Youth

Chapter 1: 4 of Spades

Status: rewritten kinda

As it got close to 10 a few of the dead signs lit up a bright white. She runs toward the sign to get a better look at what the sign read.

"Next game?" She questioned, her eyes looking toward where the arrow was pointing. "Maybe people are there?" She asked herself, deciding to follow where the arrows took her.

They ultimately lead her to what seemed to be a dog pound. "Ok this is definitely getting weird."

She still walked in despite how weird it was that the sign lead her to such a place. Once she got into the lobby she saw a young women with bright pink heels and a man with a buzz cut. Her eyes then landing on the weirdly placed table in the middle of the room with phones and decided picked one up as request of the little 'one per person'.

Facial recognition complete.

"Facial recognition?" Before her confusion could continue 2 people walked up to the front. A pretty lady with gorgeous blonde hair and a guy with kinda long hair.

None of them said a word as they walked up and grabbed a phone .

The game will now commence.

The pink heels women's eyebrows furrowed, "game?"

Game: Dog Catcher
Difficulty: 4 of Spades
The time limit for this game is 30 minutes
Clear conditions: the players must make it to the exit without being caught

The doors to where the dogs where kept opened up and everyone slowly filled into the giant room.

The time starts now

The phone made a robotic singing sound signalling the start of the time.

As soon as it went off a person in a dog mask came out from the side and a loud shot was heard as the girl in the heels fell to the ground causing the man that was with her to scream.

As soon as Yoriko heard the shot she knew she had to run. Did someone just die? Was this what fight or flight felt like?

What made her stop running was seeing the blonde and average guy walk to the a two way path.

"Right or left?" The blonde asked the guy.

"Left." He answered matter a factly.

"How do you know it's left?"

As she started questioning his logic Yoriko walked up, probably not being as wary as she should, "lift me up, I'll be able to see over the cage."

The blonde looked at Yoriko, taking the school bag she had on on her shoulder. "Alright I'm Hana and he's Daiki."

"I'm Yoriko." She nodded and let Daiki pick her up so she could see. Just as she laid eyes on the exit a shot rang out causing Daiki to panic and drop her.

"It's left." She took a deep breath as she got pulled back on her feet by Hana.

"Ok let's go-" Yoriko tried to stand up straight but searing pain shot through her ankle. "Daiki you dropped her, help her walk."

He nodded and put the younger girls arm around his shoulder and started to walk.

They had gotten a pretty decent amount through the maze when the robotic voice spoke,

10 minutes remaining

"What is this place?" Yoriko asked as she tried to keep up with Daiki.

"No one really knows." Hana answered, "We all just got randomly taken here. I've been her about a week."

"I got here today." Yoriko added on.

"How far are w-" Before he could finish his sentence shots rang out causing both Daiki and Yoriko to fall.

Hana looked forward and saw the person who they assumed to be the catcher running towards them. Harshly grabbing both their arms and pulling them both back up, which knocked some sense into them to start running toward the bright red exit door.

Once she made it through the door she threw Yoriko out before running out and slamming the door.

"Why did you save me?"

Hana looked at Yoriko, tossing her bag to her. "I don't just let kids die like that." She let herself sit down on a nearby stair well.

Yoriko looked down at her clothes, now stained with Daikis blood. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine- the bleeding is making it look dramatic it only grazed me, are you gonna grab the card?" He points toward a weirdly placed table that sat on the side-walk

She carefully got up and used the wall as support to get over to the table. She picked up the card off of the table. Just as she did the phones chimed,

Game complete, 4 days have been added to your visa

"Visa?" Yoriko looked back at Hana, she had answers before so she should now.

"It's how long you have until you have to play another game, if your visa runs out you get killed."

"Apparently everything here seems to ends in death." Yoriko solemnly joked.

Daiki cracked a smile, "I guess so. Stay alive Yoriko you understand?"

Yoriko nodded and watched Hana and Daiki walk out into the cold night. Maybe she should've followed them but she didn't. She decided to stay there for a while before walking to find somewhere to sleep.