We sat in the back seats of the car in silence. Dad, driving the car, and mom sitting in the passenger seat. I looked out the window to see a huge amount of cars going in one direction. Everything seemed more bleak, more depressing. Even the cars didn't shine their colors anymore.

As I continued on this emotional roller-coaster, I felt a cold shiver down my spine. He returned...Why can't he just leave me alone?

I felt a warm paw on mine. I jumped out of shocked. It felt like I was just brought back to life. Grape looked at me with worry on her face.

"You're cold Peanut. Are you okay?" Grape asked worryingly.

"I think I'm coming down with a cold or something. It's nothing serious." I lied. Her feline head laid on my shoulder. I just let it happen while I continued looking out to the world outside of the car. A lot of stuff was passing by, things from far away much slower than the things up close. But there was this one dome shaped building with all sorts of lights beaming to the sky that no matter how fast or how slow we're going. It was always in sight. The "Character Select" dome.

It took a few hours for us to arrive but once there, a security guard had guided us away from our parents. I looked back and saw, the same as last year, mom crying in dad's shoulder. Pain hit my heart heavier than it did before. It felt as if someone had already stabbed me in the heart. I turned back and saw two lines. The security guards had split the two genders apart. I looked to the front of the line and saw a booth. The cycle of sticking a needle in your finger to draw blood, a body check to see if you have anything on you, and lastly, your picture was taken. I looked to Grape, grabbed her hand and moved my muzzle to her ear.

"I'll find you in the crowd." I whispered.

"Hurry up, we don't got all day!" The guard slightly nudged me in the back with the butt of his gun.

I growled but quickly regretted it as the human pointed his rifle in between my eyes.

"Keep moving!" He said coldly.

My heart almost came out of my chest as I looked upon the gun in my face. My knees started to tremble as a cold bead of sweat fell from my face. I couldn't do anything so I followed his directions and got on line.

I looked past the guard and to my friend. Her face was filled with fear. She looked back at me with those same eyes I've witnessed the night before. Again my heart was stabbed.

"Next...NEXT!"

I turned to the front of me and saw a grouchy old female human with a mole above her top lip. It looked gross, it had hair coming out of it and I don't even want to know was that blood or not. She called out "Next" again to get me out of that horrible trance of that hideous mole. Don't get me started with that voice.

"Let me see your paw sweetie." I shivered at the sound of her calling me sweetie. This was one of those rare times I wouldn't mind being called boy. But for goodness sakes can someone put me out of my misery.

I handed her my paw as she took a small needle and gently took blood from it. Ever since I was just a pup I hated needles but at least this needle wasn't as bad as the one you get in your butt.

"Now step to your left for the guard could check you after that you'll come back here for your picture and your uniform."

As I stepped to my left, I thought to myself. Why were they giving out uniforms? Last year, you got it after you were chosen. So why before?

The guard checked me from head to toe. After finding nothing at all, he gave a thumbs up to the lady as she motioned me to come back.

"Now smile darling!" She said as she took the picture. The bright flash blinded me for a second. But when my eyes came to, she already was offering me the uniform. I took it and was guided left to the males locker room.

Before going fully in, I took this time to grab a glance at Grape once again. She was taking her photo. To me, Grape was just so photogenic. The camera loved her. Her stern face completely masked the fear that was truly in her heart. I don't think my photo came out as good as that.

I walked inside the locker room to only feel that cold feeling again.

"Why now!?" I shouted in my head.

As if it was some sort of sixth sense, I quickly moved out of the way of two canines fighting. Did Death just save me? I'm guessing if anyone was going to end me. It was going to be him.

The human guards rushed in after the two canines who was now on the floor still going at it. I was pushed back by one of the guards away from the fight. Before pushing me out the locker room, I finally witnessed a cattle-prod being activated. But not used since the door had closed behind me. After that, all I heard were howls of pain.

Since the uniform was just a vest I quickly threw it on and zipped it up. Since I was done with the whole process, I had one goal in my mind...find Grape.

Once out, I looked around my surroundings. Like every year, the pets were standing in front of the huge stage-like structure, while our owners were behind the yellow police tape. I quickly scanned the crowd of humans so I could be able to locate them after this nonsense was over. There was no sign of either of my parents.

As a little grief fell upon me I turned around to face the rest of the crowd. My legs were trembling a little as my eyes glided across the heads of the other pets. Dogs and cats of both genders were crowded around. But none was the one I was looking for.

"Welcome all, to the 5th Annual Game of Legends!" Fireworks bursts into the sky lighting the sky up with different colors. Those humans tried so hard to make this a fun little event. But failed miserably.

Besides looking at the distracting fireworks, I kept my attention to the rather old yet young lady who was announcing this year. Her smile was a smile that got under my skin. But she continued on with her speech.

"This year, like last year, will be an all for one free for all. Sadly this district's only champion had committed suicide. He could've been sitting on top of his throne right with us. Bless his soul."

After two really short seconds, her voice pierced the ears of those in the perimeter.

"The time you all are waiting for is upon us. In just a few mere seconds the Randomizer would choose two different players that would participate in this years game. Aren't you all excited!?"

The huge titan-tron showed two slots where faces were being randomly selected and in between the two slots were all the pictures of every single pet in Babylon Garden. A huge portion of the selection was most of my friends. Fox, Bino, Fido, even Joey, every single one of them was on that screen.

Before I could even get a glance at my picture, a hand had grabbed mine getting the fingers intertwine with each other. I cocked my head to my right and saw Grape. She must have noticed me when I came through.

My fingers wrapped tightly around hers as she did to mine. We gave each other one more glance at each other then turned our attention back to the big screen.

As the cycle of faces still went on, sweat started to trickle down the side of my face. Looking at this screen brought the cold feeling back. Death hovered over me as I began to pray silently to myself. I wasn't the religious type, but if there was someone who lived in the North Pole, he was sure taking his sweet time getting here.

Grape's paw tighten around mine as she looked upon the huge screen. Time slowed down. Everything started to fade out into darkness. Just the three of us were noticeable. Grape, myself, and that screen. Her paw was tight and firm as she brought it to her heart. The rapid beating of her heart showed what her face would not. She was frighten out of her own fur. I couldn't blame her, no one can.

Here we were, at the beginning of the end. The "Randomizer" slowed down as my heart slowed almost to a complete stop.

My paw suddenly became alone and cold. What was there was replaced with nothing but the cold air that blew past. My head cocked to the right to see Grape. Her eyes wide and paws covering her mouth. Immediately my head started slowly turning back to the screen. My eyes never left Grape's cheek as a single tear feel from her face. My head was turning as if someone's hand was directing it. I couldn't resist it. As much as I wanted to, my head just wouldn't listen to me.

Finally my eyes had caught glimpse of what had gotten the feline so shocked. My body had shut down at the sight. It was as if the only thing that was keeping me upright was some puppet strings that was connected to my joints. I could probably imagine who was the puppet master.

But none of that mattered now, the horror had crept, more like hit me like a bus. My face plastered on the screen brought silence to everything. Not a single sound was heard. Even if someone would make a noise, the second slot that the 'Randomizer' picked would've shut them up.

It was like my soul had just left my body. The second slot was none other than Grape.

The puppet strings were no longer attached as I fell to my knees. Everything and everybody started to fade. But the very feeling of their eyes, the many pairs of eyes that stared deeply through you and your undead soul. That feeling stayed with me even though I couldn't see them. All I saw was nothing but darkness. It's bleak black abyss seemed like it went on forever. I was falling...an endless fall that never stopped. Death was getting what he so desperately wanted.

The beeping went faster as his body was shaking. The tension was too much, the Candian Pointer Mix thrusted himself in an upward sitting position to see himself in an all white room, the door cracked open only a little for the light in the hallway cpuld creep in. Shaken by his dream the canine looked down to see a thin white sheet covering his legs and a single letter rested upon his lap.

It's quiet...not a single sound other than the annoying beeping.

"Shut up!" He yelled as he held his head in his paws. He sat there and thought. "Wait, what happened to me? Where am I?"

Peanut tried to move but his body started aching painfully. All he could do was to lay back. The canine looked at the letter.

"Hmph, no name or address." He opened it slowly, pulled the paper from within amd started reading.

It read:

Hello Friend...