PART TWO IS INSIDE THE PROJECT - Enjoy :D His paws trembled. He knew he wasn't ready for this, to have all of their eyes on him, judging his every movement. Breathe. Breathe- you'll be just fine. He didn't really believe that. If you said enough times, eventually you'd believe it? Right? He sure hoped so. He pressed his inhaler to his mouth. Breathe. The worst thing he could do was get a zero. Which would be the worst score in history- but he tried not to dwell on that. The first cats from district 2 where being called up. Sterling fidgeted anxiously- curse his being a career. It made him look even more a fool. A grey cat went in first- she looked intimidating, her eyes a deep royal blue. Next was an orange tabby with a curly tail and green eyes. "Sterling Hadrien, district 2?" Oh god. Breathe. He stood up and padded over to the doors where he'd been called. They were large and make of oak wood- heavy, and they creaked as Sterling pushed them open. Breathe. Breathe. He padded into the room. His ears went back- everything was suspended a few feet above the ground, hanging from ropes on the ceiling. What the heck was he supposed to do?? He knew this would go terrible from the start, but now he was really screwed over. _____ MODS- if you are grading, feel free to start here if needed! Then he looked up. Please, for the love of god, remember to breathe. Imperium. His chest grew tight as he stared up at the tom, shellshocked. Imperium's eyes were........familiar. They reminded him of, of, of something. Sterling furrowed his brows. Where had he seen blue eyes like that..? His vision fluttered- his reality distorting just a bit. The grey fur turning to a cream tabby pattern, the teeth growing sharp and crooked, the lights flashed and he was somewhere else. "Well, look what what we have here~" The scene switched again. "Good Sterling.." An instructor seemed to congratulate him on his work, guiding his paws with their own. The weapon in their paws twirled with grace. "You will make a fine Dieter." Breathe. "It's ok, just a little shot....just to make sure that you stay safe, ok?" Sterling blinked the memories away, confusion in his gaze as he stared up at the president. The gamemakers stared back, waiting. They seemed tense- Sterling had heard they were usually in good spirits. Looks like the president had dampened the mood. That was good- they were less likely to laugh at him if he failed. He tried to muster up the courage to say something to them. "Show them who you are.." It seemed to be the same voice as the instructor- Sterling glanced around, wondering where it was coming from. He cleared his throat, hoping that it would make him seem like he could sort of handle this? "Hello....I'm Sterling...of district 2.." He trailed off, his anxiety levels high. Though, he was surprised he'd somehow managed to get that sentence out of his mouth. "And um......" Be honest? Yeah, he might as well cut to the chase, since he was gonna fail anyway. "....I would warn you not to expect much from me." The gamemakers looked around at one another, talking in hushed voices. Imperium didn't move, he simply sat and stared. His eyes burned into Sterling's brain, a panic from the familiarity of them slithering it's way into his brain. That cat, the first one he'd seen in his memory- he felt that cat was not a cat to be trusted. That was why he remembered the eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul. "Get on with it!" One of the gamemaker's shouted from across Imperium, shoving a bit of shrimp into his mouth as he spoke. The president turned slowly and glared at him. The shrimp gamemaker sat down, swallowing his food meekly. Sterling drew a breath in. Well- it was now or never. Time to fail. He pressed the inhaler to his mouth. Breathe. He hoped onto the closest piece of equipment, slipping a little bit. He wrapped his paws around the rope, digging his claws in as he steadied himself. The gamemakers murmured. He already felt like he could faint. He hoped to the next one- it shook under his paws as he dug his claws in, clinging for dear life. A hologram leapt onto the platform with him. He looked up at, his eyes wide with fear and anxiety. He was so done. It sprang at him, and by some miracle he managed to avoid it. The rope snapped, and the platform tipped. Sterling slid backward, and onto another platform, almost going over it and falling down below, but he caught himself with his claws. ++ NEXT PART IN THE PROJECT <<
