The Shadows

10

Rose woke with a start, almost falling out of the bed she was in. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around the small room she was in. It was a perfect square, and everything was white and sterile. Rose looked down to see that she had been changed into a white tee shirt, but her old crop shorts were still on, though they looked much cleaner. Hearing a creak, Rose shot her gaze towards the doorway which was occupied by a lady in a white dress and a lab coat. Her blonde hair was pulled into a bun, and her green eyes seemed kind, but stern.

"Hello, Rose. My name is Fiona." The lady said in a sweet voice. "How are you feeling?" 'How am I ?! Is that all you have to say after knocking me out?!" Rose thought. She also assumed that this lady worked with the ones who shot everyone since it seemed that they were still in the same facility. 

"Um, ok I guess." Rose muttered, hopping out of the bed. She leaned against a small nightstand that sat beside the bed, then looked straight at the lady. "Where are my friends? I want to see them." Fiona laughed, then gestured for Rose to put on a pair of white tennis shoes that lay at the end of the bed.

"I was actually sent here to fetch you. You and your friends have been invited to lunch with the Masters." She smiled and waited for Rose to finish pulling on the shoes and tying them. Once she was ready, Rose set off with Fiona into a white maze of corridors. Doors and openings branched out off of almost every hallway they went down. Rose had tried to keep track of the corridors, but she couldn't keep up.

Soon they came to a circular room that was the beginning of multiple branching corridors. It was pretty busy here, but there still weren't very many people. In all of the hustle and bustle, Rose tripped over someone's foot. She was about to hit the ground when someone lifted her up from behind.

"Rose?" Asked a familiar voice, filled with joy. Rose looked up to see Jack, the one person she had been longing to see. "Did you know that there are only 20 people remaining in the Arena?" He have her a wide, beautiful smile and stood her up, and they immediately fell into a hug.

"Jack, it's really you!" Rose whispered. They stood in the embrace for a long time, neither one wanting to let go. Rose finally let go when Fiona tapped her on the back.

"Come, Rose." She said. "We can walk with Jared and Jack until we reach the meeting place if you'd like." Rose nodded, and Jack grabbed her hand. They walked side-by-side the rest of the way, never letting go of each other's hand.
*******
Soon, they stopped at a pair of magnificent doors. The doors swing open, and they were led inside. Multiple couches lay in front of huge screens, displaying all sorts of images. Rose recognized a shot of the Blood Market where an ongoing fight was being viewed by two ladies that sat on one couch. 'How cruel!' Rose thought. 'Watching children fight to the death!'

"Welcome!" A deep voice greeted the group from a large table that was laden with food which sat in the center of the grand room. "Come and sit down with us!" Rose and Jack were nudged forward, and each took a seat at the great table, side-by-side. Rose saw that a few others were seated at the table. Two men and two women on either side of the table. At the end, a tall, blonde haired man sat watching Jack and Rose with piercing blue eyes.

"Is it just me, or does he look exactly like Scar?" Jack whispered. Rose nodded slightly, carefully avoiding the man's attention.

"Please help yourself to the food." The man said, a wise smile across his face. "The others should be here soon." Rose heaped some potatoes and grilled chicken onto her plate, mouth watering. The two had just started devouring their food when the doors swing open once again. This time, three figures headed towards the table. Rose recognized Sam, Quick, and Jerome, who chose seats next to the other two.

"Good, you're all here." The man said, gesturing to the group. "Help yourselves to the food. We will talk about what I brought you here for after your stomachs are full."

"Where is Scar?" Sam asked, fire in his eyes. "She should be here. What have you done with her?" The man shook his head.

"Scarlett's wellbeing is of no concern to you." He said. "She is not stable enough to be here."
This made Sam even more enraged.

"No concern of mine!" Sam shouted. "I love her, so yes, it is a concern of mine! If you've done anything to I swear I'll-" He took this moment to plunge his knife into the table.

"Fine." The man said, staring straight into Sam's intense gaze. "Guards, take him to the girl." With a swish of his hand, three guards appeared, grabbing Sam, who protested, and dragged him out of the room. The man then turned back to the remaining four teens and gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that little incident. Now! I have brought you here because you were able to escape the Arena. You were smart and brave, and we respect that. We want you to become scientists, to help us develop this game." He explained. "You will have food, care, anything you could ever want."

He gave them time to think about all he said. Rose was torn. Why would she work for the people who had created the morbid game? But then again why would she not? Jerome voiced her exact thoughts.

"Give us one reason why we should help you? You almost killed us multiple times for heaven's sake!" Jerome exclaimed.

"Why not?" The man said. "You have everything you need here, and anyways, those that are left in the arena have no value to you. All of your friends are here, safe and sound. What do you say?" Rose was about to say something when a commotion broke out in the hallway in front of the Great Doors. Seconds later, two people burst through the doors. Rose immediately recognized Scar, now dressed in the same thing as Rose (but more red, less white), Sam at her side. She wielded her axe, Sam with his sword, and they were laden with the weapons of the others as well. Scar shouted and motioned for everyone to come to her, but a guard came out of nowhere and grabbed Rose s she sprang from her seat. He realized his mistake though as Jack's fist connected with his lower jaw and he fell to the ground.

"Come on!" Sam yelled, tossing everyone their weapons. "We have to get to the control room. Follow Scar!" And with that, they took off into the white maze, aiming to destroy everything these people had worked for.
*******
"Come on, come on!" Rose paced up and down in the front of the control room. Scar sat at a large holographic computer, coding away. The other shelf the doors closed as guards smashed at it, trying their best to find a way in.

"I'm working on it!" Scar shouted angrily, her fingers flashing across the keyboard. "Almost there...done!" She grabbed a remote, which would make the whole arena and facility fall apart, and sprinted to a secret door they had found at the front of the room.

"Boys, let go now!" Scar screeched, and they ran to the open doors as the blonde man and five guards burst through them. Scar looked the man straight in the eyes, backing into the secret door. "Goodbye...Father." And with that she pushed the button, and the walls of the control room erupted into sparks, leaving the Shadows to escape into the dark secret passage.
*******
Minutes later, the group came upon the place where they had been captured. Sirens screeched, and Rose could hear weird crackling noises. The abrupt wall was locked by a keypad, but had even shorted out, so the wall was now a stony door that the group easily swung open.

"What are we doing?!" Rose yelled above the screeching alarms from the mountain facility. "We go back into the Arena! It's going to fall apart at any minute!"

"I can't leave everyone to die! And neither are you!" Scar yelled, shoving everyone outside into the Arena. The door slammed shut, locking their only way of escape out of the crumbling Arena.
•••••••
Hey guys!! I just wanted to say that this is the third to last chapter, and that we are nearing the end of the book! I also wanted to say that the next two chapters might be a bit short. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!
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-Foxstorm