the game

katie

we happened to be in control when terrence, kally, and luke approach us. and then we happen to be able to find them in the forest after that.

"there's something that i need to tell you all about," it's kally that begins to my surprise. "last year veronica ordered the death of rose cummings by power depleter. we can only assume it is the same thing that was used to kill terrence's father and ken's mom. Many of the people in the picture we found at that house are proclaimed missing right now. we know they are dead. amy— your father is in that picture. i don't know where he is but if you want him to be safe he needs to escape to the other world," kally sounds sad as she says this. it's the kindest i've ever seen her. "warn them."

"i mean, my dad hasn't been killed in a while what's so bad about mixing it up a little," amy smiles jokingly.

"i'm not kidding," and sure enough i know kally is not kidding. her tone isn't the same.

"okay," amy decides slowly. kally sighs audibly.

"alright," i state finally through clenched teeth. "we need a set time and place to meet during every level, there are too many ways that fate brought us together for whatever reason but that will not always be. we have to be prepared to meet on a dime," i finally can breathe after i say it.

"that's a great idea!" i find the others nodding vigorously. we set the time to meet right before night curfew on each level. if we don't meet then, we will meet at dawn. we meet somewhere on the dividing line between sides. from now on, there's an actual plan.

"who's killing them all?" ken asks in a bored voice. he almost sounds as if he could fall asleep. almost like he doesn't care if they live or die, but i thought his father was dead?

i sigh and keep my head down. i'll just tuck the thought into the dregs of my mind.

"what or who killed everyone?" amy asks.

"and why?" i add.

there's a general nod of approval.

"just let it go guys," ken turns around.

"last year you didn't feel like this, what happened?" it's luke. "you wanted to know what happened to your parents. this is a part of it," he sounds exhasperated, but ken looks morosely calm. then his face breaks into a grin. the blood lust one i saw when he had strings of blood tracing down his frame. a shiver runs down my body subconsciously.

ken tries to walk away. luke blocks his path.

"listen, i don't know what happened between then and now but i know you still care that someone murdered your family. and deep down i know you care that others are losing their families too," luke continues digging his index finger in ken's chest. ken sighs and looks down at it, bored.