Everyone immediately flocked around Greed, asking him to reveal the hint. However, he didn’t. He just nervously looked at everyone, then to me as if asking for help. I wanted to know the hint just as bad as everyone else. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

“Jeez guys, give him some space,” I said, attempting to grab at arms and pull them away from Greed. “It’s his choice to tell us.”

“I don’t understand why he hasn’t told us already,” Wrath said as he backed off. “We’re supposed to work together, like one big team, aren’t we?”

“Listen, it’s not that easy,” Greed retaliated.

“You’re just being greedy, that’s what’s going on. She offered to keep you alive if you didn’t tell, is that it? Don’t believe her, dude! If you keep the hint to yourself, you’ll fail this test! Don’t you see?” Wrath, surprisingly calm, sighed. “She’s not going to stop testing you until you fail.”

“So what, I’m just supposed to tell you, and have to be constantly tested until I mess up? And then what? Someone else has to be tormented until they fail purposely?”

“Well clearly,” Envy butted in, “this hint has nothing to do with the test, so what’s the point?”

That shut both Greed and Wrath up. And she was right; the hint must have nothing to do with this test--that is, if this even is the test. There was a beat. Everyone was silent. I would have believed time stopped, if I couldn’t hear the exotic fauna or the breeze that was blowing through the canopy.

“The hint was to stay focused,” Greed said. “I thought maybe it’d be a test for Sloth, and since I--since I didn’t--”

“Since you love her?” Wrath asked before making kissy faces at Greed.

“Hey I--I’m not--I shouldn’t have to take this kind of embarrassment!”

Wrath laughed maniacally, until Envy kicked him in the shins. I just blushed profusely and avoided eye contact with Greed.

“This has nothing to do with the test!” Greed yelled. He was also a vibrant shade of red.

Just then, the Lady fell from the canopy and landed in the centre of the Ring. Her face had an expression that was more than anger. It was wrathful. She had so many angry wrinkles, and her usually neat, pristine clothes were not neat or pristine, and her usually perfect bun was a mess, as if she had been pulling at it. I decided I wanted to release some tension.

“Oh hi, nice of you to drop in! Is something the matter?” I gave her the most sickly sweet, syrupy smile I have ever given anyone in my life. Truth be told, I was unbelievably tired of her. Tired of her voice, of her face, of her stupidly clean, pressed clothes. I was tired of her games, tired of being treated like a child's toy. She was setting us up, then drowning us, snipping our hair, melting our faces and cutting off our limbs, and I was tired of it.

She just glared at me.

“Awfully wrathful of you, Lady. I thought you’d be more...put together than this. I see that glare of yours.”

“I am not the one being tested,” she started to say, but I butt in.

“You’re ridiculing us for being sinful, but look at yourself! I don’t think you’re quite fit for the job.” I crossed my arms and looked her straight in her stupid-looking face. For once, she had nothing 'all wise’ to say.

“Jeez Sloth, go easy on her,” Wrath said. “I’m sure this job is very stressful on her.” He cracks a smile. “If you even consider this a job. What are you getting from it anyway? Not peace, surely. You’ve got the lives of -- what? How many have you killed? That can’t possibly be a reward for you.”

Her lip twitched. All of a sudden Wrath started choking. His eyes bulging out of their sockets, mouth open, gasping for air. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, I felt like I couldn't move.

And then I see Envy tackle the Lady to the ground below us and I’m back in reality. Wrath falls to his knees, I hear grunting. I feel a pain in my shin and as I look down I see a foot retract from it. As it comes back I jump backward and watch it scrape the air. Suddenly I feel warmth behind me, and a hand on my arm, and I’m being pulled backward.

I hear, “Bitch!” and then a scream. I see red. Someone pulls me around to face them and I see a chest.

“Sloth, are you okay?” A soft voice. I hear a thud behind me.

“God,” said Envy. “Witch’s pretty tough. But I think I got her good enough for now.”

I feel tired. I feel a hand on my chin, and see a familiar face. “Sloth?” he says. His face gets blurry, smaller, and I feel the grass on my hands. Then, a loud ringing in my ears. Cold. Wet.

“What the hell?” I stand up, face dripping with ice cold, salty water.

“Nice one Lust.”

“Well what do you expect me to do? Come on Sloth, we need to get away from here.” Lust offers me her hand.

“Wait.” I tuck my arms tight to my sides. “What happened to Wrath?”

“I’m right here.” Wrath pushes his way through the other 4 bodies crowded in front of me. His voice sounds a little rough. “Thanks for being worried about me.”

I nod. I don't know what to say. I turn to Envy. “What happened?”

“I totally tackled her.” She grins. “I figured if I distracted her, Wrath could get a breath. I didn't think about how strong she’d be though. It was tough keeping her down, but Pride helped. He--” She stutters. “He hit her in the head with a rock.”

I turn to look at Pride. He looks shaken.

“Anyway, we’d better go. She’ll be fine,” Envy says, but her smile wavers and I can tell she doesn't fully believe herself.

“But we’ll need supplies,” I say. “We need to find a way up, into the canopy. I’m sure she has enough food and water for all of us.”

“She’s right,” Greed says. “We need to hide, but she has the power to find us again. She has the power to kill us without giving us tests. So we need to take a generous amount of food and water. We also need a way to get off this island.”

Wrath sniffles. Along with him, the rest of the group looks defeated. We’d never thought of how we’d get off. We were brought here to be tested until our spirits were crushed and we wasted away under the Lady’s watchful eye.

“Right. So, let’s plan.” Greed shifts his weight. He’s nervous. It’s silent.

“Should we split up?” I ask. Everyone groans. “Come on, guys. If you want your voice heard, you need to speak up. Chaos won't work.”

“Okay, we shouldn't split up because that's how everyone dies in the movies,” Wrath says defiantly. Greed nods.

“Alright, anyone else?”

“How are we going to get up there anyway if we don't know how she gets up?” Pride asks.

I remember the vine, hanging from the canopy, that she dropped from. “Vines,” I say simply. “She uses vines.”

“Like that one?” I turn to look at Lust, who is pointing at a long, thick green vine hanging down from the canopy above.

“Exactly,” I say.