Slowly, my eyes began to lift. My vision blurry as my eyes opened. Where am I? My vision began to come into focus. It seems like I'm in a house of some kind. But why? Shouldn't I be in a hospital? My body slowly began to stir. My arms and legs began to lift themselves up. I have to get out of here and find mom help. My legs and arms rise until a cold rusty metal resists them. Metal? Wait... my eyes slowly dart around my body and see the problem. Around my wrists and ankles, a rusty metal ring keeps them attached to a chair. What the? What's going on? Wait a minute... have I been kidnapped?! Oh no! I have to get out of this thing!

Using what little strength I have, I push my arms and ankles against the metal. However, despite my resistance, the metal won't budge. Dang it! Looks like I'll have to try another method. Okay then; let's see if arms can slide through. Slowly, I try pulling my arms through the rings. However, the metal again met me. Despite it's rusty appearance, it's quite strong. I guess since those options didn't work, no other will.

"I guess I'm stuck here," I said, mumbling to no one in particular.

"Indeed you are." Immediately, I jumped out of my seat. What the?! Who said that? My eyes dart through the surrounding environment. They scan for any signs of a person or at least, some kind of device. But I find nothing. Nothing except the TV in front of me. Which oddly enough, is currently on. Weird... I didn't notice it was on. Is it possible that the voice came from the TV? Hmm. I don't think so; no one can speak through a TV. Hmm, but if that's the case, where did the voice come from? Again my eyes scan through my surrounds. But again they find nothing. Maybe I should ask the voice where it's coming from. Yeah, since there's nothing around that could make such a voice. My mouth begins to open, however, the voice responds.

"Confused? Typical, but not unwarranted. Perhaps if you looked a little closer, you would see." A third time, I looked around the environment. But all that really caught my eye was the TV. Maybe the TV is what he's talking about. I open my mouth to ask, but I was cut off.

"The fact I'm communicating through the TV shouldn't matter much. But then again, you outsiders tend to focus on such insignificant details. What you should really be focused on is your immediate survival." Survival? What is this guy talking about? He must be a crazy. Which, to be honest, doesn't surprise me now that I think about it. After all, he kidnapped me, restrained me in a chair, and probably has some sick games up his sleeve. Man, why do I feel like I'm in a horror book?

"Survival? What sick little games do you have up your sleeves?" I ask, my voice bordering on sarcastic.

"Games? You think I want to play games with you? Hmph. Games are for your Hollywood movies. What I play is the real deal. Your life is in my hands. And should I see fit, I could always snuff it out like the pitiful light it is. Hmph... games..." Immediately, several shivers went down my spine. Fear began to creep up through my body. It's paralyzing grip stealing air from my lungs. I felt my breath begin to race. It's fast pace stealing the air around me. My heart began to pound out of my chest. This isn't good. This isn't a joke anymore! Boy, I really shouldn't have been so sarcastic before. This isn't some sick joke played by a prankster. It was really a life or death situation. And right now, my life is on the line.

Immediately, I tried to quiet my nervousness. If this is the real deal, then I can't let my nervousness show. That's what he would want. He would want me to be scared and to make stupid decisions. I have to calm down. I have to think. I begin to repeat these statements over and over again. I have to calm down. I have to think. I have to calm down. I have to think. As I continued to do this, the voice from the TV said something.

"Interesting. In response to the crisis before you, you attempt to calm down and hide our anxiety. A fascinating response. Most of the people who have been tried give into their fear and panic. But you... you calm down. Excellent. Let us proceed to the Trials." Immediately, the rings over my ankles and wrists receded. My body instantly stands up. When I do, the voice gives a response.

"Your Trials begin now." Quickly, I look around the environment. My eyes carefully scan for any signs of something suspicious. But I find nothing. Okay, so I didn't find any kind of traps. So it looks like the coast is clear. Now I need to focus on getting out of this house. So what can I do? Well, beside the TV is a door. But if these are going to be my Trials, then it's not farfetched to think that door would be locked. If that's so, then where's the key? Immediately, my mouth begins to ask.

"So, where did you place the key?" I ask, my voice starting to waver.

"You catch on quick. The key you seek is in one of the doors upstairs. However, be warned that you may just die trying to escape. Though if you do, just know that it would be a shame and a waste. You seem so promising." Promising? Yeah okay.

Quickly, my feet bolt up the stairs. When I get up there, I try every single door up there. But so far, none of them opened. It wasn't until I got to the bathroom that the door finally opened. Although, when it did, I felt an immediate regret rush through me. When the door opened, two corpses lay near a bathtub. Their bodies burned with moss growing on them in certain places. Burned... I don't see any traps. All I see is a bathtub with some really green mossy water. Did that water do something to them?

"What you see in front of you are those that have participated in the Trials before you. They, in an attempt to escape, stuck their hands inside the water. They tried to accept our Gift. But unfortunately for them, our Gift rejected them and as a result burned them to a crisp. Our Gift does not accept those that are unworthy. The key is inside the water. Go ahead and prove yourself worthy of our power!" Slowly, I stepped up towards the bathtub. My eyes looked down into its murky green water. I take my right hand out and take one last look at the water. Those guys got burned because of this water. Am I sure the same thing won't happen to me? Well, there's only one way to find out. I plunge my right hand into the water. When I did, I felt a metal ring slide against my hand. Quickly I take it out and find a key. Along with a corpse. A corpse?! Immediately, a scream roars out of me. My body in response falls backward. What the heck? Man, this is starting to be a little much! Quickly, I get up. With the key in hand I go back to the door and unlock it. When I do, the voice from the TV says something.

"Congratulations on completing the first phase of your Trials. Let's just see if your as promising as I think." Without a second thought, I head out the door and into the unknown.