The Child That Never Was (NaNoWriMo 2014)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

I was transported to some arena.  It looked familiar, but I couldn't seem to place where I had seen this before because I had certainly never been to an arena like this.  The audience, including myself, were all wearing white chiffons, and crowns of leaves in our hair.  So I was back in those old times, was I?

We were watching some man trying to fight a hungry lion.  How lovely.  This was the sport that they wanted to watch?  It was so disturbing.  Lions would literally eat the men alive.  And in front of everybody, too!  Blood was everywhere.  It was so gross, I couldn't watch.  But other people could.  The audience cheered for the lion!  How could they?

Then a girl about my age appeared next to me.  “Hello, there,” she said politely.  “May I sit next to you?”

I nodded, because I was afraid that if I answered, I would throw up all over the place.  I examined the girl.  She was an African girl, with beautiful, curly black hair put together in a bun.  Leaves were tucked into the bun.  She looked quite beautiful, I had to admit, compared to my messy bun.  

“You're not a fan of this sport, are you?” she smiled at me.

“Not at all,” I managed to say.

“It's okay.  You don't have to be.  I'm not, but I was forced here,” the girl smiled.  “I haven't a clue where I am, to be honest.”  She turned away from the game to have a conversation with me.

“Yes, same here.  I was sucked in by some portal, or something,” I mumbled, but she understood me.

“Yes, something like that,” she said with a faraway look in her eyes.

“How did you know that I was like you?  Not enjoying the game?” I asked, curiously.

The girl laughed, and played with a stone necklace she wore around her neck.  “You weren't clapping and cheering.  Besides, you look as if you are going to be sick,” she giggled.  “This is completely disgusting, you know.  How could people have watched this?”

“You seem to know what is going on here.” I stated.

She shook her head, “Alas, I don't, no matter how much I wish that I did.  It seems that a portal transported us here, as you say.”  She licked some of her shiny lip gloss off of her lips, since she was scared to death, as I could clearly see.

I thought hard before saying, “Well, my name is Kaylie.  Perhaps we should look around to see if anyone else was transported here.  I mean, we were, so who is to say that others weren't, as well?”

“Bethany,” she smiled, shaking my hand.  So we got up, and walked around, searching for other 'prisoners.'  Except, we couldn't find any.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying the game, immensely.  Then, we found a boy our age who looked quite sad.

“What's wrong, dearie?” asked Bethany, putting her arm around the little boy.

“My pa,” he cried.  “The lion...he's gone...”

“Oh, that was your father who just fought?” I asked, putting a finger to my lip out of distress.

“Yes, ma'am,” he sniffled.

“He was very brave,” smiled Bethany, holding the young boy to her heart.

“He was,” the boy smiled back.  “I'm going to fight the lion next.  It's my only chance to get out of here.”

“No, you can't!” I said, a little too loudly.

The boy looked down at the floor, “But I must, Miss.  It's the only way to see my father again.  Plus, it's the only way for you two to escape from here.  You are from the future, I know.  A queer man came over to me today, and told me to sacrifice myself to help you.”