I banged on the door of the apartment I shared with my brother, annoyed at the lack of a response. "Open this damn door or I'll rip it off its hinges again!" I yelled, hearing his heavy footsteps a few seconds later. The door creaked open, and I was greeted with the tired face of my brother, Erin.
"I was trying to sleep, Dani. You should try it sometime. At the very least, get a key," he complained, making me groan as I pushed Erin aside. I set down the bags I was carrying and turned back to him.
"You're welcome for buying the groceries again, so you could sleep while everyone else is at work, Erin," I replied, checking my watch. "Which you might not get to do much longer, if you keep being late. It's already seven thirty."
He swore loudly and rushed back into the other room, which left me laughing while I unpacked the recently-bought food. By the time he had come back in, I had finished and sat down on the couch to play Borderlands 2.
He spoke to me as he put his coat on, saying, "There's a flyer on the counter in the kitchen; some chick at work last night told me her sister's company was having a competition or something. The prize is pretty sweet, if you want to check it out."
"Thanks. Hurry up; you're already going to be late," I replied, keeping my eyes on the screen as my brother opened the door. He slammed it shut, nearly sending the television to the floor.
"Watch it!" I yelled after him, turning away from the screen just as I was attacked, resulting in my death. I threw the controller down and decided to get something to eat. As I entered the kitchen, the brightly-colored flyer on the countertop caught my attention.
This Is W.A.R.
Hosted by Pegasus Gaming, Inc.
Work ethnicity, Advanced intellect, and Reality simulations.
This competition will test an individual's ability to work as a team, their brain power, and how possible situations are handled.
Competitors will be split into groups based on how a panel of judges reflect upon their abilities after they complete their first assessment.
Each team will have six members. If you qualify, you will be assigned to a team. A captain will also be assigned. The winning team receives one million dollars for each member, along with a position at Pegasus Gaming, Inc.
Applications can be filled out online at: thisiswar
Maybe we can buy a new apartment, I thought to myself, and went back to making my dinner.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
I had confined myself to my bedroom with my computer and a bowl of ramen noodles, where I fell victim to the depths of the Internet once again. There was a lot of talk about this "W.A.R." competition, meaning it would be difficult to get in, if I decided to enter. There also seemed to be two groups of people: those who were overly-excited for the competition, and those who didn't give a shit. I wasn't sure which group I was leaning towards.
Typing in the URL listed on the flyer, I read over all of the rules, guidelines, and extra information. It was just typical contest rules, which were a bit boring, to be honest. After clicking on the application section, I set my bowl down and read through the guidelines for the application.
It asked for basic information about myself. The section for my name, where I live, family members, and the submit button at the bottom were fairly normal. The application questions were organized in a simple format, which was a little annoying. Complicated wasn't confusing for me most of the time. The part that I really didn't understand was the very last question.
Pick the word that best describes you.
The question itself made sense. It was the answers that threw me off.
civilian
soldier
influential
honest
reclusive
triumphant
I looked over each answer, considering each of them. I guess they're not that boring, I thought. My cursor hovered over the second option, considering if they put this answer as joke. The competition was called 'WAR', after all.
"Why not?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Bryce! Get in here!" I called out happily. His face appeared in the doorway, and he didn't seem the least bit annoyed that I had yelled at him. I only checked my email once a week, so I almost didn't get the one telling me that I had to leave early the next morning.
"Did ya get in?" he asked, and I nodded enthusiastically. He grinned. "That's my girl. When d'ya leave?"
"This email says they booked a flight for me tomorrow morning," I replied. "Oh, this is so exciting! I didn't think I'd get in…"
"I'll be waiting for ya when ya get back, got it? I'll even pay ya while you're gone," Bryce told me, disappearing around the corner again, but not before I caught a glimpse of the phoenix tattoo I had done on the side of his neck. I put my phone in my pocket and followed him out to the front of the parlor, grinning like the idiot I was.
"I'll miss ya, Dani. Don't kiss too many guys, ya hear me?" he joked, though I could hear a hint of truthfulness in his tone. I wrapped my arms around him.
"I'll try my best, Bry," I replied, grinning at him. He smiled back, and I pushed the front door open, enjoying the sound of the bell one last time before I left. Bryce blew a kiss at me as I skipped backwards down the sidewalk, and I laughed, pretending to catch it. He wasn't my boyfriend, per se, but we looked out for each other. We've known each other since elementary school.
After turning a corner, I settled into a fast-paced walk, hoping to get home in enough time to pack and play a bit of Portal or Left 4 Dead before I had to leave again to get to the airport at four-thirty.
When I got to my apartment complex, I unlocked my mailbox and pulled out the package I had hoped had been there. I checked the top of the box and smiled. 'Pegasus Gaming, Inc.' was listed in the top left corner, with my name in the center. I bolted up the stairs, knowing I didn't have the patience for the incredibly sluggish elevator, and only slowed when I reached the seventh floor.
I reached my apartment and opened the door that Erin usually left locked. I saw he was sleeping on the couch and sighed, knowing that meant he had been fired. Again. I shut it carefully, not wanting him to wake up, nor the television to fall from its rickety stand, and ran to my room. Setting the package down on my desk, I found my pocketknife and sliced the top of the box open.
Inside, there was a sheet of paper that congratulated me on entering the competition and told me my housing unit and time of arrival. It also said that the competition would last about three months, but instructed us to pack lightly, since clothes would be provided. Underneath that, there was a T-shirt, a hoodie, and…
…a laptop. A brand-new, HD laptop.
And it was mine.
I stared at it for a minute, too happy to even think properly. Eventually, I regained my composure and grabbed a bag from my closet. I shoved the T-shirt, hoodie, and two of my favorite shirts, plus my blue jeans into it.
I dropped it at the foot of my bed and parked myself at the opposite end with the new laptop. I opened it slowly, as if I would break it if I went any faster, and pressed the power button at the top of the keyboard. The screen lit up.
It took less than thirty seconds to get to the welcome page, and I cherished the efficiency of the new computer. I entered the necessary information and Internet key, which only took about a minute. Another page came up that read 'touch screen calibration'.
Touch screen? I tapped a few dots on the screen and laughed a little. It may seem childish, but I've never had anything with an interactive screen, and it was awesome.
When it was fully loaded, I downloaded a few pictures and changed the background, grinning.
This is gonna be fun.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Nine hours later, I stood in the middle of a large complex consisting of three main buildings. There were five smaller ones, each a different color: red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. I looked down at the paper in my hand, double-checking my temporary home before gripping the slip tightly.
I pulled my short brown hair into a ponytail and carried my bag towards the fourth house. Upon opening the bright blue door, I discovered that one of my teammates was already there. A blonde-haired girl looked up at me and smiled.
"'Sup?" she said, waving. "I'm Shannon, by the way."
"Oh, hey, I'm, uh, Danielle," I replied awkwardly. I didn't expect the fact that she had a British accent.
"That's a pretty cool name! Want me to show you to your room? They're kinda badass."
I smiled at the girl. "Sure, go ahead."
"This place is really nice," Shannon replied, bounding up the stairs. I followed after a moment, chuckling to myself. At the top, I tried opening the first door, but it was locked. The second one opened easily, and I stepped inside.
Stopping short in the doorway, I looked around at everything. It was a large room, with a high ceiling and a queen-sized bed. There was a large window on one wall, casting rays of light into the dark blue room and matching bed.
"Like it? Mine looks a little different, but yours is my second favorite," Shannon said, pushing me fully into the room.
"It's amazing…" I whispered, stunned. After a few moments, she continued.
"I'll let you unpack. Let me know if you need anything!" Shannon replied, walking out of the room and disappearing.
I sighed and flopped back on my new bed. Five minutes in and I was already exhausted? Not a good sign.
Humming to myself, I put my things in the chest at the foot of the bed. I was a bit of a neat freak, but organizing my things didn't take very long since I didn't bring much. I started headed back downstairs when I heard the door open and a male voice say, "Um, hello?"
Shannon didn't reply, but I heard a noise from the other room that sounded like metal hitting the floor, and then her loud voice scream out, "Aw, fuck!" in a disappointed tone. I laughed and the boy looked up at me, his light brown hair hanging down in front of his face. He swept it aside and looked up at me.
"Hey, I'm Danielle. That voice you just heard is the lovely Shannon," I explained, and he smiled.
"I'm Ryan. I like your name," he said shyly, blushing a little.
"Thanks," I replied, blushing a bit as well. We stood silently for a moment before Shannon came back in, looking upset. "What were you doing in there?"
"Well, I was hungry, so I wanted to eat something, right? I remembered I packed Nutella, since they probably wouldn't have it, but I didn't want to spill it in my room, so I came down here, and… I tripped in the kitchen and my spoon got all dirty!" she explained, making Ryan and me laugh.
"It's not funny, you dicks! Oh, wait, sorry—what's your name?" the girl said, her face red from embarrassment.
"It's okay, really. I'm Ryan. Danielle told me that you're… 'The lovely Shannon'?"
"Yep. That's me, all right. You don't happen to have a clean spoon with you, do you?" she replied, and we laughed again.
"No, sorry. Can I, um…" he motioned towards the stairs, and I moved out of the way.
"Yeah, sorry. I don't know which one is yours, but mine is second from the top of the stairs," I told him.
Shannon added, "Mine's third. Go in there and there's no promise that you'll leave this competition alive!" He nodded, grinned, and went upstairs as I turned to her.
"Nutella? Really?"
"Nutella is amazing, okay? Don't question it! To question Nutella is to question life!" she screamed, and I laughed again, earning a shove that nearly sent me crashing to the floor. My Portal 2 hat fell off, but I managed to catch it before it touched the ground.
"You could have at least packed a second spoon," I added, making her yell as she angrily stormed out of the room. She came back in a moment later, looking sheepish.
"There's nothing to do in there," she whispered, and my palm connected with my face.
"You could always just clean the spoon, you know."
"Shut the f-"
She stopped when she heard footsteps on the stairs that were too light to be Ryan's. A young male smiled up at us. "Hi! I'm Castiel. You're being really loud, you know. You should be more considerate of your teammates. After all, you only just met," he said in a rush, and we looked at him, dumbfounded.
"Oh, uh… sorry. Ryan is upstairs. I'm Shannon, and this is Dani," she said, motioning to me. "I knew someone named Castiel once, actually."
"Really? Well, it's nice to meet you, ladies! Have you settled in yet?" he asked, and I spoke up.
"Yeah. How exactly did you get in here?" I asked a bit rudely. He smiled at me again.
"I got here when you were yelling about Nutella. I didn't really have anything to unpack, and when I came back down, you were still yelling. I hate yelling. Can't you just handle a simple situation rationally?"
We stood in silence, unsure of what to say. Eventually, Ryan came back downstairs and Castiel shifted his focus to the poor boy. We managed to sneak into the kitchen while he lectured Ryan about his shaggy hair.
The window over the sink slid open, and Shannon and I sighed. A dark-skinned girl looked up at us. "Hey, I'm Jodie," she said, walking in-between the two of us. "This is a nice place. Where's the stairs?"
"In the front. Why'd you come in through the window?" I asked, not thinking to introduce myself.
"I felt like it. Who are you?" she replied, just as snotty as I had been.
"Danielle," I replied, smiling.
"Shannon. Just follow the sound of arguing boys. You'll find them eventually." She walked into the other room, leaving Shannon and me alone in the kitchen.
"There's still one more, isn't there?" I said, walking into the other room. Sure enough, a light-haired, lanky kid sat on the couch, eyes closed. He seemed to sense our presence and sat up quickly.
"Hey, kid. I'm Danielle, and this is Shannon. When did you get here?" I said, hopefully for the last time.
"Just now. And my name's Steve, thank you very much," he said, standing up. His voice had a thick British accent, not like Shannon's soft one.
"Got it. My room's second, Shannon's is third. Have fun up there," I told him. Steve had moved towards the foot of the stairs, and a bag had materialized in his hand. Shannon stared at him as he left, totally transfixed by him for some reason.
"Shannon? You okay?" I asked her, and she smiled at me.
"I think I'm in looooove~" she sang, dancing goofily around the room.
"In love? With him? Really?" She stopped and looked at me.
"Do not question that which has been fated!" Shannon said in a high-pitched tone, and we laughed.
I sat down where Steve had been, and Shannon planted herself next to me. I sighed. "The next three months are going to be fun."
"With that attitude, there's no doubt about it," she replied, just as sarcastic as me. "What do you think it's gonna be like? What exactly will we be doing in there?" she added after a few moments of silence.
"I have no idea."