Page 127 of The Commons

I’m terrified, but I know I have to persevere. I can’t stop now. Levon needs me. And I can’t die. I just can’t!

I take one step after the other. Then, I remember that the only test that was dark was my diamond Chemistry Test. Oh no. What is this?

Where am I? I couldn’t be inside a volcano—right?

I clench my fists tightly.

You can do it. Just keep going. This is for Levon! Be brave! You’re strong. Don’t think. Just walk.

Hands stretched out for balance, I drive my feet forward into the darkness, walking fast, eyes closed, imagining the cave to be a trampoline, with Levon beside me at every corner, waiting to catch me, should I fall.

It works.

Clunk…

Crap. My legs hit something. A rock! I begin to fall to the floor. I gasp and try to stand up instantly, eyes ripping open. I fall again.

Ow!

My knees are bruised, I feel the pain tingling on my skin, but I try to focus on my surroundings and tell myself the pain is not real, like the sharks. Oh my God, but the pain is real. I look all around with darting eyes, breathing deeply, terrified.

Suddenly, a flash of light crashes into my eyes from the corner of the room. I look to see a shadow of a human in the corner. What on earth? It looks real. It feels real. But when it comes out of the shadows, I look into its eyes and what I see is not just any human, it is my human. It is Pesh.

What the devil is this?

It has to be a robot of Pesh, like the mirot.

I tilt my head to the right to examine it with narrow eyes.

It tilts its head to the right, looking at me the same way.

I step toward it to see if it will step back like the mirots in my test, but it doesn’t.

It steps toward me. I draw back instantly, and it does the same.

I am sure this thing will follow every move I make. It is the opposite of the mirots in The Commons.

I decide that there is only one way to go with this.

I punch myself in the stomach! It does the same.

I slap myself in the face—twice. It does the same.

It is painful to hurt myself, but that is the only way I can destroy this thing. I know if I try to fight it, it will fight me even more. I have to hurt myself, like the Cognitive Test when I simulated my own emotional fears first. It is so weird to watch a simulate of Pesh do these things, but I know my Pesh would be infuriated at this obstructing imposter, so I go straight to the point of maximal impact.

I punch myself in my crotch.

It screams after reciprocating the same movement to its groin.

Ow! That hurt, but… I have to go off this momentum!

I notice a large rock beside it, so I fall over on the floor on my end. It follows me and trips, crashing into the rock, shattering into mirror-like pieces.

I look at my tosh. I only have 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Oh no!

I race toward a flashing light. It looks like a circular red button on the corner of the cave’s wall. Like a stop sign.