The Game

Chapter 14: Let Me Share My Story

After a tense wait, Mr. Beaufort returned, his grin stretching from ear to ear as he addressed the group. "Well, well, well, Ladies and gentlemen!" he began, his voice dripping with excitement. "I present to you, the next game that I like to call, The Hunting Chamber."

The group exchanged wary glances, uncertainty clouding their expressions, Gary, being the voice of the group stepped forward, his brow furrowed with concern "What exactly is the Hunting Chamber?" he asked, his tone guarded.

Mr. Beaufort's smile widened as he explained, relishing in the anticipation of their fear. "Ah, Gary," he replied, his voice laced with amusement. "In the Hunting Chamber, the five of you will have to work together to survive and escape from five armed guards who will be out to kill you, yes intense, but it'll be quite the show."

Gasps of horror rippled through the group as Mr. Beaufort continued, his eyes alight with excitement. "But fear not, I have more news that you all might like" he continued, "for there is hope, as Scattered throughout the chamber are five coins, If you manage to find one, you will be immune from being shot by a guard, Your body will show up on their radar as an invalid target."

Lexa spoke up interrupting
"On their radar? So they get to know where we are!?"

The contestants exchanged wary glances, the weight of Mr. Beaufort's words sinking in, They knew that their survival depended on their ability to work together and finding those coins, but the thought of being hunted like animals sent shivers down their spines.

"You won't know where the guards are" Mr. Beaufort responded, his tone chillingly casual "But they will be able to track you and see where you are yes, whether or not you possess a coin, It's all part of the game, my friends, if not for their radars, they wouldn't even know who possessed a coin after all."

With that Mr. Beaufort added one last sentence "please follow me."
As he walked towards the next chamber where the next game would take place,

The others having no choice but to follow along.

As the group stepped into The Hunting Chamber, a wave of apprehension washed over them. The room was dimly lit, the air thick with tension and the sound of their own heartbeats echoing off the walls.

Outside the chamber, Mr. Beaufort stood alone for the first time that day, a sinister smile playing on his lips as he addressed the contestants through his microphone. "You all will have 10 minutes to prepare and strategize however you wish," he announced, his voice carrying a chilling edge.

Inside the chamber, Gary wasted no time taking charge, his voice firm as he addressed the others. "Okay everyone" he began, his gaze sweeping over his fellow contestants "We all have to work together to survive this, I have a few plans on how we can make good use of the coins by sharing, but first we need to come together as a team, I suggest we share our stories with each other right here and now."

Joe nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "I like that idea," he chimed in, his voice calm but determined. "I think being closer together could help us look out for one another with more care."

Kelsey offered a nod of approval, her eyes filled with determination "I'm in" she affirmed her voice steady "We need to stick together if we're going to make it out of here alive especially when we all have to be a team."

Lexa nodded in agreement, her usual confidence long gone by this point and with these circumstances. "I'm with you guys" she declared, her voice tinged with uncertainty though "We're stronger together than we are alone, we don't want to make the mistakes Dimitri and Brian did."

Rachel, the last to speak, hesitated for a moment before nodding reluctantly "Sure, I guess we can work together" she conceded, her voice tinged with resignation. "It's the smart thing to do, I have to agree."

With their agreement sealed the group huddled together, their faces illuminated by the dim light of the chamber, In the midst of uncertainty and danger, they found strength in each other, united by a common goal of survival.

Gary's voice rang out with determination as he began to share his story. "I'll go first since it was my idea" he stated his tone resolute. "And I'm going to be honest with all of you, I didn't join this contest for any prizes or money, I'm a retired police officer,"

Rachel rolled her eyes and spoke with sarcasm
"Shocker"

The others listened intently as Gary continued, his words carrying a weight of conviction "I had a hunch Louis Beaufort was involved in suspicious activities, and when he announced this game and I got an email, I knew I had to accept it to find out about his potential scams, frauds and whatever else he might've been up to."

A murmur of understanding rippled through the group as Gary's revelation sunk in "But I didn't expect his maniacal ego to be this bad and dangerous" he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "My only true goal in this game is to stop him and save everyone I can."

Gary paused, his gaze turning inward as he revealed a piece of his past "I'm divorced with two grown sons I haven't spoken with in years" he confessed, his voice heavy with emotion "I don't have a lot to live for, but I want to be sure that I can take him down and prevent others from falling victim to his sick game, and I promise I'll do my absolute best in this game together to assure we all survive."

As Gary's story came to an end, the group fell silent, each of them grappling with the gravity of his words, they knew that they would need to rely on each other if they were going to stand a chance against Louis Beaufort and his deadly games.