RP (Solo) The Vanished

[Kai]

She hit the ground with a loud, gravelly thud. What was left of her tattered, bloody clothes not providing any protection against the hard, gravel-covered surface. Scraped and dirty, this latest treatment was just another injury added to countless others, as well as numerous insults to her pride, and to her decency. She ached all over, and so just a little more wasn't that bad, though the busted, bleeding lip did sting a bit. Still the injuries were nothing compared to the other things they had done to her, things that would have made her shudder if she dared to think about them.

Now, however, she looked up, looked into the bright, open space she had been so rudely introduced to. It was a wide open field, covered in gravel, and lit from above by hundreds of floodlights. Dimly, she became aware of the incredibly loud noise pressing in on her from every direction. Cheering, jeering, roaring, and bellowing. It was the outrageous excitement of a crowd, like one heard at a professional sports event. Except instead of being comfortably seated in the stands, this time, She was in the middle of it all. But why were they cheering?

Suddenly, as if a switch became turned on, she realized where she was. She'd seen it in movies, read about them in history books, but she had thought that they had gone just as extinct as the civilizations which had enjoyed them eons ago. She was in an Arena, a Coliseum, and the fact she was in the ring meant one thing. She was a contestant. Or rather, a victim.

Gritting her teeth, she raised herself off the ground, ignoring the added noise from the nearby crowd, and looked to see what else was in the ring. it didn't take long to find out. There were more- More people like her, people whom looked savagely beaten, probably violated, and otherwise demeaned. Torn clothes and blood were the norm, and more than a few couldn't even get up, such bad shape they were in. She looked over the arena itself one more time, and realized it wasn't just an open field. There were trenches in the middle, starting just a few yards in front of her. She guessed there were entrances near each of the other victims, and realized that this was going to be more than just a game or test.

Doing what she could with her torn clothes to cover herself better, the girl tore off a bit of bloody sleeve from her shirt, and used it to tie back her hair. Her hair had once been snow-white, but currently it was matted and covered in blood, dirt, and other substances, and so the least she could do was keep it up, and out of her way. A light flashed near the center of the ring, and then a volumetric arrow pointed toward a circular trench in the middle of what was probably a maze. It read 'Exit, By any means necessary. Maximum of five contestants'

She realized, at that moment, that she had to make it to the center, soon, or she would die. Grimacing, she walked forward and entered the maze, just as the others around her, but, as soon as she was on the bottom of the trench, she broke into a run. She had to win. She had to live.

 

[Kai]

Quickly. She had to move quickly. The walls surrounding her were all very plain. Aside from some small scuffs and normal wear marks, they were all absolutely identical. There was nothing there for her to use as a landmark. Regardless, she moved on, taking one turn after another, always trying to do her best to angle it toward the center of the maze if she could help it. Of course, being unable to see much beyond the ceiling didn't help her in this endeavor, but she carried on anyway. Though after a few minutes she became morbidly curious. How exactly were they going to get rid of the stragglers that didn't make it to the exit in time? And what did the phrase 'maximum' on the arrow mean? Did it mean that they would be satisfied with less than five people leaving alive? Either way, it didn't bode well.

Her answer would come soon, in the form of a horrendous sounding call of some form of creature. the monstrous sound was like a mixture between a howl and a roar, and it was unsettling and bone-chilling. The worst part, however, were the screams. Screams of terror, pain, and agony began almost immediately, resonating around the chamber and echoing dreadfully through the halls of the maze. All she could do in response was try to run faster. But as she ran faster, her attempts at navigating became sloppier and sloppier. She found herself at several dead ends, forced to turn back and try another path, wasting precious moments, and every moment, she knew, one or more of whatever those creatures were was likely coming closer to her. Grimly, she noted, the sound of cheers and other noise from the crowd had grown exponentially. Apparently, from their vantage point, this was all starting to get more entertaining.

The thought of that made her sick. That she was nothing more than entertainment. Something to watch, and possibly bet on. How long she might live, when she might make it through if she survived, all of those things. She wasn't just some game for these people to play with, But, at the moment, that's all she could be, and it disgusted her. She would not give up though, and she pressed on, skidding around a corner as she went.Immediately, she noticed a difference. There was a door in one of the walls. Without thinking, she opened the door, regardless of whether it was a trap, or a short cut, or whatever. Inside, she found a small round shield, and a spear. Briefly she pondered the benefits and drawbacks of carrying them, but decided that, since the creatures were probably faster than she was anyway, having something to defend herself with was preferable, so she grabbed them quickly and continued on, beginning to notice that she was breathing heavily from all the running she had been doing.

Her feet continued on, thudding against the gravelly ground as she went, now armed and defended slightly better than she had been. She supposed that the other 'contestants' whom had survived up to this point had also come across weapons Stashes and become similarly armed, and would likely be hostile if they had noticed the exit sign the same way she had. Naturally, she had to get there first. She didn't want to chance missing out, and if she didn't arrive first, one of the others might take her out for a spot in the 'survivor' category. And of course, another howl/roar punctuated the need to continue. Even if she made it to the exit, if it was closed, she was done for.