Run 63

I awoke to see nothing but darkness. Groggily, I lifted myself off of the ground and attempted to recall what had happened; however, everything seemed to have been crushed deep into my mind, rendering all memories inaccessible. My boots tapped on the hard, slippery floor as I cautiously inched forward into the unknown, feeling around for an exit. The soft material of my glove pressed against a ceramic surface. Before I could take another step, a mechanical whir surrounded me and the floor began to rise at an alarming rate, shaking the enclosure. I fell against the curved wall as the tube spiralled upwards. After a few seconds, the whirring noise subsided and the structure came to an abrupt halt. Spring air wafted in. Warm rays of sunlight bounced around in the ceramic material, filling the tube with a thick, green haze. The gentle sounds of wind and the calls of birds were filtered and distorted by the tall, cylindrical structure. I jumped, grabbed hold of the rim, and hopped out of the pipe. The greenery and white sands of a familiar environment surrounded me.

To the north was a towering castle constructed of huge limestone bricks. A bridge arched over the sparkling, turquoise waters of it's mote, connecting the castle to a sandy path. To the west, a waterfall rushed over the hills, crashing into the mote and flowing eastward to form a lake. As my shoes padded along the path, a Lakitu drifted behind me. Purple butterflies floated past. Everything felt the way it should be, perfect even. I crossed the bridge and stepped onto the castle's checked floors. Its wooden doors creaked shut behind me, silencing the sounds of nature and bringing a grand melody to life. The huge walls of the room were painted with a simplistic depiction of a spring afternoon much like the one outside. As I approached the bottom left corner of the castle’s main room, the faint, high-pitched voice of a Toad became apparent.

“Am I glad to see you! The Princess…and I…and, well, everybody…we’re all trapped inside the castle walls. Bowser has stolen the castle’s stars, and he’s using their power to create his own world in the paintings and walls. Please recover the Power Stars! As you find them, you can use their power to open the doors that Bowser has sealed.” His disembodied voice echoed in the bare room. Hurriedly, I ran along the red carpet, made my way to the left door, and leapt into the painting of a war-ridden grassy field. As I surveyed my surroundings, I became lightheaded. The message drowned everything out. I tensed up, terrified. It was deafening. Bones of creatures cracked under the pressure of my body, but I took no notice; my mind was buzzing. A blissful, joyous feeling washed over me as I lost control of everything.

After an eternity of feverish, uncontrollable chaos, my body collapsed limply onto the hot desert. Dry heat passed down my throat and filled my lungs as I gasped for air. Grinding sand had worn cracks into my leathery skin. I got to my feet and began staggering towards the edge of the landscape. In my dazed state, I nearly fell off the vertical slope. The desert ended in an unforgiving drop. Unnerved, but too exhausted to give it much thought, I lay back and tried to let the sound of sand shifting in the wind calm me. My eyes closed and I began to drift off. In the my empty mind, I felt an itch; something boring a hole into my brain. Unable to rest, I got up, slowly becoming reinvigorated. The horrible, irresistible desire to do as the Toad said still remained. It drove my tired body through a plethora of different environments. I risked my life to retrieve the stars that each of the landscapes held.

Thousands of organisms wandered the areas, accompanying me. Each member of the species was unnaturally identical. I had once despised the creatures, but I began to feel disgusted with myself for what I had done to them; they seemed to be as helpless as I was. I walked the bleak, empty halls of the castle, constantly searching for the next star. Music that had once played remained silent. Apparitions swarmed the back garden and worn hats were scattered about the obstacle courses. It felt like many had travelled these areas before, always alone.

Occasionally, I caught glimpses of a camera, always trailing just behind me. Each time, it quickly glided out of sight, not wanting to be seen; however, I knew it followed me everywhere. I couldn't stop thinking that someone was watching me. The paranoia was enough to snap me out of my endless routine. I exited the castle and walked to the southernmost hill. Birds still chirped and butterflies still dotted the hills, but the landscape was no longer comforting; it felt like a tainted imitation of something greater. As expected, the hill ended in a vertical drop. I sat on the edge of the grass. Hundreds of feet below the suspended island was a sea of blue light. Questions flooded my mind. What was this place? Why did everything simply end? Who put me here? I couldn't answer any of them. I sat there hunched over for hours, staring into the blue abyss, contemplating jumping. It was a pathetic idea. The desire to follow the Toad's message had faded; however, I had to continue.

After spending days scouring the castle and its courses for each star, I stared at the cloudy, sapphire night sky painted on the walls of the uppermost room. Beaten and exhausted, I walked up the red stairs and climbed into the tunnel. Purple light dimly illuminated the suspended objects. I trudged through the course and clambered into the pipe that led to my final obstacle. The Koopa-like monstrosity awkwardly maneuvered himself around the disintegrating course. I easily outsped him and rammed his huge mass into one of the surrounding landmines, setting my anger and disgust free in a hazy state. On the third detonation, the tired beast’s shell cracked open.

A voice escaped its unmoving mouth, "...You've really beaten...this time, Mario. I can't..." The abomination fell limp, shattering its shell with its own unsupported weight. Organic and mechanical material spilled out, filling the air with a revolting odour. His corpse teleported away, leaving behind a final star. As I walked towards my reward, a sharp wave of pain coursed through my body. Rapidly, the result of all the inhuman feats I had accomplished caught up to me, overwhelming my senses with excruciating pain. Tears of agony splattered on the grime-covered floor. It felt as if an anvil had been dropped on my body. I fell to my knees and crawled a few more feet before succumbing to unconsciousness. I couldn't make it.

For the first time since I had exited the pipe, I dreamt. The world of my dreams was similar to my prison, though it sprawled without bounds. I was an ordinary man, neither famous nor wealthy, but content with life. My brother, Luigi, and I operated a plumbing company called "Mario Bros." Tensions grew between the Mushroom and Koopa kingdoms, corrupting our lives and forcing us into a situation we had no part in. My brother and I argued fiercely for weeks. Bombs fell, extinguishing life and reason. We needed a miracle.

My dream faded into reality. Damp, muffled voices became clear. Toads of different heights and features bustled around the pristine, white room. I was wheeled past tens of large glass tubes, each holding a body. The farther I went, the more distorted and inhuman they became. On each corpse’s arm was a marking of red ink. I looked down at my body. It's unnatural shape was nearly indistinguishable from the ones in the chambers. Pain paralyzed me, rendering me unable to move or scream. All I could do was watch in silent agony. I was branded with the mark "63 - 119", restrained, and placed into a glass chamber. I could make out the tube adjacent to me: enclosure No. 64. It held an unmarked corpse. Mist sprayed from the ceiling of my glass cage. As the fresh body was taken away, I fell into a deep, hard-earned sleep. I awoke to see nothing but darkness.