SHOLEM

CHAPTER EIGHT

SORTING GAM
DAY THREE CULLING TEST
EATING HALL

Sheil woke with a dull pain underlying the  numbness in her right arm, and a loud banging noise, her head felt as if someone was trying to rip it open from inside. There was the smell of rubbing menthol, sharp and distinct. Her eyelids feel weighted shut, light glowing through them in a reddish-yellow assured her that at least she hasn't been dumped in the red dun for the familiars to feast upon. Her brain is waking up now albeit slowly, but with a primal surge of adrenaline that should carry her up to standing but cold, heavy limbs disobey. And her eyes refuse to open no matter how much she tries to pried it open.

A background noise, soft intermittent footsteps, the sound comes to the forefront now as it gathers speed, the chirps closer together. The shuffle of footsteps brings warm fingers that press her arm lightly. Even before she opened her eyes, she knew her environment wasn't familiar to her. The air was heavy and damp, pressing against her skin like a clammy shroud. Where am I? The question popped into her mind unbidden. When she had enough strength and decided to open her eyes her vision was blurred and untrustworthy.

All she saw were moving shapes of light and dark, of color and shadow, an indistinct shape, alien, jig-saw puzzle. Her right hand still feels dead and refuses to obey her directions, She tries to rub away the dirt fogging her vision with the fingers of her left hand, and while she does, one of the jig-saw shadows speaks.

"Ah, you're awake. Praise the red God, I was beginning to wonder if you are dead," A pleasant voice said, but the noise felt like the person was intentionally shouting. Sheil feels like screaming at the voice for making such a loud noise near her, but she feels grateful that she at least can hear properly. She feels wet clothes wipe her eyes, making her vision a bit better and less foggy. It must be blood she felt in her eyes while she tried rubbing her eyes.

"We'll soon take care of that, your eyes probably won't open wider for a couple of days though, you got it all swollen up," the voice said again, in assurance. Sheil was lying down on her back, on a grassy surface, she realized. She sat bolt upright, the sudden movement intensified the pounding in her head and ear. A quick look around and found herself somewhere completely unfamiliar, which proves her first thought right. 

“Finally,” said Yalowel under her breath. Sheil looks around her, but she can only recognize bits and pieces and some of the people passing them by, she can't remember why they are all outside. One of the girls turned her way and Sheil's memory suddenly flooded back, Her head pounded anew. “How long was I out?” She asked in a croaking voice.

“Few minutes, definitely not up to an hour.” Yalowel answered her. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"My mouth tastes like the underside of someone's

boot. And my jaw feels as if someone resets it, also my arms. I don't know. My head hurts." Sheil answered, trying to take stalk of her injuries. "What happened?" She asked Yalowel after a few seconds of silence between them.

"You fainted, probably from exhaustion. You never did learn your fight-stance and strategy well, even in class your head was always in a cloud, it was probably why you get exhausted easily during the fight," Yalowel said and grimaced.

"But what really happened? After the fight I mean," She asked, while trying to stand up, but her feets still feel as if they are sleeping, she could feel a needle like prickles all over both her legs.

"I wasn't watching you keenly, but my guess is that you fainted right when the second alarm rings," she answered, supporting Sheil to stand up.

"I remember hearing the alarm sounds, but I wasn't sure if it was the alarm or my ear ringing," Sheil admitted and hopped on her legs. At this rate, she is not sure she would be able to walk by herself for a long time, her leg feels dead to her, as if they are not part of her body.