Blood, bile and human excrement. Smells that once made me vomit with every breath I took.
Screams, wails and begging. The sounds that had me curled up in a ball, crying myself to sleep.
It's all just part of the background now. All a part of my slow, painful death.
"Kill the little weasel!"
"Cut 'im up!"
"Split the bastard's skull open!"
The bloodthirsty cries of the crowd surround me, urging me to finish the job. I look down at my opponent, his face contorted in horror, covered in his own bodily fluids. His right arm is gone. His left leg too, blood pooling around him.
I raise the axe. The people roar in approval, as my victim screams for mercy.
A dull crack splits the air.
He stops screaming. His brain adding to the gruesome decoration that characterises The Pit.
The Pit quietens slightly as money changes hands, men curse their bad luck, prostitutes groaning and squealing as they're used amongst the crowd. A man announces my victory to the uncaring spectators.
"God's Bane continues his UNDEFEATED streak! Three hundred and sixtyyyy! Days! In a row!"
I turn to the gate, duty done. Back to the hole I came from.
Back to the hole where I'll die.
—————————————
365 Days Earlier
*Bell rings.*
"Okay, that's class finished for today guys! Take care!" The sound of chairs scraping against the floor fills the room.
The rest of my class start to file out in their friend groups. I finish reading the page I'm on, place my bookmark in, careful not to crumple the pages as I close the novel and place it in my bag. The teacher watches me quietly as I make my way out of the class alone.
"What a strange kid. Handsome, toned and fit, but always alone..." She mused before settling down to mark homework.
I make my way through the long hallways, out the front door of the building, then along the tree-lined pathway to the front gate. I give a friendly nod to the moustached guard who mans the school entrance, receiving a friendly nod and smile in return.
The Sun beats down on my face as I make my way to the swimming pool. I take deep breaths of fresh air before checking the time.
Shit! I'm going to be late! I sprint down the street and across the massive park near our school. By the time I get there, I'm more than warmed up enough for the training session.
"Sean! You're late!" The coach shouts in my direction as I jog towards the far end of the pool in my trunks. I nod in acquiescence. He sighs.
"Make sure to complete the warm-up." He says with a slap on my back. I put down my kit and dive into the session. It's tough today, race prep always is.
I feel the ragged breaths catching in my lungs, my muscles burning with a familiar pain as I run my race simulations.
"58.6!" The coach shouts in my direction. Not bad, maybe I should tweak the number of breaths I take in the first 25m. After a warm down, I pull myself out of the pool into the cold air.
"Damn, that was a tough session!" The others are talking, laughing.
"I feel ready for the weekend though, just a couple more days!"
I pack up, dry myself off and get changed. My parents pick me up outside. Rain spatters on the car roof. I stare out the window at familiar sights, the droplets racing across the window. By the time we get home and have dinner, I'm exhausted. I crawl into bed, naked as a tree, and close my eyes. Another day gone by.
Is this how life is meant to be?
Just as I'm slipping away into the arms of sleep, a rush of air assaults my face, forcing my eyes open. An ethereal light illuminates the room and before I can say a word, it blinds me and I'm flying. Flying? How is that-
BANG!
My feet find themselves on firm ground, standing in an unfamiliar room on cold, smooth, stone slabs. Less of a room and more of a hall, from what I can make out. The ceiling is highly vaulted with ornate columns disappearing into the shadows, the flickering light of torches illuminates the faces around me.
"What THE fuck!" Harvey shouts.
"I was just in bed..." Imogen says staring around her in disbelief.
My classmates? I quickly put a hand over my crotch realising how exposed I am. We're all in various stages of undress, some in pyjamas, some in underwear, others like myself are naked. The 23 of us are shocked, panicked, with no idea what's going on. Friends huddle together.
"SILENCE!" A voice roars, cutting through the hubbub of confused 18 year olds.
It belongs to a man who steps forward from the shadows surrounding us, he's wearing long purple robes with a white regalia, reminiscent of papal uniform. All of us stare at him, stunned into a brief silence. I can just about make out more men, similarly dressed, standing in the shadows.
"I have your answers children." A soft, feminine, almost heavenly voice speaks from behind us.
We turn to see a woman floating in the air, glowing softly. Her skin is pale as snow, blonde hair flows from her head to her hips. She wears a light gown that clings to her body leaving little to the imagination.
"I have brought you here to defeat the Empire, an evil that threatens to bring the rest of the World under its control. Something that would mean slavery, torture, rape and abuse at their hands for those who succumb to their rule." She says in no more than a whisper, yet it seems to reverberate all around us. My classmates gaze in awe, stupefied.
I'm not quite so smitten.
"But...we didn't ask to be brought here?" I say to her. All faces turn towards me. I gulp.
'You shall all be greatly rewarded for your efforts, although you will never be able to return home. I will personally ensure that you live comfortably and with every...desire... met.' Honey drips off of every word she speaks.
Alarms are blaring in my head, but I don't dare say any more. The looks in the eyes of my classmates were terrifying. They looked at me as if I'd done something wrong. As if I was their enemy.
I was the farthest away from the woman, is it possible that she's done something to them? That I'm just outside of her reach?
The lady raises a hand. Numbers suddenly appear above our heads. Everyone blinks, looking at those around us before craning our heads upward, trying to get a glimpse of our own number.
"These numbers represent how much power you have." She announces, as she examines the numbers herself.
497. 674. 895.
I wonder what number I have?
1.
The number 1. I blink. A pit forms in my stomach. I feel sick.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The lady looks towards me, a pitying smile on her lips.
"It seems that you don't have the aptitude for serving this World. However, do not worry my child, as a Goddess it is my duty to care for my children...even when they are...inadequate." Her smile is beautiful, tantalising.
My heart beats in my mouth. Something is telling me...screaming at me, that everything here is wrong, the way my classmates stare at me, appalled, the way her smile twitches at the corner of her mouth.
Is this what being in the presence of a God feels like? Is this what it's supposed to feel like?
"I'll send you to a place where you will be looked after, ahead of the others. You'll be safe there, free from the strife of my World." The Goddess promises, pointing a finger toward me.
A circle lights up beneath my feet, I can feel myself about to fly once more, in the same way I got here. As I look up to the Goddess, my mouth opening to thank her, I freeze.
Her eyes shine with the ugly glint of disgust, much the way one would look at a repulsive insect. The calm, serene smile she was wearing has widened to that of a shark's grin, as if she was about to devour an innocent child that had swum out of their depth.
No one else sees it, as they all watch me disappear.
I'm fucked.