I open my eyes, seemingly waking up out of a passing dream. A feeling of being lost overwhelms me as I stare into space in front of me not an exact amount of time. I’m back in the classroom.

Before I have the chance to look around, my body convulses unconsciously, fear filling my empty stomach. To my right I hear the sound of glass breaking and feet shuffling. I slowly peak my head towards the door, looking through the obtuse slit of glass. An amalgamation of pasty green bodies appeared, smothered in a sheet of dirt and a dank smelling grime. Their angry bodies were compact and full of tightened muscle, almost to the point of weakness in their bony joints. Tribal tattoos traveled across their backs, their faces carrying two small tusks and beady eyes to match. Necklaces of rotten teeth surrounded their neck and worn knapsacks around the waist. A couple brandished rusty, worn daggers, most of them appearing to be unarmed. A brisk door slam was heard as the goblins barged into the classroom across the hall, screams now emerging from within.

It wasn’t quite the kind of scream you’d expect from an AP English class. It was a scream full of whimpers and pleas, many begging not to be killed. You could hear the sharpening and screeching of their pitch inside the pit of your soul. Instinctually my body tensed up, the pure anguish wailed throughout my chalky bones.

I realised along with Steve sitting next to me what would happen next. We both stared at each other for a half second before we pushed our desks together against the door. A couple other classmates noticed and within a minute, a pile of desks piled next to the door. All 13 of us gather together with the sickly, old teacher Mr. Henry, in the center of the room. The tension in the air could be cut with a plastic utensil.

“Calm down everyone, we need a plan to survive.”, Mr. Henry asserted comically.

Robert and Sam had their hands under their chin, already seemingly deep in thought. “Everyone think the word status”, Amanda blurted out next, rushing to get everyone's attention.

Two seconds later, the same blue box appeared in front of my vision again.

[You do not have access to the system for 365 days]

Everyone started excitedly going over their skills and stats. John brags about his high dexterity with Joe countering, me scoffing. The both of them now in a contest to show off their big round balls.

Feeling left out, I stayed quiet and within a few seconds, I immediately noticed something was off.

“Everybody stop and listen for a second. Shut the hell up!”

All is quiet for six awkward seconds, the eyes of everyone in the room were focused intently on me.

On cue Fernando asks, “What is it Mae? I don’t hear anything.”

“That's the point Fernando, the screams have stopped.”

As soon as the silence lifted, the hair on my arms prickled up. Scratches of naily feet could be heard in the hallway, becoming louder and louder by the second. The handle of the door turned, not moving however due to the perched chairs. The door then tries to swing outwards more intently, however it’s still stuck. Louder and with more force, the door slams back and forth, the apprehension of everybody in the room now confirmed.

Steve says “Everyone who has a combat ability or a way of fighting to the front. We don’t have a way to escape so we have to fight this out. They will have to come through that door to fight us. Prepare to kill to live. You heard the people in the next room over. This isn’t a game.” The facial expressions in the room now tensed along with their bodies, mine having been prepared prematurely.

We talked for a few more minutes as a group, organising and constructing a quick plan. Well, they did all the talking but I listened enthusiastically. Susie, Joseph, and Bethany opted out of facing reality and huddled in the corner instead. In but half a minute later, the door swung outward as green bald heads stuck over the top of the piled desks.

Three ugly green bodies start to climb over, their shortened height now giving them a disadvantage in a fight. Before the goblins had a chance to regain their footing on the ground, we decided to attack. Amanda points her palm at the first goblin to make it over the top. A bolt of fire slowly leaves her fingertips and scorches the chest of the goblin. Indications of a burn are visible but not much else, the goblins eyes turned from a dark brown to a glowing red instead. Standing against the wall to the side of the door, I wack a goblin down with my table leg. Steven, Dom, and Mr. Henry stood in the center of the classroom, able to take the brunt of the force. The others in our class were either scattered or too frightened to fight back. As soon as the goblin fell back to ground, I slammed the table leg into its head repeatedly. I didn’t stop hitting it until another threat soon took over.

Two more goblins now pushed through the rubble, their shoulders aimed towards me. I shuffle backwards along the back of the right wall, feeling uncomfortably sick with blood caked against my shins. I get ahold of my bearings and look at the situation around me, my vision slightly teetering. I see Amanda now, her body now slumped to the floor as well as Mr. Henry's immediately to the front of hers, with three more goblin bodies lying next to him. An enraged goblin now stands on top of both of them, wielding a brandished dagger and a mocking, ugly smile.

I lose my sense of self, as I am no more in control of my body. I watch my body sprint forwards in rage, all of my actions now humanly instinctual. Rearing my chair leg back, I twist my hips and shift my upper body forwards, my weapon now used as a bat. The goblin hit the floor with a crack and a snap, as well as a switch in my head. I watched as the body spasmed and bounce against the floor.

I stared at the goblin now lying on top of Amanda, it’s warm blood cascading down her cold body. I now understood the way of this new world, I must kill my enemies before they kill me. A desire and drive bring back the willpower I had during the trial. I take a deep breathe and look back to my right, where the two goblins were following me before.

They weren’t there.

Before I have a chance to look, I hear a scream further behind me to my right. I turn and take two large strides, leaping towards the esound of Beths screaming. I had forgotten that they were hidden in the corner behind me, they must’ve drawn aggro of the two goblins. The first goblin had already taken a swipe of Joe, the second was on top of Beth, clawing her flesh. I arrive and swipe my chair leg to the left at the goblin instead, hoping to at least shove the monster off of Joe. Using my non-dominant hand, however, made the strike a lot weaker than I was intending. The goblin stumbled but catched my weapon, my momentum now gone. The knob-headed brute started to take a swipe at me as I close my eyes, preparing myself to embrace the pain. Instead, I hear a thud against the wall. I look up to see Joe with a glowing fist and a lifeless goblin with a caved in chest.

Bethany now screams louder as the smell of blood is now pungent behind us. Joe and I lock eyes briefly before we lunge at the goblin together. He lands a blow against it’s back as I go for its legs. I get a firm grip and twist at his knee with all my strength as the body’s momentum moves forwards from the impact of Johns punch. A loud snap is heard at the knee and ugly grunts followed. A fist then comes down again on top of its head, its throat now filled with a failed gurgling instead. I look behind me to the rest of the room filled with bodies. Steven and John appear to be fighting the last goblin in the room. Assured the two of them can handle it, I bundle up in my arms and fall to the floor, unaware of what’s going on around me.