Into the darkness
You step into the darkness, and the door slams shut behind you, leaving you in a void. The only thing you can be certain of is yourself and the floor beneath you. You stand in the darkness for only a moment before the booming voice speaks. The Voice has normally come from some indeterminate point, so you're a bit surprised to find it coming from about a foot from your face. From this proximity, the voice has an odd quality you've never noticed before. It isn't just sounds coming from an invisible speaker...the Voice definately has a sentient quality to it, and you can't help but feel that, even though you can't see a thing, the Voice can see you.
"Congratulations, my friend," the Voice booms, "you have shown yourself to be a cut above your fellow players. You took an immense risk by entering a door that matched your form, having no way of knowing what it would do to you. And now you have stepped into an inky blackness, leaving companionship and free food behind you. In a few moments, you will move on to Round 2. But first, as a special bonus, you may ask me three questions."
"Three questions?" you ask. Oops.
"Yes, three," booms the voice. "You now have 2 remaining."
You blurt out the first question that comes to mind.
"Where am I?"
"You are here, at the threshold between rounds One and Two, in the place where bonus questions are asked." The voice, despite having allowed you to ask questions, is obviously not very eager to give you useful information. The voice speaks again: "Be warned. You have one question remaining before you begin Round 2. The questions you ask will help to determine the exact nature of that round, as well as the form you take on when you begin it. Your first question was an utter waste. Your second was little better. This third question may redeem you, or destroy you, so...think...very...carefully..."
Talk about pressure. On that note, what will your next question be?
Written by Zodiac on 23 October 2007