We were marched out in a straight line, hundred of us. Then the steel door creaked open… and we were outside.
But this wasn't just outside….it was somewhere… wrong.
What stood in front of us looked like an abandoned carnival swallowed by a graveyard. Rusted rides,a crooked Ferris wheel and a carousel with paint peeled off the horses, some headless, others with cracked smiles….
The voice echoed from hidden speakers..
"Welcome to the Recall Trials. Contestants, this is your first game. Divide yourselves into twenty five groups, that is four people in each. Each group must pass through the abandoned playground and make it to the other entrance. Complete the tasks before the timer ends. The last group or groups to reach the final checkpoint after the timer ends will be eliminated."
"You have three hours to complete your task. The livestream begins in two minutes."
I looked up instinctively. Red blinking dots on poles, trees,there were cameras. Everywhere. I could feel the world was watching.
Nomi looked at me and pointed. "You're with me."
Our group formed:
Me
Nomi
Carter, a tired-looking middle-aged man with a limp
A tomboy lady with a buzz cut who didn't say a word
"BEGIN."
The moment we stepped into the playground, the world came to life. The carousel spun suddenly. The Ferris wheel started turning. A music box tune played in the background, slightly off-key childish like something out of a nightmare.
Then it happened.
A loud, blood-curdling scream.
I turned immediately. A girl in one group with short black hair was standing completely still, right in front of a rusted clown booth. Her mouth was open in horror. She backed away like she saw something terrifying. Then she dropped to her knees and started sobbing, hard.
Her team crowded around her.
"She's having a breakdown," someone whispered.
"What the hell did she see?" I muttered.
The girl clutched her chest, her body was shaking, eyes locked on the booth. She kept mumbling something, but I couldn't hear it. It was like she was in a trance. But her group didn't leave her behind. One guy held her arm. Another pulled her up. And they kept moving.
We didn't have time to stop.
Nomi grabbed my sleeve. "Vincent, come on!"
We ran.
Next was the swing ride, except it started moving the second we stepped near it. One swing was missing. One of us had to jump through the gap mid-spin. Carter almost slipped, but Nomi caught his shirt in time.
We kept going next was the house of ropes. It was like a jungle gym, but higher, and the floor below had spikes, real spikes. I could smell metal and oil. Everyone was panicking. You could hear some groups yelling instructions at each other. I could barely think.
Nomi grabbed my hand. "We're almost there, Vincent. Don't look back."
We ran. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would explode. My legs ached. My back was soaked in sweat. But we made it.
Our group was fifth.
We stood at the entrance, catching our breath, watching other groups make it.
The countdown kept ticking. 00:30:32…00:10:15…
I turned around and saw the blue eyed girl from earlier, she was running straight toward the exit sign, pushing herself like her life depended on it. I found myself hoping she'd make it in time, hoping she'd beat the countdown. And she did. She crossed the line just in time.
I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.
I felt... relieved.
Weird. I didn't even know her. But something about her…..
I wanted her to be okay.
The clock kept ticking …00:01:12…
Then the last group, two boys, two girls,they were just approaching. One of the girls fell behind.
BANG.The timer hit zero.
Every light in the room suddenly started flashing red..
And then.
That sound.
The sound none of us were truly prepared for.
The sound you only hear in war documentaries or dark action films.
A sharp, echoing gunshot that tore through the air,it sounded just like lightning.
It was Terrifying..
It was the kind of sound that punches you in the chest before your brain even catches up.
And just like that, panic erupted.
Then another.Then another.BANG.
My knees went weak.
They were shot. Each one, straight in the head.
Screams burst out around me.
People cried. Some threw up. A guy punched the wall and broke his hand. Carter turned around and cried silently. Even Nomi looked shaken.
I stood there frozen. My legs refused to move. My hands were shaking uncontrollably.
They actually killed them. This is real. This is not a game.
The voice came back again, louder than before.
"Congratulations to the twenty four teams that survived. You have completed Trial One. You may return to your room and prepare for the next trial."
I couldn't move. I couldn't even blink.
I just kept staring at the blood soaking into the leaves. At the Ferris wheel spinning slowly behind the fog.
This isn't just about money anymore.
This is war.
As we stepped back into the room, panic erupted.
"What the hell just happened? Did you see that? Those people were shot!" one person shouted.
"I want to get out of here. I can't believe they gave us a chance to leave and we blew it up," another voice cried out.
The room was chaos, everyone was speaking over each other. I was also panicking.
Then, the tattooed guy with the piercings from earlier stepped forward. His name "Theo" was printed on his clothes.
"Chill out, guys. We all need to calm down," he said, trying to get their attention. "What if it wasn't real? What if they're just messing with our heads to make sure we don't get the money?"
Carter, the limping man from earlier, replied him in anger. "What the hell are you talking about? We saw it. Everyone saw it. As an old military man, I can tell those people were really shot. So what's your point? We should be trying to get the hell out of here, not arguing about this."
Suddenly, Nomi shouted, "Guys, think about what happened before the gunshots!"
She pointed straight at the girl who had been screaming earlier. "You…..yeah, you! The one who freaked out in the room. Did you know people were going to get shot? Are you working with them? Tell us the truth!"
Storming up to her, Nomi glanced at the name printed on the girl's tag. "Piper," she called out.
Piper was trembling, her lips moving as she muttered something in a language no one could understand. People started yelling over one another, demanding answers.
Then Theo stepped in. "She said something during the game.I remember," he said. "She told us not to go on. Said the game wasn't clean." He turned on her. "Who are you? Huh? Tell us now!" he barked.