Game Of Survival •in editing•

0 Prologue

Tonight, I dream of the last time I saw my parents. I dream of my golden eighth birthday under a bright summer sun, the smell of chocolate and custard and candy in the air. My parents are sneakily whispering to each other as per usual by the outside fire pit, the sound of laughter and intertwined conversations snake around my little friend group.
Then we are in the forested zone behind my house, little feet plunging through mud and moss to run from the looming, forest monster. Alec and I stick together as usual, Ramern and Faith swerve through a fork in the line of trees. We run until we reach a familiar clearing. Homerun. He can't reach us there.
Fifteen feet. Fourteen.
As I jump over the last hurdle of protruding branches, a strong hand wraps around my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I plummet to the ground, mud and dirt sticking to the under layer of my pink princess dress and my skin.

"I've found you." The monster whispers, a giddy, victorious laugh rumbles from him. Matthias, being three years our senior, always played monster, and not a soul dared question the logic behind his tactics.

Alec finally stops, realizing that the laugh came none other from the monster himself. He braces him, standing merely seven feet away, legs apart, ready to dive into bloody battle. "Oh," Matthias coos, stopping in front of my feet, his shadow casting darkness over my fallen body. "The hero has come for the princess. But can the hero defeat the monster before time is up?"

Alec dives, arms wrapping around the waist of the taller, older monster. They both take a tumble, plummeting to the dirt and in turn dirtying my poor princess dress even further. They turn and tumble and laugh and tickle. In the end, the monster gives and the hero is victorious.

"You win kid, get off of me now." Matthias nudges the younger on his shoulder and Alec waddles over to me -most likely from the mud stuck between his toes- and helps me stand.

"Is the game over already?" Faith makes an appearance with her partner in crime. Ramern takes one look at me and laughs like he's caught the funniest joke of his life.

"You always lose so easily, Skye. What if Alec isn't here to save you? Are you still going to act like you need saving?" Ramern lifts an eyebrow, a cunning look that always sparks in his eyes burn brighter today.

"Knock it off Ramern. Skye can handle herself if she so chooses." Matthias' voice is firm and holds no underlying motive. Ramern huffs and begins to stalk off with his childlike tantrum, Faith laughs and waddles over to her bigger brother, also from the mud in her shoes. Matthias holds her hand and motions with a nod of his head to follow him.
"You think your parents will let us in the house with all this mud?" He glances over his shoulder, his chestnut hair brushing his hazel eyes that are a shade lighter than his sister's.

"Oh definitely not, they'll murder us."

"Well then we'll wait by the forest lining until the wine comes out. Maybe—"

We all freeze. I see Alec twitch beside me. Faith grips Matthias' hand harder. Ahead, Ramern stops in place, his eyes plastered on me as if he could show anything other than his inflated ego.

I run. My legs find their footing easily in the tracks we left behind earlier. With every leap, every dodge of a branch, every squelch of my step, my heart pounds harder, faster. I can't feel my tongue, nor my hands, nor how hard my legs are hitting the softened earth beneath me.

Alec catches up to me. I skid to a halt by the forest lining. Screams and cries and shouts for help sound from every inch of my backyard. I scan the alarmed crowd. Alec's parents are okay, Faith and Mathias' parents rush over, Ramern's dad is scolding him for running off.

"Mama? Papa? Where's my parents?" I ask them. They look at me like a wounded animal; trapped in a cage and bleeding out by the minute, a tragedy that has befallen my parents. No, that can't be. Mama and papa aren't supposed to die. They're invincible. Untouchable.

"Skye." Someone calls my name. It doesn't stop me from running towards the tower of flame, the orange and yellow and blue whips of monstrous destruction that licks the sky with every pound of my heart, every step of my numbed feet. "Skye." The heat is suffocating, the air is thin. I can't breathe. My eyes are burning. My head is spinning. "Skye!"

"Alec..." He appears in front of me like a magician, like a hero to slay the monster in front of us, like he always does. He holds me, and buries my head in the crook of his shoulder. His parents run over to us, and guides us away from the danger. From death. I don't know how long I stand there until the village's firefighters arrive. I don't know how long I hold on to Alec's hand after I hear that my Mama and Papa weren't invincible after all.
And I definently don't remember how hard I cry and moan before I pass out in his arms.