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Wind bristles through the oak trees scattered around the terrain, the emerald leaves rattle gently and cause a swishing to engulf the echoing landscape. Aimsey’s breath was caught in their chest. Their heart was beating erratically against their ribs, they could hear the beat below them and feel the thumping pulse from head to toe. The rhythm was dizzying. They closed their eyes and willed the beating to slow, even just for a moment, to clear their head. They stood against a stone cavern with a sweaty palm clasped over their mouth. Their breath was hot and stifled underneath their hand.
In the other hand was an iron axe, old and worn down, that was found in the rubble of a forgotten settlement. There were maroon stains that had seeped into the wooden handle, residing in the cracks and soaking into the porous log. The blade was dull and rusted but with enough force it could serve as a useful defense. Aimsey hoped so, at the very least.
A twig snapped in the distance. The sound was soft but Aimsey heard it loud and clear. They flinched and caved in on themself, raising the rusty axe from just beside their hip to in front of their chest. The other hand stayed in place firmly over their mouth.
Team Crab had chainsaws that they revved relentlessly, it couldn’t be them. They hadn’t bothered with a sneak attack yet and Aimsey doubted they would start now. Team Squirrel weren’t fighters, they don’t go after teams like this. Plus, they were allies with Aimsey’s team, Team Goose, so they could be ruled out almost immediately. Team Axolotl were a threat, they’re on the elimination board for today, and their leader, Gato, is a strong competitor. Anything to save themselves from the untimely end. Team Crow were in the lead, sitting at the top of the board and immune from elimination, but that had never stopped them from going for more points before. Maybe they were running a few more victory laps. Aimsey’s stomach curled uncomfortably.
It was mid game, according to The Observer. Roughly half of the teams were eliminated. It had only been two days at most since they arrived on the island. Dozens of people were…gone? In only two days.
How many were just as afraid as Aimsey is right now?
A sharp sound resounded through their head and they cried out in pain, clutching their hair and attempting to rip the cochlear implant out, as they did every time a new message played. It was exhausting to have the grating voice of The Observer flooding their head and reverberating through their skull. The watch on their right wrist flashed a neon yellow. It was bright and nauseating to look at, it burned their eyes every time that it appeared. According to older members of Purgatory it was a similar colour to toxic or radioactive waste symbols. Aimsey had seen a few around the island in the past few hours but never before that. The other islands were kept in good shape.
“Hello, Sinners.” The familiar voice growled in their ear.
It was speaking to all of them, every member of this so called Purgatory, all at once. No one knew who was behind the voice. No one knew who was behind this entire ‘game’. They knew it had something to do with The Federation but no one could pinpoint a name, The Federation were notoriously elusive.
Though, some claimed that even The Federation weren’t cruel enough to do this. Others scoffed at that.
“I am pleased to see that there are more bodies piled for our victor to trample over.” The Observer crooned sadistically, the voice they hid behind was deep and robotic.
As if they wanted their ‘competitors’ to know they hid behind an alias.
“I come to remind you that you do not have the luxury of friends here. You do not have the comfort of safety. The only friends that you have are those placed into the same category as you.” It droned on.
Aimsey rolled their eyes. No matter how many times it insisted that their teammates weren’t of value, they wouldn’t believe it. Friendships could always be valued. It was a cheap tactic to isolate them and make them weaker. Aimsey wasn’t blind, nor naive, but maybe they were a bit too hopeful. They wanted to believe these were people that they could trust. They enjoyed the company of these new friends, however terrible the circumstances of meeting them were.
“That is why I have removed all categories. Some of you are blind, too comfortable. You have settled into a fantasy of kindness. The world is not that kind. Especially not to the likes of you vermin.”
Aimsey froze.
Their blood ran cold. Surely this wouldn’t change things. It couldn’t, could it? They had friends, allies, and the people here were kind. They may be power hungry and they may have all been placed here for a reason but they wouldn’t feed into a free for all. They all had more sense than that.
“This is your purgatory. This is the punishment and reckoning for all sinners like you . It is kill or be killed in my game. Choose your fate.” The Observer growled.
Kill or be killed. The obnoxious phrase that got them here in the first place.
The Federation islands were created about forty years ago to protect the ‘elite and prestigious’ from the current state of the world. Political riots had increased at a startling rate. It started with online unionizing, as online platforms became a reliable place to arrange strikes and rallies. It was small, in the beginning, it had been small communities joining forces and making small political differences in regional factions. Then it spread. It became larger than small cities, or towns, and soon became nation wide. Then continent wide. Mass riots broke out online, targeting government figures and banding to create change.
Even just online, the impact had been "disastrous", news outlets couldn’t keep up with the feuds. World leaders were eventually called to speak on the issue and to insight some sort of peace between the people. World leaders got nowhere. Every word they spoke was picked apart and contradicted. Not a single word could be shared online without someone finding a problem with it. That’s what The Federation told the children, at least.
Their supposed solution was to cut all internet access. Not globally, just in a specific country. Aimsey still doesn’t know which country that was. With that, the riots moved to a physical space in outrage of their communications being cut. Their hopes of squashing the embers of uproar had only provided the kindling enough oxygen to burst into a blaze. It was thought that the general population was cowardly and would only hide behind their anonymity when speaking out. Without the image of others anonymously beside them, they would crumble, most hypothesized.
They must have miscalculated.
Supposedly it gets blurry after that but Aimsey can guess there’s just some details The Federation chose to hide from the new generation. Perhaps there were details that they ‘lost’ in the time of war. What they do know is that a group called The Federation stepped in once world leaders and political figures were being targeted and attacked in response to the blackout. They moved every person they considered ‘elite or prestigious’ to a system of connecting islands they had previously used for some sort of labour force. The Federation didn’t like to focus on the past of the islands and dolled out punishment to anyone who encouraged it.
Aimsey wasn’t an important world figure, they were born into this. Any children born within The Federation islands were moved to a separate island to grow up together. Aimsey heard whispers that it was a strategy to raise a new generation without information of the ‘before’. However, not every Federation worker was keen to turn a blind eye, and eventually word would get around one way or another that this was not how the world used to be. All the children knew that something was off with the islands, even if it was only a small doubt in the back of their minds.
No one knew how many islands there were in total, only that they connected through The Federation and housed many civilizations. Every few months a few people from each island would disappear. A kind, older woman Aimsey knew a few years ago, Kristen, told them that when this happened the very first time The Federation panicked and sent out a warrant for their arrest. When they never turned up again, The Federation started declaring each disappearance as ‘mandatory vacation time’.
“A dumb excuse if you ask me,” Kristen said with a smirk. “They could’ve come up with something better.”
Well, this must be where ‘mandatory vacation time’ is. Purgatory Island.
It had all happened so fast, one moment Aimsey was taking their dog, Bug, out for a walk around the nearby village and the next they had been shoved into a dark tunnel. The voice they would come to know as The Observer echoed through the tunnel, calling them names and instructing them to follow down the hallway.
“You don’t know me but I know you. Welcome to the final test, Aimsey.” A deep and robotic voice spoke into the empty halls of the dark, stone tunnel Aimsey found themself in.
Aimsey startled. They looked around, whipping their head from side to side but all they saw were stone walls. It was dimly lit, the lighting leaning towards an orange glow. In another time they might have thought the light to be beautiful. It was similar to the kind of orange you admire in a sunset.
“Hello? Who’s there? This isn’t funny,” Aimsey laughed anxiously.
When they got no response, they called out again. “Did Michela put you up to this?”
“Hush. Follow the light, little lepidoptera.” The stranger told them.
“Little what?” Aimsey muttered in confusion. Despite the strange nature of the situation, they complied to speed up whatever it was that was going on.
Aimsey blindly followed the trail of small glowing lights before them, hesitantly stepping closer towards the large wooden door sitting at the end of the tunnel. Their heart was beating harshly in their chest. The thumping was heavy and their breaths were uneven.
When they reached the end of the hall, they peered through the small window at the top. The glass was foggy and smudged but they could see a glowing, orange light behind the door. With shaking hands they opened the door at the end of the hallway and stepped through. There was another long, stretching length with a wooden door at the end.
BANG!
Aimsey jumped as the door slammed behind them loudly. The boom resounded through the echoing cavern underground. Their chest hurt from the strength of their beating heart.
“Have you ever taken a life, Aimsey?” The same voice returned, sounding almost… amused?
“What the hell is your problem? I don’t know what this is but, please, stop!” Aimsey yelled out, frustrated and afraid.
“Have you ever taken a life?” The voice repeated, sounding harsher than before.
Aimsey’s breath caught in their throat as they choked out their response.
“No! No, I haven’t and I won’t ever. That’s ridiculous.” They said softly.
Suddenly, the door behind them opened again. Aimsey turned around to see a blonde girl in an orange sweater and muddy jeans stumble through the entrance, eyes wide with shock and tears running down her cheeks.
The pair stared at one another for a few moments. Neither knew what to say, it seemed as if they were both equally terrified and confused by the bizarre situation. The silence was more unbearable to listen to than the mysterious voice speaking to them.
“This is Guqqie. Guqqie, this is Aimsey.” The strange voice introduced them, gleefully.
Guqqie stared at Aimsey like a deer in headlights. Aimsey stared back in the very same way.
“Are you,” Aimsey’s voice cracked. “Are you from a different island? I’ve never seen you.”
Guqqie stepped backwards towards the door and stumbled into it. With her back against the door, she slowly nodded.
“I think.” She replied shortly, though her voice was kind and soft.
Aimsey nodded slowly, processing the situation. This was a lot more than they could handle. It was all so fast and they still had no idea why this was happening. Or what would happen next. God, what was going on? Strange things happen on The Federation Islands but this was too far, no scheming management leader would do this. Would they?
“Do you know what’s happening here?” Aimsey asked her quietly, hands up near their chest in a placating manner.
Guqqie's eyes filled with tears as she shook her head slowly. She squeezed her eyes shut and tilted her head downwards. She took a deep breath before looking back up, towards Aimsey.
“Only one of you will make it out of here.” The mysterious voice broke through the tension.
Both Guqqie and Aimsey froze, looking towards each other in shock. Guqqie attempted to push herself further into the door and gain distance from Aimsey.
“I’m not, I’m not going to hurt you,” Aimsey stuttered, stepping closer towards Guqqie with pleading eyes.
Guqqie shut her eyes once more, scrunching her face up and facing away from Aimsey.
“What do you mean only one of us? What do you want from us?” Aimsey yelled at the stranger, head towards the ceiling as if speaking to an omnipotent force. For all they knew, maybe they were.
“You have existed on these islands without consequence for far too long. If it is kill or be killed, will you take a life?” The voice cackled.
The stranger sounded all too pleased with the situation, they sounded sadistic and deranged.
Guqqie shuddered, leaning into the door as much as she could and crying. Aimsey felt their heart stop. Time had frozen as the stillness set in. Who the hell would force them to kill a stranger? Aimsey wouldn’t kill someone, they would find a way out of this. Guqqie looked so afraid. She didn’t know Aimsey but surely she couldn’t actually believe that they would hurt her. Aimsey didn’t look like the kind of person to kill someone, right? This had to be some sick joke.
“Hey, hey! Guqqie, right? We can find a way out of here. We don’t have to do this.” Aimsey spoke softly, attempting to comfort Guqqie into a more coherent state of mind.
Guqqie looked up at them, eyes bloodshot and tears still rolling. Aimsey smiled kindly at her and tried to mask their own fear. They rolled their shoulders back and stood tall with a soft smile. They slowly reached a hand out towards Guqqie, nodding at her and smiling wider when Guqqie slowly took their hand. They gently tugged Guqqie towards the other door at the end of the hallway.
Surely they could get out of here. One step at a time is all it would take.
Aimsey tried the door. The handle barely moved an inch and all the lock did was rattle quietly. They should have expected that but they had held onto a small spark of hope that getting out of this really would be that simple.
Guqqie started to cry again, leaning against the wall to her left. With a newfound anger Aimsey began kicking at the door in front of them. They yelled out in frustration as they kicked the door repeatedly, slamming their boot into the wood and pulling on the handle.
“LET US GO!” Aimsey cried out as they continued to kick the door.
If they could break even a small hole into the wood they could likely reach the lock on the other side and run.
Aimsey kicked for as long as they could. Their toes ached and their legs burned from the strain. The rubber rim of their shoe started to wear against the force, the material pulling upwards slightly and collapsing inwards.
With a final kick they collapsed against the door, tears welling up in their own eyes now. This couldn’t be real, they couldn’t do this. Why was this happening? Why Aimsey? Why Guqqie?
With a heavy sigh, Aimsey turned around towards Guqqie just in time to see her swing a large bat towards their head. With a scream Aimsey jumped to the left and the bat crashed into the door. It didn’t even scratch the surface.
“We aren’t getting out of here,” Guqqie whispered, voice hoarse and shaking.
“Guqqie, please don’t,” Aimsey pleaded.
Guqqie seemed to hesitate, the bat freezing in her hands and her face breaking. She looked so afraid. If it was possible to speak through your eyes then she was doing it right now. Her expression was screaming in terror, her eyes were so wide and so frazzled. Her gaze darted around Aimsey’s face rapidly. For a moment Aimsey’s heart jumped with hope, they wouldn’t have to do this.
Guqqie glanced back towards the unscathed door and her expression hardened. She looked back towards Aimsey with a fire in her eyes.
Guqqie swung again, harder this time.
Aimsey cried out and ducked quickly, landing on their knees on the cold, concrete floor. They spotted the wooden barrel where Guqqie had gotten the bat in the first place, standing in the left corner near the door. They crawled towards it as fast as they could and flipped around, their back against the barrel as they looked up at Guqqie. When she showed no sign of stopping her attack, Aimsey leapt to their feet and grabbed the barrel.
Aimsey closed their eyes and threw the barrel at Guqqie’s head as hard as they could. It cracked, the oak wood breaking off and leaving a small hole where it had hit Guqqie.
She cried out in pain and swung her bat again, hitting Aimsey in the leg.
Aimsey screamed and fell to the ground on their knees once again. Guqqie swung one more time, aiming for their head, but Aimsey grabbed the bat mid swing and tugged it into their own hands. Guqqie stumbled and fell forward on top of Aimsey, wrestling for the bat.
Aimsey brought their leg up and kicked her in the stomach. Guqqie flew backwards and fell onto her back. Aimsey, now on top of Guqqie and holding the bat, attempted to deescalate the situation.
“Please, STOP!” Aimsey screamed.
Guqqie continued to kick and punch, grabbing their hair and slamming their head into the wall to their right. Aimsey held the bat firm in their grasp and swung down onto Guqqie.
“I don’t want to kill you, I DON’T WANT TO KILL YOU, PLEASE!” Aimsey yelled out hysterically.
Aimsey hadn’t noticed that they were still slamming the bat into her body as they yelled out to stop the fight. Aimsey gagged as they heard a loud crack and crawled away from Guqqie’s body. The bat fell to the concrete floor with a loud clatter and rolled away from the two of them. Aimsey couldn’t breathe.
Their hands were covered in red, thick blood. Their head was spinning. Their vision was splotched with black coverage and the pounding in their chest felt as if it might kill them at any second.
“This isn’t real, this can’t be real.” Aimsey whispered to themself, staring at their hands in agony. “I didn’t want to hurt you…”
They were sobbing on the floor of this dark hallway as the stranger’s voice floated back into reality.
“Congratulations, Aimsey, you passed your test. You and I both know that wasn’t necessary, did you really have to kill her?” Their tone was condescending and cruel.
“I HAD NO CHOICE!” Aimsey yelled, their voice giving out with the volume of the outburst.
“You always had a choice and this is what you chose.” The voice yelled back at them.
Aimsey felt their head flood with pain before they saw their vision go black. The last they heard was the sound of rope unraveling and a door creaking open before they fell victim to their injuries.
Presently, Aimsey didn’t know what to do. It was kill or be killed but Aimsey would do anything not to kill again. Their watch flashed that same, fluorescent yellow and stayed that way.
Their team colour had been removed.
With a new sense of urgency, Aimsey sprinted through the surrounding forest as fast as they could. They heard the calls of other teams (or now just people?) as they ran through the arena.
“AIMEE!” A loud voice called out to them, at least a few miles away.
Aimsey looked over to see Tubbo, their team leader, waving frantically at them. The rest of their teammates, Tiba, Malena, and Cherry were there with him. Aimsey sighed in relief. They knew their team would stay together, even with the rules changing.
Aimsey sprinted towards them. It was a long distance, they were stood on a hill quite far away, and Aimsey had never been a runner. Their chest heaved as they ran as fast as they could towards their friends.
“QUICK, GET AIMEE!” Someone yelled as they ran through.
Aimsey startled in shock but kept running towards their target. Their breath quickened even more, if possible, as they ran, terrified.
“SHELBY, JUST DO IT!” Another voice yelled angrily from the distance, though significantly closer than the first was.
Aimsey yelped in shock as they were tackled to the ground by another player. With the speed Aimsey was running and the force of the attack, they both fell to the ground and rolled against the dry dirt.
Aimsey felt one of their ribs crack from the impact.
Apparently the tackle had only been a distraction, as another player pulled Aimsey up by their hair and held a knife against their neck. Aimsey struggled harshly, pulling at the arms holding them up and screaming.
“I’m sorry.” The player behind them whispered.
Aimsey froze. Tears burned at their eyes almost immediately.
“Shelby?” Aimsey whispered back in shock. Their voice did nothing to conceal the utter dread they felt.
“Shelby, what are you doing? We’re allies-” Aimsey panicked, starting to thrash around in her arms again.
“Didn’t you hear? There’s no more allies, no more teams, it’s over now!” One of her team members, Jinki, yelled out.
“Shelby, we’re friends!” Aimsey yelled over Jinki.
The only person here Aimsey knew before Purgatory was Shelby. They had grown up together before Shelby was moved to a different section of the island. They made gardens together, they went to school together, they wrote each other letters from across the island. The betrayal burned their heart so harshly, it scorched their chest and burned in their lungs.
Aimsey looked up to see Tubbo running towards them with an axe. He was sprinting down the hill, screaming for the rest of the team to stay put and grab medical supplies from their bags.
They had spent so long trying not to give into The Observer’s will, to give them what they want from this ‘game’, and yet, they have suffered so much trying to remain the way that they were before this Purgatory. If they are going to be here, if they are going to die here, why would they go through so much to delay the inevitable?
They felt scorned. The one person from another team they considered to be a friend currently had a knife against their throat. No one outside of their team could be trusted.
With an indescribable rage, Aimsey plucked the knife out of Shelby’s weak grasp and thrust it into her thigh. Shelby groaned and stumbled backwards. Aimsey pulled the knife out before Shelby could get away and lunged at Jinki. Aimsey had never been a fighter and the sudden attack caught Jinki off guard. She yelped and attempted to jump out of the way but Aimsey grabbed her by the shoulders and swiftly slashed her neck with the blade. Jinki fell to the ground, gasping.
“AIMEE!” Tubbo yelled, crashing into them and wrapping his arms around them tightly.
Aimsey shuddered in relief and clung to his body. Sobs wracked their body as they hugged their friend. The two sat in silence for a moment, Tubbo cradling their head and Aimsey sobbing.
“You killed her..” Tubbo whispered into their ear.
Fear stabbed at their heart as they replied in a broken tone. “I did.”
“And they deserved it,” Aimsey continued, squeezing Tubbo’s chest.
They felt Tubbo stiffen in shock, his body locking and his shoulders rising towards his ears. Aimsey waited with baited breath as Tubbo stood frozen. Their heart stuttered in their chest, it felt as if lighting was striking them down repeatedly. Their chest squeezed as they were divided between keeping hope and protecting their spirit by expecting the worst. Their tears continued to fall.
Slowly, Tubbo relaxed into them. He slowly nodded his head into their shoulder.
“They did.” He said, confidence in his tone.
Aimsey’s heart warmed. He wasn’t just trying to comfort them, to console their broken state of mind. He believed it too. They were in this together.
The pair separated and Aimsey looked towards Shelby, who was slowly crawling away and coddling the stab wound in her thigh. The rest of her team had run. Looks like they’re playing by the new rules now, every man for themself.
“You were my best friend. I won’t forget this.” Aimsey called out to her before turning back to Tubbo and following him up the hill.
“Are you okay?” Tubbo asked them as they caught up to him, joining him side by side up the hill.
Aimsey took a deep breath and pondered that question. Were they okay?
Well, the short answer was no. But were any of them? They had all been kidnapped, thrown into a murder ‘game’, and told it was kill or be killed. They were told friends had no value and shown that you could not trust anyone. They were constantly belittled by an unknown force. This situation was horrifying and gruesome.
Though, they had made it this far. It was at least halfway through the game, according to The Observer, and all of their team members were still alive.
Killing Jinki should have made them sick, they should have screamed and cried and felt nauseous as they did when they killed… her. Instead, they felt relieved. They felt less trapped, less suffocated, less like an ant in a world of stomping boots.
After spending so long avoiding the game the way it was intended, it felt freeing to give in. It was a disgusting thought, Aimsey knew that, but that didn’t change how they felt about it.
“I think I will be.” Aimsey decided on, finally giving their answer after a few beats of silence.
Tubbo hummed, slinging an arm around their shoulder as they walked the rest of the distance towards their team.
“Aimsey!” Cherry called out first, running towards Aimsey and crushing them in a hug.
Aimsey giggled and hugged her back, swaying the two of them back and forth, lightly.
“Did you really kill her?” Tiba asked, cautiously.
Aimsey looked towards him without so much as a flinch and nodded. The rest of Team Goose stood, stunned by the response.
“Guys, how do you feel about giving up?” Aimsey asked them in a light tone.
“I’m sorry, what?” Tubbo asked incredulously, grabbing their shoulder and shaking them around.
“Hear me out! What if we stop trying to bend the rules? We’ve avoided killing, stealing, making enemies, and for what? Shelby just tried to kill me and they disbanded all the teams!” Aimsey rambled angrily, pointing furiously towards the ground below the mountain.
“They kept telling us there would only be one survivor, not a team full of survivors. I would rather go out with all of you than survive without you with me. I say we go out with a bang.” Aimsey continued.
They spoke with determination, the perspective change obviously shocking their teammates. It was silent for a moment but Aimsey did not feel that sparking, lightning strike go through their chest this time. They stood confidently, planning to work with whatever response their team gave.
When they thought no one would agree, someone spoke up.
“I’m in.” Tiba said quietly.
The team looked at him in shock and he shrunk in on himself.
“I don’t want to win. We’ve never had a winner return to the islands after this, I’d rather go out with my friends here than find out where the winner goes.” He explained, looking up at Aimsey with a small smile.
“Me too, I’m in ‘miga.” Said Cherry, looking towards Aimsey with a grin, wrapping an arm around their waist.
“I’ll take it!” Tubbo piped up, keeping his stance beside Aimsey.
Aimsey looked at their team with a watery grin, they hadn’t imagined anything from Purgatory could turn out even remotely okay, yet here they were. The four looked towards Malena, who looked conflicted and was chewing at her lip.
She looked at each of her teammates, seeing the fire in their eyes, and caved.
“You are all nuts,” She cackled. “But I love you.”
The team laughed together, loudly, and cheered as Malena joined their group huddle.
God would frown upon them, Aimsey was sure of it, but it was better than dying a pitiful death at this point in the game. If it was kill or be killed, they would grow the piled bodies near the arena centre and set the terrain ablaze in their wake. It was what The Observer wanted. It had taken all the participants and put them here because it thought they deserved this fate. It decided they were sinners and vermin the second it laid its supposedly omnipotent gaze upon them.
It felt sickening to give into The Observer's will but the joy of hope with friends was much better than the feeling of everlasting doom that attempting to keep a moral compass brought. If The Observer had already decided they were scum, what would it do to defend that? It obviously would not change its decision or let them free any time soon. They were trapped here, this was their purgatory, what did they want their last moments to be?
They were more than individuals now, they had a collective purpose and a legacy to create. Team Goose would go on in history. They may die in the next few hours, minutes, or days, but at least it will be on their terms and not to the will of others. Maybe, just possibly, the next victims of Purgatory Island will know what they stood for and whispered words would travel through the wind, just like they do on the other islands.
For now, the cycle repeats; The Observer will pick out new residents of The Federation Islands and force them to succumb to its decided fate. Someday, though, it might not be referred to as a mystery The Federation conceals and rather a figment of the past.