I thrashed myself awake again, flailing wildly and only being dimly aware of the sense of deja-vu that my actions elicited. It was then that I realised I was no longer in the field of flowers and bees, in fact, I wasn't entirely sure where I was, this was because I could make out a grand total of no scenery through the roiling mass of humanity that pressed in upon me.

I stood up groggily and used my height to take in the immensity of the crowd about me, we covered all ends of the horizon like a plague. Everywhere I looked my vision was filled with fearful and confused faces. This was the largest group of people I had ever seen assembled at one time and this fact led to some vast realisations. The first of them being that people are hot.

Not in the sense of attractiveness, however, but in body heat and something that is never taken into account with large gatherings is just how intense that combined force can become. With this many people all crowded together I could soon feel the cold dripping of sweat rolling down my brow and face. It stung my eyes and as I looked at the sky the sweat compounded with the heat haze to create a wavy, distorted visage of blue.

My other realisation was just how loud people can be. Imagine every time you've entered into a large gathering of people without supervision or a noise limit, crowds can be deafening. Now times that feeling by 1000 and you have the truly mind-numbing force that I was now experiencing.

I had once thought that the music at the party that now felt so far away was loud, that it had transcended into a physical force. That was nothing compared to this. Sobs and moans and demands for answers roared into my ears and sent my mind reeling from the cacophony.

I just wanted to go home, I thought meekly as tears again began to well up in the corners of my vision. I pawed at my eyes to dry them before wiping my brow, becoming passingly aware that my waking outburst had injured some of the people next to me. They were giving me dirty looks and I resolved myself to move away from them.

I forced myself through the crowd of people, cutting into the mass of bodies and flesh. And it was only after several minutes of travel and one heated argument with a man on whether or not I had touched him inappropriately that a sense of order was given to the situation.

It started as a low hum before becoming an all-consuming whine that had everyone doubled over and clutching their ears. I could feel the vibrations of sound in my head and my teeth began to shake in place from the force of the noise, then suddenly it stopped and the silence was only slightly less deafening than the noise that proceeded it.

Words than began to swim across my vision, I wasn't sure if the letters themselves were English or if they were even from any language from earth, I just knew the meaning instinctively as if the language was hardwired into my brain. It read.

'Attention Chosen. As you already know you have been chosen at random to represent your species for the betterment of them as a whole. Balance is the law of the universe, where there is plenty there must be a loss. Where there is complacency there must be fear and struggle. You will balance your species and allow them to live on the universal stage. Good luck. Your first trial shall begin now.

Trial One: Make it alive to any of the castles marked by the system.'

I looked around after the flow of information had subsided and saw that, in what I assumed where the compass directions, three diamond waypoints hovering in my vision in a translucent manner. I stood dumbstruck for several long moments staring at the waypoint titled 'Castle North' this was when the shooting started.

It started as a weak staccato of cracks before transcending to an avalanche of harsh pops like the crack of a bullwhip or the sound of a stick dragged roughly across a corrugated iron surface.

I dropped low and flung my arms over my head in a primeval form of defence for the most vital areas of biology. Then with almost startling rapidness, the mass of humanity began to move.

It started as a slow hobbling pace with only several people trying to move but being blocked in by their neighbours. Then as the full brevity of the situation became clear to the horde they began to move with a fervour that only fear can create.

I was shoulder checked by a man as he passed me and saw a knot of people approaching me at a startling speed, I gulped nervously. In these situations to fall was to die. Trampled by countless frightened feet. So I ran.

I started a slow loping pace, moving just fast enough to stay clear of the people around me whilst still conserving my energy for the trek of unknown distance, All the while the guns made sweeping passes over the crowds of people. Shooting at head level.

I was doubled over as I ran, arms flung over my head. Although it may have been counterproductive to balance it felt right and was proved so as I was showered with slivers of bone and scraps of brain matter as the person next to me's head exploded in a red cloud.

I wanted to vomit. It was the most unadulterated scene of violence that I had ever before experienced in my life. Watching a life so cruelly taken, I wanted to fall to the ground and cry. I wanted it all to be over. The only thing stronger than this emotion, however, was my fear. A fear that kept me at pace with the hordes of people behind me as we rushed for the promised safety of Castle North.

It was several seconds later that another event of note happened in my panicked run. An old man doubled over ahead of me and tried desperately to drag out the wheezing breaths caused by a lifetime of smoking.

He was in my path and if I were to stop or even slow I would be trampled by the people behind me. I am not proud of my actions but as I came upon him I shoved him roughly, pushing his frail form into the throngs of oncoming people. God help me for I saw his eyes as he fell under the feet of the horde. God help me for at that moment I felt no remorse, only fear. Fear that if I slowed, that would be me.