The Winners Take It All | Chishiya [English]

Other people, shots and open questions

When was the last time I had been so emotionally upset?

I didn't know, so it must have been a while ago. I had cried, which was not unusual when you had barely escaped death and experienced so many horrible things.

Yes, I felt guilty even though I wasn't guilty.

This world seemed to work like that, there were no other ways to survive. Here you had to be selfish if you didn't want to throw your life away. I may have had to kill to live - why? Why did such a country even exist? Who came up with the idea of turning people into killers?

These exact questions were flying around in my head as I played with the card that I found on a white table. The lights had quickly went out after the game, turning the park into a dark area once again. It had taken me forever to reach the entrance. But when I had trotted past the cell phone table, this card had been there.

It was the 3 of Hearts poker card.

I had pocketed the card before heading home.

It took the last of my strength to get back to my apartment. Just thinking about it again made me sick. The last few nights hadn't really been relaxing either because I had been struggling with nasty nightmares. I had seen their faces again and again, haunting me until I woke up bathed in sweat. I had also heard other gaming locations in the distance where things were exploding or screams were heard. I had also seen the lasers coming from the sky.

So my idea of this world had grown. I no longer doubted that this country was real and that I had to play to survive.

I would also have to extend my visa this evening. As soon as I got up, I knew that today would be a very long day. Time passed slowly and I quickly realized that I was just driving myself crazy. So I decided to gather supplies.

All of my "fresh" food in the fridge had gone bad and I barely had any cans left that contained anything to eat. At least I could kill time by hunting for food. And while I'm at it, I might as well get a few changes of clothes. All of my clothes had disappeared from my closet, which was not unusual because anyone could have broken in.

I grabbed my backpack and put on my shoes before reaching for my front door key again. It wouldn't do much, but it would make me feel a little safer.

I ran down the stairs in a bit of a rush and almost fell on my face again... but it reassured me that I hadn't changed. I was still Ayuna, struggling with the coordination system of a toddler.

With this thought, I left the building and then set off at a run to get to the nearest supermarket. Sure, I tried to get a car, but it wouldn't work. I also didn't like driving, so I was used to walking.

When the little 7-Eleven came into view, my hopes for a good haul were somewhat diminished. The sight of the shop suggested that the place had already been looted. Nevertheless, I entered the store and looked around. The first few shelves were empty and there was a smell of expired food. I had to hold my nose a little to keep myself from throwing up. In fact, I forced myself to keep going.

The further I walked through the aisles, the less it smelled and the fuller the shelves became. I opened my backpack and dropped bags, cans and other packaged items into it. I also reached for several water bottles, even if I had to carry them with me. It felt criminal to just take the things, but money didn't seem important in this world, so I didn't need it.

I hurried to leave the store and headed for a fashion store that, luckily for me, still had enough stock. I quickly grabbed the things I might need so I wouldn't waste too much time here. However, just as I was putting the last pair of gym shorts in my pocket, something caught my attention.

It was an engine noise. No... There were several engines. What suddenly happened here?

I grabbed my things as quickly as possible and slipped through the entrance into the next alley behind the trash containers. From here I had a good view of the street. Sure enough, two delivery trucks drove by and stopped in front of the 7-Eleven. I heard the doors slam and excited voices filled the silence.

"Watch out! Take as much as you can with you!" a deep voice shouted and I jumped when a shot rang out.

"Hey ya! Guys, if even one of you tries to get lazy, I'll squash you like the fly that was in my room this morning!" I didn't like that voice. It was a little high and sounded like the person wasn't quite right in the head anymore. It sent shivers down my spine.

"Hurry up so we can get back to the beach in time!" Voice 1 shouted and I was taken aback. Beach? What was that supposed to be? And why did they want to go to the beach? I pressed myself a little closer to the wall when I heard footsteps coming my way. They fell silent in front of the alley entrance and I suspected that the person was trying to peek in at that moment. I prayed that they didn't come in and find me. I didn't know who I was dealing with yet, but if I was honest, I didn't really want to find out.

I had just enough problems with myself, and these other people sounded like they were going to give me more. Luckily for me, the footsteps moved away again and I gasped greedily. Apparently I was holding my breath. I waited until the vans finally started up and moved away before I cautiously peeked around the corner. When I was sure the coast was clear, I ran back in the direction I came from. A glance at my watch told me that I still had plenty of time and that I didn't really need to rush, but I was playing it safe.

Did I want to find out what this weird beach was? Would I perhaps meet these people in my games? And... why did that one person have a gun? Questions and questions, but I couldn't find an answer. I wanted to find one, but that would mean that I had to step into the lion's den, right? Did I really want that?

But the question that was much more important now was: Were the games even more dangerous than before?