Grimm Games

Chapter 19: Murky Waters

As soon as the soft hand fit snuggly into mine I grew paralyzed. "Jade?" When no one answered, I tugged at the heavy tarp, nearly crawling under to see for myself. It was too snug to see much, but from what I could make out, I knew it was her.

Her stature, her double squeeze, even the slightly oversized jean jumpsuit she wore was enough to inform me the person beneath the cloth was my beloved.

I yanked at the tarp trying to detach it from the cable as the voice of another audience member sounded through the speakers and appeared on screen.

"I don't know what those two are thinking. Lying about who they are? It's like they're trying too hard to be the heroes of this game, but it just comes off as deceitful. I mean, who can trust anything they say or do now? It's not just about survival, it's about trust, and they've blown that out of the water."

I didn't look up at the massive screen above the arena, until Chuck Gillian's voice took over to introduce the game.

"Alright everyone, hold onto your seats because we've got a special twist in store for our controversial contestant, Kamila the Activist! It seems she and her sister Millicent the Vagrant have been weaving a little web of deception. In our brand-new game, 'Choose Your Poison,' Kamila will be faced with the ultimate decision. She must decide who gets a lifeline and who takes the plunge into the well of darkness. It's a test of loyalty, a game of life and death, and it's guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Will Kamila make the ultimate sacrifice for family, or will she let the well of water reveal the cold truth? Grimm Games has never been more intense!"

The planks that led to each person began to retract and force me back to the edge of the stage, leaving a wide gap of dark water between them and me.

"Now, here's a curveball for you, folks! Which one among our participants is the real Kamila?" The audience reacted with "oohs" and "ahhs" as the view onscreen switched between me and the three under the tarps. The host chuckled at his own joke, poking fun at what everyone already knew. Millie had pretended to be me, and the cat had long been let out of the bag. "Let's delve into the labyrinth of truth and deception as the games continue. Kamila, are you ready to face the consequences of your own intricate web?"

As the lights illuminated the tarps, I quickly took in my surroundings. Each person was far from being volunteers and were obviously unwilling participants as their hands were tied to the slab behind them, keeping them from moving.

Each person had a bright red apple secured about ten feet above their heads. As the cable attached to the tarps went taut, it heaved the cover straight up, revealing the people underneath.

As I suspected, Millie was secured to the pole on the right. Her eyes quickly scanned the massive area as a band of fabric tightly covered her mouth and held her head in place, but she remained calm.

On the opposite side, a man of average height and a tattered shirt wiggled and fought against the restraints. Dirt and grime tainted his aged pale skin. He struggled to free the fabric from his mouth by violently whipping and turning his head.

And in the center of them all stood Jade. The fear in her large, brown eyes was prevalent as she stared at me unblinking.

"Jade?" I called out. "Millie?"

Neither of them could reply.

However, the man continued to twist and thrash around to try to free himself.

"Our next game is a true test of precision and nerve. Kamila, our resilient contestant, has a razor-sharp blade and only 60 seconds. She must use her skills to target each falling apple before it reaches the heads of our three brave volunteers. Each apple represents a life, and each life teeters on the edge of a murky water well. If Kamila succeeds and takes out an apple, that volunteer is spared. If she fails, well, down they go and down they stay. It's a game of split-second decisions, folks. Kamila, the clock is ticking. Can she save them all, or will she watch as they plunge into the depths below?"