No greater stakes

This year was going to suck.

I knew that. I’d known that for years.

The trials were beginning, and soon, Keith Harrison would be next in line.

Well, Keith Harrison, was me. 18 years old, everyone always told me that I had my whole life ahead of me, my mom just told me that I had time. Time, no one ever really knew how much of it they had left, and for me, time was running out.

The trials were held every five years, whoever was 18 on those years, would probably hate their birthday. The Kesians, or “Keys” would round up every single 18-year-old in all of Atlantia, and throw them into a controlled ocean setting. We could all breathe under water, that wasn’t the problem. This wasn’t like hunger games or anything like that, this was worse. We weren’t what each other had to be afraid of. They’d send in monsters, of all kinds. The elements would rage against us, surviving was our only option.

We all protected each other, but we were locked inside, forever. There are still people that survived that have to live down there, everyday, a living nightmare. Once you went in, you never came out, alive, or dead.

The trials had fallen on the same year as my eighteenth birthday, regardless of when, I knew that I would die in there.

Today was the day that I was to be lowered into the water and start fighting for my life and the life of others.

I was awake before the loud siren indicating the beginning of the trials went off. Shooting out of my bed and throwing on clothes, I didn’t want to miss a second of my last day here. Before I went upstairs to eat with my family, I had to pack my bags. Many people didn’t bring anything when they were sent to the “cage” as people referred it to, newbs.

We were allowed to bring as many bags as we could carry. Naturally, I had six bags stuffed full with clothing, food and water rations, survival items, and weapons. So many weapons.

I made sure I had all of my bags secured to my body, we would be pulled from our homes at random times, I had to be prepared.

My little brother was already crying when I walked in, mom was too, but she was better at hiding it. I sighed and opened my arms, Jackson ran to me and wrapped his little arms around my waist, his tiny body shaking with his sobs. I held him tightly,

“Shhhh it’s ok, I’m right here.”

Poor guy, he was only seven years old, he shouldn’t have to worry about his brother dying in a twisted government punishment. He clung to me,

“Keith, you won’t die like daddy did will you?”

My heart tightened, dad hadn’t died in the cage; a couple years ago he was working on a power yield when one of the circuits exploded. He didn’t make it out. Explosions were not uncommon in the cage.

“No buddy, I’ll survive, but I need you to take care of mom while I’m gone ok? You’re the man of the house now, don’t forget that.”

He sniffed, his bottom lip trembling,

“I won’t, I love you Big Dog.”

I closed my eyes as he buried his face into my shoulder. Tears slipping out of my eyes.

“I love you too Little Dog.”

I stood up as he wiped at his eyes and went back to eating his cereal, but his heart wasn’t in it. Jackson loved his food, seeing him not want to eat made me sad. Mom was trying to hold it together, but fell apart when I hugged her, clutching me tightly, whispering.

“Please, you have to come home to us.”

I looked at her, confused.

“But-”

She cut me off my pulling me back to her and speaking in a deathly quiet tone,

“There is a way out Keith. You just have to find it.”

She held my face in her hands and sniffed,

“Oh my darling boy, I love you so much.”

I smiled sadly,

“I love you too Mom.”

She shoved something in my pocket and ruffled my hair,

“You’ll be okay.”

I sighed,

“I hope so.”

Suddenly, we heard the front door bang open, Jackson screamed and raced to grab onto me. I quickly peeled him off of me, knowing they would shoot him if he tried to stop them from taking me,

“Listen to me Jackson, you stay strong, ok? I love you so so much.”

He ran to my mom and she scooped him up, she quickly gave me a hug,

“I love you Keith.”

I pushed my voice out, my vocal chords in knots.

“I love you too mom.”

They ran in and grabbed my arms, I winced, the pain overwhelming me, I let myself cry as they dragged me away. The sound of my little brother screaming for me filling my ears. I’d never forget that sound.

The dragging stopped when they realized that I wasn’t going to struggle. I walked freely to the cage entrance, where hundreds of teens were already waiting. Most of them were crying, especially the girls. Their sorrow being pushed out of their lungs. Some of them had to be held back, they were shouting and clawing at their capturers, doing anything to get away from them.

Many of them were stoned face, like they were already mourning their own death. One girl got my attention, nothing really stood out about her, brown hair, matching eyes. It was her posture that turned my head.

She looked, ready, somehow. She was pretty short, but she stood up straight, her eyes set forward. She had a look of determination on her face, gripping a dagger that was strapped to her leg tightly. She caught me looking and returned the eye contact, giving me a once over, seeing all of my gear. She nodded at me slightly, as if to say, when we get in there, stick with me.

We broke our stare quickly before anyone noticed, they would drop us farther away from each other if they thought that we could keep the other alive. The sirens went off again, I swallowed hard. Taking a deep breath and whispering one last I love you to my family.

They funneled us to our spots, the crowd a mix of cheering and screaming.

I heard the announcement of the start of the trials over the loudspeakers and braced myself.

“LET THE TRIALS, BEGIN!”

Just like that, in a split second, we were dropped, plunging into the icy water of our inevitable demise.