I was going to die.
Seconds after being sucked into the ground, I found myself six feet under. Not figuratively, in this case, but literally being near crushed to death by the earth. My fingers scrabbled uselessly against the dirt, only serving to bury myself further. The damp soil invaded all of my senses, muffling my hearing and filling my mouth, to the point where I was inhaling it. I couldn't breathe, and my body was being pressured from every direction, by an unimaginable weight.
This was it.
I was going to die.
It didn't take long for a sick, dizzy feeling to sweep through my skull. I was lightheaded, and had stopped struggling two minutes previously. My eyes were already shut in an attempt to protect them from the dirt, so it became a matter of simply letting go, and embracing the darkness.

Poke.
"Is she alive?"
Poke, poke.
"Stop touching her, Jeb".
Poke.
"Last warning, kid. Just our luck, we finally got stuck with a dud. D'you think we can leave her here?"
"No, they'll kill us. It has to be her".
Sigh.
"I know. This might be the day".
Sob.
"It can't be, Edward. We've done so well, it's been weeks".
Sigh.
"Our luck might have run out, sweetie. Had to happen sooner or later, right?"
Whimper.
"I don't want to die".
Poke.
"I know, babe. I know. Jeb, I said stop touching it".
"Sorry, dad".
Sniff.
"No".
Rustle.
"Babe?"
Shove.
"Babe, what are you doing?"
Kick.
"I said no. We've come too far! One more week, Edward. One week, and we would be finished. I'll be fucked if I'm going to let this stupid fucking whore ruin my chance at freedom!"
Push.
"Babe, sto-"

I awoke with a start, letting out some unexplainable death-shriek. The group of people surrounding me jerked back from where I lay on the ground, chest heaving. My stomach churned, feeling oddly swollen and tender. I rolled to the side in an attempt to find relief from the pain, and a viscous liquid crept up to the back of my throat. Despite me trying to force the bile back down, I vomited onto what I now knew was cold, wet grass. It was mostly bile, interspersed with various clumps of my last meal. An exaggerated gagging sounded behind me, as I observed the unnatural green tint to my vomit, and the obvious presence of dirt.
Did I eat my way out of the ground?
I turned my attention now to my hands, caked with soil to the point that I couldn't find the skin underneath, along with cracked nails and bleeding fingers. The remainder of my body was relatively unharmed, my stomach healed completely after the vile expulsion of its contents, only a faint rib pain to remind me of the time spent being crushed beneath the ground. Again, I was covered head to toe in a thick layer of earth, my body nearly completely hidden.
"… Ahem," a male voice interrupted my inspection, shocking me into rolling back over to face the three people who before, had seemed like a crowd.
No, that wasn't right. One man… And two tiny people.
I rubbed my eyes, wincing as the action ground the dirt into my retinas. Upon my next glance, the little people morphed into a child, and an overtly short woman. I balked, no doubt visibly. I was never a child-friendly kind of person, when once being forced to mind Phil's niece, I had essentially ignored her, along with occasional attempts at conversation. Making an effort, I smiled at the boy. He was probably the Jeb, who had been scolded earlier. Turning my smile now to the two adults accompanying him, I was mildly hurt when the man pushed Jeb behind him, and gripped his partner's hand.
He was tall, almost unbelievably so, towering over everything. His limbs were long and lean, relaxed, despite his defensive actions. The man's skin was pale, contrasted by the shock of hair atop his head. It was an odd bronze tone that had to have been store-purchased. The locks were messy, standing upright on his skull, having the appearance of being constantly tugged on. In contradiction to his earlier apprehension, a bright smile graced his face. His eyes were a vivid green.
The girl beside him was of a short stature, tiny really, but was undeniably beautiful. Her skin was pale, almost luminescent in the moonlight, broken only by a fair smattering of freckles across her nose that could hardly be described as blemishes. Her hair was a deep, inky black that was surely artificial. However, the expression on her face made the girl ugly. Her slight limbs were tense, joined by clenched fists, or in the case of her left hand, a threat to cut off the man's circulation. Her full lips were curled up in a snarl, seemingly directed at me.
I could no longer see the child, but my brief glimpse saw him with pale, translucent skin and his mother's hair, if that was what the girl was, proving the color to be natural.
All three of them shared an odd, almost sickly skin tone. As if they hadn't seen the sunlight in weeks…

I took the time to finally look at my surroundings, which only served to confuse me further. It was nighttime, but no stars were visible in the darkness. What I had earlier assumed to be the moonlight was actually the light cast from various lampposts scattered around the… Park?
I sat up, ignoring the complaints from my ribs. I was seated on damp, freezing grass, which had succeeded in soaking through my jeans and my underwear, leaving me with an ass that was at risk of obtaining frostbite. Two meters away was a cobblestone path, weaving among small trees and street lamps, leading to either a large stone fountain in the center of the area, or to a choice of four well-lit roads. I was in a town. A small town, by the looks of it. With a curious lack of stars, and the odd scent of… Dirt. I gagged, but there was nothing left in my stomach for my body to expel.

"Hey, uh… Hi? Lady?" The man asked warily, taking a step toward me. I looked up at him, having to crane my neck to see his face.

"Are we underground?" I blurted. He didn't seem shocked at my question, so I immediately accepted my assumption as true.

"Yeah," he laughed awkwardly, scratching his arm with his free hand, "Noticed that, did you? Most don't really catch on for half an hour, or so".
I smiled at him in return, which caused the small girl to audibly growl. I turned to her, with intention of asking her just what the hell her problem was, but her vicious expression stopped me in my tracks. She dropped the man's hand, and strode forward to stand before me.

"You know what would be helpful, you vapid bitch? If you got the fuck up, and did something. In case you hadn't noticed, you're supposed to keep us alive". The obscenities were almost amusing, coming from one of such tiny stature and feminine appearance. Initially, I could only respond with a stupid, blank stare, not quite grasping the concept of what she was trying to say. Was she insulting me, or was she actually trying to convey something?
She turned back to the man and dug her fingertips into her hair.

"Do you see what we have to deal with, Edward? The girl is a fucking imbecile".
Something about her insult struck me, and I was on my feet in seconds, razor pressed against her throat.

"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm in a little bit of shock right now. Maybe, you could give me the common fucking courtesy of allowing me to adapt, before taking it out on me. I'll do the best with what I have, considering that nobody has even told me what the fuck is going on right now!"
My words rang out, sharp, in the darkness. The girl smiled at me, reveling in my anger.
Wait… Anger? Yes. It was there, faint, but present nonetheless. I felt it.
I dropped my hand from the girl's pale neck, and returned her smile with one of my own. She laughed, a beautiful sound, and I joined her. The man, Edward, observed this occurrence with an air of confusion, while trying to keep Jeb behind him, who was insistent on making himself known. The girl stuck out a tiny hand, reigning in her giggles.

"I'm Alice. It's lovely to meet you, I was hoping there was a warrior in there somewhere. You're our best bet so far, with that razor. I didn't know they had started rigging the Phases".

"I'm Isabella… Rigging? What do you mean?"
Alice laughed once more, gesturing to the blade that had been returned to my pocket. Her slender fingers curled around an imaginary copy of it, and slashed the air.

"You think everyone gets a pretty little razor, Bella? No, you're special. Someone wants you to come out a winner".
I processed this information, reflecting on events so far. Emmett's gifts of food, and weapons. I had originally assumed that all other participants would receive this, but Jasper's accusations had disproved that theory… And then, as was happening far too frequently, I was hit with a realization.
My convenient lack of emotion. This had made me immune to what Daniel had alleged to be some sort of mind-altering… thing, in the arena. All of the other recruits had experienced some sort of crippling rage, that turned them into vicious, homicidal beasts… Not me. No, not Isabella, who had the luck to be rendered emotionally stunted. Maybe… Maybe that was an advantage in these tasks. I was stronger than the others, I was a good bet…
Jeb peeked out from around Edward, looking up at me with large, dark eyes.
I could be trusted to keep these people alive.
On that thought, I threw my shoulders back and tried to stand at a more formidable height.

"Okay, to start, someone needs to explain to me the dynamics of the current… Situation. Because, honestly, I'm confused".
Edwards smiled, as if he was aware of my private resolve. I returned it, hoping for him to trust me, to work with me on this. He finally allowed Jeb to come out from behind him, and the family came closer. Edward spoke, his arm wrapping around the girl's waist as he did so.

"So, basically, this is a simulation, of sorts. You've been put into an unknown situation, with a group of people to protect… You have to get them out alive. Only, it's not pretend. It's real people, real blood, real danger".
He gripped the miniscule girl tighter, causing the muscles in his forearm to tighten.

"We're lucky… We've been here for three weeks. They promised us that we could leave after a month, if we survived. For you, there's a week of tests, but they overlap for different groups of recruits. A new group starts every day, and every single day we have to trust another person to get us out alive. There… There was one more, Alice's sister…"
The girl, who I now knew to be Alice, straightened her stance. Tears glistened in her eyes, obviously being held back. She sniffled once, before turning her large eyes to mine.

"All that means is that you get a smaller group, which is an advantage. We don't have much time, the others have to come this way soon. We're in the center of town, and it's a tiny battleground, not much room to maneuver. The basis of the situation, is to live. Something will happen, it changes every day… But it's on a weekly routine. You're lucky you got us, rather than a newbie group. There'll be four people per group, with one recruit, which makes ten adversaries in total. Today is a Tuesday, so…"
Alice came to a stop, staring past me with glazed eyes. Edward took over, softly rubbing her hip.

"Her sister… It was a Tuesday. In about fifteen minutes, fires will start up all over town. Certain areas are tripped to trap you inside, where you…" He looked to Alice, who had maintained her indifference. "Where you burn to death," he finished firmly.
Alice started, a surprised sound escaping her throat. She smiled at me once again, and I reciprocated tentatively.

"We know where those areas are, we have a better chance than the others. You know, it's probably no coincidence that they put you with us. We're your best chance of winning". She tapped an unsightly bulge the left pocket of the oversized shirt she was wearing.
"We're not above alternate… Methods, if you will." Her sweet face turned ferocious, and I took an involuntary step back. Edward patted her arm, and she relaxed once more.

"Ten minutes to go, guys. You ready?" Alice simply nodded, and ran a hand through Jeb's hair. The boy himself was calm, unnaturally so for being under threat of potential death. I supposed that he was used to it. What a terrible thing for a child to have to come to terms with, the realization that your entire existence relied on somebody you barely knew. I felt for the child, and for his parents. I would do my ultimate best to keep them alive, to give them that freedom they were merely days away from.

"So, what would the best plan of action be?" I asked Edward quietly, who simply delegated the question to Alice with a gesture of his hand. She stepped up to the plate, releasing Jeb and donning her fierce disposition once more.

"Not here. Too easy to burn, and soon it'll be lit up like a Christmas tree. The town hall is easiest to defend, there's an area around the back, some sort of parking garage that has been left un-tripped, for some reason".
It was a good plan, but admittedly, it could be better.

"Why not set up base in the building itself, surely that would be easier?" Edward had started shaking his head furiously halfway through my question, and Alice had cocked a single eyebrow in response.

"Yeah, you think so? That's what the first girl said. We listened to her, we trusted her to see us out of this. You know what happened? Jade took one step into a house, and the door shut behind her. I listened as my sister slowly burned to death inside that house. I could do nothing. It opened when she died, you know. I got to see Jade, on the ground, burnt to a fucking crisp. So don't you tell me, that I don't know what I'm doing".
Silence followed her speech, and I waited for the inevitable shame to wash over me. Fortunately, that emotion was apparently gone from my arsenal, so I was forced to make do with false humility.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," I began, which elicited a snort from the girl. "We'll do it your way. I'll do my best to make sure you live". She accepted my fumbled apology with a brisk nod, and began rousing Edward and Jeb from their awkward avoidance of our conversation. Alice offered me a small smile, and reached for my hand. In her other palm, she grasped Jed's wrist. Edward completed the line, holding his son's tiny hand.

"It's time," Alice breathed, tugging us all toward the closest street. The artificial light cast by the lamps cast our surroundings in an eerie, washed out glow. This, accompanied by the translucent skin of the small family, and my own naturally pale appearance, gave us the appearance of a group of ghouls, traversing a deserted town. Just as my left foot touched down on the hard pavement, a deafening blow erupted from behind us.

I was thrown forward, losing Alice's hand upon my collision with the sidewalk. My nose hit the cement before the rest of my body, warping and twisting with a sickening crunch that I felt, rather than heard. That was an issue, the lack of hearing. I pulled myself up, noticing the small smear of thin blood left on the pavement by my nose. I touched a hand to my face, and recoiled at the pain.
It's okay, it's only broken, it's fine.
Suddenly, Alice was beside me screaming at me. All I could hear was a muffled droning, but she was pulling at my shirt and pointing in the direction of an enormous building two streets down. The town hall. Edward was already running toward it, Jeb thrown over his shoulder, bouncing with each step his father took. The heat from the park behind me was unbelievable, burning my skin simply from the proximity. Alice pulled at my collar, and I joined her in the frantic run for cover.
I could feel the blood running from my broken nose, coating my lips and teeth. I fought the natural reaction to vomit, and instead focused on getting as far away from the roaring blaze as I could.

Without warning, a shop window exploded to our right, glass shards sliced into my skin and another wave of unbearable heat almost threw me to the ground. My head was pounding, my nose throbbing, and I was at least eighty percent sure that my ears were bleeding. But we had made it.

Before us, was a large brick building, 'TOWN HALL' printed in capital letters above the doors. It really was a simulation, with simplified aspects, presumably to make it easier for the recruits. Alice continued right past the entrance, tugging on my hand to get me to move faster. A dilapidated alley ran alongside the building, and it was down this that she led me. Edward and Jeb were nowhere in sight, and I could only hope that they had made it here along with us.
The claustrophobic alley soon opened up into a large expanse of bitumen, interrupted only by an entrance ramp into an underground parking garage. We were only meters away, so close to safety, when another explosion rocked us back. This time, it came from the front… From the garage, where Edward and Jeb were waiting for us.

So, I remembered this little baby after all, which... Which is nice. Yeah.
Anyway, a lot of you are putting this on your alerts, which trust me, still makes me happy, but... Reviews, would be lovely. Beyond lovely. This is kind of a hit and miss situation, I have no idea whether I'm on the mark, or if I'm in a lake three kilometers away. Tell me.

So, to recap... Review, favorite, alert, all that... Thank you for reading.