“How am I supposed to pay for any of this? I haven’t been in this world!” I stare at the mountain of bills in front of me. How am I supposed to fix this?

  “That is not my concern sir. You merely just need to pay for it, perhaps a job.” The man in the black suit grabs his briefcase off the floor, tucks it under his arm, and promptly leaves.

  This isn’t right. I’m not supposed to be here. I didn’t think I’d ever be back. I’d never see this house again. This world. It’s not my home anymore, and I’m unsure what I’m supposed to do.

  “This has to be part of the trial.” I push myself off the couch, straighten my posture, and prepare to tackle this. “Right? I mean, it has to be. There’s no way I’m back.”

  Before I have the chance to make my next move, my phone rings.

  My phone? Oh my god, I have a phone! Oh I’ve missed having a phone, but also ugh I have a phone. In reality, don’t think I’ve missed it that much. My life is so much simpler without it. Oh I better answer that.

  “Hello?” “May we speak with James please?” A female calls from the other side of the phone.

  “This is he.” “We’d love to have you come in for an interview.”

  A job interview!? Yes! I need this apparently to pay a mountain of bills. My dad had insurance, but that only covers so much, and add the funeral and every other bill he had. I think it would take a lifetime to pay all of this off.

  The thought of that just ruined any excitement I have for a potential job. Ugh I need to win this tournament so I never have to contemplate such nonsense again. Working is for losers, or you know, normal people.

  * * * * *

  I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt.

  Ooh pay day! “600 dollars.” I lay the check down on the table among the mountain of bills. “Oh great, that’s enough to cover…. the interest rate on the mortgage.”

  I thought I would never have to deal with any of this again. The mind numbing work that also breaks my back that barely pays for anything. Is the house even worth it?

  Yes! My father bought this house for us and he wanted me to have it. It’s just so… expensive.

  I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt.

  “Um excuse me!” Someone starts snapping at me from the other side of the counter. I turn to see a man standing at the counter staring me down.

  “Me?” I ask pointing at myself. “Yeah, who else you brain dead gorilla. I need more fries.” The man snaps at me again and points to his empty basket of fries.

  “You can order more over there.” I motion towards the register at just the other end of the counter. He sighs heavily.

  “Fries!” He snaps again.

  “I’m just a fry cook.” I cry. The man continues to snap at me incessantly. He starts to alternate between demanding the fries and snapping at me. I turn my attention back towards the fryer.

  I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Snap. Snap.

  Ooh pay day!

  I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt.

  Snap. Snap.

  Ooh pay day!

  I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt. I fill the basket with fries. Drop the fries into the fryer. Wait three minutes, add salt.

  “That’s enough!” I cry out, everyone in the kitchen stops and turns towards me.

  “Cringe.” One guy whispers under his breath as another chuckles at his remark.

  I can’t do it anymore. It’s the same thing on repeat, no matter how hard I try, nothing changes. I thought if I followed through on the scenario that I could get out of here and make my way through the trial, but it’s endless.

  It’s mindless. It’s torture. How is anyone supposed to do this?

  Originally I assumed if I could pay all the bills I could move on, but now I’m not so sure. Now I have no idea how I’m supposed to make it out of here.

  Snap. Snap.

  I roll my eyes as I hear the familiar sound, except this time screw that guy.

  “I’d like to speak to a manager.” He growls from the other end of the counter. I drop the basket of fries into the fryer and storm towards the counter.

  By time I arrive the manager was already at the counter, I grab them by the nape of the neck and sling them onto the kitchen floor. I turn my attention to the rude asshole before me.

  “Listen here you off brand Bob The Builder. If you want assistance you will learn to ask for help like a normal fucking person.” I snap in his face. “That’s not how you do it. In this establishment we respect our workers, capeesh?”

  The man stares at me, mouth agape. He slowly nods. I smile in response.

  “Now what can we get for you?” I ask politely.

  “My fries are cold.” He stutters.

  “No worries, I have some coming up right now.”

  I walk back to the fryer, grab the fresh fries, add salt, and take them back to the rude customer. He takes them and shuffles away.

  I’m not sure if I did the right thing here but god damn that was satisfying. In my days waiting tables in college I would have killed to tell a rude ass customer off like that. Chefs kiss. I think that was a top ten moment in my life.

  Brick by brick, the fast food restaurant begins to fade away. First the workers and customers vanish, and then the building. Again I’m left in a solid black void of nothingness. I feel like I should be used to it at this point, but I’m not.

  Slowly, the waiting room begins to reappear around me, or rather I appear into it. I sit down on the bench and wait for my next instructions.

  * * * * *

  Sitting in the silence is killing me. I keep playing the moments from the trial over and over again in my mind. Especially what the phantom of my mother said to me. I know it’s fear talking, but what if she really thought of me that way.

  No! I can’t let those thoughts take over because if they do, they will consume me. I know it will.

  I stand up and begin pacing the room, hopefully this will keep the intrusive thoughts at bay. Spoiler alert, it doesn’t.

  No matter how hard I try, I can’t get her voice out of my mind. It is rattling around like a rabid animal in a cage trying to break free. It’s gnawing at the bars, growling for freedom.

  “No son of mine.” Her voice echoes in my mind.

  “Stop it!” I punch the wall, and the voice instantly ceases. The throbbing from the impact dulls the voice. For the first time since I arrived back, it’s silent.

  “You okay?” A soft voice comes from behind me. I slowly turn to see Avis standing several feet behind me fresh off the trial. I shake my head.

  “Wanna talk about it?” He asks, I shake my head again. I just got the voice to be quiet, I don’t want to stoke that fire just in case it starts to roar back to life.

  “You seem a lot better off then me.” I say softly.

  “Eh money never really mattered much to me. So, it was mostly boring.” Avis walks around the bench, sits down next to me and wraps his arm around me, pulling me into him.

  His body is warm, comforting. The entire time I was in the trial I was alone. Even while working, I was alone. Standing at the fryer day in and day out by myself just doing a monotonous job. So having him here, it feels nice.

  Apart from my father, I never had a lot of people in my life. Sure I had friends, but they felt more like acquaintances. Boyfriends, they were never serious. Everything just felt like a passing moment where I was waiting for the big thing that came after.

  Perhaps I was waiting for all them to leave me just like my mother and family did. Leaving me alone to take care of my father.

  “No.” I whisper to myself, shoving the thoughts down again. Avis kisses me on the top of my head.

  “You’re good now.” He says softly.

  After a few minutes of silence, Dai and Dardania return and quietly sit on the benches. Dardania appears more annoyed than anything and Dai… well he looks broken.

  “You good Dee?” Avis wonders aloud.

  “Yes, it just felt like a waste of time.” She sighs, but the conversation is quickly interrupted.

  “During the first round,” Theos begins, “you were tested deeply and emotionally. Those who still remain will advance to the final of round one and face a competitor. You will be placed in groups of three and four to go against your perfect emotional foil. You have thirty seconds to prepare. Good luck.”