Sacrifice Sanctuary

Chapter 8 Ice

(I'm sorry I took a really long time for this part but starting summer and no longer having the computer I used to write with is really difficult but I'll get it back hopefully soon and I'll try to continue to type on my phone for the time being, thanks for understanding!)

"We have a winner!" The Keeper shouted. "Dallas has got the last frog!" Dallas stepped on the platform as it carried him up, when we could all see his face it was blank. He was staring at the floor and his face was tear-stained with splatters of blood on his face from both Harper hitting him and him hitting Harper. "So how do you feel that you're the first survivor of the games and that you had to drag someone through lava just to win?" Mr. K asked Dallas. "I'm not a killer," he responded quietly. "You would be right on that, you didn't kill, just hurt her badly. Everyone, will you please look at your screens as we put Harper out of her misery? You too Dallas," he said and handed Dallas a tablet. "She was burning already so we'll light her on fire since it's the closest thing to lava," Mr. K barely even finished his sentence before Harper started screaming with her last few breaths shouting for someone to help her, but no one ever came. Harper died that day. She was just the first out of many.

After The Keeper announced that Dallas had won and Harper was dead, he said we could get up and go to our rooms to sleep. I wish I could tell you what happened in detail like what everyone was doing, but I was so caught up in myself and how I felt, I wasn't paying attention to anybody else. My palms were sweaty and I could feel my face getting more hot as I ran my hand up the handrail. Even trying to tell you how I was feeling is difficult because all I knew was that I was tired. I knew I was tired because I was stumbling and tripping over myself as I walked up the stairs. As soon as I got up to the top of the stairs I opened my door, walked right into my room, and sat on my bed. I heard the door shut as my head fell to my hands, again I thought of the family I could've had, if anyone missed me, and how I should get out of here, but I didn't think of anything. At this point I wasn't annoyed, I just felt nothing, I didn't feel sad or mad or even really upset, I just felt defeated. Finally after sitting for some time I got up to change into some sleeping clothes, a plain white T-shirt and black and white checkered PJ pants. "It's not a terrible thing to sleep in" I thought as I slipped into them and crawled into bed. I really just wanted to sleep, and I'm glad I finally could. "If I die in these stupid games, I'm gonna be so mad at myself" that was the last thing I thought before my eyes shut and I fell asleep.

I didn't dream about anything that night, and when I woke up nothing was on my mind. I didn't want to think, just survive, and I'm not saying that in a self-heroic type of way I just really don't want to die. Like last night I changed into day clothes, the same outfit just cleaned, I could smell a faint smell of cotton and lily, probably the laundry detergent. I ate the breakfast that was given to me in my room silently, I could hear a couple of people talking either outside their rooms or downstairs echoes of people talking too. I decided if I did want to survive, which I did, then I'd try to make some friends and hopefully get some allies on my side.

I set my plate down in the same spot it came from, (the hole in the glass wall with barely any privacy) opened the door with the key card and started to walk towards the stairs. I immediately saw a couple of people crowded up to each other talking when I peeked my head above the handrail. Atlas, Luke, Jessie, Mira, and Mia, were all there talking about something I couldn't hear. I looked in the other direction to see Dallas sitting alone, he looked numb, which made me feel an unsettling feeling. "Poor guy.." I whispered to myself while I kept walking down the stairs, seeing Rowan and Charlie talking in a distant view. I sped up a bit seeing them, knowing I wouldn't be uncomfortable and have to find a group of people to talk to that I didn't really know. I took my hand off the handrail and started to walk a bit faster, trying not wasting no time trying to get to them when I felt my foot slip on a step. "Aw shoot," I said annoyed. I felt my tailbone hit a step, which already hurt so bad. Then my hand smacked the same step, and my head flew back and hit another. I was right that fall was pretty embarrassing, I shouldn't have been cocky and sped up like an idiot, because now I had a huge bump on the backside of my head that I was 90% sure was going to bruise.

"Haha are you alright dude?" Rowan walked up to me laughing. "I guess, but oh man that hurt," I whined, putting a hand up to my head to feel the bump that formed. "Yeah, I could tell. Do you need ice or something?" Rowan asked. "I mean it would be nice, but I doubt they'd give it to me," I sighed. "Dude you don't know if they'll say no or not, even if they do it's still better to ask someone before that thing gets worse," Rowan said as he reached out a hand to help me up. I was surprised that he actually said something reasonable. "I guess there isn't any harm in asking even if they'll say no" I thought. I took Rowan's hand, got up and we started to look for a guard that we could ask for ice.

"Excuse me, could my friend here have some ice for his head? He just fell pretty hard on the stairs and bumped it, Rowan questioned the guard in front of us. He didn't move. "Uhm hello?" I said confused, "Can you answer us? Me and Rowan stood there for a bit waiting for his answer. "Bro he's just not gonna say anything then I guess," Rowan noted. "Come on man, my head hurts more and more as we speak," I mentioned, but the guard just stood there still not saying a word. "Well that was a waste of time, I hate to say I told you so, but, I told you so" I laughed, and Rowan shoved me lightly joking around. "Still no harm in asking," He said, "You wouldn't be saying anything if they actually gave it to you." "Thanks captain obvious," I smiled and shook my head. We both walked back to where people were talking, by now everyone was downstairs and I could see Mr. K walked up to the grounds of people talking. They all seemed to get more silent as he walked by, I'm not sure if it is because they didn't want him hearing their conversations, or if it was because they were intimidated, but either way I was way more alert now that he was around. "Alright kids ready for another game?" The Keeper joked. Obviously, he knew what he was doing was cruel, and I'm also sure he knew that none of us wanted to take part in these stupid games. "Anyways, you already know the drill! You all will compete in a quick game to win Royalty for the night and be able to pick the people who will get to compete!" He exclaimed as if anyone was excited.

"Soeveryone, let's walk to the door once more and you all will get to see the game you will be competing in!" Mr. K announced as people started following him to the door we originally went in for the first one for all game 'Castle Climb.'
was doing was cruel, and I'm also sure he knew that none of us wanted to take part in these stupid games. "Anyways, you already know the drill! You all will compete in a quick game to win Royalty for the night and be able to pick the people who will get to compete!" He exclaimed as if anyone was excited.
"So everyone, let's walk to the door once more and you all will get to see the game you will be competing in!" Mr. K announced as people started following him to the door we originally went in for the first one for all game 'Castle Climb.'