Phantoms 99th Percentile Round 2: Writers Debate

Title:PerditusChapter 1: Voices.I wake up, sweating, and confused. My vision is blurry, and I can barely make out shapes around me. Everything is so... bright. I don't know where I am, Or even worse... Who I am.I have no recollection, or memory of anything. I feel as if I have been asleep for decades. My vision is slowly starting to kick in. I am in a room, about 700 square feet, with a medium sized light hanging down, swaying gently on a wind draft coming from a vent a few meters up the wall. I realize that I am staring up at the ceiling. I try to push my self up, but realize that my legs have developed atrophy. My arms seem to be perfectly mobile. I am in some sort of tube. It is propped up about a foot or two from the ground. I grab the edges of the opening, and push as hard as I can, until I am able to lean my body hanging off the side. With all my strength I throw all my body weight over the side, and land heavily on the white tiled floor in pain. Next to me I see what I could only correlate to being a chair. I crawl over to it using only my arm strength, and pull myself up. The process takes about 10 minutes, before I make it to a "sitting position".Wow, I am really surprised you managed to do that.What the- that cold mechanic voice... It almost seemed real, but it couldn't have been. I am alone, and my ears heard nothing. It was almost as if someone had forcefully pushed the thought into my head.I realize how ridiculous that sounds, and discard it from my head. Where was I? I feel frustrated, as I literally have no memory of anything. I look myself up and down. I am wearing a white Jump suit. I am tall, about 5'11, and would guess my weight at being around 170. I am wearing white shoes, that my sub-conscious tells me look to be a mixture of both slippers and sneakers. Everything in this room is white. Why?I have so many questions.I decide to try out my vocal chords. "Hulloooo?" I shout. It doesn't sound very good, but who knows how long it's even been since I last even spoke. There is no answer, only four blank white walls, no door, no opening,nothing. I feel claustrophobic, even in the big room.Soon I realize that there is nothing I can do about my predicament in my current state, so I focus on the problem at hand: Over coming atrophy. I attempt to squeeze every muscle in my lower body, hoping for even the slightest twitch of the toe, but nothing happens. My legs remain numb and useless.I continue my task for about half an hour, each time with the same result: Nothing.I start to become annoyed. I punch the nearby wall from the corner I am sitting in. I expect to feel pain, but the wall is actually soft, made of a cushion like material. Interesting.Atrophy can take usually from about 3 hours to 3 full days from lack of exercise depending on how long a human has refrained from moving. In your predicament, my calculations will put you at about 24 hours before your limbs will be movable once more.There it is, that voice again! "Whuu are yu!?" I shout, still failing at proper diction. The voice continues.Unfortunately, we are short time. We simply lack a full day to give you time to regain the muscle memory in your legs. Thus I offer up a scientific solution. Please partake.Suddenly a small compartment starts opening on the wall: Right where I just punched! In the little metal compartment, is a single pill. It is half red, and half white. It is small, and oval shaped, with nothing extraordinary about it. I pick it up and feel it.Go on. Eat it. Yeah, right. The little compartment withdraws quickly back into the wall. Suddenly it protrudes once more revealing a medium sized cup of clear water. "REVEEL YERSELF! Whuu are yu? Don't be a cowerd! Whut 'ave you dun to me?" I shout angrily at the four walls.The little mechanical voice sounded off in my head once more. Don't worry, I wouldn't have woken you up, if I intended to poison you. I need you for something... Important... I can assure you however, that taking that pill will be very helpful.I look at the little pill in my open hand, totally without trust. Finally I decide I do not trust it, and toss it across the room at full force, watching bounce off a wall, and land spinning in the middle of the tile.I wouldn't have done that if I were you. Oh well. We must proceed to the first test."Gerrout uf my 'ead!" I yell with my numb tongue.Suddenly there is a quiet movement at the corner of my eye. I notice one of the walls is slowly starting slide open like the door to an elevator, revealing only darkness beyond the exit. I feel more confusion. Instantly following the wall opening, there is a loud roar that resounds from outside the room. The roar is loud and deafening, but it sounds distant. The roar is still echoing down the hall, when it is followed by the sound of four feet hitting the ground pounding towards my small room. Shoot. I don't know what is coming, but it certainly doesn't sound friendly. I throw my full body weight of the slim white chair, and start crawling towards the entrance. Slowly, so slowly. The running foot steps get louder as I can hear them approaching. I am filled with fear, not knowing what man or beast awaits my fate. As I am about 75% through the room, I crawl next the red and white pill laying on the floor. I gulp loudly, and pick up the pill, and swallow it. My body suddenly feels brand new. All the numbness instantly vanishes, and I feel as good as new. I can move my legs, as if I had never suffered atrophy. I don't waste any time. I am instantly up, and rushing out the door. I am surrounded by darkness, in what appears to be a dark corridor. I don't have time to take in my surroundings, because not 15 feet away from me, is a huge panther. I would say demon panther would be a more accurate description. It is huge, and is clinging upside down from the ceiling. It has no eyes, only a black snout. It's body is slender, long and muscley, ribbed shoulders looking fierce. It's tail is long, and is hanging down towards me, head by an point at it's tail. It looks sharp and deadly.It growls at me loudly, and crouches, obviously getting ready to pounce. "AGGH!" I turn tail and start running down the dark and foreboding corridor. I have no idea where I am going, or what is at the end, but I do know that sudden death is behind me. I hear the beast pounce, on the floor, where I was at no more than 2 seconds ago, and begin it's pursuit chasing me. Each paw lands meters away from the last. This thing is fast, there is no way I will out run it. I have about a minute before I am dead meat. If only I had light.Well why didn't you just ask? Suddenly the entire corridor is flooded with light, as ceiling light flicker on rapidly. There is a loud shriek from the beast behind me. I turn around to see the beast writhing in pain at the blinding light, shriveling around on the floor in obvious pain. Smoke starts to drift from the panther-thing's body, as it almost looks as if it is burning. The deadly pointed tail is flapping about wildly. Finally it throws its full body weight into the wall of the corridor next to it. The wall shatters under the sheer weight of the beast, and a dark hole is formed. The beast runs through it screeching, until finally the noise fades. I have my legs on my knees panting heavily. That was close.I through the now lighted corridor, I see that I am near the end of this mysterious passage. At the end is a tray held up firmly against the wall. I walk over to it curiously.Sitting on the tray are two pills, one is red, and one is blue.I Pick them up.This is the first test, subject #319. The Blue Pill will give you temporary accelerated speed, while the red pill will grant you immense strength. I am about to question the need for this, when suddenly the light shut off in to corridor once, followed by a loud roar. Hmm.. Seems our friend has chewed up the power breaker. Better choose fast! PROBLEM: The protagonist is face with a strange choice, and faces possible death.