Deck of Fate

Chapter 2

After Ichigo explained everything I felt more lost visas, cards, lasers? Everything was so confusing and I still feel like this could be a dream, so I pinch myself on the thigh.

Nope definitely not a dream, or if it is it is a weird ass one.

The other people in the room were watching us, some of the newer ones asking questions. None of them looked too dangerous besides the two in the corner, so I just had to hope for a game without too much death.

"One minute until registration closes." A voice said over a com or something.
Where did that come from? I just want to crawl back into bed and forget this happened.

That minute was silent and no one else came into the room.

"Registration is now closed, the game will soon commence, total of 7 participants."

"Game; fire hazard, 9 of spades." Great, this one is going to test our strength.

"Rules, make it up the ropes to escape the fire, weapons are allowed and you will have 1 hour to complete."

If we get weapons, that means that we could sabotage others or be sabotaged. Everyone started walking through the door, I got a better look at my competition.

Of course there's Ichigo, who isn't my enemy, but she isn't in the best shape, so I should be able to help her out in some way. Then there are two high schoolers, both are still in their uniforms. There is a lady who looks to be in their late thirties early forties. And then there are two guys, they look to be friends since they are wearing matching bracelets. Maybe they are in a friendship club or something, I almost let out a snicker while thinning that. They both have a hand gun on them. So, I have to watch out for that.

I say I am pretty fit and I can climb a rope.

Let's say I changed my mind when we walked into the main part of the hotel, the hotel looks a lot shorter on the outside and the ropes are long. There is a platform up at the top, but that is like 100 feet up.

"The fire has started." The voice said, I looked around but I didn't see anything. Everyone else was starting to climb up. So I did too, and not a second later the floor caught fire. And the decorative trees that were surrounding the ropes also started to catch fire.

Ichigo's rope was right next, t to mine and it looked like she was doing okay, we were about 10 feet up. The others were a bit slower, besides those guys, they were zooming up their ropes.
"30 minutes left, 4 participants remain. "

We were all over halfway and the guys had like 20 feet left. The high schoolers had fallen and so had the older lady, Ichigo looked like she was about to pass out. I had my backpack on, which didn't help but if I got this far up with it I had to keep it up. I worked hard to get this stuff.

Just kidding, it took a few minutes of walking and looking, but still.

"Hey, how ya doing over there?" I asked out of breath.

She laughed, stopping a second before  replying, "apparently worse than you if you are still going strong. Those guys are getting so close, I am so jealous."

"Yeah, they're planning something, I just don't know what yet." They were talking back and forth the entire time and it seems like they were talking about the others. They had made bets on who would fall first.

"Well then, we should go faster." She stated while climbing faster.

I am surprised, but I follow in pursuit.  After like 10 minutes, one of the guys had made it up, he sat up there waiting for his buddy. It was getting harder and harder to breath and we were like 10 feet away. That's when they started to call down to us.

"Hey, which one of you wants to die?" One called and they both laugh, toying with our lives.

"Uhh, I think we both don't." Ichigo snaps sarcastically.

My head snaps in her direction "hey, don't do something to get us killed." I whispered, not quietly apparently.

"You should listen to your friend. Oh come on it will be fun, this game wasn't fun, so this should make it better!" The quieter one pipes up. (They are from the beach obvi, but they aren't like characters mentioned).

I look at Ichigo, waiting for what she has to say, but she didn't say anything and looked down thinking. I looked back up at them.

"Well this was fun, you better fucking beat this stupid thing." Ichigo said right next to me, and let go, without letting me say anything.

I screamed her name, over and over, tears were drying on my face due to the fire, and the guys were laughing. Then they grabbed my rope and started pulling me up.

Weird behavior on their part, they had just killed my best friend, one of the only people there for me through everything.

The shoulder to cry on, the person to call, the home to stay at, even if her taste in men wasn't great, she still was there. After they pulled me up the voice was saying congratulations and we got a nine day visa, and a card. Then they left me alone, laughing as they got into a car? I thought none of them worked.

I stood there, I didn't know what to do, and I didn't want to play any more of these stupid games. I had broken down again and probably looked like an idiot sitting on the side of the road crying.

I know she told me to beat this thing, but I didn't know where to start or how I was going to do this.
I got up and made my way back to the mall. If I was going to beat this game, I was going to play as many games as I could, if I got injured I would need time to heal, so that is where I had to start.