The Trials

Chapter Four

The shrills that echoed in the woods were haunting. Women were going down at every turn by a lake full of snakes, but something told me that these were your typical everyday snake. I was shaking with the fear nestled inside me. We had only just begun, and women were already being slaughtered. It may me question why Erick would tell me about this first trial to begin with. So many questions were running around in my mind. Were the trials just another one of his many lies? He told us that these trials were set by the enemy, but I’ve had my doubts. Now that I was staring the first trial in the face, I’m not so sure that what he has told us has been true.

“Riven, we can’t stay here. We have to find a way across,” Karoline whispered as if the snakes would somehow hear us and attack.

I nodded my head, still too stunned to say anything. How were we supposed to cross this snake pit, to begin with? All I could see in front of me and around was a massive lake full of death. We could try to attempt to go around it, but that meant being out here well past dark, which put us at risk of something far more dangerous than snakes. However, if we went through the treacherous lake, we would be bitten and die a painful death. I’d never been more frightened, which is not something I would admit openly. I knew that the trials were dangerous, but I didn’t know how far Erick would go. If I had to bet on it, I would bet that he enjoyed making these women suffer. Because if in fact, Erick had gone through the first trials, he would have had his team clear out this pit. Why would it make sense to leave it when the enemy was so far away to even notice?

Alerted by more screams, I faced Karoline. “We can’t go around it. This lake is massive, and it would take the rest of the day, well into nightfall to reach the other side. I don’t think that’s a good idea without knowing what else is out there.”

Her mouth opened slightly, undoubtedly coming to the conclusion of what I was suggesting. “We can’t, Riven. If we go through that lake, we are as good as dead. I’d rather risk my chances going around the lake than walk into what I know for certain is death.”

I knew she was right, but the unknown was what scared me the most. Rushing, I opened my backpack to see what Erick supplied us with to see if we had anything useful. After rummaging around, there was nothing that would help with crossing the lake. So, I started to take in my surroundings to see if there was anything around that would act as a repellent to the snakes. If we could camouflage ourselves, somehow, we could get across the lake without getting attacked.

“Repellant,” I said to Karoline. “If we can find a repellant, then we can get across the lake, through the shallow end so we aren’t trudging through the deep and unknown.”

Karoline looked at me and nodded. “As soon as I was picked at the selection, I began to do my research. I knew that we would be out in a wooded area at least for some time so I did research about how to avoid detection. There are two options here and frankly, I’d rather try them both in case one doesn’t work out so well.” I nodded for her to continue. “We hunt the animals in the woods to use them as bait. It isn’t a repellant for say but it will buy us some time.”

That could work. “Okay, what is a snake’s favorite meal then?”

“Anything that moves. I saw a burrow walking in here so I’m sure there are rabbits nearby. When we see a snake, we let the rabbit go and the snake will attack it instead of us. However, if you’ve had the same thought that I’ve had about these not being your everyday snake, then we may want to have option two handy just in case. Smoke.”

What good would smoke do? Then it hit me. Almost any animal in the wilderness would run away from smoke or fire. “Karoline, you are a genius! We can light the fire by the lake that is most shallow, hoping it doesn’t burn out on us.”

She nodded wearily. “One little problem with that. I have no idea how to make a fire. They didn’t put anything in our bags that would help to start a fire.”

This is the first time that I could really come in handy. In our town, almost all of us had to know how to make a fire by hand due to the harsh winters. We didn’t have heating in our homes like some other wealthier towns did.

“I know how. We need some branches and kindling. Go gather those quickly,” I ordered.

Karoline rushed off behind us while I dug around in my bag. Erick provided these “safety” glasses, but they were made entirely of glass. They would be my way of starting this fire, but we had to hurry. I had a clear view of the sun for now, but it was traveling quickly out of view.

When Karoline got back, she was carrying everything we needed to get started. I wrapped some fabric around some of the bigger logs that she had found while I placed the smaller branches down in front of me. I grabbed the kindling and stuffed it lightly against the branches. Once I had everything in place, I took the magnifying lens and placed it a few inches above the kindling in direct line with the sun. It took some time, but once the sun hit it just right and it began to heat, we saw smoke. In no time, we had our fire burning and lit our branches with the fabric attached to use as torches. Karoline and I ditched killing the critters to use as bait. Neither one of us was up to killing anything we didn’t have to. First, we would try the fire and if that didn’t work, we would come back for the rabbits.

With me first, in line, we slowly walked over to the shallowest part of the lake. After only taking one step in front of me, I heard a hissing sound. Without time to react, I jumped back and brought the fire as close to the water as possible without getting it wet. On the right was some dry brush, so I lit that on fire so that Karoline and I could trudge further across the lake, only to turn back to see how quickly it had died out.

We couldn’t see the other groups of women, but we could hear them, and it appeared they had the same idea as we did but I could hear them slightly behind us which was good for Karolina and me. We needed to beat the other women there because I knew that Trinity meant good on her promise. If she found me, she would end me, and I wasn’t ready to die.

Slowly, we made away across. Before we knew it, we were halfway there when I heard Karoline behind me draw in a deep breath. I turned around to see a snake circling her. Karoline looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, begging for my help. Even if it meant that I would get bitten in the process, I couldn’t let anything happen to Karoline. She was my best chance of survival right now. Without her, I would die much more quickly than I anticipated. Reluctantly, I turned around slowly to see the snake inching closer toward her, making its way up her arm. I inched toward her with my torch at the ready.

With a hushed voice, I said, “Stay very still. You are warm-blooded and it can already sense that. One wrong move and it will strike. What I’m going to do is a little crazy, but I need you to trust me, okay?” She nodded slightly, but I could see the panic rising within her. I’d be scared too.

I took my fire and inched it toward her arm where the snake was slowly making its way up. Karoline looked at me with wide eyes, realizing what it was that I had to do. This was the only way to ensure that neither one of us got bitten, but I wouldn’t hurt her, and I was hoping she trusted me enough for that. I placed the torch as close to her as I could without it burning her, but the snake seemed unfazed. The fire wasn’t close enough. With a deep breath, I placed it even closer and that’s when Karoline closed her eyes tightly, feeling her arm begin to burn. Slowly, the snake retreated, and we watched as it slithered across the lake, further away from us.

“Are you okay?” I asked while grabbing her arm to see the damage that I had caused.

Instead of being upset with me, Karoline wrapped her arm around my neck, “Thank you, Riven. A little burn is a small price to pay not to get bitten and killed. I knew partnering with you was my best chance out here.”

Don’t get your hopes up too high just yet, Karoline. We had a long way to travel and many more trials to face before we were out of the woods, and something told me that this snake pit was child’s play compared to what was coming next.

Karoline and I made it across the rest of the lake without another close run-in with a snake. We had to wrap her arm up a little when we crossed to keep it from infection, but she would need burn cream of some sort to help with the healing.

We walked through the woods in silence until the sun began to fade. Of course, we knew better than to be out here once it became fully dark, but we were close to shelter. I could feel it. Just as I suspected another half an hour of walking, and we can upon a clearing. We moved as far away from the trees as possible and into the opening to set up our camp for the night.

“Should we start a fire?”

I shook my head. “That isn’t a good idea. If there are other creatures nearby, the last thing we want to do is signal them to our location.” I plucked out one of the small sleeping bags from my backpack as well as Karoline’s. “Here, I’ll take the first watch. Bundle up in your sleeping bag and I’ll place mine over you to give you some extra warmth.”

“But what about you?”

“I’m fine for now. If I get cold, I’ll let you know. Now get some rest,” I said as I helped to tuck her in.

There was this innocence about Karoline that I couldn’t help but admire. This was what it was like to be picked at the selection each year, for a woman like her with so much to offer the world, to be placed in a sick and twisted place that would undoubtedly change her forever. She would never again be that innocent young woman that I met at Erick’s mansion. There was a sadness to it, though I’m not one for feelings. To know that this is what our lives have come to, was a terrible concoction caused by Erick Barrett and I would make it my mission to unmask him for the man he truly was.

For most of the night, it was silent. None of the other women had run into us, meaning they were either still trapped in the woods or far enough away from us for it to matter for now. Still, I thought it best to stay watch just in case something more sinister was hunting us. If by a small miracle what Erick has said to us has been true all this time, I must not underestimate our enemy. It was highly doubtful because anything coming from Erick’s mouth seemed to be a lie. What if our enemy was simply misunderstood. Maybe they came here for another reason and happened to be in Erick’s sight from the start. When Erick sees something he can’t control, he wants to take it away, to make it ultimately his. What if this was the case with the “enemy”? What if they weren’t our enemy at all?

Just as I was contemplating everything about our enemy, I heard a screech so loud I had to cover my ears to keep them from ringing. The screech had come from the woods several yards away from where Karoline and I were now, but still too close for comfort. I stood up, looking around the area when I saw a set of glowing eyes staring right at me. For some reason, I became petrified with fear, but that didn’t last long when I heard Karoline toss around in her sleep. Even if I was scared, I couldn’t show it. Erick was watching us all right now and I wouldn’t show this weakness to my real enemy. No. I had to keep fighting for as long as I could.

“Riven…” a voice called from the direction where the eyes were. A male voice, contradicting the screech he just bellowed.

It snapped in my head that the enemy had been watching me the moment that I stepped foot into those woods and now it knows my name. Now they have power over me that I didn’t want them to have either.

The eyes peaked out even further, just enough for me to see a silhouette of a man, but nothing more. “You seek the truth and the truth you shall find,” he said before disappearing into the woods.