Welcome to my first shared story, if you enjoy comment, if not comment. I just want to become a better writer, and since sci-fi isn't usually my cup of tea i was planning on writing another story but a high fantasy either in a full on spell arrangement or enhancement like magic type thing.
But I am getting ahead of myself and will say this, please at least comment what you think on either the story or my writing. I just want to become a better writer so more people can happen upon my writing and enjoy the story.
Since mid-teens I wanted my life to have a drastic change. As a kid, I knew what I wanted, what I needed, and I had goals. Than my cousin, someone I saw as an older brother who just got out of gladiator camp introduced me to weed. The next day I drank and within a month I fell in love for the first time. That was the moment that changed me forever. My ambitions disappeared, deciding life’s not worth it I ran from an abusive father to my criminal affiliated mother’s side. Learned the ropes after she kicked me out and got caught.
Two months have gone by and everything changed when the fire nation attacked…Not really but close enough. The radios went static. Televisions went blue and within moments the world changed as a voice began to echo all around the room as the radios remained static and the televisions blue.
“Your world has been drafted into the games. Once an experiment and now our entertainment!” I couldn’t believe my ears. If this was true my later in life wish came true.
“Simply put in three days’ time what you call society or even worse ‘humanity’ will not even be recognizable as a husk of what you see now. However, we are not unjust and therefore shall send many treats to your world as you experience your new age. Good luck and live strong!” Everything said with a charismatic voice with obvious disdain.
Depending on whether the broadcast was what I think it is I lay on my bunk dazed and confused. The last few years I hoped and dreamed of something of this caliber that could change the worlds way of life and I’m stuck here. Surrounded by forty-seven other people and four walls. Grey polyester uniforms that feel a bit stiff and wearing my neon orange socks with black Nike high-tops. Trying to wrap my head on the current event chaos breaks almost all around me. Fights for the phone to contact loved ones. Theft of phone cards to make the calls for those that are broke. Me? I consider myself family less. Alcoholic father with abusive tendencies and a criminal family on my mom’s side. The only ones’ I love are my brothers and they live in Texas with their father’s. (Notice the plural?)
My mother just married into money and she doesn’t need her fat thief of a son anymore. Let alone a thief of any nature as her money was made on her back. No, I have no one especially when the rest of my family only talk to me when they need something. So, me? I’m just waiting for the world as we know it to end.
It’s the third day since the announcement. Watching the News has brought everyone up to date around the world on recent events. Surprisingly hardly any crimes other than a slight increase in thefts have stayed normal. Weapons have seen a new height in prices. The governments have been trying to calm their citizens but I still hold out hope. I want, no need the world to change. I live a life within a suicidal mentality just hoping for a better afterlife but sadly I’m a coward. Afraid but yet wanting death. Scared of pain. Laying on the top bunk in my room I let my depressing thoughts bring me down as I wait and hope for the world shattering events.
Lunch arrives and by this point the chaos has died down (especially after the guards unleashed their Taser’s the last couple days) as many let their relief show. I still hold out hope. An hour and later a broadcast on the television shows an extremely large ship the size of a navy aircraft carrier lies above the Atlantic Ocean bringing many to finally realize the truth. My dream is coming true. Reporters till the end report on the ship and whether the worldwide announcement really is what it seems till the moment the clock strikes twelve and my wish is granted.
Explosions all around go off. Light fixtures shatter or implode casting everything in darkness. Bangs from explosions outside the county jail can be heard and that’s when true chaos erupts as a smirk of ecstasy and fear begins to form on my lips. The guard’s howls of pain as their Taser implodes in the holster brings no calculable pleasure after what they put me through. Cuts remain on my face from the plastic light fixture above my bunk but I don’t mind as a riot breaks out. Prison riots on movies don’t compare to the real thing even if this is just jail. Inmates charge the now armless guards as they try to calm us down but sending only six guards into a room of forty enraged criminals is not very bright. Due to the double dour system where only one bar door can be opened at a time the inmates use the tables in the room to slam into the glass. Sadly, it takes them about ten minutes to realize this is jail and the glass is more than likely bullet proof just for this reason. Deciding to finally enter the fray as starving to death with forty-seven men just isn’t my forte I climb down my bunk. Reaching the table slammers, I grab their attention hoping they don’t attack me. Using my thumb to point behind me at the unconscious guards I say in a light-hearted tone,
“Use the guards as hostages. Threaten to break their neck or something.” The shock on many of the inmates make me gulp in either fear or ecstasy. An average sized man but yet buff begins a wild chant of death to the guards. Fuck! Not what I was hoping but it can’t be helped and I need to try this again.
“Let us out or the guards die!” Shouting in my loudest voice without becoming a shrill shriek I try to make the other half chant my shout. Starting small with only a few people realizing what I’m doing who join in, my chant soon gains momentum as even more begin to realize our situation and not just because we’re louder, hopefully.
The intercom is sadly not working because of the outages and then I realize the truth. Those doors use electricity to open. Electricity that just imploded and exploded all over the damn city. Running to the first set of the sliding bar doors I give it a shake and rattle but its locked tight. Beginning to panic I grab one of the dropped tables and begin to slam it into one of the large glass mirrors. My full two hundred and sixty pounds of fat and muscle of continuant throwing of the fifty or so pound table does nothing, especially when I begin to breath hard after the second toss. The pod right across us having saw through their own windows do the same. Still in my panicked state I no longer use the table and begin banging on the window with an open palm screaming in a shrill shrieking voice I did not want heard I scream profanities to all. A guard uses a night stick to bang on my window that I was striking with a laugh. Beginning to feel my fear turn to anger and my panic still screaming in the back of my mind I feel a vibration beneath my feet. I thought it was only my anger but the chanting begins to die down. Forgetting about my anger fear wells up inside again as vibrations begin to shake the whole building. The guard no longer laughing with his own look of surprise I begin to feel heat. A crashing sound above me can be heard as grey and black dust swirl all around blinding me. The heat already making me sweat a river I feel a sharp pain in my left shoulder and then nothing.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Waking to a room I don’t recognize but yet seeming familiar all the same I look around at the grey debris. Coating the room in a fine grey dust reminding me of sawdust I notice a large indent in the floor. A crater. Noticing the crater, I also noticed many other inmates’ underneath rubble and burn marks, many dead but I notice the rise and fall of the chest in some. Getting up slowly a dull pain in my shoulder makes me hiss in pain but I manage. God I hate pain. I look into the crater not bothering with anyone as you have no friends in jail. Seeing a midsize chest like object I slide into the five-foot crater feet first appearing right before the chest like object. Placing my right hand above it, no heat could be felt. Deciding to touch it I place my hand on it to hear a hiss of escaping air as a dull LED light like glow appear from inside. Suddenly a holographic like screen appears from inside.
Greetings
What lies inside is a note and a coat of protection. The first of the treats have arrived!
Touching the blue screen, it disappears. Finding a neatly folded brown coat would be an understatement. Opening it up I find it more of a robe or duster than anything else which I also find a folded over black piece of paper. After pulling the piece of paper from the box the box shuts on its own to my amazement. Deciding to place the coat beneath my bed before anyone notices I begin to read the note. White ink placed on black paper I begin to read.
The coat is a priceless piece of armor that will not only stop your worlds sharp objects like knifes but also your guns will hardly leave a mark on the coat however it does not stop the transfer of momentum much or in other words you will still feel pain. This box’s treat is not just the armor but rather the explanation of how to best prepare yourself for what happens next and how to survive.
Your world having been drafted to be our entertainment has been gifted with technology and materials such as your coat that do not belong on your world. These treats are in four categories. Synthetic body parts, weapons, armor, and explanations. In simpler terms the order of the gifts mentioned above is the value of each category and in other words best to last in value. Your saying of knowledge is power is true however what is knowledge worth without the power to use it? Therefore, to the true treat besides the coat I will write this. A surprise in two weeks’ time will arrive. In order to be best prepared I, give you advice.
Cut your humanitarian ties of killing and when you come across artifacts such as your coat do all in your power to retrieve it as the artifacts are a key to striving. Good luck and Live strong.
Flipping the paper over and then back again after realizing nothing was on the back I fold it and stick it in my pocket. Deciding that its best to not have people know about my robe and letter I find a dead inmate body that’s mostly burnt but with a missing hand to make it look like he died touching the chest. Not a moment after I am almost done puking my brains out from having to touch a dead body and smelling burnt human flesh having finally caught up to me I hear gagging. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand I follow the gag. Realizing it’s the guard who laughed at me I stand over him with a glare.
Moments later he finally realizes I’m there and he looks up from his sitting position. Reading the nametag, I read Bower. Believing that it might be better to make my escape before people wake up I ask him a question.
“You alright?” He looks at me and nods still not realizing I was the one he laughed at. Dumbass I think after I knock him out with a punch. Unclipping his belt makes me think back on the table slammers which now includes me, I should have grabbed a belt back than but it’s too late now and I have the utility belt now. Looking through I find a knife. Which is illegal by the way! A condom (dirty cop?) and to my absolute delight not only a snickers bar but keys! Letting myself out of the inferior cell with my coat on which reminds me of a trench coat but reaching my heels, the utility belt strapped around my waist and a pillowcase full of food acting as a bag slung over my shoulder I leave through a hole in the wall leading outside. The other inmates in other pods noticing my walking figure through their small rectangular windows yell and shout for me to stop which I don’t, I’m not a walking church.
Hearing voices when I arrive at the gate I stop and hide. Catching on that these guards are abandoning their duty I wait for them to leave. Not having to wait long as I hear them shouting about how the vehicles aren’t working I only sigh at their stupidity and my easy way out. While they pop the hood, I make my move and out the open electronic gates I go. Fat men sprinting aren’t fast so when they give chase I prepare my knife for a fight. Slowing down and acting like I’m tired before I actually am I hear them.
“Stop! Put your hands on your head!” An out of breath guard with a soul patch orders. Keeping the pocket knife in my sleeve I put my hands on my head. The one guard pulls out his cuffs to handcuff and as he grabs my left arm I slash with my right. How nice of the guy to allow me to use my switch blade. Slashing his arm, I hear a gunshot as well feel as if I was kicked by a horse in my arm. Not feeling any penetration, turning around I run. I mentioned I’m a coward, right?
The other guard begins to help the slashed guy to his feet as I realize my only weapon is left behind along with my food having dropped both after being shot! Thanking my coat and the probable alien beings who unknowingly sent it to me I make way into a local gas station and notice a small group of people inside. Seeing my figure not many people realize I have on the county jail uniform beneath my coat and their surprised faces greet me. I smile a toothless smile in greeting.
“Hi, my name is Grey.” That seemed to open it up as I get a random hey and hello back however, no introductions themselves until a large muscle head greets. The first thing I notice is the muscles, the next is that he’s black. No I’m not racist but whenever a white man says look at that black guy I can always just tell it’s like the records stop mid break and every black guy in the vicinity looks at said white man and suddenly…’you racist?’
Seeing this man, I say the average greeting when not speaking to a group of people.
“What’s up.” He gives me an up down. Holds his hand out for a shake which I gladly oblige and it seems almost like life will go on and I will eat something besides a tasteless slop.
“What’s with the jail greys?” a girl speaks up from the small group of six other than the big muscle head. Of course, it couldn’t be easy for me, of course I just had to have my uniform recognized. Looking down and then to the feminine voice my breath sucks out of me as if I had a vacuum cleaners stuffed down my throat. Way to long since I actually saw a hot girl. Mumbling by this point instead of speaking actual words to answer her I notice the increasing tension and glares in the room. Today is just not my day. Getting over my mumbling I speak up after another woman eggs me on.
“Come boy, speak up!” Damn old lady.
“I escaped?” I shrug my shoulders as I answer with a question with hope of getting a good meal decreases every second of silence. Of course, the girl has to ask another question. Answering her question about how I escaped I leave out the part about my stylish coat and letter but otherwise tell her about a meteor to replace the chest which happens to work. Believing my interrogation is ending and I’m being accepted for the night hell breaks loose.
“And what were you in for?” Yup, no one likes a thief as lying comes hand in hand. Said people are right but they don’t need to know I stole, sold drugs and so on so I come up with the most plausible.
“I hacked into a company.” Deadpan voice, no smile, nailed it. Did I mention I have a problem with smiling? A serious problem. I lie and I smile, I cry and I smile, matter of fact because of my smile I got the nickname Smiles just like in step it up. I also can’t dance. Period.
“Well grey, I’m Clay, that’s Day,” Muscle Head Clay points at the shortest guy in the group who also happened to ask me the previous question. “Simon, Theo, Trish, Samantha, and Cleo.” Clay points to each in turn. Granny Sam and Trish were the nosy ones including Day, the others are middle aged people cowering in their respective corners so I decide they will die soon enough is what the letter says is true. Turning back to clay I ask politely about food.
“Clay, think I could get some food? Haven’t ate since ten.” He turns around as he was heading in the back and gives me another once over.
“Sure, but don’t go and start a stash.” He waves me away as my lower jaw falls a bit. Does he know? Will he tell the others if he did? Thoughts begin driving themselves into my head but I decide to worry later as I feel the emptiness of my hunger leading me toward the donuts.