WAIT

"Think we have arrived?" Sid asked as we walked through the train.

"I hope so," I said, "so I can start plotting my escape. I hope they have WiFi, I am thinking of sending Grandma a truck load of curses just the way she likes them."

"I don't think that'll be a wise decision," Sid slid the door open, natural light pouring into the train. "Here goes nothing," Sid said stepping out.

Relieve washed over me as my feet touched solid ground. Then I looked around. "What the...." I gasped. We stood in a round, wide open dirt field with a jungle around it. Behind us was the sleek silver train that ferried us here. The train was long enough that I could not see its tail, but we came out from somewhere closer to the front so its head was just ahead, while the tracks continued further forward disappearing in the woods.

The cause of my surprise though was the giant grey structure in the distance, ahead, towering over the jungle like a great wall or mountain, huge and encompassing in its span. I cleared my throat and tried again. "What the fuck is that?"

Before us a big billboard stood. [Welcome to Camp] was writing on it. On top of that we were not alone. People stood across the train's length and more were pouring out of the train in ones or twos or more as time went. There were all around my and Sid's age, I noted. Soon Brad and his friends came out too. The boys gave us dirty looks but didn't try to cause trouble.

In fact, the leader, Brad outright ignored us.

After some time more people had stepped out of the train and a few started gathering towards a certain direction. Sid frowned and looked at me in askance but I shook my head. We should just watch for now.

A fight broke out there, soon enough, between two groups; I couldn't see details because of the crowd around the fighters. Just as I was considering to go see, a change happened. "Something is coming," Sid said. I turned.

Three vehicles appeared from behind the great wall in the distance flying in the air towards our direction. The familiar humming sound was loud and clear, I trembled. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up with wary curiosity. The vehicles moved slowly but steadily and were soon close. Now we realized how strange the vehicles were. "What the fuck is that?" I heard voices asking. "Looks like a fucking flying bike!"

I gaped too. The vehicles looked like sleek motorcycles, but they didn't have tires, and instead came with wings under them sticking out to both sides. That's like the motorcycle__plane hybrid they have up in Korea, I thought. But that one was said to still be in its production phase. This ones were up and running alright.

On each vehicle was a person in silver armor. But the armor didn't look medieval but instead like an Ironman suit; either that or they were robots. Well, robots, that's not uncommon.

The men or robots or whatever on the flying bike didn't stop when they were upon us. Instead they started circling above us as if to intimidate. "Hello everyone," One said in a vibrating voice, not stopping. The eyes were glowing blue led lights. "We have an announcement! You are in the Diggers zone, please evacuate to the forest for your safety. I repeat, evacuate to the forest for your safety; You have only ten minutes."

"What the fuck!?" Someone shouted. "How about first explaining to us what the hell is going on and we can decide from there, huh?" Everyone seems to agree to that sentiment judging by the few nods and verbal agreement.

"This is for your own good!" Another flying dude... Robot, said. "Your life is in danger, you have only ten minutes, make good use of it."

"Fuck you!" Someone said throwing a stone at the robot. The robot swerved away from the attack.

"THE DIGGERS WILL HUNT YOU!"

"Who the fuck are the Diggers!? My dad told me no shit about them!"

"Please leave the clearing," The vibrating voices droned on. "evacuate to the forest!"

"Are you robots?" I turned to see a blond girl, cupping her mouth to shout, some distance away.

"Please heed our warning,"

"Fuck you!"

"Please heed our warning!"

"Yeah!"

The crowd of teenagers started throwing stones at them. The robots tried to dodge at first but some still hit them. Finally they drew back out of the stoners rage and regarded us coldly. "You just wasted two minutes not believing us, good luck,"

"DON'T SAY WE DIDN't WARN YOU, YEAH?" Another said, waving. Then they turned around and flew back towards the wall. They aren't really robots are there?

Cheers erupted immediately the robots... Er, flying biker dudes left, with some of my new companions giving each other high fives. I was dumbfounded. Are these guys crazy?

"Hey guys!" The blond girl I noticed earlier suddenly waved to get everyone's attention. She was dressed in jeans and blue hoody, her hair held in a ponytail. She was very pretty so many boys drew closer. Sid looked at me, I frowned then nodded. We might as well hear her out as she might know something. And I need information like, ASAP. Most had the same idea, so soon many were gathered in one place.

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The girl looked at us curiously. "Don't you think we should have heeded those robot dudes' warning?"

"What? You are our leader now?" Everyone turned. We were not gathered too closely to each other so it was easy to spot the guy crouching on the ground. An Asian guy in an Hawaii shirt.

"What's your name?" The blond girl asked calmly.

"Dragon claw, Ming," he said in accented English.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Okay, listen Dragon whatever, we are in an uncertain situation, and we all want to live through this, I believe? And I have a feeling our lives depends on the next decision we take in the next eight minutes, or so. So can you zip your dick back so we can be productive?"

"I just asked a question," he shrugged, his expression unchanged. Ah, I frowned. Jerk. He'd made his point, now everyone will be on guard against the blond girl playing leader.

The blond girl rolled her eyes, uncaring. "Okay, don't you guys think we should heed the warning?"

Silence fell as everyone gave it a serious thought. I was a little surprised, I had thought these guys were all brash idiots. "I don't know," Someone said. I turned behind, heart racing. Brad didn't even glance at me, I breathed a sigh of relief. "But it'll be foolish to completely ignore the warning."

"So what do we do?" A sarcastic voice said. It was a big mass of muscles and fat. A red head Caucasian guy in jeans and shirt that barely held his mass. Fuck he was like a cartoon character, standing more than 7 ft tall I reckon. "I could have lucked out some answers from them, if half of you fuckers hadn't stoned them." He had an odd accent. Norwegian?

"Who's the European?" Brad sneered. "You are lucky this is not the time, I would have showed you lucked out!"

The big guy looked amused. "My name is Mart Kweone. You are american?"

"Yeah, Bradon Storms,"

"Again stop comparing dicks," the blond girl interjected. "Who cares about your names? We need a solution. This is like, life threatening you know."

"It's quite scary when you put it that way," Someone said.

Another nodded. "Yeah, but I thought it was a joke really, a kind of initiation thing... But then again, I guess we were told Camp thrives on the high mortality thing."

More banters flew, different accents, from different directions. I had a sudden feeling of dissonance. We needed a solution here, I fell in thought. Soon I got a workable way out. But why should I share it with anyone else? I turned to Sid that was staring at everything with her usual mild interest. "Let's go,"

Sid lifted an eyebrow but fortunately nodded and followed me. The blond girl spotted us as we were leaving unfortunately. "Hey, where are you going?" She asked.

"Where else?" I lifted an eyebrow, "The woods. You can keep arguing or maybe try the train like them." I pointed to the guys trying to get back into the train but the doors wouldn't open.

"What are you doing?" Sid asked when we were out of earshot of the crowd.

"I figured we should be closer to the forest in case the warnings are true." I shrugged. "We don't even have to get in."

"Oh, not that,"

"Why, what do you mean?"

"I mean, why did you act like an ass? Being nice will cost you nothing and it might even gain you a friend. Friend, better than enemy, you get that? And for the record, I knew exactly what you were planning immediately you told us to leave, I know how you think."

"Oh really? What am I thinking now?"

Sid frowned looking at me carefully. "You want to hit me."

"Fuck you,"

"Hey, here they come," She said suddenly.

I turned to see the crowed has started moving towards the forest too. "Too bad," I said.

"Too bad for what?" Sid asked.

I frowned. For what? So I can see what will happen... If they'll die? I didn't know the answer. I looked back ahead. The asian dragon guy had giving us a head start, when had he slipped away? So someone thinks like I do. Thought it faster too.

I started feeling excited for some reason. I just arrived in Camp but I am already putting my wits to use for what matters, my life. Maybe it was the uncertainty to all of it; you know the maybe I am walking to my death part, or maybe away from it. Is that something to feel excited about? Grandma was right, I am fucked up. Yes she said exceptional, unruly, smart, but I get her point.

Soon we were all gathered outside the forest. There was maybe 500 of us but we didn't stay in one place, the crowd scattered around the edge of the forest, everyone mostly keeping to their selves, doing whatever, but the blond girl had gathered a sizable group to herself. I had a feeling it had something to do with plans more than coincidence. Something about growing our forces like grandma suggested in her letter.

In boredom I looked around, we didn't even know how many minutes had passed. Something was off about the forest but I didn't know what. It was silent as death too. Racking my brain I found nothing odd so I dismissed the thought and turned to Sid. "What happened?" I asked seeing her thoughtful face.

"I thought I saw someone I know, it's probably nothing," she said.

I frowned as I spotted someone walking towards us. It was the busy body blond girl. "Heads up," I said. Sid looked towards the direction and nodded. "What do you reckon she wants?" I asked, tensing up, ready for a confrontation.

"We just have to wait to find out. And please be nice Sam,"

I glared at her. "Don't tell me what I should fucking do!"

"Yeah, sure Sam. Geez, chill!"

I scoffed and looked back forward, crossing my hands across my chest and waited 'patiently' for the girl to approach. "Hey girls," the blond girl smiled. She had a British accent, I noted for the hundredth time.

"Hey," Sid said curtly.

Totally opposite to her I snapped, "what do you want?"

"Grouchy are we?" The girl laughed. "I am Chloe, and you two?"

Sid smiled. "Sidney, and this is my sister Sam. She's kind of in a bad mood at the moment so don't mind anything she might say."

I scoffed, but held my tongue. I guess Sid is right this once, better to make friends than enemies. At least before I figure this place out. Chloe smiled awkwardly. "Okay, so we have only a minute left from the ten allotted. I came to inform you of that so you can be ready for whatever,"

"Oh, thanks, we appreciate it," Sid said. I nodded in agreement.

Chloe smiled in satisfaction. "I should go inform the others, catch you later," she waved.

Sid sighed after the girl left. "You see that Sam? No use in aggravating everyone."

"Don't gloat just because I did as you suggested, bimbo. And let's move away from the forest edge."

We stepped four meters away from the forest then tensed up as we waited for that one minute to burn out. My heart raced and sweat poured from my pores from the heat of the sun. I was stiff with fear and had to take deep breaths to loosen my body. We waited till I thought this was all rediculous and might just be one big prank. Everyone half stared at those with watches, and half at the forest and across the field. "Time's up!" Someone shouted.

I took a deep breath and clenched my fist, ready to move. My legs were trembling in anticipation, my heart pounded heavily in my chest. I waited, and waited, and then waited. But maybe it was just a few seconds after the shout when it happened.

Explosions rang out across the field, suddenly, rising fountains of sand. The attack came with jarring abruptness and brutality. I saw a guy blow up to bits of flesh I front of me. Pandemonium broke out; everyone was screaming and running into the forest. More explosions rang out. One exploded next to me sending me and Sid flying. I rose up with my head ringing then helped Sid up.

And we ran into the forest.

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