Trick or Treat - The Annual Teen Massacre

Chapter Nine - The Final Hour Part Two

Chapter Nine.

It didn't make sense. That's everything that went through David's mind while they ran towards the centre of the town. Never has retaliation been allowed in this particular night. It was made so that there was at least some safety for some people. That's what made this an actual game. But the government suddenly deciding to throw that away was just ridiculous. There was a piece missing in this puzzle. But he had no clue what. He tried with quite some difficulty to make sense of the event so far. First they started killing off the cheaters; the ones who made deals with their neighborhood to deliver the candy as fast as possible. Then there was the requirement to pair up which forces loners to team up. 

On the other hand there was the rules for the singles that got changed. First they all get to roam free, and now they're all involved in a huge town square slaughter where everyone fights for their lives.

Then there was that royalty thing where the graveyard guard was killed for. Well he couldn't prove it of course. It might as well been a mistake, but with a night like this everything seems to be possible.

There was something nibbling at David ever since that message though. The archers who were aiming for him instead of Tony, who was a son of someone in the government. There were more arrows in his backpack. But he wasn't royalty, was he? His parent's weren't anything like that. They lived kind of poor lives in comparison to some of the people in school, and you'd expect royal people to wear silk clothing and wear jewelry and such. As far as he knew his mother only had a few fake golden earrings she worn occasionally at parties.

It was at that point that something hit David as a gunshot. Tina, the girl he met in the first couple of hours. She was wearing jewelry. She should have also been the one targeted as much as Tony. Would she have survived the night? If it wasn't the case, it would perhaps make sense that they want to round everyone up at one place. It would make it less suspicious to get rid of Tony and Tina when there is one big brawl going on. Plus if they're son and daughter of people who are opposed to this night, they would suffer quite a blow if they didn't make it this night..

     "You've been awfully quiet David," Billy said slightly agitated. David understood why though. It was awfully quiet around them and all the noise was right in front of them. And it would be incredibly inconvenient if one of them was spacing out while they're being ganged by fanatics. 

     "I'm thinking about this night Billy. It's different than the other ones from the last few years, isn't it?" 

     "Not that I've noticed. Though the possibility of killing the singles is definitely new" , Billy said carefully. "It gives a lot of new possibilities. But I feel it might also give a fake sense of security."

     "Can you kill a person Billy?", David asked hesitantly. A silence followed. 

     " I don't know. Could you?" Billy said. His pace slowed down a little. He probably knew as well as David that this piece of information could change the next twenty or so minutes drastically. 

     "I Don't know either. I don't even know if I'm able to kill someone in self defence.", David said. 

     "Then this last part will be simple. We rush in, tag and rush out while evading everything that tries to kill us. It's best we avoid the temptation to kill at all. It may cost our lives!", Billy said. 

     "And we still have to stay in pairs. That's what frightens me most. If I die and you don't find anyone else you die as well." , David said. 

It wasn't that they were panicking really. It was just a moment the whole situation became quite clear. It was only two hundred meters before the town square started. And the fear of being right into the action made them even more alert than ever.