I held the emerald crystal in my hand as my foot tapped impatiently. I had been sitting in this same spot for 2 hours waiting for my name to be called. It was the first day of the second half and everyone had gone in that door, none had come out.
The door opened and Four looked over at me.
Oh God, anyone but him.
"C'mon E," he said after I looked away and stood up. I made my way over to the door, wiping my hands off my black pants then pulling my black tank top over my hips. As I walked past him, avoiding his stare, I put a loose curl behind my ear and looked forward to see a metal chair.
The one from the aptitude test.
I stopped in my tracks, Four's chest pressing against my back as I stopped moving.
"It's not going to hurt you," he said as I swallowed.
"That's what you think." I mumbled and walked over to the chair, slowly sitting down in the cold metal chair.
"You're going to be transferred into a simulation, just remember it's not real. Sort of like a.. Dream." I looked over as he got a syringe and filled it with a liquid. "You will be facing your fear or fears depending on how much you can endure at once. Just remember it isn't real if you slow your heart rate down long enough you'll calm down and eventually take control," he said walking over to me. I raised an eyebrow as he stared down at me. He sighed and lifted my hair from my neck, his fingertips brushing against my neck as I breathed softly then cleared my throat feeling my cheeks redden. He pierced my neck with the sting and winced softly.
I felt my mind begin to foggy and sort of sleepy. I struggled to keep my eyes open and hear Four's last words;
"Be brave, E."

I opened my eyes and looked around.
I was standing in a field, when I looked back the fence was behind me. I looked up at the clear sky then over at the wood burning beside me. This was so weird.
Ssss...
I whipped my head over toward the longer part of the grass, my heart racing.
I started to walk toward the fence then looked back hearing the odd noise again, the grass rustling. I saw the green scaly skin and started running. My leg got caught in a weed and I fell down against the soft grass, but when I looked down it was a snake.
I screamed.
I immediately slapped my hand over my mouth hearing myself and took a deep breath. I needed to calm down, hopefully the snake, that was now slithering up my left leg, would go away if I didn't touch it- or scream. I bit my lip and shook my leg off, the green reptile slithered away. Another snake emerged and slithered up my other leg. I got up and began sprinting across the field and before I knew it I was on the ground again, snakes slithering all over me. I felt them all over me; on my legs, up my arms, down my shirt, on my feet. Then I felt them biting at me and I finally screamed, my face was wet- with blood and tears. I gritted my teeth and took slow breaths, I needed to calm down, slow my heart rate like Four had said. I squeezed my eyes and took deep breaths. I gritted my teeth feeling a snakes slithery skin run over them.
I let out another cry for help.
I squeezed my hands into fists and found the ground, I touched the grass and ran my fingers over the dirt, something to remind me that I was still okay.
And that this wasn't real.
This isn't real.

I opened my eyes and sat up immediately and wiping my arms and legs off. I squirmed and wiped my whole body- snake free.
"Hey, hey, calm down." Four landed a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, turning back to look at him. I breathed heavily feeling my eyes burn, I looked away from him and pressed my palms to my eyes. I stood up and went over to the corner of the room, wiping my eyes.
I hated crying.
"E, how long do you think you were in there?" He asked after I calmed down.
"Um, 20, 30 minutes tops." I breathed and looked over at him finally. He was squinting at me, trying to figure me out.
"5. That's 3 times faster than the average." He said then crossed his arms, "how did you get rid of the snakes, the image on the computer.. It was blurry."
"I, um, I just felt the dirt and.." I sighed then put my hand on my head, "look, do we really have to do this right now? I sort of really don't want to be here.." I said biting the inside of my cheek.
Did I really just say that out loud?
"You don't want to be here because your fear or because I'm here?" He asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I crossed my arms. He ignored my question.
"Don't stress, E." He said looking back at the computer, "it'll get easier the next time yo-"
"Wait, I have to do that again?" I had barley survived the first time, there was no way I was doing it again.
"Well, yeah, how else are you supposed to get over your fears?"
"You don't get over fears.. You just learn how to react to them." I mumbled looking over at him. I pushed myself off the wall I was leaning on and walked over to the back door.
"E," he said before I actually left. I looked back, "steer clear of snakes."
I slammed the door.

"There were all these insects, crawling all over me. In my hair, up in my nose in my ears," Fallon shivered, "gosh, it was terrible."
"That's nothing," Rick said leaning over from where he sat on Fallon's bed. "Try being frozen while Four throws airborne knives at you."
"Been there." I spoke up. Rick's face reddened. It was right after I finished my simulation and I had rejoined Will, Rick, and Fallon by our two beds as we each talked. We had the rest of the day to ourselves.
"I just can't believe we have to keep doing that again." I said running a had through my loose hair.
"Yeah, I heard of this one guy who died from a heart attack he was so scared in that chair."
"Vampires can't die from a heart attack, you idiot." Rick joked. Fallon looked over at me then spoke up.
"Okay this is depressing, let's go celebrate." She said standing up. I shouldn't have questioned, but I did anyways.
"Celebrate what?" I asked as she began to lace up her shoes. She looked up, a familiar smirk on her face.
"Not having a heart attack, of course, why else?"