The Cycle Continues: Alice in Borderland Novel

44.2) Side Story 3 - Eight of Hearts [2]

===Zakū Raisunei===

"You dumbass, why'd you throw it?" Her voice yelled.

"My aim is usually good, but that kid pulled his friend aside at the last second!"

"Where do we go?" Saiki asked, as we barreled through the damp, musky hallways. Each light flickered, and the walls were all peeling. Pleads of help were scratched across parts of the wall in ink, and some in red–blood.

"We just have to keep running!" I said, turning a corner and looking at my bracelet. The two officers were on our trail, as Yujima had climbed to the second floor. The businesswoman was in a room. It was raining outside–the sound of beating rain thumped against the walls in a constant rhythm.

"Let's circle back to the lobby, and go upstairs and hide in a room." I panted, my chest burning.

"No, they're already heading upstairs!" Saiki said, his eyes glued to the bracelet.

I stopped, putting my hand against the wall and leaning over, taking deep breaths. After a moment, I sank to the floor.

"We ran for like, only two minutes!" Saiki shouted, sitting on a nearby faded red couch.

"And?"

"How are you so out of breath?"

"I'm not sure if you can tell, but I'm not exactly the most athletic person. We have some leeway though, since they seem to be after the teen. We just have to watch out for the businesswoman, she seems to be a sleazy character."

"And judging from how they went to the second floor, there's multiple stairways."

"Then let's choose somewhere to hide now." I said, getting back up. "And barricade ourselves in, so even if they know our location, they can't get it, and will be forced to kill each other instead."

From upstairs, there was a shriek. Saiki gasped, looking up.

"That was his voice–the teen." I said. "We have to leave, now!"

From the door next to us, he burst through, stumbling and falling to the ground, his leg painted red, seeping blood onto the broken tiles. Behind, tumbling boomed from the two descending the stairs.

"Quick, Zakū, push this couch over the door!"

I grabbed the armrest and pulled, as Saiki pushed from the other side, barricading this door right as it opened a sliver.

"Damn it!" The policewoman said. "Hurry, go take the other stairs!"

"The businesswoman is coming our way!" Yujima groaned, clutching his leg and looking at his bracelet.

I tightened my grip on the knife as I looked down the hall. "Okay, no time to waste. Let's move!" I ran ahead, but when no one followed, I turned around; Saiki was helping Yujima move.

"Saiki! What are you doing?"

"We can't just leave him to die!"

"Someone has to die regardless–" I paused, sighing. 'We don't have time to argue.'

"Okay, hurry!" I shouted, letting them take the lead, as Saiki pushed Yujima forward, who moved in wide hops.

"This room!" Yujima shouted. "It's the furthest distance from the next stairwell!"

I kicked the door open, herding the two inside, and locked it behind me. Inside the room were two bed frames missing a mattress, two nightstands, a broken table, shattered box TV, and torn paintings from the wall. An enormous cobweb hung in the corner, a mass of insect husks caught between it. Saiki set Yujima down, pushing one of the bedframes to the wall, as I grabbed the broken table, throwing its weight on top of the frame. Rain pattered against the window.