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The Initiation Game By Morpheus It was a nice day with great weather. The sun was out and a slight breeze whispered through the area to keep things from getting too warm. Countless people were surrounding me, all out to enjoy the weather. Unfortunately I was too preoccupied with some problems to enjoy it very much. My name is Dylan McKenna, and I'm an 18 year old Freshman who just started college. I was lucky enough to get most of the courses I wanted, but just found out that they were going to be a little more expensive than I'd thought. They had raised the tuition this year so all the calculations my parents and I had made were thrown out the window. This meant that while I still had the financing to go to college, I could no longer afford to do both that and pay for dorm housing. I was going to have to find another place to stay that I would be able to afford. "Just great," I grumbled as I sat on the campus lawn, flipping through a campus newspaper and looking for the housing ads. Most of the places I'd called were either already full or still too expensive for me. "I've got to find something..." The idea of getting a small studio apartment and sharing it with two other people was seeming my best option so far and I really didn't want to deal with that kind of crowding or lack of privacy. "I really wish I could afford more..." As it was, I was probably going to need a part time job. Of course there was always the fraternity route to get into one of their houses, though I wasn't the fraternity sort. I was quiet, liked to be left alone and wasn't into partying or anything. Besides the fraternities at this school tended to be fairly specialized in what they looked for in membership. One focused on the athletic type while another recruited intellectuals and required its members to keep high GPAs. I wasn't athletic enough for the first or smart enough for the second. And then there were the wild party animals which were most definitely not my sort. "Maybe I should try for the Circle," I joked, knowing that this was an even less likely option. The Circle as it was called was one of those secret societies that sometimes hang around old schools. It's been around since the college was first founded and some say even longer. I don't know a whole lot about the Circle even though I'd asked some questions after finding out about their existence. One person claimed that they were the elite while another claimed they were the freaks and misfits. Someone even told me that they were Satanists who performed human sacrifices in their basement. My conclusion was that no one else really knew much about them either, other than that they were fairly mysterious and had a big building off campus where their members could live. I frowned and folded my newspaper, deciding that I had probably get back to the room I was staying in for the moment. I started walking, glancing down through the newspaper again as I did so. Suddenly I was shoved back, landing on the ground. "Watch where you're going," someone snarled at me. I looked up to see a large guy who was glaring at me. "Sorry," I quickly apologized though I wasn't sure it was my fault. It was always easier to just avoid trouble with people like that whenever possible. "Just watch where you're going next time," he grimaced, glaring at me and adding, "Next time I'll have to kick your ass." Once the larger boy had left I sighed and got back to my feet. "Great," I grumbled, shaking my head in disgust. "What else can go wrong today?" Just then someone said, "You didn't have to take that." "What?" I blinked, turning to see who'd spoken. The other boy was about my own age, maybe a year or two older. He was also tall and thin, reminding me a little of a scarecrow. The boy stared at me for a moment with a strange expression before shrugging. "He walked into you and knocked you down on purpose. I think he'd made some bet with a friend about how you'd react." "Great," I grumbled, "now I'm part of a bet." "It could have been worse," the tall boy chuckled. "The bet could have been over how fast he could kick your ass." Then he held out his hand, "I'm Chuck." "Dylan," I responded, shaking his hand. "You're a new Freshman?" Chuck asked, half statement and half question. I nodded. "Yeah... I'm still getting used to everything here." "College is a bit tougher than high school," he grinned. "I'm a Sophomore myself." Then he abruptly asked, "Have you thought about joining one of the frats?" I nearly laughed at that. "To be honest," I admitted, "I was thinking about it just a few minutes ago. But I'm not really the frat type..." "I understand completely," Chuck told me. He hesitated a moment, then asked, "Could I suggest an option?" I stared at him suspiciously, "Yeah?" Chuck reached into his pocket then pulled out a business card which he handed me. I looked at it, feeling just a little confused. One side only had a circle drawn in green ink while the other side had an address and time. "What's this?" "An invitation," Chuck told me with a look of amusement. "If you're interested in applying to join the Circle, come to our house this Sunday." "The Circle?" I gasped, staring at Chuck in surprise. I could hardly believe that I'd been asked to actually try out for something like that. Just then a girl nearby exclaimed, "You're with the Circle?" I snapped around to see a girl who'd been standing close enough to overhear our conversation. She looked vaguely familiar but it took me a moment to remember where I'd seen her. I didn't remember her name but we were in a couple classes together. However, more than that, I remembered overhearing a conversation she had with a couple other girls. The conversation was mostly just a rant on how the whole education system was skewed to make girls fail and how a boy who earns an A was actually only doing as good as a girl who earned a B. Just that little snippet of conversation was enough to tell me that she had very feminist views. "Whether I am or not is none of your concern," Chuck told her with an enigmatic smile. The girl just stood there with her hands on her hips. "I want an invitation." "It doesn't work that way," Chuck tried to explain. "I see," she snapped, "you only want men in your little club." Chuck scowled, beginning to look annoyed. "Gender isn't an issue," he stated coldly. "We look for people with certain talents." "And what talents are these?" She looked at me suspiciously then snorted in dismissal. "Only our members are allowed to know that," he answered calmly. "Organizational secrets and all that." "I'll just might have see what a lawyer has to say about that," she threatened. "Discrimination is illegal you know." Chuck stared at her, his expression turning icy cold. Then he had an odd expression and reached into his pocket. "You MIGHT have what we're looking for," he stated, handing her a business card like the one he'd given me. "If you want to go beyond an invitation, it will depend on your own actions." The girl seemed pleased with that and walked away with a smug expression. I just shook my head and turned to Chuck. "That was blackmail..." "Extortion actually," he told me with a shrug. "She couldn't have done anything but we don't want that kind of attention. Besides, sometimes the worst thing you can do to someone is to give them exactly what they ask for." I was about to ask Chuck what he meant but he glanced down at his watch. "I've got to get going. I hope you decide to come." And with that he turned and hurried off. "Weird." I shook my head, glancing down at the business card I'd been given. "I can't believe I got an invitation..." I'd heard that very few people even got invited to try out with the Circle so I was half sure that it was some sort of a mistake. However I didn't think that it really made much difference, since I didn't really intend on going. After all mysterious secret societies weren't exactly what I was looking for in a college experience. With a shrug I slipped the business card into my pocket and continued back to my current living place. I still had to find both a job and a new place to live so couldn't let myself get too distracted by these things. -------------------- I sat back in my current dorm room, scowling in frustration at my inability to find either a new place to live or a job with hours that would work for me. Of course it had only been several days and was far too early to give up... but it was still annoying. "There's always the Circle," I told myself for what had to be the hundredth time. I glanced over at the clock, seeing that the time was getting close. "Maybe I should go.." Ever since Chuck had given me that invitation, I'd been caught in indecision... which wasn't really all that unusual for me. I frequently had a hard time making a decision about anything. This time was even worse. A part of me wanted to stay away from the Circle, knowing that it could only lead to trouble. I had a bad feeling about that group. But on the other hand, it was a rare opportunity which I never thought I'd get. It seemed a shame to turn it down without even finding out more about it. "And they have a place for their members to live," I reminded myself quietly. If I got in, it would solve all my housing problems. Of course I had a feeling that it would only create other problems instead. Thoughts of all the stories and rumors I'd heard came to mind, most of them not all that good. "It wouldn't hurt to at least go and see what they have to say..." While I continued to wrestle with the decision I got up and began to get ready... just in case. I grabbed my razor and shaved again though I didn't really need to. Then I put my comb under the faucet and ran it through my dark blonde hair. It was a bit messy and didn't really want to settle down, but I was as passable as I normally was when I left for class in the morning. "Maybe they want me to dress up," I said, though Chuck hadn't made mention of how we were expected to dress. "Maybe they'll make us get undressed and stand around naked for some hazing..." I winced at the thought, nearly making up my mind to give up on the Circle right then and there. There was too much about them that I just didn't know. "What if they're some kind of weird cult?" After a minute I'd calmed down and began to think of the positive side again. There was the incredible opportunity, the chance to find out more about these people and satisfy my curiosity, and of course the chance that I might very well get a place to live where I wouldn't have to pay. All of those were tempting reasons and finally pushed me to my decision. It took me nearly twenty minutes to get to the address on the back of the business card and I spent the entire time having second thoughts about my decision. I kept reminding myself that it wasn't too late to back out, but then I would just remind myself that this was something I needed to do. By the time I finally arrived, I felt like my stomach was tied in knots. The building at the address was a simple but impressive looking structure. From the outside it seemed to be nearly all stone and made in the shape of a giant rectangular block. I guessed that it had three stories, though it was hard to be certain since at least one more could fit into a building that tall. There were absolutely no windows at the bottom, only a large wooden doorway. There were slitted windows higher up, too narrow for a person to fit through and looking more like the kind of slits an old medieval castle would have for firing arrows. All the real windows were reserved for the top floor where they were too high up to look through. The building reminded me more of a medieval fortress or military fort than anything else. "It's like this place is built to withstand a siege," I commented to myself. Only after I had stared at the building for several minutes did I bother to look around at the other cars which were parked in front of it. I watched as one guy walked up to the heavy wooden door in front and was let inside. I hesitated a moment and then went to the door myself. There was no doorbell, only a heavy iron door knocker which I used. When the door opened a few seconds later, there was a boy standing there dressed in a red robe that had the hood down to obscure his face. He asked, "Do you have an invitation?" I nervously fumbled for the business card, hoping that this wasn't some sort of a joke. But as soon as he saw it he opened the door wider and gestured for me to come inside. "Come in." I stepped into a large entrance hall, literally gasping as I took everything in. The floor was all done in some sort of golden slate or marble with a tile pattern in the middle of a large green ring. The walls were a dark stained wood with intricate patterns carved into them, looking as though they could belong in any mansion. There were even a pair of staircases, one on either side of the room which went up to the second floor. There were also several large wooden doors in the walls which were closed shut. After I took in the details of the room, I looked around at the other people inside of it. There were just under two dozen other Freshmen standing around in the entry room, most of them looking just as impressed as I felt. About half of them were women, obviously proving that the feminist girl who'd tried threatening her way in wrong... at least as far as giving out invitations went. The people gathered here seemed to have nothing in common though, making me a little confused since I couldn't figure out why we were all invited. There were several guys who looked like athletes, including the large guy who'd run into me right before I'd met Chuck. I was a little surprised to see him here but no more so than some of the others. There was a petite Asian girl, a skinny girl with acne and thick glasses, a hot looking girl who could easily be a cheerleader and even a massively obese guy. Of course the girl who'd threatened Chuck was here as well. After that encounter, I'd found out that her name is Crystal and that she was every bit the man-hater that she seemed. Even though she'd just arrived at campus she'd already reported some guy for sexual harassment just because he tried hitting on her a little. At the moment she stood back and talked with another girl, looking a little smug and occasionally giving suspicious glances at the guys in the room. Just a few minutes later a loud bell started to chime. I looked around but didn't see the source, then glanced at my watch and saw that it was the time I was told to be here by on the invitation. The guy in the red robes slammed shut a sliding bolt on the back of the main entrance and a dozen more dressed just like him began to filter into the room. Including the guy by the door thirteen people now stood there dressed in red robes, their faces all obscured by the hoods. However several of them were definitely women and I recognized one of them as Chuck. One of the guys wearing a robe stepped forward and I guessed him to be the leader, based on the fact that he was wearing a golden colored sash. He held up one hand to get attention and called out, "Welcome to the house of the Circle. You have each been invited to test for membership in our organization. I promise you this... if you are able to pass through our tests and initiation to become a member, there will be great rewards awaiting you." With that there was a sudden knocking on the wooden door I'd come through. Everyone turned to look but the robed guy at the door made no move to open it. I guessed that someone had arrived a little late and that these guys valued punctuality. After a minute the knocking stopped. "Not all of you will be accepted," the leader continued. "And not all of you are here as honest pledges to the Circle. There is a tradition among some of the fraternities and sororities on campus where every year they set their pledges the task of breaking into our vault and discovering our secrets." He looked straight at the guy who'd pushed me down. "None of them has ever succeeded." Then he added, "However, we have no rules against anyone being a member of both the Circle and some other order... as long as they keep our secrets." Then the leader clapped his hands and two of the people in robes rushed to one of the side doors and opened it up. Just inside the door was a table with an old looking vase atop it. Each of the two robed figures took a position beside it. "You are each to draw a single stone from the vase," the leader announced. Everyone went up and drew a stone, then stepped to the side. When it was my turn I tried to catch a glimpse inside the vase before drawing, but only saw blackness. I reached in and felt a bunch of stones, all about the size of a golf ball, and feeling perfectly round. I grabbed one and pulled my hand out to see that the stone was green. Then I silently looked around and saw that about half the people had drawn green stones like my own while the other half had white ones. "Those with the green stones step over here," the leader announced, pointing to the center of the new room. "As for those with the white stones... I am sorry... but are dismissed." He gestured to some of the other people in robes and they came forward as escorts to lead the others out. "Please leave your stones in the vase as you leave." I gasped in surprise as did a number of others. Drawing rocks from a vase was a test to get into the circle? That made absolutely no sense at all. And as I glanced over the others who had drawn green stones, I saw that they included both Crystal and the jerk who'd run into me. That didn't strike me as a good sign. Then I looked at the people who'd drawn the white stones and was even more surprised. Not a single one of them looked upset at being dismissed so quickly or so strangely. In fact each and every one of them looked... dazed. They looked as though they might even be drugged. There wasn't a single word of complaint as they were all led out of the building. "Man, that really sucks," the guy next to me exclaimed. I could only nod agreement, feeling even more confused by this Circle than before. A skinny black guy muttered, "Figures they'd get rid of two brothers. Those crackers will probably try finding a way to ditch me next..." Once the others had all been escorted out, the robed figures all returned to the second room where we still remained and closed the door. Only then did the leader pull back his hood and reveal his face. He was a few years older than me with a thin face and a pair of glasses. "My name is Peter Edwards," the leader stated. "I am a senior and the current leader of the Circle." He slowly looked over all of us. "That test may have seemed arbitrary, but trust me... it was anything but." "Sorry," someone in our group said, "but it sure looked random to me. I mean, picking green rocks..." The leader... Peter smiled faintly. "Actually every rock in the vase was white until you chosed your own. It's a litmus test that detects certain traits that we are looking for in the Circle. Every one of us can sense those traits to a degree, which lets us choose likely candidates. However this is more specific and weeds out all those who fall below the required amounts." "Just what traits are you looking for?" the same person asked. This time I saw that the question came from a big and muscular black guy with a pair of glasses. At first glance I'd taken him for just another jock, but he had a thoughtful expression on his face that I didn't really associate with jocks. "A good question," Peter answered approvingly. "And you will get an answer soon. First however there is something else you must all go through." His expression turned serious, even grim. Peter went to the far side of the room and pulled a key from his pocket, inserting it into a spot on the wooden panel. The wall cracked open, revealing that there was actually a carefully concealed door. "Holy shit," a skinny black guy in our group exclaimed. "This is real Scooby Doo type shit." "This is the doorway to our vault," Peter announced, looking at us each one at a time. "This is where countless people have tried sneaking into. This is where we keep our greatest secrets. This is where you will truly be tested to see if you will join the Circle." And with that he started through the door, gesturing for the rest of us to follow. "I don't know if I even really want to join the circle," someone muttered beside me. "I only came here to check out the spiel..." "They are rushing us through this without much explanation," the muscular black guy with glasses commented. The skinny black guy snorted, "I just wanna see how long before they kick the niggers out... Bunch of white ass snobs..." I frowned, ignoring the skinny black guy, but agreeing with the other two. I still wasn't completely sure I wanted to join since I didn't even know what the Circle was about... other than being mysterious. Then again I certainly couldn't afford turn down a free place to live. With that I followed Peter and some of the others through the door. On the other side of the door there was a side stairway that led down. The stone steps were old and worn, looking as though they might have been there for centuries or at the very least, the founding of the college. The stairway was lit by antique oil lamps placed along the wall, creating a pool of light that didn't quite extend to the bottom of the steps. When I reached the bottom of the steps I found myself in a large room with the walls all made of the same old gray stone as the steps. There were oil lamps spread along the walls of the chamber to illuminate it, along with several standing on posts. However something about the room still seemed a little dark. But there was more to the room than that. As I looked it over, I felt an increasing sense of strangeness. My eyes were drawn to the center of the room and what was obviously the central focus. A tree trunk grew from the stone floor, its roots pushing aside and raising some of the stone tiles. The trunk, a bit knotted and about a foot in diameter, going up only three feet before its leafless branches spread out to the sides, clenching a large stone disk as though they were fingers. The disk looked like it was smooth white marble about six inches thick and five feet across, as well as perfectly parallel to the floor so as to make it into a table top. The tree branches were holding it... even growing over the edge a bit to grasp it tightly. I stared at the strange table for several seconds, the hairs on my arm all going on end. I could feel something from this strange table. I looked away from the table and began to notice a few more details, such as several of the tree roots coming through the stone floor in various places, even growing up along the outside walls in several. "Holy shit," I exclaimed, "you've got all this under your building?" Peter just stood beside the strange looking table with a smile, gesturing for us all to come closer. As we did so, the rest of the people in robes spread out and surrounded us, remaining there and watching. Only two of them stepped forward and joined Peter, pulling their own hoods back and revealing their faces. One was Chuck while the other one was an unbelievably stunning woman who had to be one of the sexiest I'd ever seen. "Most of you have no true idea of who we are and what we really do," Peter announced, looking us one at a time. "Forget the rumors. Most of them are made by the jealous or ignorant. The truth is that we aren't much different than a fraternity or sorority in many respects, with each member helping the others. We just happen to be co-ed and have a variety of secrets... some of which you will soon learn." "What is this place?" I asked hesitantly, afraid that they'd throw me out for interfering in what they had planned. Peter didn't seem bothered by my interruption. Instead he adjusted his glasses and then gestured to the strange table, "This is the alter..." "They are a cult," Crystal exclaimed. "In many ways, that is merely a name," Peter continued as though she hadn't interrupted. "We also call it the Game. It is very old... older even than the college. Some think that this tree came from a cutting off the tree of life. Some think that Adam and Eve brought the seed for it with them when they left the garden. Even we do not know the origins, though we do know that the founders of the college brought it from somewhere in Europe. They did not leave any records as to who or what they were before moving here." "This is some weird shit," the skinny black guy told the larger one. "The Game," Chuck called out, "is unlike any game you have ever played. Unlike any game you have ever seen." "In the Game," the sexy woman beside Chuck announced, "you play less against other people and more against yourself. Winning is not determined by completing it first... but by completing it at all." "For those who complete the Game," Peter continued loudly, "the rewards can be great. For those who do not..." He went quiet at that, looking almost sad. "What kind of rewards are we talking about?" the big black guy asked, adjusting his glasses slightly. The sexy woman smiled and gestured down at herself, "I didn't always look like this. When I first came to this school, I was short, flat-chested and not precisely attractive." "The rewards vary," Peter stated simply. "That clears that up," Crystal grumbled sarcastically while the rest of us nodded agreement. "The Game is more than just that," Peter said grimly, "much more. It is both the test and initiation you must complete in order to join the Circle. It can be difficult... very difficult. Once you start playing... you may not quit. You may not quit the Game... but the Game can quit you. Do not start unless you are willing to complete it... no matter how difficult the task may be." "You each still have the spheres you have drawn," Chuck said, gesturing to my hand. I looked at the green sphere that I was still holding, as did everyone else. "This is your chance to back out," Peter said with an incredibly serious expression. "If you choose to leave now, you will lose your memories of what happened since you entered the door of our building just as the others have. We will hold no grudge against you. You are free to go. This is your last chance though. Either stay and face the Game... with all the risk, challenge and rewards that this entails... or you leave. Make your decision now." Peter was silent for a minute to let this all soak in and for us to make up our minds. One guy shook his head. "This cult shit is just too weird.. I'm out of here..." he snorted. "Erasing my memories... I'd like to see you try..." One of the robed figures escorted him back to the stairs and after a few seconds two others followed him. Peter didn't say a word. The skinny black guy who remained in our group exclaimed, "I can't believe these crackers think I'm gonna fall for this shit..." He stood there with a stubborn expression on his face, obviously deciding to call their bluff. I gulped, once again thinking about turning around and joining those other three and not sure whether I should or not. It was only a mixture of curiosity as to what was going to come next and the need for a place to live which kept me standing where I was. However I couldn't resist looking to see who else remained. Of course the skinny black guy was still here, along with the big black guy with the glasses. The first seemed a bit high strung, as though ready to snap at any moment. The larger of the two stood there with a calm expression, silently looking around the room and waiting to see what would happen next. The big jock who'd threatened me stood there, watching Peter with a big of a smirk, perhaps thinking about how easily it would be to beat him up or threaten his way into Circle membership. Crystal stood off to the side, glaring at all of the guys who remained as though we were all competition that she was determined to beat. Then I noticed the petite Asian girl. She had a nervous expression and somehow reminded me of a deer caught in the headlights. She kept glancing towards the two large guys in our group, obviously a bit intimidated though trying unsuccessfully to hide it. Crystal seemed to notice this as well as she stood beside the smaller girl to offer her support. The last two people who remained with our group was a sexy looking cheerleader type with blonde hair and big boobs, looking a bit smug but not saying anything, and a pale skinned guy who was dressed up as a goth. Both of them had been behind me and not saying much so I nearly missed them entirely. Once the three who'd chosen to leave were out of the room Peter nodded his head and looked us over. "I already know who each of you are, but perhaps you should introduce yourselves to each other before we continue." He gestured to the big jock I'd run into right before meeting Chuck, "You may go first." "Figures," the skinny black guy told the big and muscular one. "I knew they'd want some other cracker to go first." The big black guy just looked down at him and whispered, "Shhhh." "I'm Ed," the big jock stated, staring at Peter with a smug expression, almost daring the Circle leader to do something. Peter started to gesture to the second person but Crystal stepped forward with a look of annoyance. "I'm Crystal Gates," she stated, obviously not wanting to wait until she was called on. Peter raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. "Dylan McKenna," I said quietly when it was my turn, then watched as the others introduced themselves as well. The skinny black guy said he was Jordan Green while the tall and muscular black guy with the glasses was Bill Foreman. The petite Asian girl with the nervous expression was Michelle, though I had to struggle to hear her quiet introduction. "I'm Alexis Andrews," the cheerleader one said with a broad smile, suddenly making me wonder why she wasn't trying for a sorority instead of the Circle. Then again Peter had said that both sororities and fraternities tried sneaking their pledges inside. I couldn't help wondering if she was one of those, especially with the way she was suddenly all smiles and good cheer. It seemed kind of suspicious to me. The last of the eight people who remained behind was the pale goth boy. He glared at Alexis with an expression that seemed to be half attraction and half disgust. Only once he realized that everyone else had already introduced themselves did he do the same, saying, "Everyone calls me Gecko." "Now that you all know who each other is," the sexy woman beside Peter said to us, "it is time to begin the game." "Place the green stones you drew on the alter," Peter said with a very serious expression. "You will find divots in the stone which will hold them in place. Which ones you use does not matter." I went to the stone disk and stared at it, suddenly realizing that this must be how the Circle got its name. After all the table was perfectly round. Then I noticed the small indentations in the stone that Peter had mentioned. I hadn't noticed them the first time I looked at the table. And oddly enough, I counted exactly eight divots... the perfect number for our little group. I hesitated a moment, not wanting to be the first one to put my little ball into the divot. Crystal quickly put hers in, as though it was somehow important for her to be first. Then everyone else followed. Once the last ball had been put on the table, the white stone had a faint green shimmer run across its surface. "What the fuck?" Ed demanded. The stone ball I had just set down was melting, as was everyone else's. Then I noticed that it wasn't just melting away, it was reshaping as though it were a piece of clay until it had become a figure of a man. It took me several more seconds to realize that it looked a lot like ME. "What the fuck?" Jordan exclaimed, "it looks like me..." I looked at what had been Jordan's green ball and saw that it did indeed look like him. Everyone's balls now looked just like them. I gasped at the sight, feeling a chill run up my spine. This wasn't just some cheap trick. There was something very VERY strange going on. I felt as though I had just thrown out the book of natural laws I'd always used and was now left without a guide as to what was possible and what wasn't. "It's some sort of trick," Bill said, looking more curious than anything else as he obviously tried to figure out how it worked. "Are you guys stupid or what?" Gecko snorted. "It's obviously magic." "Yeah right," Crystal snorted. "There's no such thing as magic." "Actually," Peter said as he looked at each of us, "he is right. It is magic. That is also what we were looking for in each of you... a potential for magic. The Game will not work for anyone who does not have a certain affinity for it." Then he gestured to the table. "Now watch." I turned my attention back to the table and gasped to see that the white stone was moving and changing shape, just as the balls had a minute earlier. Parts of it were rising up, forming small peaks and ledges while other parts formed what seemed to be valleys or channels. When it finally stopped, it almost seemed to be some sort of model that represented a landscape, with clear smooth roads running all through the natural features. Each of these roads started where our figurines remained. The only part of the table which remained as it had been was a small round space in the middle of the board. "It is now too late to turn back," Peter announced in a loud and theatrical voice. "The Game has begun." All of the people in red robes who surrounded us and had remained quiet until this time began to cheer. They each pulled back their own hoods, revealing their faces. Several of them looked familiar, as people I had seen around campus and had even talked to briefly. All of them were looking at us and the strange table. "This is fucking weird," Ed snorted, grabbing his figurine and trying to lift it. However it seemed completely frozen to the table and wouldn't budge an inch. He struggled with it for a moment, obviously surprised, but it did no good. It refused to move. "Hey," Alexis suddenly asked, "how come his path is shorter than mine?" She gestured to Bill and then down at the path which started where his figurine rested. I looked and saw that her path was a bit long and windy while his was much shorter and straighter, probably only half the distance. "Everyone's path is different," Peter responded. "Each of you will be following your own path. Remember, the goal is merely to reach the end... not to reach it before everyone else." "It's the same thing as always," Crystal exclaimed with a bit of anger. "They make us women work harder to win. It's set against us..." Peter turned to glare at her, his eyes narrowing. "You will find that we have few problems of that sort around here." I looked around at the people in robes and realized that about half of them were girls. That certainly seemed to prove Crystal wrong, though she just snorted, "Men." Just then Michelle gasped. "My figure... It's moving..." Everyone turned at once and saw the little green figurine of Michelle was indeed moving down the path without anyone touching it. It went perhaps six inches before it stopped. Then I noticed the flat circle in the middle of the table was beginning to shift and move, though not nearly as much as the rest of the board had. Instead letters appeared right in the stone as though they were being carved there by some invisible force. "Your order of play will be chosen at random," Peter said, looking at Michelle. "It seems Michelle is to go first. Please read your instructions." He pointed to the center of the table where the writing had appeared. Michelle looked nervous, then took a deep breath and read the words aloud, though her voice was still quiet enough that I had to strain to hear what she said. "You shall face your greatest fears." Suddenly Michelle began to glow with a strange green aura. She looked around in terror just before she began to shrink. I watched in stunned disbelief as she lost inches of height, becoming four feet tall and then three. Her clothes were somehow shrinking right along with her. Michelle screamed but it didn't stop her shrinking until she was only a foot tall. Only then did the green glow fade away from her. "Holy shit," I blurted out, sure that I had to be imagining things. Everyone else was backing away, staring at Michelle in horror as though her condition were contagious. Then we all began backing away from the table and moving towards the stairs to leave. Michelle was staring up at everyone, screaming in terror. "It's too late to quit now," Peter said simply, gesturing to the table. "The Game has begun and can not be stopped until you complete it." "Bullshit," Ed snarled, going straight at Peter with a fist raised as though to punch him. But when he reached just several feet away, he froze with a strange expression on his face. "What the hell? I can't move..." Peter looked around with an apologetic look. "You were warned that the Game would be difficult and I didn't lie." He looked down at Michelle with a sympathetic look, then gently reached over to pick her up. One of the other circle members came rushing forward with a step ladder and Peter carefully set her on the top so she could see the stone disk. Peter gave Michelle a sympathetic look, then said, "It seems that the next player has been chosen." Everyone looked back to the Game and Gecko gasped, "Oh shit," as his piece was now moving. It moved several spaces and then stopped. New words began to appear in the center of the game and he gulped before reading them to himself, not bothering to read them aloud. I was far enough back that I couldn't see exactly what they said, though Gecko suddenly exclaimed, "Oh shit..." Gecko gasped as his body became covered in a green glow, the same glow that had transformed Michelle. However, instead of shrinking, something else seemed to be happening to him instead. Gecko grew taller and more muscular. His dark hair quickly faded, turning into a golden blonde while his pale skin began to tan. The metal rings through both his lip and eyebrow vanished and his features began to alter. "Oh my God," Alexis gasped, staring at Gecko in amazement... and something else. When Gecko finished transforming he no loner looked anything like the pale goth he had. Instead he was tall and athletic, looking like a jock or a lifeguard at the beach. His features had changed, giving him rugged good looks. Even his clothing had been altered, turning from black leather jacket and faded black jeans to a pair of jeans and a tight sleeveless shirt that showed off his new physique. "What did it do to me?" Gecko demanded, looking down at himself and gasping in awe as he saw how his body had been transformed. He was both impressed and confused, as was I. How could Michelle have been shrunk while Gecko turned into this? Bill's turn came next and I was again left without any idea what the Game had written for him. All I knew was that he suddenly began to glow green, and when the glow faded he seemed entirely unchanged. I was a little surprised at that, especially after what had happened to both Gecko and Michelle. "If you don't stop this now," Ed threatened Peter, discovering that he could now move... just not make any movement towards Peter, "I'll kick your ass..." Peter didn't seem the least bit bothered by his threats. Instead Peter walked up to Ed and said, "I can't stop it if I wanted. Remember, I warned you all that there was no turning back. The only way to end the Game and its effects is to go forward." "I'm gonna kick your ass," Ed snarled, obviously not listening to what Peter said. "That's not a good idea," Chuck warned him. But Peter held up a hand to indicate that he could handle this on his own. "I was once like you," he told Ed with a sad shake of his head. "Fortunately... I learned better." Just then Crystal exclaimed, "Mine's moving..." She stared at her figurine as it moved, looking a bit nervous as it did so. Once it stopped and the words appeared, she read them aloud with a broad grin, "The most sexist person in the room shall lose the advantages of their gender." Crystal stood there with a triumphant smirk, looking at all the men in the room, obviously wondering which one of us would be the target of this curse. But then she began to glow green and gasped in shock and disbelief. She obviously hadn't expected herself to become the target, though it certainly wasn't a surprise. "It's got the wrong person," Crystal screamed as her body began to change. "Oh my God," Alexis gasped in horror as she watched Crystal's transformation. Crystal's transformation wasn't quite as dramatic as Michelle's and was actually a little like Gecko's in reverse. Her chest flattened as she seemed to lose her breasts and all of her feminine curves. Then her appearance seemed to become more masculine, especially as she grew stubble and a scraggly beard. Crystal didn't become any taller, but she now looked like a man... a short and scrawny one, but a man nonetheless. "What did you to do me?" Crystal demanded, her voice now low and male. There was almost nothing feminine about her other than her size. "Gross," Alexis backed away with a look of disgust. Next came my turn though I certainly wasn't ready for it. I gulped at the sight of my own figurine moving forward and then took a deep breath and braced myself to read the writing which appeared. It merely said, "No decision shall be yours to make." I felt a strange tingling run through me but nothing more. Like Bill, nothing seemed to have happened to me... much to my relief. Jordan's turn came next and he told me, "Back off and give a nigger some room." I stepped back and watched as he read the words to himself and began to glow green. "Oh shit," he gasped, "no fuckin way..." I was too far back now to read the words that had appeared for Jordan, though I got a good look at him as he began to change. The green glow covered his body, becoming even more noticeable as his skin began to pale. Jordan stared down at his hands as they lost their dark color, becoming a shade much like my own... and then even more pale. By the time it was through, Jordan was a very pale Caucasian... perhaps even an albino. "You... you're white," Bill exclaimed. "No fucking way," Jordan gasped, staring at himself in shock. "I'm out of here," Ed snapped, turning and starting for the stairway to leave. "It doesn't matter if you read the words or not," Peter said, "the magic will happen anyway. Wouldn't you rather at least know what was happening?" Almost as though Peter knew it was Ed's turn next, his figure began to move. Paused by the stairway, glancing back to the Game but refusing to step towards it. Then the green glow suddenly hit him, dropping him to his knees. I couldn't see the words in the center of the table nor could I bring myself to go and look. All I could do was stand where I was and watch Ed slowly shrink, losing his height and muscle. When it was finished, he looked like a little boy. "NO," Ed cried out, sounding just like the little boy he appeared. "Turn me back..." "I can't do that," Peter told him. "The only way is for you to continue with the game." "Fuck you," Ed screamed, turning and running up the stairs as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Too bad," Chuck said, "I'll track him down and tell him the rest in awhile." "The rest?" Bill asked. But just then Alexis burst out, "Oh no... It's my turn..." Alexis read the words in the center of the game with a pale expression, saying them low enough so only those who were closest to her could hear them. I was too far away to hear or to read them for myself. All I could do was stand there and watch as Alexis began to glow and transform. "No," she cried out, staring at her fingernails which seemed to be pulling back, then down to her shrinking breasts. "Please, not that..." Alexis seemed to be transforming much like Crystal had, though there were some obvious differences. Alexis was losing her beauty and curves but she wasn't becoming any more masculine. Instead her hair darkened and became frizzy. A splattering of acne broke out across her cheeks. A pair of thick glasses appeared an her face and when she screamed in horror, I could see the braces which she now wore. "I've turned into a nerd," Alexis cried out in a now nasally voice. "You have each gone through your first turn," Peter said, slowly looking around the room at each and every one of us. "However it is not time for you to start the second. The Game does not work as other games do. A single game may often take several weeks to play. It is not uncommon for it to last for several months. There was even once instance I know of where it continued for more than a year." Everyone suddenly gasped and started to demand answers as to how he could expect us to keep playing that long. Everyone was talking at once but Peter seemed to have no problems with this. He just stood there silently until everyone was finally done and had gone silent. "Each of you will have to continue your current turn on your own," Peter said calmly. "When it is completed and you are ready to move to the next, you will feel a compulsion to return here to the Game. You do not need to worry about where anyone else is or if it is your turn. If it is time, you need to merely touch your figurine to tell the Game you are ready to continue." Crystal and Jordan both immediately rushed to the Game and grabbed their figurines. Neither could remove them from the stone disk, nor did anything unusual happen. They both just stood there, cursing and ordering the game to change them back. "You are not ready to continue yet," Peter told them. "The Game will only do so when you are ready... not before." At this the sexy woman who'd been standing beside Peter called out, "You may all leave now. The magic of the Game will prevent you from telling anyone else about what goes on here until you are full members of the Circle." "It will also make things easier when you deal with people who would otherwise notice your changes," Chuck continued, gesturing to Crystal and Gecko. "When you return to continue the game," Peter said, "we will have someone waiting to lead you to it. We will answer any questions that we can. And remember..." He slowly looked to each of us with a sympathetic smile. "Every member of the Circle has been through the Game as well." He gestured to the people wearing the read robes. The rest of the 'players' went to the stairway and grumbled as they left the room. I could hear more than a little swearing as they examined their changes and compared them to the others. I just remained where I was, feeling no real urge to actually leave... or do anything else for that matter. "Why aren't you going too?" Chuck asked, then paused to stare at me. "Oh, I see..." "What is it?" the sexy woman asked as she came over to look at me with a curious expression. "His turn," Peter told her. "It made him incapable of making... or at least acting on any decision." "Ah," the woman nodded with a look of understanding. "That's harsh." "The Game is almost always harsh," Peter agreed. "But it is necessary to get the prize." Then he turned to me. "Dylan... go straight home. Tomorrow you will continue your normal schedule the best you are able." I just nodded at that and walked straight to the stairs though I hadn't actually decided to do so. There was a guy in red robes standing at the main door to let me out and then lock it behind me. I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to come back to this place, whether to continue with that creepy Game or now. "Damn," I muttered, thinking about the words I'd read and Peter's explanation. If he was right, then I was in deep trouble. I wanted to test it, to prove him wrong but I wasn't sure how I could do that. Then it dawned on me. "He told me to go straight home. If I stop at the store, then I'll prove it isn't working." Now that I knew what I had to do, it was a simple matter to actually do it. Or at least it should have been. For some reason I just couldn't actually bring myself to stop at the store. Even as I passed it the motivation just wasn't there. Instead I drove straight back to my dorm and then went up to my room. Now I knew without a doubt that I had been cursed just as surely as Ed. -------------------- I awoke to the sound of my roommate C.J. making a mess as he tossed random items aside, digging through his closet for something or other. The fact that I was still there asleep didn't even concern him in the least, but that was nothing new. C.J. was always coming and going at odd hours and making a large mess and waking me up in the middle of the night. Even if I didn't have financial problems, C.J. would have been reason enough for me to look for a new place to live. "So how was that Circle thing?" C.J. asked when he noticed I was up. He paused in his mess making long enough to give me a curious look. I was about to tell him about the strange secret room and the Game, when I found myself saying, "It didn't," instead. That wasn't at all what I had intended to say, but then I continued, "They wouldn't even let me in the door. I think the invitation was just some sort of joke..." "Figures," C.J. snickered. "I knew they wouldn't invite someone like you." He turned away from me and continued digging through his closet. I felt a little insulted by C.J.'s comments, but also a bit confused about why I'd told him that lie. Peter had said the Game wouldn't let us tell anyone else about it, though I never would have believed it would force me to lie like that. Then again I'd seen more than enough strange things last night to doubt it was possible. Without consciously willing it I found myself getting up and going about my normal morning routine. I went to the bathroom, took a shower, and even sat down to eat a bowl of cereal. It was like I was on automatic with no real control over myself or even any desire to do something else. I was just going through the motions. "Hey, I'm having a big party tonight," C.J. abruptly told me. "I'm inviting some friends over so I'd appreciate it if you kind of vanished for tonight. Is that all right with you?" His tone indicated that I didn't really have much choice since he was going to do what he wanted anyway. That's the way C.J. was. "Just fine," I responded blankly, absently wondering why he'd have a big party on a school night. Then again this was C.J. "Found it," C.J. exclaimed as he pulled out an old video game cartridge which appeared to be what he'd been searching for. "I told Brad I'd get this to him." Then he glanced at his watch. "Shit, I've gotta get going." C.J. turned to me and joked, "Clean this up will you..." Then he hurried out the door. As soon as C.J. was gone I stood up and began to pick up the pile of clutter he'd left all over the floor. It wasn't that I wanted to clean up his mess or even do him a favor. The truth was I didn't even think about it. I was just moving on automatic again, doing exactly what he'd told me to. "Damn," I muttered to myself, realizing that C.J. had just made my decision to clean the room for me. Once I was done cleaning up C.J.'s mess I left my dorm and continued my normal routine just as Peter had instructed me to. I went to class and sat there, unable to decide what I should write down in my notes. The professor continued to lecture on, completely unaware of the fact that his entire speech was nearly wasted on me. By the time class ended I remembered a few things that he'd said but not a whole lot. I hadn't been able to focus on any specific information and decide which was important enough to remember. My second class of the day didn't go very well either, especially after one of the boys next to me jokingly told me to throw a paper airplane at the professor. I couldn't help but do it, which earned me some brownie points with the other students but quite the opposite from the professor. "I want to talk to you after class Mr. McKenna." Professor Cole glared at me before returning to his lecture. The rest of the class was not a pleasant one for me as I was well aware of the fact that Professor Cole kept giving me odd glares, noticing that I wasn't taking any notes. I knew that my grades for this class were dropping like a rock and I'd only recently started it. I could only imagine what my GPA would look like after I went through all my classes like this. When class was over I remained behind talk to Professor Cole, not having any other choice. He stood there and glared at me, "What is the meaning of this behavior?" "I don't know," I told him, knowing that I couldn't very well tell him the truth. He shook his head, then gave me a strange look. He stared at me for a moment before gasping. "You didn't happen to go to the Circle initiation last night?" I blinked in surprise, then found that I could actually nod, "Y... yeah." I was stunned. I was sure that I'd be forced to tell him some lie about never having been given an invitation. Professor Cole nodded, looking a little more sympathetic. "I am a member of the Circle myself," he told me in a conspiratorial voice. "I joined way back when I was a student here." After a moment he sighed. "Now I understand your odd behavior today... Just try to be more careful." "Yes sir," I responded, remaining where I was. "You can go now," he told me with a note of exasperation. "Yes sir," I responded again before I was finally able to leave. The rest of the day didn't go much better and only seemed to get worse. In one class I had a multiple choice quiz that the professor passed out, only to find that I couldn't answer a single question... even the ones I knew the answers to. I winced as my quiz was returned without a single answer on it. Then for lunch in the cafeteria, I ended up with several things I didn't like because someone told me I should get them. I was extremely relieved when my classes were done for the day and I was able to return to my dorm room. Unfortunately even the sanctuary of my dorm room wasn't safe for long. As C.J. quickly reminded me, he was having his big party. And to make it worse, with a few casual comments he even had me cleaning up everything for his friends before I was forced to leave. Then, since I couldn't decide where to go or what to do while his friends were there, I ended up standing outside the dorm building for the entire party. I watched his friends go in, I heard them making a lot of noise, and I even watched them leaving a number of hours later. The whole time I just remained there, silently fuming inside. C.J.'s party didn't end until 3 AM and only then was I able to return to my own room. The whole place was trashed, a horrible mess with beer cans all over the floor, pizza spilled onto the carpet and even a number of unpleasant stains on the walls. I could only stare at the wreckage of what had been my room, and the mess that had been made of even my own belongings. I was furious but helpless to do anything about it. As I looked at my bed, which looked as though someone had puked in it, I was sure that things couldn't possibly get any worse. I should have known better because before C.J. collapsed into his bed and fell asleep, he jokingly told me, "Clean this place up... will ya? It's a mess..." I screamed in frustration, which didn't seem to bother the now snoring C.J. at all, then I went to work anyway. I spent the next several hours scrubbing down every bit of my dorm room in order to undo the chaos that my roommate and his friends had created. I was seething in anger, nearly ready to bust in frustration. I felt like a slave, forced to do whatever anyone else told me to. I was helpless, unable to do even the simplest things for myself and having to take even an offhand comment or suggestion as a strict command. I had absolutely no control over myself now and I HATED it. Suddenly I felt something twist inside of me. I paused, my cleaning nearly finished, realizing with absolute certainty that I HAD to get back to the Circle's house. I HAD to get back to that horrible Game. But at the same time I realized that I didn't have to do it right at that moment. I was completely exhausted and that could wait until morning. With a long sigh of relief I made my decision and collapsed into bed. -------------------- I stood in front of the Circle house, feeling a strange mixture of nervousness and relief. I briefly wondered if I'd made a mistake in skipping a class to come here but quickly shoved that concern aside. I was still feeling a strange compulsion to come and I wanted to get this taken care of as soon as I could. "At least I get to make the choice," I muttered to myself with a faint smile. When I had woken up I'd been relieved to discover that I was free from the compulsion to obey other people. I was free to make decisions of my own again. It had been one of the greatest pleasures of my life to tell C.J. to 'fuck off' after he asked me to help him clean up the rest of the room. As it was I'd done far more cleaning than he had any right to expect. I was still pretty pissed off about just how badly he'd taken advantage of me. "Him and everyone else," I grumbled bitterly, hating what that Game had made me do. I didn't really want to come back and have it do even more, but I couldn't very well ignore it either. "Here goes nothing." I went to the heavy wooden door and used the door knocker, not sure that anyone could possibly hear it. After all it was a big building and the odds of someone being near the door weren't the greatest. However, the door began to open up almost immediately. The sexy blonde woman who'd been standing next to Peter during the start of my initiation gestured for me to come inside. This time she was dressed in normal clothes instead of the red robe she had been wearing then. "Welcome back," she smiled at me, holding out a hand, "I'm Delilah." "Dylan," I responded nervously as I took her hand. I wasn't used to talking to gorgeous women like this or having them be nice to me. "I know," Delilah chuckled. "I remember you from the other night. I assume that you are ready to continue playing." I nodded at that, gulping before carefully answering, "I think so..." "Right this way," she told me cheerfully, leading me through the same path that I'd gone the night before. We went into the second room and through the secret passage, then descended the old stone steps. The large chamber was exactly as it had been the other night, except that this time we were the only ones there. I stared at Delilah, noticing that she was much less formal than last time too, a fact that her tight jeans and cleavage revealing shirt emphasized. "Is something wrong?" Delilah asked. "No," I answered quickly, then hesitated before adding, "actually, I kind of expected you all to be here wearing robes again." Delilah bust out laughing at that, "Sorry to disappoint you. In spite of the impression you might have gotten last night, we don't hang out in robes all day. In fact we usually only wear them during the start of initiations and a few other rare occasions. It's a tradition thing." She shrugged. "As for everyone else... They're mostly in class. Since initiates are coming and going at all hours, we take turns waiting for you to show up. Right now it's my shift." "Oh," I responded as we walked to what Peter called the Game. "All you have to do is touch your piece," Delilah told me gently. "If you really have completed the first stage the Game will do the rest." I merely nodded at that and looked over the game board, noticing that several of the figurines had already been moved ahead from where they'd been the other night. "Don't I have to wait for my turn or something?" Delilah shook her head, "There are no turns. You're all playing at the same time but only sometimes against each other." I took a deep breath, wondering if I should continue. Maybe I should just turn around and leave before things got any worse. After having spent yesterday as some sort of zombie, I was terrified of what it would do to me next. I shuddered with the memory of how the other's had been changed. Delilah just stood back, not saying a word or rushing me to go ahead. "I can't quit," I whispered to myself, knowing now that Peter was probably being very literal. After what I'd seen I had a feeling that this Game could force me to continue whether I wanted to or not. My only real choice here was to either continue on my own or go kicking and screaming. I just wanted to get this done and over with so I reached out and touched my figurine. "Good," Delilah said as my figurine began to slide forward along the path, stopping when it reached a fork. The path in front of my figurine diverged into three separate paths. "Now it seems you must choose which one to follow." "But which one?" I asked in surprise, looking ahead along the three paths and seeing them go in completely different directions. I couldn't see anything that told me which one would be the best path to take or the easiest. "I can't tell..." Delilah stood back, watching me with a curious expression but not making any suggestions. I kept looking back and forth between the three paths before me, trying to decide if one of them would be easier or faster. Unfortunately it didn't do any good and I still didn't have a clue. Finally I just pointed to one of the paths at random and said, "This one..." As soon as I had announced my decision, my figurine began to slide onto that path and then stopped just an inch after it began. My eyes immediately darted to the flat space in the middle of the stone table. I gulped as the words began to appear, fearing to read them but knowing that I had to. "It is time for a new direction," I read aloud, having no idea what that meant other than that I had just chosen one of the paths. A moment later I was awash in a green glow and feeling a strange tingling through my body. The tingling intensified and I could actually feel my body beginning to move and change. It didn't really hurt but it was still an extremely strange sensation. This was what some of the others had to be feeling when they were being changed. I gasped and stared at my hands, watching as they altered subtly, becoming a little longer and more slender. It was the fact that my nails had become long and coated with a glossy polish that really caught my attention. "What the hell?" I gasped, staring down at the two lumps that were pushing out from my chest. Of course that was hardly the only thing happening to my body. I quickly grabbed between my legs, feeling a strange absence there as I did so. "Oh shit..." The changes running through my body finished up in less than a minute and the glow promptly faded away. I continued to just stand there, staring down at myself and taking in the changes. It was more than a little obvious that I had been transformed into a girl. My body was noticeably feminine and I had B cup breasts which pushed out from my chest. "Interesting," Delilah mused as she watched me with some interest. "Interesting?" I gasped. "Look at me!" "I am," she responded with an amused smile. "You make a very lovely young woman." I glared at her in response but she