The line grows longer as I stand in anticipation. I watch everyone around me. Some are laughing with their friends while they discuss what virtual world they expect to be in. Some are on their cellphones trying to hide the fact that they are terrified. Some stand with no expression at all.

No one tells you what to look forward to. All they say is, “when you turn 21, your life will change forever”. They aren’t lying, but that barely gives any information. I am walking into the unknown and to be honest, I am terrified. I just don’t have anything to keep me occupied from the future that awaits me.

My heart jumps as I realize I am closer to the entrance than before. The building is 50 stories high. I’ve even heard they have more floors underground. Of course, no one knows for sure except the ones who work here. Once you step foot in this building, you never come back out.

I take a deep breath as the man in front of me hands his ID to the guard at the door. The guard looks it over and then nods. The man walks in. I see the lobby inside full of chairs and sofa’s, but no one is sitting in them.

I pull my ID from my back pocket and hand it to the guard. He looks it over. It feels like he is inspecting the ID as a fake. I gulp, anxiety rising in my chest. He finally looks at me and nods.

I walk in and I am greeted by a young woman with a beautiful smile. “Hello, miss.”

“Hi,” I say quietly.

“Follow me,” she says. We start walking down a bright hallway with high ceiling windows. “Welcome to VW Tech. Today you will be chosen for one of the four virtual worlds: Plethoria, Queentia, Vacivus, and Tenebris. Plethoria is the world of abundance. Queentia is the world of opportunity. Vacivus is the world of destitute and Tenebris is the world of darkness. Every world is a reflection of who you are and how you live your life.”

I gulp and begin to think about my past. I have heard many stories of Tenebris. The monsters that lurk in the darkness. It is the world for those who do the most wrong.

We enter a room. There is a long table in the middle and someone sitting at the end with a laptop and a notebook.

“Well, I hope you get the world that you deserve,” she says with a smile. I watch her walk away, but her smile stays imprinted in my mind. Her words send chills down my spine.

“Come, have a seat,” the woman at the table says. She looks older and I realize I have never seen someone older before. I walk to the chair next to her and take a seat. “I am going to ask you a few basic questions and then we will proceed with your initiation. What is your name?”

“Uh… Florence Goodman.”

“When is your birthday?”

“June 20th, 2003.”

“Do you identify as male or female?”

“Female.”

“Good,” she says, writing down the information. “Now, we will begin the initiation.” She looks at her laptop, types in a few things, and then looks at me. “So, I see you once shoved a cupcake in your friends face when you were 8. Can you explain that to me?”

I give her a confused look, but all she does is stare at me. “I-uh…”

“The questions sound a bit out of the ordinary, but I assure you it is part of the process to determine what world you will fit best in.”

I nod. “Well, I was trying to be funny. She was having a hard time a few days prior, so I thought I could make her laugh.”

“She didn’t laugh, did she?”

“No,” I say, looking down at the notepad.

“Have you felt any way towards that situation?” She crosses her legs.

“I felt guilty for a long time. It seems a little silly now, but I lost one of my good friends over it.”

She types on her laptop for a good minute before looking at me again. “Why did you feel the need to bully Mr. Dripps when you were a freshman?”

I think back on freshman year, but most of it feels like a blurr. “I-uh. I don’t remember. I just remember wanting to get back at him for something.”

She types some more of her notes. “Do you remember running away when you were 16?”

“Yes,” I say.

“Why did you?”

“I heard rumors about Tenebris. It scared me.”

“Why did you break into that house?”

Suddenly, my ears begin ringing. My pulse gets extremely fast as if it might burst through my chest. “I’m sorry?” My palms are sweaty and I feel like I can’t breath.

“The house on Evans Street. You broke into it a couple of days after you were caught from running away.”

“I, uh, I don’t remember.” I do remember. I remember every thing. The man dragging that body inside. The baby crying upstairs. I remember the broken glass and the blood…

“Ms. Goodman, your chances of redemption are much higher when you tell the truth.”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “I was trying to help.”

“Who?”

“There was a woman and a crying baby,” I say, my voice cracking as the memory floods my mind.

“The perpetrator was never caught which lead many people to believe it was you.”

“It wasn’t!” I snap. I open my eyes wide. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-“

“You have done much good in your life, Ms. Goodman. I have one last question. Do you believe yourself to be a good person?”

The question echoes in my head, but I can’t seem to find an answer.

“Ms. Goodman?”

“I-“ I am interrupted by the door flying open.

“Ms. Goodman, we have come to an agreement on which world you will reside. Do you have any last requests, questions, or concerns before we continue with the process?”

“No,” I say. My body feels tense as I stare at the man in the black suit. His hands are together and placed in front of him.

“Good, we must proceed with the next step. If you will please follow me.”

He begins walking and I rush out of my seat to follow him into the next room. It looks like a hospital room with a bed in the middle and some equipment lying on a mayo stand.

“Have a seat and Dr. Strenge will be right with you,” the man says before leaving the room. The door closes roughly behind him.

I take a seat on the bed and stare at the head piece sitting on the mayo stand. My heart pounds at the thought of not knowing which world I will end up in. I feel as though they enjoy watching us suffer.

The door opens and an old man walks in wearing a lab coat. DR. STRENGE is embroidered in black letters.

“Good day, Ms. Goodman. I am Dr. Strenge and I will be launching your virtual world for you today. I am delighted to inform you that you will be residing in Queentia. Do you have any questions before we begin?”

I sigh in relief and shake my head.

“Alright. Let me go over the steps with you before we begin. I will place this device on your head,” he says, referring to the head piece. “Then, you will lay back and close your eyes. Once you are relaxed and comfortable, you will need to clear your mind or else it may affect the virtual reality process. I will then push this button on the side which will send you into the virtual world. Are you ready?”

“Yes, I am,” I say.

He places the device on my head and I lay back on the table. The more I try to clear my head, the more I think. I close my eyes and relax my body. I try to play the word Queentia inside of my head to help keep my brain occupied.

“I am going to count to 3 and press the button. Within those three seconds, you must clear your mind. 1…”

My heart pounds vigorously in my chest.

“2…”

I can’t keep my mind still. A hot flash takes over me.

“3.” His fingers press against the head piece. The last word that enters my mind is “Tenebris” before everything goes black.

I wake up on the ground. The air is damp and cold. The clouds cover the sky making it dark underneath the canopy of trees. I sit up. My mouth is dry and my head is pounding. This is Queentia? I stand up, although my body feels weak. I try to walk, but end up leaned against a tree. My breathing is heavy.

However, my breathing stops when a roar echoes through the air. My eyes widen and my stomach turns. This isn’t Queentia. Fear rises in me.

This is Tenebris.