His House

Chapter 18

Okay... What the fuck kind of scenario is this?

I continued to stare at the same question and read it over and over like it was a record. No one else in the room seemed too confused about the question and I highly doubt they haven't gotten to it yet.

I looked to be the only one that was shocked with this type of question.

Uhhh...okay. What would I do? I'd obviously save my friend... Right?

ɪғ ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴀʀᴍᴇᴅ, ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ sᴀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ. ɪғ ɪ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴜɴᴀʀᴍᴇᴅ, ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʙʟʏ ʀᴜɴ ᴀᴡᴀʏ sᴏ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ.

I let out a breath and went onto the fifth question.

I didn't know what they meant by 'winged beast' so I had no idea what to exactly put for that question. I know running away was a cowardly move and really selfish, but if I was in that position and didn't have a weapon the best move would be to run and not just have both of us dying. Another thing to keep in mind... I had no idea of the situation that I was allegedly in. Perhaps one of us needed to be somewhere to end everything, and so the best move would be to run and get that done.

"Half of the time is up," Ace said after checking his watch. "You got fifteen minutes left."

Alright, no need to worry Zoe. You still have plenty of time.

5. A deep gash along your hand has grown infected. Pus drips off of it as you frantically open up your first aid kit to get the things to clean it up. As you bring the alcohol closer to the infected skin you notice a red line that wasn't there before start to creep up your hand. What are you doing?

Blood poisoning. There's only one thing to do if it is that bad.

ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ᴋɴɪғᴇ ᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sʜᴀʀᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴀᴍᴘᴜᴛᴀᴛᴇ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇ ɪs. ɪғ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜᴇs ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ sᴛᴏᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴅɪᴇ.

I took my pencil off the paper and straightened my back out, stretching all of my cramping muscles.

I have five questions left.

* * *

10. Your closest friend has just been revealed to be working with the enemy, killing hundreds of innocent men, women, and children. You get the chance to kill your friend and finally end the blood shed. Are you following through with the kill?

Yes.

No.

Would I follow through?

I peeked up at Ace to see him looking down at his watch before staring out at all of us. "One minute left."

My eyes returned back to the paper and my final question. I placed the tip of my worn pencil to the line under the question and quickly scribbled down words as the time ticked by slowly to an end.

ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ...

"Ten."

...ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ...

"Nine."

...ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪʟʟ...

"Eight."

...ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ʟɪғᴇ...

"Seven."

...ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅs...

"Six."

...ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ,...

"Five."

...ɪs ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ.

I flipped over my paper and placed my pencil down on my desk as the time finally came to an end. I wasn't satisfied whatsoever with what I wrote but there was no changing any of my answers now. Ace had finished his counting and looked away from his watch.

"Good, I see all of you finished within the time frame." Ace grinned widely and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now we wait for Austin to come and then he'll take you to your next activity."

Lily, the short redhead, tentatively raised her hand.

Ace's eyebrow shot up. "Yes?"

"Um," she lowered her hand and glanced at everyone in the room before turning back to him and asking him her question, "how many activities will we be participating in?"

Ace stood there for a moment, staring at the ground in thought. His eyebrow had lowered, along with his arms who had now returned to resting at his hips.

I suppose he thought the question didn't seem to be harmful, so when he came with the answer he replied with, "you guys just completed the written test and then as soon as Austin gets here, you will have to do an activity that involves you using your brain before completing another fitness type test."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Willow look over at me, but I didn't return the gesture. After the fitness test we were sure to have to shower again. The thought of Ace watching us again sent a wave of anger through me that went away just as soon as it appeared. A question that I wanted badly to be answered played around on the tip of my tongue.

My hand twitched restlessly as a part of my brain wanted to raise it, while the other part of my brain forced it to stay where it was.

Just before the part of my brain which wanted to raise my hand won, the classroom door opened, revealing Austin wearing a similar outfit to Ace and Marcus. He walked into the room, his body looking relaxed, almost bored. But his eyes were what gave him away. They looked almost scared, terrified even.

I sat and stared at him, wondering what was going on that made him look like that.

"The rooms are ready," Austin said to Ace as he came to a stop by the desk closest to the door and the boy that sat there.

"Perfect," Ace replied.

I could feel Willow's confused expression trying to bore into me, but I wasn't confused at all. Honestly... I don't think anything they did from now on could really surprise me anymore.

"So," Ace looked back at all of us, "leave the papers and pencils where they are and follow Austin." Ace's eyes then landed on my own. "But Zoe, you stay behind."