SOLITAIRE || AIB || OC

Akira Mitsumi - Hang in there

“The name of the game is: Hang in there.” The voice repeated “The allotted time for this game is Ten minutes. Players must reach the top of the wall ahead of them before the given time is up. Failure to do so will result in GAME OVER.”

Akira looked around, confusion clouding her expression. What the hell was all this?

 "That's it..?” She mumbled, to nobody in particular. The Tv screen above her had changed, now displaying a large timer, steadily counting down the remaining time. She shrugged. Might as well play along. Maybe this was some odd promotion, or something.

The older man and woman had reached the wall first, having begun with little hesitation. They'd stopped talking to each other, slipping something on. A harness, maybe? That would make sense. Akira stepped closer, as did the other man, going to join the couple, but – 

“Holy fucking shit.” She said, louder than intended, causing the older woman to glance over at her. She coughed, averting her gaze downwards. In place of harnesses, there hung nooses, limply dangling from the ceiling as though they'd always been there. Akira glanced over. everyone else had put the noose on so casually. Like hell she was going to do that. Like hell she was going to take one more step closer to that damned wall.

The timer ticked down as all the other participants began to scale the wall. The bratty man from before seemed more cautious in his approach, clinging tightly to the wall like a lifeline. The older couple seemed more confident, the woman surprisingly agile in her ascent, with the man close behind her. Akira wouldn't move. She wasn't even touching the noose. Why was everyone here so willing to risk their life, anyway? she certainly wasn't going to die from a broken neck just because some timer was counting down. 

“A quarter of the available time has elapsed.” The automated voice rang out, Cheery  tone slicing through the silence. Akira shifted her position, looking up at the players. The older woman was the furthest up the wall, though, that wasn't saying much. All the people there seemed incredibly cautious, and as such were relatively close to the base of the wall. she couldn't really blame them. She'd be cautious, too, if she was in their situation.

“Hey! Girl- Kid, at the bottom!” 

Akira's gaze snapped up. the older woman was talking to her. She tilted her head, pursing her lips at her. Akira wasn't entirely sure if the lady would be able to hear her if she did respond, so she waited for her to continue 

“You ain't got time to be mulling around! Climb the damned wall!” The lady yelled, before turning back to the wall with a grunt. Akira's eyebrows furrowed. The lady sure sounded urgent.  Why the hell was nobody explaining anything to her, anyway?

Her gaze shifted, scanning the arena as she made up her mind. If this was just some sort of shitty promotion, maybe the nooses were just… one big ruse? They wouldn't be unsafe. that would be fucking stupid, and basically begging for a lawsuit.

So, Akira Mitsumi stepped up to the wall, and slipped the noose around her neck, and began to climb.  It wasn't the hardest of walls, which she was grateful for - The handles easily in reach, and dually easy to grip. She'd settled on following the younger man's technique, pressing her body tight against the wall as she climbed, in order to minimise the risk of falling. A quick glance above her told her she still had some way to go, and the other people were far ahead of her. The older couple were about halfway up the wall, and the man was right behind them.

Until there was a harsh wince - bordering on a scream - and a sharp ‘Snap’ as the rustling flurry of a body falling tore through the arena. Then, silence. Akira's eyes snapped upwards, grip tightening on the handles as bone and flesh fell limply against stone. The older man had fallen. His hands cut, and bloodied, and his limp corpse dangling just above Akira. She breathed in - a harsh intake of breath, that grated at her. He was dead. There was a dead man above her. He had died- she had just witnessed a man die.