The Black Tree

We continued like normal until Tyler got his next task. He told us about it at dinner. I was the target for the next day. We put Isaiah’s plan into action. Aiden and Isaiah went together, Tyler and I went both alone. I walked around in the forest looking for food supplies when a creature walked up behind me. I let it jump me and once I was under it I put a syringe in it. I layed down and pretended that the creature had got me. We had gotten some blood to put on me. A few minutes later four people with masks came and removed the creature from me. The four people carried me to the black tree, they pressed specific leaves on it and it started to glow. They walked me to a white room and locked me inside. Once I was sure they had left I walked to the door, it was a code look. Tyler had told me what the code would be. I opened the door just a crack and looked out. Noone was in the corridor. I walked out and stayed close to the wall, staying in the shadows. I walked back the way we came, no one was walking the corridor, I soon found out why. A lot of sound was coming from one of the doors. I looked inside. It was a big cinema with eight tv screens and one big one in the middle. It was filled with people in costumes and masks. The screens showed different parts of the forest and the big one showed me scavenging for food. I could hear a few people talking, Two voices caught my ears.

“It’s so fun having a candidate here again.” The woman said. The man laughed.

“After 20 years of this we have enough to live any way we want, and thank God, no children to steal it.” They both laughed. My heart sank, my parents. Tears started falling, but I didn’t have time to stand around. I got to the exit. I touched the leaves and returned to the forest, the others were waiting there as planned. I touched the leaves and the red light shined. Isaiah, Aiden and I went down, Tyler stayed behind. When we got back in we hid in an empty room close by.

We waited for a few hours before we saw the bunny and pig come to the exit. A light later Tyler was there too, with a blindfold on. We followed them at a safe distance until they came to a door. They went in and left Tyler there. Once we were sure that they were gone, we went to the door and let ourselves in. The room was completely black, the door locked behind us. A lamp was turned on, the room had a table with three chairs, a glass wall with Tyler on the other side. 

“Sit.” He said. The pig and bunny walked in and stood beside him. Aiden was the first to sit and Isaiah and I followed his lead. Aiden crossed his arms and stared right into Tyler's eyes.

“Of course I told them. I would never sacrifice my brother for the likes of you” Tyler smiled. “You guys didn’t think it was going to be this easy?” He laughed. “I told them the first chance I got. Don’t you think it was weird that no new people came here the last couple of weeks.” Isaiah’s bottom lip started shaking, I took his hand. “This is not the first time someone has figured out what I do. I just never told the real rule about what happens if someone finds out. All I had to do was get rid of them.” Tyler stood up and left out the door with the pig and bunny. Once they closed the door smoke came down from the roof and we all passed out.

I woke up in a small room with only a bed. The pig mask was standing in front of the bed staring down at me, I screamed.

“Welcome to your next phase in life. Soon a doctor will come here and start you on your medicine.” I opened my mouth but he walked out before I could speak. My head hurt a bit but I got myself to sit up. The doctor walked in wearing a bird mask. On the floor he put a briefcase. Inside it were different bottles with pills. He picked up five of them and turned to me.

“Jessica. This is your first time so we will start off easy.” He took out five pills and water. The door opened and a man with a bear mask walked in.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” The doctor said. The bear rushed him, putting a serginge in his neck. The bear removed the mask.

“Aiden!” I screamed, hugging him.

“Sshh.” Aiden said. “We can’t let anyone find out what is going on. Put on his mask.” I did as he asked and we went to look for Isaiah.

In the next room there was a person,  it was hard to tell what age he was, he had hair growing out of his face, his legs were replaced with goat once.

“Please kill me.” He said puffled. I felt like throwing up, it was good it couldn’t see me through its hair. I stood there frozen, contemplating how to help. Aiden just walked right to him and slashed his throat. I gasped.

“Let’s go.” Aiden said, taking hold of my arm. “This was the nicest thing we could do for him. Tears fell down my face as we walked out.

When we came out the door I saw two familiar faces, a wolf and a monkey. I started following them at a distance, they walked into a room and locked the door. I waited until the corridor was empty before I knocked.  The wolf opened.

“What do you want?” The wolf said. I pushed him inside. He fell to the floor with a thud. We walked  in and closed the door before a woman ran in. I took off the birdhead.

“J-J-Jessica?”

“Hi mom.” I said with a sarcastic smile. She ran up to the wolf.

“Are you okay, love?” She said, he nodded. “What have you done to him?

“Not anything close to what you have done to me all these years.” Crossing my arms.

“We never did anything bad to you. You’re our daughter, so you should do what we tell you, just like with all our other kids.” I shock my head. 

“Just give me your mask.”

“No. You’re going to come with me back to the tower..” She said roughly, standing up. I laughed, and took a hold around her neck.

“I’m never going to do anything for you ever again. You can either tell me where the mask is or I can rip your room apart.” She was trembling.

“F-f-fine. It’s in the bedroom.” Aiden went and got the mask. I let her down, she slumped to the ground crying.

“I didn’t think you had that in you.” Aiden said once we were back in the corridor.

“Neither did I.” I laughed.

Eventually we found Isaiah’s room. He was still passed out. Aiden took off his mask and shook him. Once he saw who was here, he ran up and hugged Aiden.

“How did you get free?” Isaiah asked.

“Yeah, how did you?” I asked Aiden.

“I never trusted Tyler to help us, not really. My plan was a bit different than I told you. I was planning to use Tyler to get inside, but I already thought he was going to betray us. So I hid a couple of pocket knives on me. I took down the man who came for me and then I came to save you guys.”

“Oh.” Isaiah said.

“But never mind that now. We need to get out of here before they notice.” Aiden said.

“No!” Isaiah said. “Not without Natalie.”

“But she’s gone.” I said.

“We don’t know that!” Isaiah said and turned to Aiden. “She wouldn’t leave us here without knowing for sure.”

“You’re right.” Aiden sighed. “Let’s go.”

 We went through all the experiment rooms looking for Natalie. We went through most rooms before we saw her. She was staring into nothingness. Her skin had a weird blue glowing colour. I sat down in front of her.

“Hey Natalie.” I said softly. She didn’t react. I took a hold of her arm and she screamed. Her eyeballs opened like eyelids, showing cateyes.

“Who’s there?” She asked.

“It’s me Jessica.” I took off the bird mask. She blinked and looked at me.

“Jessica? What’s going on?”

“We’re  here to get you out.” I said, gesturing to the others. She started crying, making a weird cat sound. I helped her to her feet and we got out of the room. 

We opened all the doors to the creatures letting them out to the corridor. Soon an alarm was sounding and panic broke loose. People screamed for the doctor to help them, we just walked past them dragging Natalie with us. The creatures attacked and killed the masked people. We followed the others to the exit, it was too full of panic so no one could get out. Aiden pulled at me.

“I think I know another exit.” Aiden said. Aiden took the opportunity to show me the elevator behind the big screen. We left the masks behind and went in. It was dark outside but the light from Natalie lit up the night. We turned our backs to that place and started our new journey.