December 31, 2021

I’m sitting at a red light, tapping my hand impatiently on the steering wheel. I just got off of work and I’m running late to a New Year’s Party. I check the clock on my dashboard, 11:58pm. Okay maybe I’m more than just a little late. It starts to lightly drizzle, so I respond in kind with a gentle twist of my windshield wiper blades. The screeching sound that follows imitates two feral cats fighting over a leftover bagel. I turn the windshield wipers on a slower setting while making note that I need to change the blades before I get the car inspected next month. The light turns green, and I take my foot off of the breaks and gently rest it on the gas. I glance over as the clock flicks to 12:00am.

Happy New Year, I think to myself. My eyes glance back to the road. Except this time the road starts to haze and rotate 90 degrees. I blink feverishly and attempt to step on the breaks, but my legs aren’t responding. Something is very wrong…

January 1, 2022

I drift into sleep, but the moment before I lose consciousness and forget this moment, I’m pulled back into my thoughts. However, my thoughts are muddled, fuzzy, and incorporeal.

I open my eyes, and there is darkness. I’m unable to blink, but I’m not sure I would even want to if I could. As if somehow blinking will break the spell and the darkness will no longer remain. An eternity passes, or maybe it’s just a moment, I’m unable to tell the difference.

An explosion of color, dazzling lights from beyond the horizon’s horizon begins to appear.

‘If only I could touch these beautiful lights’ I think to myself.

In the snap of a finger, the beat of a hummingbird’s wings, in the briefest of moments. The world, life, the sky, sea, stars, planets, and galaxies are formed in front of my eyes. I spend a thousand years watching a seed sprout into a seedling. I see solar systems born from explosions and then implode upon themselves.

I blink.

Blue lights dance against my skin and I’m somehow standing in the center of a stone building. I look around and I see hundreds of similar blue lights appearing in the spaces near me. A distant memory of something important fades from the back of my mind. I scratch the back of my head instinctively.

“Did I just die?” I say while holding up my hands. They look like my hands, except there’s something just slightly off about them. They’re… beautiful.

Not that my hands are ugly, but I don’t put extra effort into maintaining my cuticles or making sure my skin is moisturized. I look past my hands as the other blue lights evolve into people. Sure enough, each of the people that appear are also unnaturally beautiful. The women look as if they freshly applied makeup after returning from the spa, and all of the men look like they’ve just been to the barber for a fresh shave and haircut.

Upon further inspection I notice something even more startling. We’re all wearing the same clothes: mahogany trousers and a white linen shirt. I look down my shirt and pants, and release a sigh of relief as I see the pair of undergarments.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

‘At least this place has some decency.’

I look up and scan the space around me but I’m interrupted when someone taps me on the shoulder.

“Hey, do you have any idea what’s going on?” A tall, dark complected man asks.

“Umm..” The words don’t form immediately, but I manage to rattle my brain just enough to get it jumpstarted, “No, I have no idea.” I add, “Maybe we died?” My voice rises an octave, denoting my level of confidence.

“Maybe,” he rubs his chin thoughtfully, “But I was watching a movie with my old lady. So that wouldn’t make sense.” He stares at me intently with deep brown eyes, “What’s the last thing you remember?”

I take a step back and avert my gaze, my hands instinctively twirling the ends of my hair, “I was sitting at a red light in my truck.”

We’re interrupted by the murmurs growing increasingly loud from a small crowd nearby.

“It’s that damn vaccine!” an older gentleman continues to shout, “I knew it, it’s all a conspiracy by the government!”

“It’s not the vaccine!” An even older gentleman, with pure white hair responds, “We’ve obviously been abducted by aliens! I knew they existed, but no one ever believed me!” At this last statement he starts to cackle.

An Asian lady who can’t be older than thirty leans over and begins to cough up blood. The old man who was cackling stops and looks over wide eyed. People around her immediately step back.

“I didn’t do anything!” The panicked older man says while backing away.

“Quick, is anyone a doctor!” Someone shouts from the crowd.

However, it’s too late. In a matter of moments, she goes still, falls over into a fetal position, her body completely immobile. As if by some mysterious signal, two more people follow suit. First, an older white lady with a perfect perm, and next a young boy who is probably around 12.

I feel my heart racing as I instinctively take a step back.

‘Where am I, and what the actual fuck is going on!’

“AHHHHHH!” A man screams while combusting into flames. He starts rolling on the ground attempting to put out the fire, but no sooner than he starts to roll on the ground, the fire mysteriously disappears and he is completely charred, fixed into place.

A chill caresses my back as I bump into the wall behind me. I press my palms into it, trying to phase my body through. Everyone around me seems to be trying to do the same thing as we stare at the four dead bodies in the middle of the floor.

Silence blankets the air as the scent of burnt bacon fills my nostrils. I hear my heart pounding in my head louder and louder, my breathing starts to become ragged. A celadon light shimmers in the center of the room. I try to concentrate on the light, but I’m unable to get control of my breathing. I slide down the wall until my knees are face level.

‘I need to get out of here!’

I look up at the green light, but it’s gone, and in its place is a humanoid shaped robot with copper complexion.

“Greetings earthlings,” It says in buzzing voice while lifting its right arm to wave, “And welcome to the 473rd intergalactic games.” The android tilts its head slightly to the right and smiles.

‘Am I in Star Wars or something?’

“You must have many questions, but we do not care.” The android lifts its arms to the ceiling as if talking to someone else, “All we are here to do is give you the rules, so listen carefully. If you interrupt me, I will end your inconsequential life.” As if to accent this point, a gun materialled in its hand.

‘The gun looks strikingly similar to Han Solo’s.’

“Rule #1: You must connect to the server for 1,928,301 preentons…. or 8 earth hours each day. Failure to voluntarily connect will result in a forceful connection during the last 1,928,301… or 8 earth hours of each day.

Rule #2: At the end of 5,634,495,522 preentons… or 1 earth year, the 100 million earthlings with the highest score will advance to the second round. The rest will be eliminated.”

After finishing, the androids grin evolves into a beaming smile.

“Goodluck.” It says while evaporating into light particles.

‘Wait, that’s it!’