Chapter two:

I woke up in an unfamiliar bed. Sitting up while rubbing my eyes I notice how bright it is in my room.

 “Oh wait, I’m not in my own bed. I’m not even in my own house!” I remind myself.

 Herold was sleeping next to me in the bed happy as a clam. “Hehe. Get it Herold. It’s funny because you’re a crab, and you’re happy as a clam,” I laughed to myself.  I stand up and walk to the bathroom. Right when I wake up, I usually brush my teeth but I’m on an island in the middle of nowhere with none of my belongings. Just as I thought that a toothbrush appeared right on the counter. I might be talking to a crab and laughing at things I wouldn't normally, but I know that the toothbrush was not there before. Well might as well brush my teeth. After brushing my teeth, I decide to cook some of the fish I caught last night. I get out a pan and put some butter in it and set it on the stove. I get the trout out of the fridge and skin and debone it. In my head I start humming little bits of songs.

I look at the annoying amount of spices this weird house provides for me. I choose paprika and lemon salt. The fish is golden brown and crispy in some places. Out of habit I check the cupboards for a plate. Well guess what else this house has given me. Plates. I set my fish on a plate and grab a fork that once again I found in a drawer. I set down at the countertop and eat the fish. I decide to shower even if I didn’t have any soap. Some soap was in the shower that wasn’t there last night. I go back to the room and go to put on my clothes.

 “Wait these are not my clothes” I said to Herold.

The clothes that I showed up in were a blue tank top, black jeans, combat boots, and a jean jacket. I go outside and explore once I’m dressed. Then I caught more fish and ate that for lunch, and you guessed it dinner. This was my routine for the next 6 days. Except every day more and more appeared. Like milk and eggs. I wake up on the seventh day and just break down.

 I cry and scream. “Why? Why am I here? Why am I on this stupid island? I didn’t even kill anyone to get here! I don’t have anyone to talk to! No books to read! All I have is a God damn crab!”

After I get all this aggression out, I feel much better. Herold walked over to me and crawled on me to console me.

  “Thank you, Herold,” I told Herold.

I really did appreciate his love. Right as I had finished my tantrum, I heard talking outside my door. Either I am totally insane, or there are other people on this island. With Herold on my shoulder, I slowly walk to the door and open it just a crack.

 “Oh! Good morning to you miss!” a man said.

Utterly petrified I couldn’t say anything besides nod.

 “Are you quite alright there miss” the man said.

 Finally finding my tongue, I say “well um well good morning to you too”.

 “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the island cookout tonight?” the man said.

 “Well first I have a few questions” I told him.

 “Of course. Could I come in by any chance?” asked the strange person.

 “Oh yes” I said while stepping out of the doorway for him to enter.

 He sat down at the bar in the kitchen.

“Okay first, what’s your name? Two why are you here? Are there others?” I asked in rapid fire.

 “My name’s Harry. I am here because I got stuck here years ago as a kid and just never bothered to leave because that would be too scary. Yes, there are others. There are 49 more people. All together there are 50. Well now with you there is 51” Harry said while eyeing my fish I had made for breakfast.

I notice him eyeing the rest of my breakfast.

“Would you like some. I also have some milk and oranges if you would like” I told Harry.

“Oh, that would be absolutely lovely. You are so kind” Harry said sincerely.

Once Harry had finished his fish, he got up to leave.

“Wait, Harry,”

“Yes Laura?”

“I don’t know how to get to the cookout,” I said.

“That’s no problem at all. I can come pick you up” Harry told me.

“Ah okay. That helps a lot”.

“Alright, I’ll see you tonight,” Harry said.

I closed the door just as Harry came running back.

“Wait!” he exclaimed “Laura!”

“Yes?”

“I forgot” he pulled something out of his satchel.

“These are for tonight”

I took the clothes out of his hands.

“Wow, thank you” I said.

I closed the door for a second time. I decided to get ready because I wasn’t exactly sure when Harry would be here to pick me up. And with no working watch or anything (that was the only thing this house was missing. Clocks) I couldn’t guess when he would come.

I got dressed in the clothes Harry handed me. It was a white flowy sundress that went just past my knees. It had spaghetti straps and a bow that tied it in the back. It was actually quite pretty. Harry decided to pair it with tan sandals that had a large strap around my toes and a smaller one around my ankle.

How are these clothes my exact size?

With the hair tie that was wrapped around my wrist, I put my hair in a French braid.

Since it had only been what I assumed was 30 minutes, I decided to bring something to the cookout.

The first thing that came to my mind was my grandmothers date filled cookies. While I didn’t have dates, I did have apples. While cooking the apples in a pot with sugar, Herold decided he wanted a piece. So, I got a little bit out of the pot and put it on a tea plate. Herold told me he loved it.

I knew the recipe by heart.

By the time I had put the cookies in the oven, I was worn out. I walked over to the couch and sat down. Next thing I know I was being bombarded with the sounds of the oven going off and Harry knocking at the door. In my sleepy state, those two sounds were the loudest thing in the world.

I yelled “Come in!” while running over to the oven to turn it off.

I pulled out the cookies and they were perfect. They had golden brown edges and the sugar on top had browned beautifully.

 “Wow, Laura. Whatever you made smells absolutely amazing”.

“Why thank you.” I said with a smile “Would you like to try one?”

“Yes please,” Harry said eagerly.

While he chowed down on his cookie, I had time to really observe him. He had blonde hair (almost exactly the same shade as mine) and blue eyes. He was wearing a blue button down and black jeans.

Where are these people getting all these nice clothes?

My train of thought was interrupted by Harry “Delicious,” he said.

In response I just smiled.

“Ready to go?” I inquired.

“Yes, of course”.

We walked out of the house, further into the jungle.

“So, is there anything I need to know about your friends?” I asked

“Not really. They’re all really kind. Just be warned, they love ducks.”

We entered a clearing in the jungle. It was stunning. There were tables adorned with flowers and food. Fairy lights hung from the trees that surround us.

Harry saw the look of pure fascination in my eyes and said, “It’s quite beautiful isn’t it miss.”

All I could do was nod my head.

Next thing I knew, I was being thrown around in hugs upon hugs.

“Oh, look how beautiful”

“She must be the child of a queen”

“Eh Xavia is prettier”

I didn’t know what to say to all the women surrounding me. So, I didn’t say a thing. I just let them throw me around in their circle. Finally, I found myself being pulled out of the circle into Harry.

“Thank you” I said while brushing the imaginary dust off my dress.

“No problem Miss. I know they’re quite a lot, but they’re just excited to have you here.”

“I’m glad to be here” I said back

Am I really happy to be here? I don’t think so. Would it offend them if I said I wasn’t?

 “Come meet the men” Harry said while pulling me to the other side of the clearing.

Sitting down in a chair that was provided for me, I saw the angered faces. “Good evening” I told them

All they did was grunt in response.

“Everyone, please find a seat. We would like to start the meal” a lady called out.

Harry directed me to a table that was occupied with another girl and young man about the same age as Harry and me.

“Laura this is Xavia” Harry pointed to the girl with long brown hair, “and Marcus”.

Nodding I said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Laura.”

Neither of them said anything.

We ate the delicious meal that was provided. Then the desserts that were presented to us.

“Who made these cookies? They are absolutely amazing!” I heard someone exclaim.

“I did” I said, shyly raising my hand.

“Wonderful” they said.

I looked over at the men and they all had scowls on their faces.

“This is dangerous. This means something” I heard one of them say while holding a rubber duck.

Now that I think about it, the 6 men (which I assumed were the leaders) were holding rubber ducks.

How weird.

Chapter Three

After the cookout had started to die down, Harry walked me back to my house.

“Would you like to come in for some tea” I asked

“That would be amazing”

 Harry drank up all the tea (even my cup) then left.

Right as he walked out the door, I heard sirens. The kind of sirens that cause the average person to have chills to run down your spine.  These sirens meant danger and even I know that.

I know these sirens. How in the world do I know these?

I cautiously open the door and peek outside. You know what I saw?

The once beautiful island full of lush green and pink sand, was completely dead. The plants were now brown, the sand a pitch black. Animals were coming from the forest at a weirdly slow pace.

I stepped outside a little further and noticed something.

“The animals are made of metal!” I exclaimed. Their beautiful exotic skin was melting off them to show their metal skeleton. I was too busy examining the little animals to notice the mob running towards me with guns and knives.

I look up just in time to see the once friendly people charging. I run back to house as fast as possible and lock the door and close all the windows. I run around the house looking for a weapon. I know I can use anything seeing as though I am a trained assassin/ spy. But I am looking a specific thing. A gun.

The group of people all have guns. This means that I can’t fight them with a knife.

I walk past my bedroom and see my old clothes and Herold.

“Okay Herold I am going insane, but I need you to check every corner of this house for a gun” I tell my crab friend.

Herold jumps off the bed and starts crab running around the house while I put on the clothes I can to this Island with. Herold comes scurrying back into the bedroom and tugs on my shoelaces until I follow him. He leads me to the very back corner of the house and shows me a crack in the wall. “Herold what am I supposed to do with a crack in the wall?”

Herold motions for me to push the wall. I do so.

“Oh my God” I stare in amazement at the room before me.

It was a room full of all the guns I have ever worked with in my entire life. I am reminded of my current situation when there is a pounding at my door. I quickly grab a holster and a pistole. Then I grab a bigger one that even I, world famous trained assassin doesn’t know the name of.

“What do you want?” I yelled at the people outside my door. All I get in response is Harry’s voice.

“Laura can you please open the door it’s just me”

“No, I am not risking it”

“What if you watch out the window and watch me set down all of my arms?”

“Fine. Do it now”

Harry disarmed himself and I opened the door.

“What is going on” I demanded.

Harry looked pained.

“Wait before you explain let me grab Herold”

With a crab on my shoulder and gun in my lap I said “okay. Please explain why in
God’s name there are sirens going off”

“Okay. So, the sirens mean danger. Of course, you already knew that. You knew that because you’ve heard them before. These are the sirens of the Trials”

“The trials! Like the trials where assassins like me are required to test their skills against all other assassins?”

“Yes exactly. Those Trials”

“Christ, I thought I had finished those years ago” I sighed.

“You did. But everyone has to take them again”

“So that’s how you guys knew my exact clothing size?”

“Well not exactly. The Players gave them to me”

The Players are directors of the Trials. We call them that because to them it’s a game. The Trails are just a month where assassins are supposed to fight against other assassins and whoever is remaining wins. It’s kinda like that one book, the Hangy Games. Maybe.

“So, this means you are....” I trailed off.

“yeah I am”

“What company?” I asked Harry.

“The Mountaineers” Harry said.

I shook my head knowingly. “when I first was recruited I was put in the Mountaineers”

“Wow you were good then. Nobody gets into the Mountaineers that early into their career”

“I am still doing very well. I am now in the Novelist company”

“Holy shiz”

“Yeah. And I’m guessing that all those people are in the Ducky company”

“Yes ma'am. I’m not sure as to why we are the only two in a different company but oh well” Harry sighed.

I hadn’t noticed while we were talking but the sirens slowly were getting louder. They were now pounding through my chest.

“Harry we better think of a plan”

“Yeah I agree. I just don’t know where to start. I honestly thought these people were my friends. Just because this is the Trials doesn’t mean I haven’t made friends with these people”

“Yeah. I think we should just start with deciding who we are going to kill”

“Kill! I don’t plan on killing anyone”

“Harry look at me. The whole point of the Trials is to take the two best assassins. So, if you don’t want to kill, be killed” I said seriously.

Harry looked taken aback.

“Harry, I don’t mean to scare you. But it’s true. The Trials are based on the quote ‘kill or be killed’ so please, make your decision now”

Harry sighs, “Fine, I'm with you”

“Good”

We took a seat in the bedroom and closed all the blinds and turned off the lights.

“I think we find the weapons we do best with, and just hideout here until they come to use. I have lots of food and I have a pond nearby, so we can fish”

Harry nodded.

We ran to get all the weapons from the weapon room. Harry took a riffle and a switchblade. This was his first year in the Trials so, he didn’t know that he would need a lot more than a riffle and a switchblade. I grabbed everything else from the room.

While we were doing this Harold was cutting little pieces of duct tape to put on the window.

“Oh good job Harold! You’re such a good crab” I cooed.

For the next 3 days we kept out peace in the house. I mean yes, we did have to shoot a couple people who tried to get in the house. Other than that, we just chilled in the house. Let me tell you, I never ever wanted to know as much as I do about Harry.

Crash

“Harry get up! I just heard something”

“Wha-what. Okay let me get up”

“shhhh. They can probably hear us”

Carefully walking out of the bedroom, weapons at the ready.

“Oh my...”

At the widow stood 49 people trying to knock it down.

“Harry. Look at me. No matter what, shoot. I don’t care if you love them. It’s either you or them”

“I got I-boom"

The first shot was fired. Harry and I got behind the island in the kitchen and waited for the next shot.

Boom, boom, crash, boom.

The entire front window was shattered. Harry and I look at each other ready for the battle ahead of us.

Although when Harry stood up someone shot just in time. I saw the bullet coming at him. I jumped in front of him. Harry deserved to live much longer than I did.

I felt the bullet enter by body. I was pushed backward by the impact. My vision went black, this was it.

Chapter Four

“Laura! Laura! Come on! I need help!” I heard Harry crying.

I have to help him. He needs help. He has so much to live for.

I am trying so hard to get up to help him, but I can’t. It’s like my bones have been paralyzed. When I tried to move it felt like I was getting shot all over again.

I have to get up.

With every ounce of strength in my body, I moved my fingers one by one. Although, I won’t lie, being shot in the stomach doesn’t hurt all that bad compared to some of the injuries I’ve received in my career.

Finally, I was able to move my arms, then my legs, then I was able to sit up.

 While I was being a baby and crying about the wound, Harry was still fighting.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three shots rang around the house and vibrated my core. I look over at Harry and he has blood running down both legs.

“Harry! Oh my God!”

He looked at me and said “Thank God! You’re alive”

I rolled my eyes, “Harry, do you really think I would die from a simple shot to the stomach?”

“Don’t joke about that. I though you were actually dead”

“Right now, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the fact that we have 49 other spies trying to kill us”

“Oh yeah”

We both ran back to the weapons room and got two new guns each. The mob had been silent for a couple minutes and that scared us.

Harry and I looked at each other had somehow had the same idea. We got down on our tummies and army crawled out to the kitchen and sat behind the counter.

“Where are they?” Harry mouthed to me.

I just shrugged at looked over the counter.

I was met with the angry red face of a Rubber Duckie spy.

“Hello, isn’t the weather quite nice today? I think so. Perfect for getting blown away or soaked to the core with rain”

The enemy looked at me in pure confusion giving me time to take my knife that was in the band of my pants and stab it in their eye.

The angry squish of the tissue being impaled was enough to make an everyday citizen puke. Although I had performed this trick many times, so I was used to the blood running down my victim’s face.

The person screamed in pure agony, and to be frank I judged them. If they were in front of their supervisor, they would be dead anyway for screaming.

Rule number one: Never scream in pain.

Harry couldn’t take the screams anymore, so he shot them in the head to end their suffering.

After that move I pulled, it was quite easy to kill the rest of them. They were all so stiff and trying to be on guard, but this made them weak. Soon there was just one Rubber Duckie left.

“Please, please let me live. I can help you. I can make it so you get a better score” the person begged.

I look a little closer and it was Xavia.

I shook my head in disappointment.

Rule number two: never beg for your life.

Boom

She was dead.

We had wone.

“Oh my. Did we really just win?” Harry asked.

“I think we did”

We then both looked at the other persons injury and winced at the same time.

“You need to get that taken care of” we said weirdly in sync.

Right after we said that, we heard the whirl of a chopper landing.

“Thank Heavens. I would have gone mad if I was here any longer” I said happily.

“Wait I need to get Herold”

Where was he this whole time?

I searched every where for my little crabby. I found him in the fridge eating the leftover cookie dough.

“Hey you little rascal. Come on, some one is here to take us home”

Herold happily climbed onto my shoulder and we walked out of the house onto the chopper.

“Good job agents. We will be taking you to the United Divisions to get your review from your supervisors. There are bottle of water and small packs of food for you to your left. Please help yourself. I assume you are quite drained from your fight back there” said the captain.

“What about our wounds?” Harry asked.

“Oh yes. There is a temporary health kit under your seat Laura. These should be some InstaPatches. Please put one on each of your wounds. Will that be all?”

“Yes” I said.

Harry and I put on the InstaPatches and drank some water along with eating some food.

After about an hour of flying we landed on the United Divisions helipad and were escorted to a private room to talk with our supervisors. I had expected to be put in separate rooms, but no. General P. Larson, my supervisor walked in along with Harry’s supervisor who was my old one from the Mountaineers.

General Larson began talking, “Good job. You are the first two agents to complete the Trails in less than a month. I would like to compliment you both on your skills” he turned to Harry, “you, young man have shown wonderful performance. Your supervisor and I have agreed that we would like you to move up to Novelist. It is completely your choice, but I recommend taking this opportunity”

Harry was completely speechless.

“I.. I don’t know what to say”

“Then say yes” said General Larson.

“Yes. Yes of course General. This is such an honor”

General stood up and we all shook hands. We were left to discuss alone.

“How do you feel?” I asked Harry

“Amazing. I am so proud to be in the Novelist division”

I hugged Harry, “I’m proud of you too”

We were soon taken to the infirmary where we both got the help we needed with our injuries.

General Larson came running in, “Agents! We have a mission for you. The Mailmen from Korea stole our microchip”

Harry and I looked at each other then back at General, “We accept”.

The end.