Would You Rather

Chapter 1

Mr. Kendall holding a gun to my best friend's head was not on my bingo card for this year. Yet, here we were. All twenty-four of my classmates, Lexi included, were present in this defining moment. The difference between us and Lexi was that we were safely on deck. Lexi, on the other hand, was sitting on the railing of the cruise ship we had the luxury of staying on. She clung tightly to Mr. Kendall, her eyes fixated on me—big, round, and blue like the sea below us.

I knew Lexi inside out, and just one look told me she wasn't scared. She was terrified. There was something else in her eyes, something I couldn't figure out, which gnawed at the wrinkles of my brain. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at me, not even batting an eye at our English professor threatening to kill her or our horrified classmates.

I wanted to help her. I tried to reach out with my thoughts. A hypothetical hand extended from me to hold her, to pull her back to me and away from Mr. Kendall. But it was merely a thought. A wish. In reality I stood frozen, well aware of the armed men pointing guns at me and my classmates' backs.

What happened then is a movie burned into my mind. A video that plays on repeat every waking hour of my day. Mr. Kendall forcefully removed Lexi's hands from his arm and pushed her. Over the edge, she fell, without a sound. And then she was gone. Mr. Kendall leaned over the railing with his gun and, to make a point, fired three quick shots after Lexi. Then he turned to our class with a wicked smile on his face. "And that's what happens if you refuse to make a choice."

The suddenness of Lexi's fall left us all in a state of shock, as if the world had stopped turning for a moment. The echoes of the gunshots reverberated in the air. A hushed silence enveloped the deck, broken only by the distant hum of the ship's engines and the gentle lapping of waves against its hull. The reality of Lexi's fate slowly settled over us like a heavy fog, shrouding the sunny cruise in a thick, ominous cloud.

The armed men surrounding us maintained their stoic expressions, a silent warning that disobedience would be met with swift and deadly consequences. I felt a mix of fear, anger, and helplessness. The odds were stacked against us, and the rules of what had seemed like a harmless game were becoming painfully clear.

Mr. Kendall's gaze swept over our horrified faces, savoring the terror he had instilled in us. "Now that I have your attention," he sneered, "let's proceed with the game, shall we?" His voice was calm, almost casual, as if Lexi's life had meant nothing more to him than a pawn in a sick game.

Suddenly, the ground beneath us shifted, and a falling sensation appeared in my stomach, like a roller coaster drop. The sunny skies disappeared, and I found myself and my classmates in a big boat cabin. A sign on the inside of the door read "First Class Amenities," followed by a list of luxurious services offered to those staying in this cabin. Mr. Kendall or the armed guards were nowhere to be seen. My classmates looked distraught, some of them crying.

Confusion and disbelief swept through the cabin as we tried to make sense of the sudden change in our surroundings. The luxurious furnishings and ornate decorations clashed starkly with the trauma we had just experienced on the deck. It felt like we had entered an alternate reality, a bizarre intermission from the nightmare that had unfolded moments ago.

As we began to gather our bearings, whispers of disbelief circulated among us. Questions hung in the air, but no one dared to voice them aloud. The fear of the unknown gripped us as tightly as Mr. Kendall's threat had just moments before. Were we still part of the same sinister game?

I cautiously approached the cabin door and peeked outside. The corridor was empty, and the ship's interior seemed eerily quiet. The absence of Mr. Kendall and the armed guards fueled a glimmer of hope within me. Perhaps, just perhaps, this was an opportunity to escape the twisted game that had taken Lexi from us.

Gathering the courage to lead, I turned to my classmates. "We need to figure out what's happening and find a way out of this mess," I declared, my voice wavering only slightly. A collective nodding of heads indicated their agreement, and together we began to explore the lavish cabin, searching for clues or a means of communication.

The cabin was well-stocked with amenities, from a fully stocked mini-bar to plush bathrobes. It felt like a mockery of the life we had just witnessed extinguished on the deck. However, amid the opulence, we discovered a hidden panel in the wall, revealing an array of surveillance screens displaying various parts of the ship.

As we scanned the screens, we stumbled upon one that showed Mr. Kendall and the armed guards in a control room. They were watching us, their faces twisted with sadistic satisfaction. It became clear that the game was far from over, and we were still at the mercy of their cruel machinations.

Someone to my right turned away. I looked after them. It was Robin, he was heading for the door. Alone, he ventured out into the hallway without a word. The entire class had turned to look after him before turning to look at each other. No one said anything. Robin's footsteps faded away, and eventually, some of the kids closest to the door peeked out into the hallway.

"Should we follow him?" someone asked. It wasn't directed at any particular person. I looked for Sarah, our class president. She met my eyes and shifted uncomfortably before speaking up.

"I don't see why not..." she muttered, sounding defeated and scared, far from the cheerful tone she usually had.

"I think we should stay here," someone else said. I couldn't see or hear who it was.

"Are we just gonna sit here and do nothing? I'm going with Robin," Mikah said. I recognized her voice and saw her push past some of the big guys who suddenly looked very small and frail.

Suddenly there was a divide between us. One group wanted to follow Robin to explore the ship; another group wanted to stay put. Then there was me. I was unsure of what to do. Splitting up felt like a bad idea. Before I'd made up my mind, I had opened my mouth to speak, and my voice surprised me.

"I'm going." My voice was croaky. Everyone turned to look at me. Some of them avoided my eyes when they saw who was speaking. Everyone loved Lexi, but everyone also knew that I loved her most.

The decision hung in the air, palpable and heavy. Those who had opted to stay eyed me with a mix of skepticism and fear. Mikah, determined and resolute, nodded in approval. The uncertainty in the room became the canvas on which our next actions would be painted.

As I stepped out into the corridor, the opulence of the ship's interior felt like a stark contrast to the dread I carried in my heart. The hallway stretched in both directions, adorned with polished wood paneling and elegant lighting—a surreal juxtaposition to the sinister game we found ourselves entangled in.

Robin's footsteps echoed faintly, leading us further into the unknown. We caught up to him, finding him standing before a set of grand double doors. As we approached, the doors swung open with an almost ceremonial grace, revealing a vast, dimly lit room beyond. It was a ballroom, adorned with crystal chandeliers and polished marble floors.

In the center of the room stood a figure, cloaked in darkness. The silhouette turned to face us, revealing a man of imposing stature and a face obscured by shadows. His voice boomed through the room, resonating with an unsettling authority.

"Welcome, players. I trust you enjoyed the first act of our little game?" The man's tone was dripping with malevolence. It was clear that, even though Mr. Kendall and the armed guards were not physically present, the puppet master orchestrating this nightmare was. Before any of us could respond, the man continued. "Now, the real test begins."