Ghosts of Wonderland

Players

Halo Fourteen: Players:

They are being forced to play a game they cannot win. They have no chance of winning. This game was designed to be stacked against them. There used to be three players. But now there are four of them.

Masaomi opened his eyes. What is this place?

There was nothing but blackness in these lands. The boy didn't feel cold or anything. He's been here before. Masaomi looked left and right. There was nothing around him as far as the eye could see. Only a few blackened dead trees stood in the distance. The silence made Masaomi feel like he was walking through a tomb. A shiver ran through his body.

He's been here before.

With one look to the left, Masaomi could see that he wasn't alone.

Noriko stood in the distance looking out into emptiness. She stood out in the darkness in her long white nightie. When the boy saw her, he thought that he was staring at an angel. Masaomi took slower steps toward her.

"Nori-chan?" he asked. The girl continued to stare off into the distance as he got closer. He stopped when she slowly turned her head. There was nothing in her eyes. It was like she was looking right through him.

"Nori-chan?" he asked again.

"Leave her be," a familiar voice spoke up. "She's in recovery right now. I don't know when she's going to come back to herself." Masaomi turned around. Michiko sat on a broken stone throne in the middle of the empty field. Her skin looked so pale in her dark purple robes. She sat with her legs crossed.

"Michi-chan?" Masaomi asked. She lifted her chin.

"I've been here before, haven't I?" he asked.

"Yes," Michiko said.

"Where is this place?" Masaomi asked as he looked around.

"This is the sanctuary," another voice said. The boy turned and saw Makoto leaning up against a tree, sitting on the ground. He kept his head downward. Michiko had a worried look on her face.

"It's too late to keep it from him," Makoto said aloud. "He's one of us now. He has to know everything." Noriko turned back to stare off into space. Michiko pressed her lips together. She hated it when he had a point.

"Michi-chan?" Masaomi asked. She clenched her fists in her lap. Might as well get this over with.

"Why are we here?" the boy asked. Michiko lifted her chin.

"This is the sanctuary that we all gather from time to time," she explained in a calm tone. Masaomi started to open his mouth. She held up her hand.

"I didn't make this," Michiko said. "I don't know if she made this or not. We always come here and I don't know how." Masaomi drew his mouth closed. The woman lowered her hand. Makoto snorted.

"She's the one who called us here," he said. Michiko and Masaomi stared at him.

"You know I am right," he said. There was no argument they could counter with that. Makoto moved his arms behind his head. Okay then...

"So... how long do we stay here?" Masaomi asked.

"Who knows?" Michiko asked with a shrug. "We stay here until we are released. And no, I never know when that is." Masaomi was about to ask more questions when something else caught his attention in the distance.

"What is that?" he asked himself.

Hino Makoto

He entered the game to save his wife. It was his idea. Hisayo was just the puppet. She was the one who killed all of those protesters. Makoto and Hya-chan had nothing to do with them. They were just trying to get home. Somewhere in the chaos, he ended up letting go of his wife's hand. When Makoto looked around, she was gone.