White roses

Loneliness

The emptiness was almost overwhelming.
Empty cafés and abandoned stores decorated the dark streets of Shibuya.

It was as if the entire population of the world had been wiped out in seconds. Everyone, except Dilara.

Her white shirt was dirty from the bench on which she had woken up, her dark hair blowing in the soft night breeze. Still noticeably dazed by the events, she made her way through the endless streets of Shibuya, which seemed much wider and more oppressive under the starry sky.

She had tried desperately to reach out to her family or friends, but neither her cell phone nor any electronic devices seemed to work. So she continued to look for help, or at least some kind of explanation.

Where she ran to, she did not know. After all, what destination would one have in a deserted city. She decided to find some supplies first, after all she had no idea where this journey would take her.

A kiosk with a small stand on the sidewalk caught her eye. She couldn't believe that she had bought a milkshake right there a few hours ago, almost being crushed by the crowds.

Where the hell had everyone gone?

Pondering, she packed some fruit and a bottle of water into her backpack. No sooner had she zipped it up than the stall was illuminated by a bright light that had appeared behind Dilara.

She froze, the backpack still in her hands. Should she turn around and look, or should she run away?

She didn't even get to make her choice - a woman's voice chimed through the streets and made a cold shiver crawl down her back. It seemed tinny and monotonous, accompanied by an echo that filled the alleyways.

"The next game will begin in 30 minutes. All participants will meet at the Shibuya High School sports field and wait there for further instructions."

The next game? What was that supposed to mean?!

Stunned by the sudden events. Dilara turned around to get to the bottom of the source of the light. She realised that this one was hard to miss: A huge light board on the nearest skyscraper had lightened up.
On it was an arrow with the inscription "to the game."
Confused, Dilara decided to follow the inscription. After all, she had no choice as there was no sign of life from the inhabitants except this illuminated board. Maybe this way she could get answers to her numerous questions.

With quick steps, Dilara set off in the direction of the arrow. From a distance, she could already make out another light board with an arrow. 20 minutes passed, one arrow followed the other. Finally, she came close to her destination - Shibuya High.

The lights of the school - like the ones rest of the city - had gone out. From the outside, Dilara could make out that only the sports field was illuminated by the bright spotlights, the whirring of the lights filling her ears. The front door stood open. Her gaze fell on a barrier of lasers that barricaded the door frames.

Tense, Dilara slipped through the red beams and found herself in the locker rooms. As soon as she entered the building, a sound resembling a gong rang out.

To her right was a small table, several cell phones neatly lined up there. A small sign was hung above them, saying: "1 per player".

Adrenaline coursed through Dilara's veins. Maybe this was her salvation, or at least she could get some information out of it that would help her. Eagerly, she picked up one of the cell phones. No sooner had her hand closed around it, the screen lit up, showing some text and a game card.

Astonished, Dilara realized that the text contained her data. The playing card was a seven of spades. She didn't even get a chance to collect her thoughts when the monotone female voice sounded again.

"Registration complete. All players please proceed to the entrance of the sports field."