Death Penalty

Ch 5 - Favourites

A/N - This chapter is from the POV of Risa and I will be posting more multi-pov chapters from now so make sure to read the top. 

Risa- 

I glanced at Cosette, dread, anger, and disappointment clouding her features. Sucks to be her. Trying to keep yourself alive was one thing, but now she had the additional burden of looking after someone else. Couldn't be me. My gaze drifted to the boy she was linked to; he certainly didn't have the look of a serial killer, which was a relief, but I doubted he'd be able to protect her either.

"Fuck this shit!" Cosette groaned, striding towards me. "Shouldn't you be mingling with your new bestie?" I teased, earning a fierce death stare.

"Yeah, I'll go do that now," she snapped, turning away and marching toward the brown-haired boy, effectively dismissing me.

Cosette was tough, I believed that, and I knew she could handle herself. This wasn't the worst scenario by far, But now, it was her fight, not mine. With her moving on I was alone again I wanted to go find some other people to befriend but a room full of criminals isn't the friendliest place. So I wave that idea goodbye accepting that Cosette is the closest thing that I could have to a friend, despite the fact that she seemed to despise me.

I settled onto a stair, trying to observe the chaos unfolding around me. Not that I was good at observing, but a few details caught my eye. The sheer number of cameras lurking in every corner was alarming. And those glass-walled rooms labeled "Experiment 1" and "Experiment 2"? They sent chills racing down my spine. I didn't want to dwell on what lay behind those glass doors, so I forced myself to shift my focus to the crowd.

As I scanned the room, a girl with wild blonde hair caught my eye. She was crouched down, staring intently at a bug. The way she studied it—like it was the most fascinating thing in the world—was oddly captivating. But then she did something that made my stomach turn: she bit down on it with her teeth. What the actual hell? I shook my head in disbelief, trying to erase the image from my mind.

This place was a nightmare, and like everyone else, I was grappling with a pressing question. As we wandered around like blind subjects, what was going to happen to us? How could we possibly navigate this madness and stay alive? These thoughts gnawed at me as I waited for the next round—a round I knew would be terrifying.

When the brilliant lights of the spinner flickered to life, an electric buzz filled the room. It was time for another trial, one where we would be forced into the depths of our worst fears. The spinner began to rotate, and my heart raced as I braced myself for whatever torment came next. It finally landed on "Favorites."

"FOR THE NEXT ROUND, FOUR PEOPLE WILL BE PICKED. THEY WILL GO TO EXPERIMENT ROOM 1," the creepy voice boomed, sending shivers through the crowd. "WHEN THE SUBJECTS ARE ALIGNED, PEOPLE WILL VOTE FOR A SUBJECT BY STANDING IN FRONT OF THEM. THE PERSON WITH THE MOST VOTES WILL BE RELEASED. THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, AND THE LAST TWO PEOPLE WILL BE EXECUTED. COMPLIANCE IS MANDATORY."

The tension rose as the spinner with our names whirled to a stop. The first name announced was "ANNIE HAVES." Thank goodness it wasn't me. The second name was called—"ORION WESTBURG." Two down. I held my breath as the wheel turned for the third time. "RISA ORIBE." My heart sank. My mind went blank. They must have misspoken, right? But the picture of my face plastered across the screen said otherwise.

Panic surged through me as I tried to process what was happening. People in the vicinity began to form a path for me. I hesitated at the doorway, my instincts screaming at me to turn around and run. What if this was the last doorway I ever stepped through? What a stupid thought I scolded myself—it was going to be fine.

"What are you waiting for?" a cold voice sliced through my frantic thoughts. I looked up to find Orion Westburg standing behind me, He seemed surprisingly calm, his blue eyes revealing no emotion. "We don't have all day," he urged. I swallowed hard, my pulse racing, and as I muttered an apology, I stepped into the cold, sterile room.

"LET THE EXPERIMENT BEGIN!" The voice boomed again. Almost instantaneously, I noticed many of the participants gravitating toward Orion. It was as if a magnet had been switched on, drawing them toward him. His expression remained stoic, an armor against the chaos that surrounded us.

I desperately tried to connect with the crowd using pleading looks, waving my hands like a storyteller trying to keep their audience engaged, but it all fell flat. One by one, people lined up in front of Orion. They were voting with their feet, and I was slowly being forgotten.

In the end, Orion won the vote and was released, leaving me squirming in anxiety. "LET THE SECOND ROUND BEGIN!" The voice rang out once more. I watched as some participants flocked toward Annie and the other boy, but I saw a blur of black hair dragging a boy which seemed like Desmond by his collar towards me. It was Cosette.

A surge of relief washed over me as I saw her take control of the situation. She was like a tornado, making a beeline for me. "This way, bitches!" she yelled, her voice commanding against the eerie silence. The crowd reacted immediately—people began to follow her like moths to a flame.

As she and Desmond positioned themselves in front of me, my pulse quickening at the sight of others rallying around us. Cosette's fiery personality was magnetic, and her presence seemed to invigorate those nearby.

To my amazement, a crowd began to form in front of us, my heart pounding with hope. The steady stream of people gravitated toward us, and with each second that passed, I felt the collective anxiety start to shift in our favor. Finally, we amassed more votes than both Annie and the boy combined.

As the weight was finally lifted off my shoulders and I stepped back into the crowd, I glanced over at Annie and the other boy, who stood there wide-eyed in shock. With a mechanical beep, they were eliminated. I let out a shaky breath, relief flooding my senses.

This madness wasn't over, but for now, I was alive. We were alive. And as I exchanged glances with Cosette and Desmond, a flicker of solidarity ignited within me—a flicker that promised we might just survive together in this twisted game.