"Let's start what?" I said to myself.
I couldn't understand a word of the text, not because it was hard to read, but because it was... weird. I had to go over it again to make sense of it.
It said my family was safe. Good news, sure. But is it believable? Not even close. Everyone disappeared in a single day out of nowhere, and now I get a random message saying they're okay? No, thank you. I refuse to believe that.
But what choice did I have? I didn't know where they were. All I could do was hope the message was true.
Then came the second part. The scary part.
"Unlike you." I read the line again.
What do you mean, unlike me? Am I not safe? I mean, yeah, I was about to die a minute ago, but right now? I'm okay, at least for now. So this has to be fake. Unless...
The third part felt like the key.
A game? What game? Am I in a game? Maybe it's some sort of VR? But then why don't I remember anything? Why don't I remember putting on a headset, or even agreeing to this?
As I thought about it, I realized I was more worried than scared. Mostly worried about my family. I didn't know where they were or how they were.
Right now, all I could do was piece together the events of the day. Maybe I could figure something out.
First, I woke up to an empty world. No family. No people. No one. I thought I was dreaming and wished for a pen, and it just appeared. Then I wished for a car. Almost crashed it, saved myself again with another wish. Then I wished to fly. That worked too. But the wind picked up, got stronger every second, and with the help of some papers, actually, a lot of papers, it threw me to the ground. I was injured badly and almost died. Then, out of nowhere, I healed in seconds, like nothing ever happened.
And now? A message saying someone wants to play a game with me.
If I told anyone what I've experienced today, they'd think I was insane. And I wouldn't blame them. Everything has been off the rails since the beginning, up until this message.
As I was trying to come up with an explanation, I heard it again: the paper. It was moving. The same paper I was holding. Slowly, I looked down. The text had changed.
"Don't forget the hand," it said.
My eyes widened. The fear hit me instantly, the same fear I felt when that hand touched me yesterday. That horrifying, inhuman touch. The pull that yanked me in the kitchen. I didn't know what it was, or why it touched me, or what it wanted. And now I'm getting a message telling me not to forget it.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I asked, barely able to speak.
The fear had taken over. My voice trembled. My body was already shaking. I didn't even want an answer because that would mean this thing was real. Something beyond me. Beyond anything human.
And then I heard it again: the paper rustling. The text changed.
"Now that is the question. Who am I?" it said.
Before I could react, more text appeared underneath.
"Instructions to The Games
To free yourself, your family members, and the rest of humanity, I give you a chance. You will play 10 games. Each one is completely different. The rules of each game will be explained beforehand. All you have to do is complete each game successfully. If you fail, you will be punished.
After every game, you will get a chance to answer. But don't misunderstand it. I won't give you the answer. You will give me the answer. The question is:
Who am I?
The moment you answer correctly, you are freed from the game. You'll be reunited with your family and live happily ever after. If you fail to answer, the games will continue... until you find it. But I believe in your intellect. You're likely to find it in fewer than ten games."
With each sentence I read, the fear in me grew. I didn't understand why I had to play these games. I didn't understand what this thing wanted from me. Why me? Why this question?
Why did I have to figure out who or what it was?
As I stood there, still frozen, still unsure of what to do, I heard a sound. Not too familiar, but not entirely strange either. I couldn't place it until I looked behind me.
I was right.
Elephants.
Not one. Not two. Dozens. Maybe more than twenty. All of them looked like adults.
They were far away at least 80 meters out. But we were in the city center. None of this made sense. And they were running.
Why the hell were they running?
Fear kicked in instantly. I turned to run, but before I could even take a full step, I heard the paper rustle again.
The text changed once more.
"Game #1: Elephant Run
Rule: Run and survive.
How to win: Arrive at your home alive
Note: Did you know that male elephants may get aggressive during mating season? Oh, and they're at least twice as fast as you. Good luck."