running around or a wind to rustle the leaves. Sweat prickles on my forehead as I continue on. In what direction I do not know. It might lead me to nothing, but yet I seemed to have all the time in the world to figure out this place.

A sudden eerieness washes over me and I stop to turn around. A wind picks up and ruffles my hair. I get the feeling that something is out there watching me. I continue on, keeping my senses on high alert. As I walk, I transfer the Swiss Army knife from my bag to the pocket in my pants. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I stop to turn around again. I call out, but there is no response. I wrinkle my brow, something is not right.

Swoosh!

I yelp and stumble back against a tree. I look up to see an arrow lodged into the wood right above my head. My eyes widen. Another shot is made and nicks the side of my neck. A warm trickle slides down onto my shirt staining it the bright crimson color of blood. Every ounce of my being is screaming at me to get up and run, but I find myself frozen with fear.

"Ten! What are you doing!? Run!" someone exclaims from the far right side of me.

I turn to make out a figure running straight towards me. I don't even have time to register who this person is before I am roughly pulled up from the ground. We start to run just as another arrow is shot. The person holding tight to my wrist dodges trees left and right as if they have this entire forest memorized. I could hear our pursuer chasing after us. My heart was about to leap into my throat. What if we couldn't outrun this person? I was already struggling to keep up, but the adrenaline coursing through me kept me energized. I was unexpectedly yanked to the left and thrown onto the ground. I rolled and landed into a ditch with bushes barricading the front. My savior jumped in after me and held a finger up to my lips. Feet stamped passed us and continued on. It looked like we were safe for now. A few minutes passed before the person put their hand down and smacked me on the head.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to get us all killed?"

Us? I take a good look at the person in front of me. From the short-cropped hair, I thought that this person was a boy, but they were in fact female. She looked about the same age as I was and was dressed in the same clothing as me. A backpack hung onto her shoulders as well. Her piercing blue eyes bored into me. I crawl back away from her.

"How do I know I can trust you?" I ask.

She scoffed. "As if me saving your ass from an arrow to the throat wasn't good enough," she shook her head, "How much do you remember?"

I tried thinking back and realized I couldn't even recall my damn name. I threw my hands up into the air irritated, "What the hell is going on!" I yelled.

The girl threw herself on top of me and looked up frantic. She waited a minute before getting up.

"What the hell dude?" she hissed. "Do not do that. This isn't how this works."

I was near close to tears. I was scared, confused and still bleeding. All I wanted right now was a hot shower and a comfy bed to sleep in. I couldn't believe this was really happening to me. I looked at this girl with desperation in my eyes and could see her face soften a little. She takes out a cloth and dabs it on my neck to stop the bleeding.

"I'm sorry. I know you just came in and a lot has happened, but you can't go yelling like that. The Reapers could hear you."

"Who?"

She cursed. "OK. Sit up and shut up, got it? I'm only going to tell you this once because after that we need to get to the others."

I was about to speak up to say something, but she glared at me. I got the message.

"You might have heard me call you Ten, correct? Maybe not, I get it. You were almost shot and killed."

I think back to that time and vaguely remember this. "Yeah? So what?"

"Well, I figured by your outburst that you don't remember anything. Don't worry, none of us do. Well, I guess One does which is why I'm able to tell you this. But that's not the point. The point is that we're all here, and we need to stick together."

"Why? And why is everybody being called by a number? Who are these people trying to kill us?" I couldn't help myself. The questions poured out of my mouth like a faucet. The girl looked at me annoyed. "Sorry," I mumble.

"Let me start over. Hi, my name is Three," she pulls out her hand and I take it.

"And my name is Ten?"

She nods, "Each and every single person that is here has come within the hour. You came at the tenth hour, so this is your name since nobody can remember anything. Makes things easier. Also, every single person here has this message." She pulls up her right sleeve and turns her arm over. Written on her forearm was a small message that looked like it had been branded on.

Find the way.

"Find what way?" I asked.

"Out," she says with emphasis. "All of us were sent here in the same way. Dressed in these clothes, with this message, and zero memories of why we're here."

I rolled up my own sleeve to find the message written on there. I brushed my hand over it and felt the bumps the words created. There was no pain. Three looks out from the ditch we're in and gestures for me to get up.

"We should actually start moving. It's never good to stay in the same spot for too long." She helps me up and as we walk she continues on. "The person I mentioned earlier, One? He knows almost everything, been through this for a week. Told the rest of us what he learned. He'll be happy to see that I was able to find you in one piece."

I don't know where she's taking me, but I have no other choice but to follow her. It was strange being here, but having Three telling me everything made it better somehow.

"Those people that were shooting at you, we call them the Reapers. They're the people out to try and kill us. All part of their sick game. So stay away from them." She stops and looks around before continuing on. "Each cycle lasts for twelve hours. After that's up, the ones remaining will be rounded up to wait until the day is over. Then another cycle begins, and new people are replaced within the hour again. That means there are only two more hours before this ends."

"Is this your first time being here?"

"No. This is the second day for me."

I ask her where they're taken until the next cycle begins.

"Some room. No windows, and a single bed and desk. And before you ask only one person has died." She looks at me harshly, "And we'd like to keep it as only one. So next time an arrow is being shot at you, run."

Things were starting to make sense in some twisted way. She tells me that the only way to stop the cycles from continuing was to "find the way", and the only way to stay in the cycles were to stay alive.

"You keep dancing around the one question in my mind. Why are we here?" I demand.

She looks at me with a serious expression, "This is all an experiment Ten. A government-issued hell-hole to seek out the toughest of people. Only the ones who survive are the ones that are needed. You need to be strong to stay in this game. Be prepared for changes, because those happen a lot here."

She maneuvers me out of the way so I don't trip on a rock. I was so mesmerized by her words. We edge toward a looming rock wall and stop. Three crouches down and removes a slab, revealing a hole big enough for a person to climb through.

"Ladies first," she says.

I tentatively get down and wriggle my way through. When I get to the other side, I stand up and look around. A tunnel stretches in front of me lit up by some mysterious source. Three climbs her way through and replaces the piece of stone she took out. She walks ahead of me and gestures for me to follow. I shake my head and reach out to stop her.

"But why?" I ask.

Three smiles and answers in such a simple way that I think I misheard her. "Because the world is ending."