The Kairos Games

Chapter 9

[DISCLAIMER: Anyone who knows the set-up of Nora knows that this scene is actually slightly impossible, but reality didn't work as well for what I was going for, so just go with it, okay? Thanks.]    

     The sun rises on the second day, surrounded by clouds. Sarah pulls her long blond hair behind her head and ties it into a ponytail. A makeup bag is sitting on the counter in front of her. She has the entire building to herself; no one else thought to enter Sharp Davis by climbing onto the roof. She pulls some very pale foundation from the bag and dabs it onto her face; she hopes to appear helpless and emaciated. She wonders if she should fake an injury. No; these are Kairos kids. They won’t fall for strategically applied red lipstick.

    A fridge sits in the back of the room, plugged in and in perfect working condition. Sarah opens the door and pulls out her red t-shirt. It is cold as ice. She puts it on, shivering. I have to be convincing… she tells herself. She then laces her shoes and takes one last look in the mirror.

    “Ew,” she mutters, as she stares at her sickly reflection. Oh well. This is all part of the plan. As she heads for the door, she grabs a small item from the desk and slips it into her pocket, just in case…

Haley rolls over on her bare mattress. She tries to imagine that the mattress is a blessing; at least she has a room to sleep in. Surely they weren’t all this lucky. Try as she might, however, she can find no comfort in it. She rolls over once again, debating the possibility that the floor could be more comfortable. She feels as though she may have slept a few hours, amidst the constant shuffling, but it certainly hasn’t been enough for her to get up and face the day. Then again, perhaps this was a day better not faced. She glances over to make sure the door is still locked. If she sleeps through the entire day, she won’t need to eat or use the bathroom, right?

    No such luck. Within ten minutes, she has to pee. She briefly debates her options. If I opened the window… Ew. No. There is a bathroom down the hall. She’ll have to risk it. Haley slowly sits up, grabs the key from the dresser and heads over to the door. She unlocks it and glances quickly up and down the hallway. The coast is clear. She turns and locks the door behind her, then stows the key safely in her pocket. She makes her way to the bathroom quickly and quietly, does what she needs to, and wanders back. Just when she thinks her venture has been successful, as she reaches her door and pulls the key from her pocket, her heart drops, once again. Standing before her at the top of the stairs is Sarah.

    Sarah jumps into character at the sight of Haley. She lets out a raucous cough and falls to her knees, clutching her chest. “Do yo-you h-have… water?” she stutters. “Please -- help?”

    Haley freezes. What should she do? She could leave her there to die; they are all here to die anyway, are they not? But to die of thirst -- it seems so dreadful. She watches the helpless girl slump over onto the ground. The color is drained from her face, and she barely has the energy to hold herself up. Climbing those stairs must have taken any strength she had left. If she has a drink of water, she still won’t be a threat. She can’t even stand up. A few drops of water will only sustain her for a moment. Why not? Haley knows she won’t last long, anyway. She can practically feel the angel of death tapping her on the shoulder. It would be nice to have some company in her final hours. She nods her head.

    “Yes, I have water. Wait right here, I’ll be back.”  She unlocks the room and searches for something to hold the water in. the room is mostly empty, but she happens upon a pile of cup-shaped lifts for the bed in the closet. She turns one over. It’ll have to do. She wanders back out into the hall. Sarah is still in the floor, slumped out pathetically. Haley briefly debates locking the door, but if she’s only gone for a few minutes, no one is likely to come by. Sarah doesn’t look like she’ll be moving anytime soon. She leaves it open and heads down the hall. The water fountain is just around the corner. She reaches it and fills the makeshift cup within an inch of the brim. When she turns to walk back down the hall, however, she freezes. Sarah is gone.

The door is still open, untouched. Haley sets the water down and wanders over to the stairs. She searches every nook and cranny of the hallway before giving up and heading back to the room. Maybe Sarah got scared and changed her mind; it’s hard to trust strangers in this game, right? Try as she might to believe this possibility, however, a lurking suspicion haunts Haley as she opens the door a little further. She steps into the room.

    The floor creaks as Haley lowers her foot and she jumps two feet off the ground, falling back into the hallway. Heart beating faster than Dr. Johnson running in on a Monday, she stands to her feet and musters her courage.

    “Is someone in there?” she calls. Not that she expects an answer. She knows the chances are slim. She logically reminds herself that Sarah is tired and emaciated; even if she is hiding in the room, how could she have the energy to hurt her? Then again… how long have the games been going on? It hasn’t been more than twenty-four hours. Is it even possible for Sarah to be dying of thirst? Is there not a bubbling water fountain standing within a block outside of this building? Why would Sarah come here?

    Just as Haley realizes her fate, something moves. The blond ponytail swings around and Sarah is around the door, pinning Haley to the ground and attempting to choke her. Her face, a mass of bleeding mascara and foundation, is suddenly terrifying. Her eyes hold a rage that can only be brought on by the most dire circumstances. Despite her inner conscience and previous good nature, she must kill. She must win. There can only be one winner.

    Haley, however, will not go down without a fight. She pries at Sarah’s hands, pulling them away from her neck. With a strength she never knew she possessed, she flips the girl onto her back, and the two begin to roll down the hallway, each trying and failing to throw off the other. At the end of the hallway they hit a door and both stand up. Haley decides to bolt, heading for the other staircase. As she passes through the double doors and turns to descend, however, she meets her doom. Sarah catches her in an instant, pinning her against the wall. She pulls an item from her pocket; a pair of cuticle cutters. She plunges the tiny scissors into Haley’s neck, then throws the helpless girl down the staircase!

    On the landing, Haley lies motionless, breathing heavily and choking on her own blood. Her eyes are clouding, but she sees Sarah stepping slowly down the stairs, observing her work. Desperate, and with a final burst of hope and adrenaline, Haley crawls to the emergency exit. She throws her weight against the door and pushes it open, then pulls her bleeding body onto the small section of roof. Sarah follows, slowly, curious.

    Yes, Haley thinks. Follow me… You have nothing to be afraid of… I’m weak, helpless, dying…

    As soon as Sarah crosses the threshold Haley jumps up, yanks the scissors from her neck and slams the door closed. She pulls on Sarah’s arms with all her strength and drags her to the edge of the roof. Pinning her down with her head hanging off the side of the roof, Haley wields the tiny scissors over her head and, bringing them down, stabs Sarah thirty-seven times in the chest! Granted, the scissors are tiny, so she’s basically just poking, but it feels like she’s murdering someone! Sarah screams.

    “Ahhh! Stop it! What the heck? I thought you were dying! Get off of me!”

    Haley wants to answer, but her vocal chords are a bit strained, so she continues fighting noiselessly. She stands up and reaches behind her for broken pipe that she sees leaning on the air conditioner. Sarah stands up and tries to run away, but Haley swings the pipe like a bat, catching her legs, and knocks her back to the ground. Her spine hit’s the sharp edge and she cries out, fearing this is the end.

    “Just push me over then! Throw me off the roof! Let me die! I knew I would never win anyway… I just thought… maybe if I tricked someone, instead of just fighting… I’m really not that strong, honestly! You know that! You know you can beat me. You can push me off this roof and win this fight, right now! Just do it!”

    Haley does not move. Her hands are glued to the pipe, but her legs begin to shake. Her vision is almost gone. She looks up at the sky and sees nothing but red. She crawls to the edge, looking for Sarah. Her arm reaches out and the two girls clasp hands. Sarah has a moment of hope. Is Haley giving up? She can throw her over, run away and bandage her wounds, and continue to fight for the crown. She could win! Haley is giving her a chance to win!

    Not quite.

    “Okay,” Haley whispers, then she throws herself off the roof, pulling helpless Sarah with her. The two girls fall gracelessly to their deaths, then lie side by side in the little alley, nothing but corpses, neither one a winner.

    The cannon booms twice, and the sun begins to set on the second day.