The First Selection

“Come now, we don’t have all day.” The voice rang through the speakers fitted into each corner of the room, echoing in the ears of the groggy headed individuals occupying the chamber. “Wake up!”
03, the deer, was the first to sit up. He held a hand to his head as though he’d been struck. The cameras focused on his confused expression as he looked over his fellow abductees.
“Where…?”
“Three, please be a dear,” the voice paused, laughing at his pun, “and jostle the others?”
“Three…? You mean… me…?”
“Yes.”
The cervine reached over to the wolf at his side and gently rocked at his shoulder. “Hey, are you okay…?”
The wolf, 01, rolled over in his sleep, groaning and swatting at the deer’s hand. He yawned and brought his knees up to his chest, mouth hanging open as he continued to drool in his uninterrupted slumber.
03 shook 01 again before turning to his right. The cheetah, 02, lay on his back, eyes half-open as he stared at the dull, red, ceiling lights. As the deer attempted to touch him, the cheetah snarled and scooted away.
“Don’t touch me!” the boy shouted, folding his arms in front of his bare chest. He wore nothing more than a pair of boxers, the most exposed of the bunch, and looked around frantically, the high definition cameras taking note of the tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
The ruckus woke 05, the civet, from her sleep. Sitting up on one elbow, she stared at the one-way mirror on the wall, eyes fiery and dangerous.
“Yes, Five, I am behind the window. You’ve seen these before.”
“Where the hell am I? Who are these people?” She attempted to stand but only managed to rise to one knee.
“We’ll get to that.”
06, the grey fox, and 04, the cougar, both woke at almost the same time, each meeting one another’s gaze before turning their attention to 02. The cheetah was nearing hysterics and threw a punch at 03, the deer just barely managing to swat his arm aside.
“It’s okay…” the deer assured, quickly taking hold of the feline’s arms and smiling. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Where am I? Who are you?” The cheetah was openly crying, his lithe body shaking with each heave of his lungs.
“One,” the voice called over the intercom, “won’t you wake up and join your new friends?”
Still, the wolf slumbered. 05 managed to pull herself to her feet and quickly crossed the distance between them. With a growl, she kicked the wolf’s side.
“Be gentle!” the voice insisted.
01’s eyes opened and he let loose a sharp yip, holding his arms up defensively as if expecting another strike. When no further pain was presented, he looked over his hands, expression changing to confusion as realization set in.
“Am I dreaming?”
“No,” the voice answered. “But, you’re all awake! Excellent!”
“All right, fuck head,” 04 spat, using 06’s shoulder for leverage to stand. “What the hell is this? Are you some kind of obsessed fan?”
“Fan?” 06 asked, looking around the room. “Are you a porn star too?”
“Am I a- What?” 04 looked down at the grey with disgust. “No! I’m an author, you fuck.” The cougar pointed up at the window and bared her teeth. “Who are you? I recognize your voice, even through the shitty voice modulation.”
“Yeah,” 03 agreed, still holding the cheetah’s arms steady. “I… I recognize it too.”
The speakers were silent a moment, leaving the contestants to themselves. After a minute, the lights grew brighter, illuminating the rest of the chamber.
“Welcome,” the voice began, this time without the modulator, “to ‘Purgatory’!”
“Ankou?” 04 asked in disbelief.
“Ankou?” 03 repeated, looking over to the cougar with concern. “As in ‘Master’ Ankou? From the dungeon?”
“What dungeon?” 02 managed, the cheetah pulling an arm free of the deer’s grip and wiping his eyes. “I… The cardiologist I saw was named Dr. Ankou, I think.”
“…This isn’t what I thought I was applying for,” 01 mumbled, staring down at his feet and blinking his eyes against the brightly lit room.
“This is just a video, right, sir?” 06 asked, standing on shaky legs but holding his chest out proudly, pointing up at the dark domes on the ceiling. “Show the camera your bodies, guys!” The fox leaned back, nearly losing his footing from the remnant drugs in his system. “Ankou is a photographer. He makes porn.”
“I’ve never heard of him,” 05 said, crossing her arms. “And I sure as hell don’t star in porn.”
The room had three entrances and was laid out in a rectangular manner. To one side of the room was a steel door, above which glowed a white sign saying ‘Heaven’. The door rested on five, glowing bolt-hinges and lacked a handle.
Opposite of the ‘Heaven’ door was a double steel door. Above that, glowing in bright orange, was a sign reading ‘Hell’. Across from the mirror was the final door, a simple thing of wood, above which glowed a sign in yellow lights reading ‘Penance’.
Beneath the mirror itself, illuminated by dull, grey lights and fitted into the wall, was the side of a large, black coach. The windows were tinted black and though there were no visible mechanisms, the wheels spun slowly on their own.
“Are you going to explain what this is?” 04 asked, walking to the center of the room and staring at the mirror.
“Of course,” Ankou answered. “As of now, your lives are on the line. Look around. Of the six of you, five will die, one will be released.” The coyote waited and gave the cameras ample time to capture each of the contestants’ responses as his words sunk in.
01 joined 02 in openly crying, 03 bowed his head in thought, 04’s expression turned to one of disbelief, 05 grew angrier, and 06 continued posing and sticking his tongue out.
“This is shit!” 05 shouted, stomping her foot and flipping off the ceiling cameras.
“Not to mention highly illegal,” 03 added, wrapping an arm around the cheetah and cradling him against his shoulder as the boy wept.
“It’s all a show, guys,” 06 whispered, flexing his arms before padding across the room to 01. “Don’t cry. Stand proud!” He reached down and placed his hand on the wolf’s shoulder, licking his lips hungrily. “I mean, look at us, we’re all hot. It’s just porn!”
“If I may continue,” Ankou asked with a laugh. A panel to the left of his mirror came to life, revealing it to be a large monitor. The display showed six numbers, each in rows of three, one for each contestant. Beneath their number, an EKG line was shown, broadcasting their heart rates. “Each of you has been fitted with a wireless sensor surgically implanted just beneath the skin. This device allows us to keep track of your heart rates for our viewers’ pleasure as well as allows us – and our clientele – to tune into your heartbeat whenever they feel. For example…”
Ankou’s voice cut off and in its place, a rapid, deep heartbeat began to pound through the four speakers, vibrating the floor with each pump. The beat matched the heart of 03, the deer holding a hand to his chest and avoiding his competition’s gaze. The heartbeat quickened slightly, matching the jumping line on screen.
The speakers went silent. Ankou’s voice returned with a chuckle. “You see? At any given moment, our viewers can tune in to any one of your hearts, 24/7. Within ‘Purgatory’, your lives are always on camera. When you eat, when you sleep, when you play, when you die. Someone is watching you.”
“Fuck you,” 04 shouted. The cougar’s heart rate increased by ten beats on the screen.
“Obviously, this may be hard to come to terms with, but please, we won’t torture any of you and this is no game show. There will not be challenges to earn immunity or backroom alliances to throw your fellow competitors under the bus.” Ankou took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “The door marked ‘Heaven’, there? Do you see the five bolts? Those are locks. For each of your hearts that goes still, a new bolt will be released. When five of you are dead, the last goes free.”
“Who determines-” 01’s voice caught in his throat and he rose to his feet with the help of 06. “Who determines who dies?”
“I’m glad you asked!” The panel to the right of Ankou’s mirror lit up at that, revealing what appeared to be a bar graph, each of the contestants’ numbers laid out on the bottom row. “At the end of each session, our viewers are allowed to vote on one of your numbers. Each viewer is allotted one vote. The person who receives the most votes will be escorted by my twin Pale Horses to the ‘Hell’ chamber where you will be summarily executed.”
“That’s it?” 03 asked, his expression sour. “Random strangers are paying just to watch us die? We don’t get a say?”
“Correct! This is why there are no internal games or challenges like you might see on reality television. We simply want you to enjoy yourselves to the best of your ability and live… until you die.”
02 composed himself enough to look up from the deer’s shoulder and ask, “How long are the sessions?”
“Glad to see you’re with us, Two.” Ankou hummed. “It depends. A good rule of thumb is to expect one a day.”
“Explain this voting system,” the cougar demanded. “What if someone doesn’t want me to die? I’m supposed to expect them to damn one of these others to death?”
“Again, a good question.” Ankou cleared his throat. “You’re absolutely correct. If, for example, you catch the eye of a white knight who wants to protect you, the best way he can do that is to vote for one of the other five. If someone wants to see you die, they spend their vote on you. Simple enough?”
It was 06’s time to question the reality of his situation. The grey fox chewed on his lower lip, eyes watching the screen broadcasting their heart rates as he felt over his chest. “Is this for real?” he mumbled, heart rate increasing by nearly twenty beats as his competition turned their attention to him. “Ankou… You… you said I could walk out if I didn’t want to do anything…”
“I lied. Yes. This is for real. I met with each of you and I know my audience. You’ll all put on a great show, I’m sure of it!”
06’s knees began to quiver. “I don’t want to die…” 01 took the fox’s hand in his and smiled reassuringly, the wolf’s own muzzle damp with tears.
Ankou gestured to the cameramen in the room with him, directing them to the faces of the two males, biting his lip and keeping his eyes on the feed. The show had turned up even more of a crowd than before, the company having branched out to more than one region and the numbers showed.
“Now,” Ankou continued, “there are two rules. Each of these is extremely important.”
“Fuck you and your rules,” 05 spat. “What if I just kill these guys now? Won’t that open your door?”
03 stood and placed himself between the younger contestants at that. “I wouldn’t recommend trying.” He turned his head for a split second, catching in his peripherals 04 coming to stand alongside of him.
“Perfect timing!” Ankou clapped his hands together and a slit in the ceiling opened up, a military grade turret lowering itself on a long pole. “Rule number one,” he waited for the turret to whip around, red laser pointing at the civet’s chest, “no killing other contestants. Don’t even hurt them. If we think you’re going to cheat the system and take another’s life, we’ll take yours first. Every room is fitted with one of these bad boys and I promise, they don’t miss.”
The civet grit her teeth together and balled her fists, attempting to step away from beneath the red dot, growling as the turret followed her every movement. “And the second rule?”
“No names. From now on you are your number. If you share your name, even by accident, you will be disqualified and taken immediately to the ‘Hell’ chamber.”
The wolf swallowed heavily, unable to take his eyes off the spinning wheels of the coach. “That’s all?” he asked, mumbling quietly.
“That’s all! Within ‘Penance’ you’ll find plenty of entertainment, food, games – I’ve even been told there’s a hot tub for you to enjoy. Do whatever you’d like with it. Destroy it all if you feel so inclined to ruin everyone else’s last days.” Ankou leaned close to the mic at that and repeated, “But do not attempt to hurt anyone and no names. That’s all.”
“This is so fucked,” the cougar commented, looking to the deer and sighing. “Half of us aren’t even properly dressed.”
“They must’ve hit us without us realizing it. I don’t even remember where… Gah…”
“Me either…”
Ankou pressed a button on his dashboard, the latch to ‘Penance’ snapping loudly throughout the chamber. “Go on, now. Enjoy yourselves. You won’t hear back from me until it’s time for the first vote. Have fun!” With that, the coyote cut his voice and sat back in his chair, eyes locked on the screen tracking his viewers.
“Are you good?” 03 asked, holding a hand out to the cougar.
04 nodded. “As good as I can be.”
The deer nodded to the three boys who sat in a state of near catatonic shock. “Let’s help them inside. I can carry Two if you can usher One and Six in.”
The cougar flicked her eyes to the civet who paced just beneath the ‘Heaven’ sign. “What about her?”
Looking up to the exposed turret in the ceiling, 03 shrugged. “If she wants to stay out here and pout, let her. I don’t see how we’re going to fight this.”
“Agreed.”
03 took a deep breath and stepped carefully over to the cheetah’s side, kneeling before him and offering a hand. “Come on, Two. Let’s go see what ‘Penance’ holds for us, shall we?”
The boy recoiled away from the hand as though it were a snake. “This isn’t happening…” he closed his eyes tight and brought his knees to his chest. “Please, tell me I’m going to wake up…”
“I’m sorry, kid. It’s real. But, don’t be scared. We’re here for you, right, Four?”
The cougar looked over from 01, gripping the wolf’s shoulder. “That’s right. We’ll get through this together. You can trust us.”
“I’m supposed to be starting college this week… I… I made the team…”
The deer lidded his eyes. “I’m sorry, Two. I’m so sorry. Come on though. Can you walk?”
The cheetah attempted to sit up but just managed to fall back on an elbow, sobbing uncontrollably.
“I’m going to carry you, okay?” 03 waited until the boy nodded before scooping one arm under his knees and the other under his arms. Grunting, the stag lifted the cat up, cradling him in his arms and heading for the ‘Penance’ door.
04 had better luck with her charges. Both wolf and fox held enough of their senses together to follow her to the door, neither speaking.
“You coming with us?” 03 asked the civet, watching as she continued to pace.
“Fuck off,” 05 responded.
“Leave her.” 04 gripped the door handle and twisted, revealing the great room on the other side.
‘Penance’ was laid out very similar to a loft – minus any windows. To one side was an open kitchen, flanked by a fully stocked bar. Across from the kitchen was a ring of large sofas before a glass coffee table topped with magazines. A massive television, spanning the length of the floor to ceiling and practically the entire opposite wall, sat at the other end, multiple game systems residing in the shelf below.
As Ankou had promised, sitting in one corner, bubbles roaring, was a hot tub, red lights flashing from beneath the waters.
The only other doors in the room stood opposite of the one leading into the chamber they’d awoken in. One was decorated with the universal symbol for a bathroom, the other had been carved with three ‘Z’s’.
“Cute,” 03 said, carrying the cheetah to one of the couches and sitting him down.
“They really expect us to enjoy ourselves?” 04 asked, nosing up at the ceiling, “With those watching us?” She frowned as a camera turned to face her from within its dome.
“Well, it ‘is’ a show.” 03 reached up to his tie and pulled it loose before undoing the top button.
01 scratched at his chest as he padded around the room, pausing before the television and aimlessly flipping through the assorted games. 06 followed him, his mood having changed significantly.
“You want to play something?” 06 asked, stretching enough to lift his shirt.
“I don’t… I thought I was signing up for an office job. My parents had been so proud of me… All those years of school…” The wolf sniffed and tossed the games down, shoulders sagging.
“We’re on camera!” the fox chided. “Smile a little!”
“You don’t get it, do you?” 02 spoke up, looking around the room with wide, terrified eyes. “None of you do. There’s no sense in making friends or enjoying ourselves. What’s the point?” The cheetah held his hands to the sides of his head. “Why befriend one another? No matter what, at least one of you will die. Or you,” he shot, staring at 04 and 03. “Or… or me…”
“Yes,” the deer answered. “Five of us are going to die.” The words caught in his throat and he wondered what his EKG looked like. “But we don’t have to be cruel to one another, do we?”
“…I guess not…”
The deer rubbed his hands together before working with the buttons on his cuffs. Rolling up his sleeves he said, “That’s the spirit. Now who’s hungry? I… don’t see a clock but I could go for some breakfast.”
“You cooking?” 04 asked, leaning up against the kitchen counter and smiling despite it all.
“I can. I,” 03 looked up at the cameras and cut himself off. “I don’t know if I can say this but… I worked in a kitchen…?” His eyes twitched as he stared at the slit in the ceiling. When the turret didn’t come down, he breathed a sigh of relief and made his way to the refrigerator. “Let’s see here… we have eggs… bacon… milk… enough soda to make a diabetic out of all of us… orange juice-”
“Is there any bread?” 02 asked, peeking over the back of the sofa.
03 closed the fridge and opened the breadbox. “There is indeed. Do you want some toast?”
“Y… yes, please…”
“What about you two?” 03 called to the canines by the television.
“I… Um…” 01 wrung his hands and shrugged. “Surprise me?”
06 beamed. “Nothing for me, thanks. I try not to eat before a shoot.”
“Suit yourself. You?”
04 laughed. “Bacon, two strips. And eggs. Three. Scrambled, hold the salt.”
“Orders coming up!” 03 spun around and began retrieving the ingredients.
“Am I too late to place an order?” 05 walked in slowly, head down, ears back. She avoided eye contact as she took her place at the kitchen bar.
“No,” 03 said, washing his hands. “It’s good to see you. How are you…?”
“I’m sorry, okay? I’m… not used to not being in control.” The civet brought a hand to her jaw and pursed her lips. “I can’t believe this is happening. I don’t even know an ‘Ankou’.”
The cougar sat alongside 05 and took her coat off. “I met him in a bar. Ridiculously skinny coyote? White hair with this little red bang? Weird, grey eyes?”
05 was lost in thought. “I dated a few coyotes but- Oh!” She slammed her fist down on the counter. “Motherfucker! I fought him a week ago in a club I fight at!”
“Yeah? He any good?” 04 grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and bit a large chunk off.
The civet snorted. “I laid him out flat. No way was he the one who snatched us up.”
02 joined them at the counter then, sitting next to 04 and staring at his hands. “I can kind of remember. There were four of them. I…” He winced as if the memory hurt to dredge up. “I thought they were representatives of the team. They…” The cheetah pointed to his neck.
“They stuck you with a long needle…” 01 padded up, rubbing at his own neck.
“…Yeah.”
“What about you?” 05 asked the fox as he sauntered over.
“Well,” 06 began, “they got me too. Right here.” He pointed to his neck before taking a seat. “But they told me it was an immunization for…”
“For?” 03 looked over his shoulder while he mixed 04’s eggs.
“Like I said,” the grey shrugged, “I signed up to be in a porno. I’m still not sure if this is real or not.”
“Not sure- Are you stupid?” 05 jabbed her finger against the fox’s chest. “There’s an implant in your chest broadcasting your heartbeat to who knows how many watchers. I’d say it’s pretty real!”
Again, 06 shrugged, feeling over his chest as though searching for the sensor. “I’ve got nothing against fetish work.”
“Fetish work… I-”
“Five.” The deer dropped two slices of bread into the toaster. “What would you like?”
The question caught the civet off-guard and she slumped in the stool. “Just… whatever they’re having…”
“Look,” 04 said, finishing her apple and tossing the core in the trash. “We’re in this together. Five of us… Five of us are going to die if Ankou is to be believed. Let’s not make it harder on each other.”
“When do you think they’ll call us?” 01 asked, large ears splayed.
None of the contestants answered. Despite the normality of having breakfast, they were all painfully aware that they were being watched, each wondering how many votes he or she had gained.

~

“You cheated!” 01 shouted, reaching over the couch and grabbing at 02’s controller. The wolf laughed as the cheetah yanked him against his lap, turning his attention back to the screen just in time to watch 06 slam into his character with a lawn mower.
“And that’s three wins!” The grey threw his arms up and cheered before tossing the controller aside.
“You’re going already?” the wolf asked, whining and poking at the fox’s chest with a foot.
Grinning, 06 grabbed the foot by the ankle and brought it to his nose. Inhaling deeply, he arched his back and tail, taking care to keep his chest exposed for the cameras. “I already won three rounds,” the fox reiterated before planting a kiss on the wolf’s thick sole pad.
01 watched wide eyed, toes twitching as the fox exhaled. “Did you just smell my…”
“I did. It’s pretty nice,” 06 set the foot down and stood. “I think I’m going to join the chef in the hot tub. You look lonely over there by yourself!”
03 lifted a glass in the direction of the gamers before bringing it to his lips. “It’s really relaxing. You should all join.”
“Not before I get at least one win,” 02 complained, readying up and crossing his legs.
01 sat up and pulled his foot back, flexing his toes and staring with wonder at the fox as he removed his shirt.
The civet stepped out of the bathroom then, wearing nothing but a towel. “Are you boys still at it?”
“Want to join?” 02 asked.
“No, thanks. I’m worn out from training. I think I’ll go take a nap.”
“You’re going to sleep?” 01 shook his head. “I don’t think I’ll sleep until this whole thing is over…”
05 shrugged and waved as she entered the bunkroom.
“Hey, Three!” The cougar called, looking up from her notebook. “What is that meal called with the drowned birds?”
The deer smirked. “Ortolans. Are you still writing?”
“Yeah. I make it a habit to write every day.”
“Why don’t you take a break and-”
A siren interrupted 03’s invitation. Everyone froze, staring at one another as fear began to seed itself in their hearts.
“Having fun?” Ankou asked over the speakers.
02 began to shake. “Already…? It’s… It’s only been a few hours… hasn’t it…?”
05 burst from the bunkroom, still in her towel. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Judging by your doubled heart rates,” Ankou chuckled, “triple in One’s case, I’d say you know why I’ve called.”
04 closed her notebook and rose, joining 01 and 02 by the sofa. 06 looked almost sad, having only just managed to strip his pants off alongside the hot tub.
“Three and Five.” Ankou waited, enjoying the spike in their EKG’s, 03’s skipping hard. “Dry off. In the bunkroom are your uniforms. In one hour, all of you come to the main hall. See you soon.”
The speakers died, leaving the six with just the happy music of 01 and 02’s game.

~

“All right!” Ankou shouted, looking over each contestant. “I see you’re all dressed for the occasion!”
Each of the six wore a matching outfit that greatly resembled a wetsuit – sleeves cutoff before the elbow, legs cutoff before the knees. In the center of their chests, approximately the size of each contestant’s heart, was a circular cutout. Three of the contestants – 02, 05, and 06 – had visibly beating hearts, affirming to Ankou that his choice in uniform that season was well made.
“As you can no doubt see,” Ankou pointed out, “the votes are held secret until it is time to reveal who is chosen. Before we get to that, let me introduce you to my assistants, the Pale Horses.”
At that, the door to the coach opened and two large horses, each with fur white as a ghost, stepped out. They each wore a hood over their head, concealing their faces from view, thick gloves on their hands, and matching black pants that fell to their hooves. Though their massive chests were bare, the contestants could make out shoulder holsters strapped beneath their arms, impressive handguns kept just in reach.
“These boys will see that none of you interfere and will escort the condemned to the ‘Hell’ chamber for their execution. Like before, attempt to fight them and you’ll just make things worse for yourself. Have you ever been shot in the knee? I’m told it’s excruciating.”
“Let’s get this started,” 05 demanded, puffing out her chest and staring up at the mirror.
Ankou smirked. Though the civet’s display of arrogance was impressive, the monitor over her heart showed it beating out of control, second in speed only to the wolf with the cheetah a close third. To his amusement, 06’s heart rate was below 100, the expression on the fox’s face one of pure confidence.
“Very well. There are six methods listed here,” Ankou pressed a button, the voting graph disappearing, a row of methods appearing in its place. Starting from the top, they read:
1.	Gallows
2.	Crossbow
3.	Guillotine
4.	Vivisection
5.	Gas Chamber
6.	Contestant’s Choice
“Don’t let number 4 scare you. In case you haven’t noticed the theme, our clientele have been shown to enjoy when we spend time detailing your hearts. So, if Vivisection is landed on, you’ll simply have your heart removed.”
“Is that all?” 04 rolled her eyes and stared at the screen.
03 noticed that 02 had begun to shake again. The cheetah stared blankly, holding his hands over his heart as if to protect it from harm. The deer stood behind him and wrapped his arms over the boy’s shoulders, cupping his hands over his and resting his chin on his head.
“T… thanks…” 02 whispered.
“Of course.”
Ankou tossed a pen at one of his camera operators, annoyed that the sight had nearly been missed. When he was sure the cameras were set properly, he pressed a button on his dashboard. “Let’s see what we get!”
A light appeared over Gallows and quickly began to scan the list. The light moved fast at first, but gradually it began to slow. All contestants – and operators – watched the screen, breaths held, as the light sluggishly moved over the categories.
Two.
“And there you have it!”
“Crossbow?” 06 asked. “What does that mean?”
“I thought it sounded a little nicer than ‘Firing Squad’.” Ankou pressed a button returning to the vote screen. “Upon revealing the votes, the one selected will be brought into the ‘Hell’ chamber. There the Pale Horses will tie the contestant’s arms to a post. When secured, a bolt will be fired into the contestant’s heart. We had this method last season and the selected individual managed to last one minute and twenty seconds before his heart gave out! Think one of you can beat the score?”
02 leaned back against 03, visibly shaking with fear. 01 couldn’t take his eyes from the Pale Horses. 06 and 04 lost a bit of their composure, the fox digging his claws into his chest, the cougar bouncing on the pads of her feet. Even 05 began to show the first signs of outward fear, her hands trembling, tail curled tightly against her leg.
“Shall we see who goes first?”
Ankou didn’t wait for a response. Typing his password into the console, he clicked the button and watched the graph as the votes began to fill in. Every one of the contestants had votes, nearly all of them equally spread out, but one rose above the others.
“Four.”
The cougar’s jaw went slack and she stepped back as the Pale Horses began to approach. “Oh, fuck. Fuck. Fuck!”
02 screamed, pulling at 03’s grip, attempting to flee as the executioners neared. The deer held him tight to his chest. “It’s okay. It’s not you. You’re okay.”
For a second, it appeared that 05 was going to attempt to rush the Pale Horses. Ankou noticed her movement and pressed the button to activate the turret. The civet fell back as the red light appeared on her chest.
“She’s going to… she’s going to die…” 01 said aloud, arms hanging limp beside him.
06’s breathing quickened and he looked up to the mirror. “This is just a show, right, Ankou? You’re not actually going to… Gods… Don’t do this!” The fox’s calm demeanor splintered then and he ran past the Pale Horses to the ‘Heaven’ door. Digging his claws into the bolts, he pulled at the exit with all the might he could muster to no avail.
04 didn’t move. Even as each Pale Horse gripped her arms and began dragging her to the ‘Hell’ door, she barely found the courage to move her legs. “Please,” she managed, even as the door slid open and revealed the room beyond.
“I’d like to invite each of you to watch Four’s performance from the comfort of ‘Penance’. Enjoy!” With that, Ankou cut the mic and pressed the switch to the microphone embedded in 04’s chest.
The cougar’s heart, tripping over itself at 185 beats per minute, echoed through every speaker in ‘Purgatory’, displaying the feline’s fear to her fellow contestants as well as herself.
“Four!” The deer called, pulling the cheetah back to ‘Penance’.
The cougar paused, the Pale Horses waiting patiently as she turned to face 03.
The deer simply nodded.
Returning the gesture, 04 was led into the ‘Hell’ chamber, her thundering heartbeat shaking the walls.
It was a simple enough room. At the center rose a steel pole, a rope connected to a carabiner being the only attachments. At the base of the pole was a drainage pipe, the sight of which made the cougar’s heart skip against the microphone. Some twenty feet before the pole was a table topped with a crossbow and a single bolt.
“Efficient enough, eh?” 04 asked the Pale Horse walking her to the pole, his partner pausing at the table. “Can’t you talk?”
“Heh,” was all her executioner gave her. Pulling her arms behind her back, the Pale Horse locked her into position, testing the strength of the bindings before standing a couple feet to her side.
“You’re going to just stand there?” 04 asked, trying to put on a brave face, despite hearing her heart racing like mad, knowing countless others were tuned in to watch her die. “What a fucking waste,” she said, staring down at her chest.
“No,” the Pale Horse answered. “I’m going to examine you.”
“Examine me? Right, okay.” She shifted uncomfortably as the horse brought a stethoscope from behind the pole, looking away as he fitted it into his ears beneath his hood. “What’s the point of that? Can’t you hear it clearly enough through the speakers?”
The Pale Horse pressed it into the exposed fur of her chest, listening intently before moving positions. “I’m finding the best place to shoot you.”
04 scowled. “I thought that was the point of this outline on my chest. Just get it over with.”
Removing the earpieces, the Pale Horse hung the stethoscope back up and pressed his finger to the high right of the round, heart cutout of the uniform. “This whole cutout represents your heart. We can shoot you anywhere within, and you’ll die, of course, but what we’re looking for…” he paused, drawing a red, paint marker from a pocket. “Is this.” He dabbed the cougar’s chest with the tip, leaving a small red dot off-center of her heart.
“W… what’s the point?” 04 asked, stuttering momentarily as she stared down at the target.
“That’s over your left ventricle. A bolt here in such a high pressure chamber will be the most effective at ending your life.”
“I see…”
“Look.”
“At?” 04 turned her gaze up, eyes widening as the second executioner aimed the crossbow. She had just enough time to gasp before the bolt slammed through the center cutout of her uniform, burying itself deep in her heart.
The microphone picked up a triple skip and 04 looked down at her chest in shock as if surprised that she was alive. Her face contorted in pain but she stared in wonder at the bolt flicking with each rapid beat of her heart. “Did you miss?” A fourth skip and a jet of blood pumping from beneath the bolt answered the question for her. “I always thought… if it… was hit… you… just…” She breathed heavily, her heart regaining momentary rhythm before surging with adrenaline.
“Your pericardium needed time to fill before spilling out,” the horse stated, taking his position alongside 04 as she fought for survival.
The cougar’s heart had topped at 193 after the bolt first embedded itself but it was quickly slowing with each pump, rivulets of blood trailing down her chest and pooling about her feet. She fought to remain standing, the reduced blood flow to her legs and brain leaving her weak and lightheaded.
Twice more, 04’s heart stuttered as though it would go into fibrillation on the spot and twice it recovered. The impressive muscle fought on as though there wasn’t a bolt sticking through it. That which once kept her alive served then only to kill her, each proud beat sending her closer to her doom.
“How long…?” she asked through gritted teeth, staring up at the nearest Pale Horse. “P… Please…?”
“One minute.”
She laughed and straightened her back, her heart increasing its rate by several beats. “Might as well… go for gold, eh…?” Despite the fear in her eyes and blood down her front, 04 remained steady, taking in deep lungfuls of air. Death approached the feline with each, heavy pump, all the while the beat playing through the speakers, reminding her of her impending death.
Eventually, her resolve began to fade and she slumped against the pole, heart rate falling below 30, the mad flicking of the bolt ceasing its wild dance. Turning her head up at the Pale Horse, she grinned.
“One minute forty. Congratulations.”
“T… thanks…” 04’s eyes widened one last time as she attempted to draw a breath in. The cougar’s heart had slowed to a crawl, barely holding any resemblance of a beat, her body remaining upright by the pole’s strength alone.
And then, there was nothing. No breathing. No heartbeat. No movement.
After a minute of silence, the Pale Horse released her from the pole and laid her out on her back. Reclaiming the stethoscope, he pressed the disc in around her blood matted chest, checking each valve and chamber for life. When he was satisfied the muscle contracted no more, he wrapped the stethoscope around his neck and drew a penlight from his pocket.
Shining the light in both eyes, he nodded and proceeded to her feet. The equine pressed the metal rod against the cougar’s sole pad and dragged upwards, checking for a reflex. When the toes remained still, he rose and crossed the room to his brother.
“And then there were five, ladies and gentlemen!” Ankou said, killing the microphone in 04’s chest. “That’s it for our first session. All of us here in ‘Purgatory’ thank you for watching and hope to see you for the next execution!”
Pulling a lever on his dashboard, Ankou called up an image of the ‘Heaven’ door to show the first lock being released, the red light fading to darkness.