The sunlight seemed extremely bright, even with my eyes closed. I opened them and found myself lying next to a road, however, this road wasn’t in a big city or neighborhood. Instead of buildings and people, farmland and crops that stretched for miles surrounded me. I had no idea how I got here, because my memory seemed to be cleared. I looked around to see if any cars or people were coming, but the road was silent.
I noticed a bike leaning against a sign’s post, though. It was rusted and some parts were missing, but hopefully it worked. I mounted on to the seat and started pedaling down the side of the road. The pedals would jam and stick every so often, but that didn’t stop me from making my way to the nearest rest stop.

Something didn’t feel right. My pants felt unusually light, probably because I was used to a wallet in my pocket. Someone must have stolen it, because it wasn’t in any of my pockets. In fact, nothing was! Without money, I couldn’t pay for any needs or goods, and I was very thirsty by the time I saw a rest stop beyond the horizon. As I got closer to the building, more concern built up inside of me. I felt like I was going to burst with worries. At last, I arrived in front of the building and walked through the entrance, knowing nothing would be free. But I was in for a surprise.

A large banner over a shelf got my attention. Apparently, the shelf had free beverages and snacks. I ran over to it, grabbed a bunch, and stuffed them into the pocket of my pants. I walked out the door thinking I was lucky, and I was, indeed. I continued to ride my bike down the side of road. I wish I noticed the small tracking device attached to the rear of my bike. A low humming noise was audible. At first I thought it was a faulty power line or a low passing plane, but I realized the sound never got quieter or louder. I found out I was being tracked, but it was far too late when I did.

A car was approaching behind me. I slowed to a stop to see who it was and what they wanted. The vehicle was covered in a scarlet color with the words “A.B.A.N.D.O.N Testing Company” printed. A man got out of the car and was holding a notebook and writing utensil.

“You must be the testing person,” I said to him. He nodded and handed me the notebook.

“We have been testing you on how well you can handle being deserted,” he smiled, “It appears you’ve aced it, considering you used all the given materials and objects shown.” The man pointed at the notebook and I saw a checklist displaying the bike I used, the rest stop, and the free food. All three had been checked off.

“Also, your wallet is safe,” the man said, “We removed it from you during the test to see how well you could manage without money or an ID card.” He handed it back to me and shook my hand. Then, he motioned me to get in the car so he could drive me back to civilization. As we rode back, a question filled my head.

“How did you clear my memory?” I asked, sounding interested. The man turned to look at me and smiled.
“A.B.A.N.D.O.N never gives away its’ secrets,” he said, “And in case you may be wondering what that acronym stands for, it’s on your checklist.” I looked down at the notebook and saw what it meant. But what I saw was disturbing, and not what I had expected.

”Altering the Brain’s Actions to Never Doubt on Nowhere,” I read out loud, “So, you altered my brain to prevent it from panicking or doubting in a situation when I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere?” The man nodded and said, “Everyone goes through these tests once in a while. But yours is far from over, believe me. Just wait and see.” As he said this, the car proceeded into a dark tunnel. He was right; this was far from being over.