Initiation

One of you is going to die today.  That is just one of the many trials of our community.  Everyone must do this initiation, but not many survive it.

You three are wise to do this trial together, this gives you a two in three chance of survival, but consider yourselves fortunate!  Not long ago, in the generation before mine, everyone was gassed to death; man, woman & child.  Less than a handful of us lived to witness this massacre and share the stories with our young.

So now all must go through this initiation in hope that we never get gassed again, that every sacrifice that is made is enough to satiate the giants of this world and they won’t feel the need to exterminate all of us once again.

So for now, you must stand your ground and hope that the shadow of death does not land upon your head, but on that of your opponent!

There is no friendship in this barren world only individuality until it is time to mate… if you live that long.

Stand strong!

The three nervous faces looked up, frozen in fear as the shadow of death came down upon them at a terrifying speed…

…and took the middle one out.

“Damn those flies!!  Now get off my TV screen!!!”