the game

katie

KATIE
when i get back i am unfortunately surprised by ima. she's waiting inside for me.

"good evening," she laughs. "i'm back up on my way to command, but i guess i have time to give you an order. go help jail break," she smiles.

i clench my fists. now that the score board is up any command i do not follow from someone with a higher score will dock me points. every time i fight back.

i clench my fists. i don't even know what jail break is. i walk around the building. it's much larger than the last one was. this one is dark and smells of mold.

my watch buzzes.

"katie report to command room, the next jail break team disperses in ten," and then the voice cuts off leaving me in silence again. last time command was on the bottom floor. this time it's at the top. it makes me think of the crystal lingering on the other team's base in what i would expect to be the same spot. why are they making us play this game? when i was young i played capture the flag with my friends. it seems as simple as that. so what will we gain from it?

i trip over the next step im so lost in thought. someone catches me by the elbow.

"hello, i'm caesar," the young man states as he lets go of me.

"i'm guess you're on your way to command to go with the jail break team. i'm nervous are you?" he seems jittery.

"yeah," i lie. i know how this is going to go. i'm going to either be tortured or die again. i have to think of a way to bulk my stats during this level. i can't take much more of ima.

i sigh.

we've made it to an open doorway. inside is the square with the crystal on it before but next to it is a large dome table covered by a map. there are different objects scattered throughout it that must represent soldiers.

along the walls of the room are computers with dark screens. i'm sure if they figured it out, they could hook up the cameras.

and then off to the other side is a group of around ten people. several of them give me a fake smile covering eyes that could kill.

"now that the team is all here," begins a voice from inside of the group. i look around and find a large man stepping towards the domed mask. he walks up to the map and points at a box.

"this is their jail, if we do not rescue the prisoners they will be tortured and killed, time is of the essence. i don't know why they let beginners help us but i'm sure you will be useful somehow," the man shakes his head.

"i want to join too," there's someone in the doorway. i'd know that voice anywhere. it's ken. i gulp.

"fine," the man snarls. "as long as you haven't been assigned a position yet," he doesn't look happy though.

TERRENCE

when i get back to base it's an odd feeling. i just stand there with the picture in my hand. i hate this.

"you good?" luke is behind me.

i shake my head but we both keep walking.

i check my watch to see what my job is. i don't have one yet. i don't have the stats yet so show how good i am. i've been so focused on my father i haven't even been thinking about the game. funny how i wait my whole life to do something and then when it happens it doesn't matter to me at all in comparison.

i haven't seen many pictures of my dad. not that he wasn't photogenic. at the time i thought it was odd but now i get it. he had to remain under the spotlight. they wanted him dead too. why did everyone want these people dead though? what did they do that was so heinous that the government couldn't take it anymore?

i sigh deeply as i keep looking through my watch.

"i don't have a job yet," i look at luke.

luke grimaces. "thats too bad, because i am a healer and i have to go report to duty."

and then he gives me a winning smile. "we're going to get through this man, together.

finally i pull up a map in my watch. there has to be somewhere that has more information. somewhere that can tell me more about what's actually going on.

i hear something to my right, immediately i shoot ice at whatever or whoever it is.

nothing is there now but a tree and a frozen patch but i'm sure i wasn't mistaken. it sends chills down my spine. guess i should go investigate, go get myself a point. i decide. i make my way cautiously towards the sound to no avail. my brows crunch together as i keep walking. i know there was something there though.

i think through the anatomy of the building on this level so the light from the map doesn't tip them off that i'm onto them.

there's another sound. i move out into the night following the sound. someone is here. i know that they are.

another crack in a twig under foot. i shoot ice into the night. and then a dark thought occurs to me. are they using invisibility candy? who would have access to candy during the game? how did they get that? my heart races as i keep looking for whoever it is. there's another crack. then another. then another. but no one. i can feel my agrivation grow.

in my anger i place my hands on the ground covering the ground in a thick sheet of ice. two people mid run are frozen in the ice. this ice is progressive ice. the minute it touches them it encases them. i've been working on it for the last month in my class. i would toot my own horn more but there's another crack in the foliage. there's more people here.