Don't Panic

(8) "Well, this is going to be interesting" [Edited]

Casey's p.o.v

"So Diggins really hasn't said when the next challenge is going to be yet?" I asked the group, we had just left the diner and were on the way to our houses. 

"Don't look at me. I'm not trying to be an accomplice" Bishop spoke. "Me neither," Heather said putting her hands up in surrender.

 "Uh, guys?" Nat uttered as she walked away from the car we were all trying to get in. "What's that?"

We all turned to see what Natalie was talking about when we seen the sign of the movie theaters that used to say 'Congratulations seniors! Carp loves you' was now just a pile of mismatched letters.

"Typical. Only a couple days after graduation, and already half the letters have dipped out" Bishop observed. I walked closer towards the sign. Something wasn't right. I looked down at the sidewalk and seen one of Panic's sigils.

 "Hey It's a clue. Look, the missing letters spell something" I explained. "G-R-A-N-A-R-Y" Heather spelled out. "Granary, So we know where the next challenge will be. The question is..." 

"When?" I interrupted her. "So it looks like we're looking for a start time. Maybe we'll find it at the granary" I observed.

We were now at the granary and were looking around for something that would tell us when the next challenge would start but we were having no luck. 

"I'm kind of surprised you actually came up here," Heather told me as we sat down on top of one of the large water containers. Nat and Bishop were still looking for clues.

 "We couldn't all spend the whole seventh grade climbing up here to scan the sky for alien radio signals" I responded.

 "No, it was all of sixth grade, but tonight is about you. Think of it as a... training exercise." Heather said as she pulled out a pack of M&M's. 

"Well, I highly doubt the challenge will involve snack food. Alright, enough chitchat. We're supposed to be looking for clues" I said "You see anything?" She asked.

 I searched the perimeter before I started listing things off with my fingers  "Major structural hazard. Old chemical drums. Snake Nirvana. And at least six luxury high-rise condos for rats. So yeah, everything seems normal" Heather laughed before asking

 "How much do you think they're charging rats for rent around here?" I looked at her smiling. "Not funny. Not good, not your best." I put some M&M's in my mouth and then transferred whatever was left into my other hand.

"Look, Casey, what Bishop said at the Library... When he said you couldn't win, he-"

 "It's okay" I interrupted. "No, no listen. He didn't mean you couldn't win Panic specifically, he meant generally. You can't win. I mean sure, people take home the grand prize, but how many people actually win Panic?"

 "Conrad Spurlock got out, He moved to Florida," I said. "Yeah, because he would have otherwise been arrested. People say he was stealing cars with Luke Hall. I mean, they killed a girl."

"Okay, I heard that that had nothing to do with the game. That they stole the car..." 

 "Exactly!" She yelled "Because winning Panic didn't fix anything. It didn't save them from making stupid choices, It only bought them chances to make even dumber ones" Heather sighed. 

She really didn't want her friend to play this game. It was bad enough Natalie was playing, now she had to worry about Casey too.

 "You can buy stupid choices; you can buy smart ones" I spoke up. "No, you don't buy them... You only pay for the bad ones" Heather uttered.