Grimm Games

Chapter 35: Fallen Crown

The planks clattered as Sonya dropped them on top of the pit's frame, and one by one, she and the brothers moved across, getting closer to the other side.

Millie and I continued to watch from our chain-linked confinement. I wished I could do more than just stand there, but I had to work with what I had. If I couldn't help in any other way, then it would benefit us to think about our next move.

The fog was fast approaching, and I wasn't sure what the plan would be if we were caught in it. Would it put us to sleep? Or was it harmless, just part of the ambience?

Sonya led the group over the pit, carefully placing the planks. Spencer stayed at the back, lifting the last plank and passing it forward. Despite the constant pain in his eyes from his wounded thigh, Dylan kept working, helping to move the planks forward while they all balanced on one at a time.

Sonya moved swiftly, her eyes fixed on the goal ahead, her determination evident as the countdown ticked away. A ruthless glint shone in her eyes. As they approached the end, the gap between the last plank and solid ground became visible. Only one last six-foot space remained from the edge of the pit and them.

In a final, decisive move, Sonya secured the plank and quickly ran across it to get to solid ground. Without a second thought, she yanked the last plank away, dropping it into the pit. The sound of it clattering against wooden walls below echoed ominously. From the depths, a menacing growl echoed in response, the Troll below stirring at the disturbance.

"Sonya, don't!" Spencer's voice echoed across the pit, but Sonya's expression remained resolute, her eyes cold and calculating. The brothers were left teetering on the narrow plank, their eyes wide with shock and betrayal.

"What the hell?!" Spencer shouted after her, but Sonya didn't look back. She sprinted towards the gate, leaving them to fend for themselves against the imminent danger below.

On screen the crowd gasped, the tension in the air thickened as Spencer and Dylan struggled to regain their balance on the final plank.

From watching the screen, the pit seemed to grow darker, the threat of the Grimm Troll lurking below became more real. Time was running out, and Sonya's betrayal left them in a risky position.

"Sonya, stop. What are you doing?" I shook my head, surprising myself that I could ever believe she would play fair.

Dylan held onto Spencer for balance as they teetered in the center of the remaining beam. "I'll kill her. I swear I will."

"Just calm down." Spencer tried to pacify the situation. "We're gonna get through this."

Sonya turned her back on the chaos. Before she got to the main gate she paused and pivoted, making a beeline to the center of the arena. I assumed her focus was now on retrieving her weapon from the place they placed them before the start of the game.

Dylan and Spencer stared at the wide gap as the fog crept closer and the Troll below grew more agitated by the second.

The host's voice crackled through the speakers, dripping with a mix of amusement and mock sympathy. "Well, well, folks! It looks like we've got ourselves a little betrayal on our hands! Sonya the Babysitter is not playing nice, is she? But hey, who said survival was ever fair?" He paused, letting the tension build.

"That's right," Sonya's voice was heard during the silence. "Survival of the fittest."

"Sonya's ruthless move just proved that in the Grimm Games, it's every player for themselves. She's taken the plank and left the poor Jeffrey duo high and dry—or should I say, dangling over the pit? Now, will they find a way out, or has Sonya sealed their fate with the Troll below?"