TAINTED ROSE

Chapter 23

“Adolpha means noble wolf. A wolf is strong isn't it? Don't you want to be strong?” A voice of eerie familiarity resounded.

  “Yes. I want to be strong to protect those I care.” The girl murmured weakly in reply, her breaths as soft and yet bore the radiance of true strength in the sentence. “Then, get well soon Adolpha. Help is on its way. Get stronger, noble wolf.”

A distorted face bore the resemblance of a grin, as she looked up at her saviour’s face; Adolpha gripped the torn string tightly in her hands. If she had not lost her memory, she would treasure that piece even more as that was the last friendship band her mother had made for her, with the knots tightly bound to form the shape of a heart.

“Noble wolf, that was what you were named for?” Ally leaned in the see the necklace Adolpha had extended with more strings, woven carefully to avoid destroying the original design of the sting of her past.

 “Yeah, I just recalled.” Adolpha traced the string necklace that rested on her collarbones with her fingertips. She slipped on the jacket that Ally had offered. Zipping up, she did not feel the chill as she had high tolerance of the cold weather. “Let's go.”

 “The ISH she said. The principal had just activated the high defence system and there are traps everywhere now.”

 Indoor Sports Hall, Adolpha mused, that place has one of the highest defence system and the principal would definitely be there, protected by the pool of acid and his metal crocs.

  “We should stay here in case we get stuck in the traps.” Ally looked frightened, thinking of the brutal traps that she was introduced to when she first arrived in her first year. Adolpha had no idea how terrifying the traps where. One wrong step could kill or fatally wound you.

  “No, let's move on. I'm the trap master remember? The one who set the electrical barrier trap in 2/7,” Adolpha grinned, “Was me.”

Ally brightened up, having more confidence in her friend. That trap had killed off many of the bimbotic 2/7 girls. “We have to save our friends. They are all that’s precious to me.”

“You’re the man!”

Shaking her head to rid the image of the laughing Sherry with the grinning Pearlyn with the others, Adolpha and Ally set off; their destination where the final trap lay in wait for them.

-

“Checkmate.”

The single word tasted delicious in her mouth. Smiling, Rose looked around the hall, the handiwork of years of planning. Sherry and Pearlyn slumped in their chains, defeated and exhausted by hanging off the ground, only held over the crocodiles’ snapping jaws by a length of iron chains. Nat glared at her while Helen gazed with an unreadable expression. Who was the naïve one now?

 “I don't understand this absurdity Rose! I demand you explain yourself!” Natasha yelled from her corner, suspended by her wrists tied to the basketball hoop. The metal crocodiles circled beneath her, waiting to tear another apart another victim.

  “Mm, you are always the inquisitive one, Nat.” Rose almost purred the reply. “It's simple. I want lives. It's pointless to exist in this world with no motivation. Money,” she spat the word with such disdain, “Is a worthless motivation, but yet the world lives by it. They slave away for that plastic paper which holds that much value.” Rose's hard look was replaced by her serene smile as she continued.

“I am bored of this thinking, so I thought of this fun game. Remember the board game we used to play? Game of Life? Well, this one is the real life version. And it revolves around our lives. So let's see which card our dear friend will pick. Life? Death? It depends on her luck.” She curled up on the chair, gazing out of the windows in the direction of the classroom block.

“Didn’t you have parents who could teach you what’s right and wrong? Did they ever tell you that killing people was wrong? That it only brought sadness and bloodshed?” Helen whispered with an edge in her voice. She was the only on hanging by her legs; Rose knew she could easily escape from the arm chains if she let Helen.

“Helen, always the righteous one. You forget, time and time again, that we’re orphans.” A twisted smile appeared at Rose’s lips.

“I killed my parents when I was ten. And I loved every minute of it!” Rose’s voice echoed through the lonely hall.

Mummy, will you play with me? No sweetheart, your mother is busy counting her money. Oh, okay then. Tomorrow maybe? Maybe.

“Tomorrow came and so did many days, but my parents…” A tear rolled her cheek. She tried to swipe it away before they could see it, but everyone knew. They knew her weakness.

“Never did play with me.” She whispered, a lump in her throat.

Suddenly, she brightened. “So I killed them instead!

Her parents screaming for mercy, at her feet…

The house going up in flames with them inside, their precious paper money coiling in the flames…

“I don’t get it. You are crazy!” Natasha screamed.

  “Insane!” Katy yelled, her stunned silence broken by that word. She was bound to the pull up station with the others, the flimsy bars rattling at her aggression.

“Calista died for your whim?! This game is not fun but insane!” She yelled, her friend's death fanning the flames of courage and anger.

 “Insane? You are right dear kitten, this is insanely fun!” Rose laughed again, any traces of her once bimbotic nature was gone. Replacing in was a mad girl disillusioned by the wrong view of life.

 Gritting her teeth, she struggled against her restraints; her desire to kill filled the crevices of hatred and sorrow. Trina struggled against the chains to stop her friend, but the rage controlled Katy was unstoppable.

 “Kat, not worth it.” Sherry called out to the shivering girl. Helen looked at her, her eyes speaking a thousand words. Don’t do it. You’re just playing Rose’s game!

“Hm, dahling, angry already? Shall I put you out too?” Rose lifted her eyebrows and a knowing smile flickered across her face. She reached for her gun, lying on the small table next to her.

“No! No, please, forgive her. She's just tired.” Sherry begged, tears streaming through her eyes. She was so frightened for her friend, her body trembling.

  “Oh your face Sherry! You look absolutely mortified!” And with that she raised her gun and fired-

“NO!” Sherry howled; but the bullet was not aimed at Katy, at the crocodiles. It ricocheted to the acid, melting in instants. Relief made her weak and she passed out.

“Sherry!” Pearlyn yelled struggling against her own bonds now. Rose continued her mad laughter as the other girls yelled their concern to the unconscious girl. Nat gritted her teeth and looked in the direction of the classroom block. Let help come on its way, she prayed, her prayer expressed in a howl of wind blowing her wishes.