The Predator and The Prey

Untitled Part 1

I have a dream. I'm in school, but not the school I had in my reality, this one is different. It's huge and expensive. The interiors are like medieval mansions, not just it, but also our clothes are like the princes and princesses in the ancient times. Our clothes are all in the shade of red, the girls are in different styles of dresses, while boys are also in different styles of suits or anything formal. But this dream is not set back to the old times, we're in the modern days, just that... our school is away from civilization, in fact, isolated and locked up in the middle of the woods, that's why we are kinda stuck in the old era lifestyle.

It was morning, and I just woke up from my deep sleep when all of the students were being called up and gathered at the lobby. I found myself rising up from bed, walking, and following the other students from the hallway, to the stairs, until we reached the lobby while still being sleepy and drowsy, while the students were now being loud and energetic. I realized that the students are being lined up according to our section. I immediately looked for my classmates and found them on the other side of the lobby, left corner, and I felt annoyed when I saw them not being lined up just as what was being instructed to us, instead, they are scattered and are giggling. I smirked at myself and walked to them. I told them to line up, but they just laughed at me and ignored me. Then one Faculty came and scolded us for not following a simple instruction and brought our class outside the school, down to the entrance's step with two more naughty classes already lined up on the grass and under the gloomy weather.

We're outside the school building and on our right side are the tall black gates that kept us all inside, and a stage standing right in front of us. Our class, now quiet, and behaved, formed a line with a solemn face because of the embarrassment of being scolded in front of other students. Then we were silenced by the Dean as he spoke to the microphone on top of the stage. He announced that all of the class outside the school building, which is us, and two more sections, has been chosen to be The Prey. We all gasped of confusion, and murmuring filled the whole place.

The Prey? Prey for what? Why is everything becoming this heavy for a morning? Can't we just breathe and take a minute to just stand and realize that 'Oh! It was another day!'

Then the Dean told us about the tradition. The school tradition that has been going and respectfully observed for decades ever since the school was founded, and it was called the 9th Year Tradition. Where they choose students to become The Prey, and the others as The Predator. They used to choose students individually among the class, but they realized it was difficult and more time consuming, thus, now they are choosing the worst section for convenience. I was examining my section's line when I realized something was missing. I immediately and anxiously looked around and found him walking towards us without having any clue of what's going to happen to our class. Dexter, and I can see on his face that he just woke up too, and he is just as sleepy and drowsy as I do. He doesn't know about the prey thing yet. He joined the line of the boys in our class, which is ahead of me and greeted everyone with a smile, bet he didn't see me there.

The announcement continues. The gates will be open for the whole day, giving us The Preys the opportunity to run away and escape. While The Predators will also be released to chase and kill us. Shivers climbed to every student's spines, most especially us, The Preys. The announcement caused panic, and some started screaming. Suddenly the whole place was filled with fear and tension. Some students who are in the Prey class started crying for their lives. No one expects our deaths today, we all thought this would be just another day, just like yesterdays, but it isn't. No one was prepared for this to happen. What the fuck is with this stupid 9th Year Tradition?! I don't want to do it. I'm against it. Who would want to play a game just to die?