James

     Damn it! I think as I wake up in the desert. Those first class douche bags chose me. The day before my first date with Chloe of course. But I'm sure she will understand why I stood her up. I mean I didn't plan on being chosen for the mind trials.

     I think back to Ronald, the only other person in our district to be chosen for them this year. I wonder if they put him in the same section as me? Not that it would matter I realize as I look around. All I can see is desert sand for miles and miles in every direction. Because why would they make anything easy.

     I start looking at the ground for some sort of supply bag or anything really, other than the burning sand. I heard that the subjects usually get something to help them survive the trials. But as I continue searching I come up with nothing.

     Not finding anything on the ground, I look to the blinding sky trying to spot a drone. I never watched the mind trials because I think that they are stupid, pointless and inhumane. Now I kind of wish I had. Not because I think that I would enjoy it, but so I'd know how to navigate being in them.

     But unfortunately for me I was in denial. I never thought that I would be picked, even when I turned 18 and met the age requirements. Even when I joined football and bulked up and met the health requirements. Or, when Ronald, a boy who I grew up with, was selected. I thought that surely they wouldn't want me. I thought that they'd take Ronald then move on to the next district.

     But I was stupid, and now I'm unprepared for what I'm supposed to do. Ron (Ronald) had been training his whole life for them. He said that even if he wasn't chosen he would sign up. I thought he was dumb af.

     I mean sure they pay you handsomely, and your whole family moves up to at least the status of a 3. But that was only if you survive. If you didn't, then not only were you dead af but, your family was also screwed.

     When a 5 or below who volunteers to be in the mind trials, doesn't survive, then there family gets nothing. They lose a relative, and they loose your paycheck. What's even worst is that if the person who enters the mind game dies by any other way besides murder, then their family is pushed down a caste.

     So you see why I thought Ron was stupid and out of his mind? However non of that is relevant to the situation I'm in. Because if I die, or even don't complete the mind trials in time, it's automatic death. For me and everyone in my family. Hell maybe even Chloe, because of how close we are. And to make matters even worst, if we just complete the mind trials, and don't win, we get nothing.

     So I've decided that I'm going to win. Not just complete the mind trials, but win them. It's kind of a stupid goal, I know. But I'm not going to go through hell here just to get nothing but a pat on the back. When I finish in first place, me and my family will be rewarded with the status of a 2, right bellow the infamous royals themselves.

    Feeling sweat start to drip down my face, and collect on my white shirt, I start to come up with a plan. I need to win the mind trials, and get my family out of the hovel we call home. Being a 7 in today's caste system is no fun. There's never any left over food, we barley get any education, we can't move up in the caste system with out being information the mind trials, and most annoyingly we are destined to one of two careers for our whole lives. No retirement or anything, just slaving away all day every day till we die, with barley any pay.

     I continue to think about how sucky my life is, and craft a list of rules to survive and win, as I start randomly walking to the west.

_________
As I've walked I've come up with a few rules of survival,

1.  No teams, there can only be one winner
2. Trust no one
3. Walk at day until I find a town
4. Hydration
5. Sleep at night, in as safe a location as I can find
6. Think before I leap
7. Win

Honestly my list of rules isn't that spectacular. However focusing on making them distracted me long enough to have walked at least 4 miles west. Looking at my surrounding, I note that it appears exactly the same as it did 4 miles ago. Except maybe, that the sun is now behind me, and starting to finally set.

I almost ditched 90% of my clothes 3.5 miles ago before I remembered how cold the deserts supposed to get at night. But right now with the sun beating on my back, all I can think about is stripping bare. And water, I really really want water.