Once upon a time

"Ready your bids, gents!"
"I have the winner on hand, I know it!"
"Now now, wishful thinking won't get you anywhere."

Peals of laughter rung through the booth as finely-dressed men and women filled the air with excited murmurings. The dome gleamed above them as the took their seats and looked on. It was a fine day for a race.

Their chatting and speculating soon died down as a man in a striped suit ambled onto the middle of the track. Microphone in one hand, he held the other to silence the anxious crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he began. Voices lowered, though speculation on the winner continued. "Our grand celebration is about to begin!"

The crowd below the booths cheered wildly, the young men jumping up and down with glee. Those more affluent members of society clapped politely in their booths, smiles stretched on their faces. The announcer once again held his hand up to calm the crowd. Once the cheering died down, be began again.

"This time-honored tradition has been a proud part of our heritage, and a vital one at that." Several elder members in the crowd as well as in the booths nodded knowingly. "Fifty years ago today, our Beloved Leader saw it fit to protect us from the ravaged world outside, shielding us from the outbreak of disease." As he said this, he waved his hand overhead, gesturing to the massive dome above.

"We continue to honor our Beloved Leader with the celebration he established fifty years ago, our brave men demonstrating their strength for him to see." He bowed to the looming tower at the front of the field, the top obscured by tinted glass.

"All year, we work hard and place our full effort in sustaining our beautiful home, as well as the barrier that protects us from the ugly devastation outside. The fruits of our labor culminate on this day, as we test our men and choose the one strong enough to continue our survival!"

Cheers once again filled the stadium, infused with mirth and happiness. In the midst of the crowd, Raymond curiously looked on. What was this all about? Standing nervously next to him was Charles, cautiously looking around to make sure no one was paying attention.

"So what's this whole thing about?" Raymond asked loudly, the crowd nearly overtaking his voice. "Shhh! Not too loud!" Charles hissed. "If anyone figures out you're from the outside, they'll tear you apart! Not to mention, they'll kill the one soiled by his infection!"

Raymond stared at Charles and laughed, slapping him on the back. "I told you already, Charlie. There is no infection!"

Charles hushed him again. "Try telling that to a mob of panicked and angry villagers! And please, stop calling me Charlie!"

Raymond laughed again. "Whatever you say, Charlie. So tell me, what goes on here?"

Charles had an annoyed look on his face, but decided to answer Raymond anyway. "In a word? A footrace."

"Just a race? But it looks like a pretty big deal. The whole village must be here. It must be some race."

"That's because everyone in the village IS here. Look, I don't know how you outsiders live, but when you spend an entire year doing nothing but work, you tend to enjoy a good distraction."

Raymond looked around and grinned. "Yeah, you have a point. It was a real bore here until today. I'm glad I could stick around for this."

Charles looked at Raymond, then looked out at the track, which was beginning to be filled with young men. Some looked excited, while others looked frightened. Everyone seemed nervous. The man in the striped suit walked off the field and to a podium just outside of the track. "Yeah, it's a big deal. But this isn't just for entertainment, you know."

"Oh yeah?" Raymond said, looking out at the men. "Hey! It's Eddie!"

The young farm hand was standing in the small crowd of prospective racers. "Eddie!" Raymond called out to him, waving wildly. Eddie saw him, grinned and waved back. The men crowded around the starting line and took their positions.

"Yeah," said Charles. "It's also a test."

The starting gun cracked and the young men took off. Raymond focused on Eddie, noticing a change in his eyes. They were filled with sheer determination, as if he was betting everything on this race. His face gleamed with excitement.

Then suddenly it disappeared.

Raymond looked on in horror as a headless Eddie slowed down, then collapsed to the ground. A large scythe appeared from nearby, sending his head flying onto the nearby grass. Suddenly, the track was changing. Traps appeared everywhere, and in the midst of the excited screams from the crowd, men were being crushed, sliced and maimed.

"We need men that are strong." Charles said quietly. Raymond turned to him, a shocked look on his face.

"Even though we work our hardest, we still don't have enough to keep our village alive. Every year, we choose one courageous man to brave out into the ravaged world outside and bring back the Beloved Leader's necessary materials to keep us going. Every year, we have this test in order to determine who's strong enough to venture into the world outside. Usually, the winner is able to ensure our survival, but he succumbs to the infection."

Raymond opened his mouth, but he couldn't find his voice. The carnage before him was too much to bear. One man safely jumped over a pit of spikes only to be sawed in half by a buzz saw that suddenly appeared in his path. "Oh no!" a man cried out nearby, throwing a ticket on the ground "I was so sure he would win!"

"This is wrong." was all he could say.

"This is our way of life." Charles said.

"But your way of life is wrong!" Raymond cried out. Several people heard him and looked at him curiously. Charles hushed him again. "I said keep your voice down!"

"Why would you need someone strong to go out there? I'm a wimp, and I made it here fine! Sure, the world has its dangers, but you don't need to go through this to survive!"

"But the infection," Charles began, but Raymond cut him off.

"How many times do I have to tell you? There is no infection!" Now he was catching the attention of more people. Several had stopped their cheering entirely and stared at him.

"We have to stop this," Raymond said, pushing through the crowd, trying to get to the man in the striped suit, who was still holding onto the microphone, commentating on the ongoing race. "Oh!" his voice rang out. "Looks like dear Richard won't be able to walk his children to the schoolhouse anymore. Perhaps the carpenter can fashion him a fine wheelchair after the race, providing he survives it!"

Several people had begun to catch on to Raymond's true nature. They began to shout angrily towards him, grabbing at his clothes, their angry yells mixing with the excited cheers. Slowly, he made his way to the man in the striped suit.

"An outsider!" A voice yelled. More people turned to see where the commotion was coming from. Raymond pushed away his chasers and grabbed the microphone from the announcer's hand.

"STOP THIS RACE!" he yelled.



To be continued! Give me your feedback!