Illusions And Pain

Jesse watched in horror as the spiders had finally reached them. He could feel each individual leg crawling all over him on every inch of his body Jesse could feel the panic building inside his body until he eventually just closed his eyes unable to see anything anymore.

Alex began screaming and he managed to break free from the vines holding him hostage.

That guys not a fan of bugs I see. Of course the muscular guy with neat short brown hair with looks other woman wouldn't help but give a second and third glance toward is screaming for his life with arachnophobia.

Alex managed to beat some spiders away from my head and I didn't know a human could have as many goosebumps as I had but I was now able to see again. I opened my eyes just in time to glance over my shoulder.

Another pair of students ran up behind us. The same happening to them. Trapped by the vines and the spiders crawling all over them they looked to have fainted.

A dark figure in a hood appeared out of nowhere and picked them up. He looked over at Alex shaking his head before vanishing into thin air.

The spiders also vanished to that's when I realized something crucial.

"Alex! It's not real just relax and don't fight any of it." Jesse yelled closing his eyes he began to focus and suddenly the thousands of legs started to fade away until they weren't there anymore. I opened my eyes to see they all were gone and I could tell it was all an illusion. I could still hear screams everywhere coming from all around me filling the air and sending shivers up my body. I looked over at Alex to see him dodging mobs of spiders left and right.

"Real or not I'm not touching them." Alex said kicking the ground and throwing what large rocks he could find until they eventually disappeared on his end as well. The crows in the sky started disappearing group by group. We began to walk forward towards the direction of the academy.

The trees started rustling and began to move. Must be another illusion I thought as we both decided to keep walking forward ignoring the branches coming straight for us the branches reached Alex first. Knocking him off his feet and into the air slamming against another tree breaking branches on his way back down to the ground.

"That hurt!" Alex said punching the trees and breaking branches he could get his hands on. There was a mixture of wood and blood flying through the air." I thought you said most of this wasn't real!" Alex said while staring daggers at me still sending out a flurry of blows in quick succession at incoming vines.

The trees fought back wrapping him up with vines as he kept snapping them and breaking free punching the tree trunks tree after tree. Breaking the bark apart and moving forward. His clothes now torn with holes and slash marks covering his arms as drops of blood fell to the ground Alex seemed to feel nothing as you could see the rage in his eyes.

Some of the roots lifted Alex off the ground slamming him into the earth leaving behind a crater the size of his body. Alex was coughing up blood but he kept standing the trees finally stopped being aggressive after inflicting enough damage on Alex while I stayed my distance away out of range to be grabbed imagining the pain I wouldn't be able to endure right now I was thinking how much health Alex must have to go through this I couldn't think of any other solution, we both chose to run for our lives out of the forest.

"You big oaf you really tried to take on the whole forest we should of just thought of a way to burn it down." Jesse said looking ahead at what was in front of them continuing to run not slowing his pace looking back at Alex slowly approaching behind.

"From the looks of it neither of us brought anything to this strange world we have been thrown in smart guy so I made do with what I had, my fists. This is not the new life I expected but it beats worrying about school" Alex said now passing me and coming to a stop just ahead.

Through Alex's efforts we actually managed to reach the outside. To see a bridge appear with a lake underneath leading to the academy. Alex was battered he had shallow cuts all over his face down to his legs the bleeding seems to of slowed.

Jesse managed to avoid most the damages and could now see a man standing at the end of the bridge. Around us hundreds of other students came out the forest one group after another some uninjured and some worse off then Alex.

The middle aged man with long gray hair and eyes began to speak.

"I am the headmaster of this school! We have tested your smarts, we have tested your physical capacity, we have tested some of your teamwork. Whoever manages to get over to my side will ace this exam and receive a top grade for their first test. There will be many tests and trials here and some of you have thought lightly of our academy and failed with other…. more harsh group tests. If you fail this final tests we won't be giving you a passing grade but you will be accepted into the school since you did seek change we will offer you a change to live the life you wish but you will grab it with your own to hands it won't be given to you. If you still wish to go home you may." The headmasters voice boomed, you could see him standing at the end of the bridge waiting to see if anyone would leave to go home. He waved his arm and some doors appeared behind us once again offering us the opportunity to escape back home. For those of us who have come this far it didn't seem like anyone was leaving.

Hundreds of people from teenagers to adults began to rush each other. Fighting broke out everywhere amongst one another all trying to eliminate the competition and be the first ones to cross the bridge fists and body's began to fly some crashing back into the forest and some falling into the water under the bridge.

The headmaster smiled "lively bunch this year."