Seven

Chapter 6- The Cost

Mario continued his search for a clock well into the early hours of the morning. He was starting to worry that he wouldn't find his third and final clue before sunrise. And since no one knew of Jackson's fate, they could only assume the worst. Mario overheard the other players claiming Jackson would still be rewarded for coming, even though he never participated in a game. While they seem to celebrate the revelation, Mario was skeptical. It didn't add up for him and he wasn't about to trust anything these people said. That went for the staff and the other players too. Mario was on his own, as far as he was concerned.

While passing through the foyer, after coming down the stairs, Mario noticed both players one and two celebrating their victories, having found all three of their clues. He had only known them for a few hours and had already decided he didn't like them. He couldn't imagine they would be more deserving of a head start than player four.

Somehow, Mario knew no one here was deserving of a head start. He didn't know a thing about the other players, yet somehow, he felt they all shared something in common. And maybe that something wasn't good. Maybe it was something quite terrible.

After all, Mario had a woman locked in his basement. Although he didn't intend for it to become a hostage situation, he couldn't deny the satisfaction it gave him to watch Soren beg for mercy every time she saw him. The same way he once begged her for mercy when she wrongfully accused him of murder.

"I was hoping it would be someone other than them. Literally, anyone else."

Mario looked over his shoulder and saw player four standing behind him, finally ready to claim her entry into the next round after purposely waiting it out, giving her first place finish to someone else.

"You're a fool for not taking that head start. You might end up really needing it," Mario told her.

"Yeah? And what's that to you? Do you really care if I get a head start or not?"

Mario turned around and looked at her. She seemed to coward a bit at the sight of him, but quickly recovered. She smirked. "You could care less about me. Just like I could care less about you. So don't say things to me for the sake of saying them. As a matter of fact, don't talk to me at all."

As she walked away, Mario furrowed his brows. He was intrigued by her before, but now he was certain she was different from everyone else here. She wasn't haughty or arrogant. She wasn't rude. She wasn't optimistic. She was real. And maybe that's why Mario found himself drawn to her. He wasn't even quite sure if what he felt for her was even romantic or just respectful. He just admired her, though he never intended to make that known to her, or to anyone else. He didn't want anything keeping him back when he felt it was time to leave this place. No emotional attachments of any kind.

It was every man and woman for themselves.

Mario started up the stairs to the second floor, but he paused when he heard the unmistakable chiming of a grandfather clock. He looked around, trying to determine which direction the sound was coming from. That's when he spotted Nine running down the hallway with his uniform ablaze.

He fell to the floor just in front of Mario and cried out in agony. "Please, help me!"

Mario snarled at him, stepping over his burning body and starting down the hallway.

"Wait, please! Don't leave me like this!" Nine cried out.

Mario stopped and turned around when he heard a fire extinguisher. After the cloud settled, Mario expected to see another player, but he was surprised to see Winston instead.

Nine sat up and coughed. There was a large hole covering the back of his uniform, from the collar, halfway down the waist, the edges of the mushroom shaped whole charred away much like the clue Mario had earlier.