Tag, You're It

Chapter 4

I sat at the table lifelessly. My eyes were not focused on anything in front of me, nor anything in particular. They simply stared, not being able to actually see and register things. My stomach twisted in knots and my senses were on overload.

There was no way I could endure a whole week of this.

"I see you have all successfully survived your first game." Alec's voice pierces the deadly silence in the room. His voice carries, but then the sound vanishes and he's met with the same silence he had broken. My eyes don't move and I don't give him my attention, still trying to get rid of the images in my head.

"You are all welcome to roam as you please. Every room is open to you besides my bedroom and the library. Food will be-"

"You are a sick, twisted scumbag!" My head snaps up to meet the gaze of the bold girl who said those words. Alec flinches, but I notice it's forced. He enjoys seeing us become angry. "How could you do something like this?"

I don't know the girl's name, but she is taller, a lean girl with set features that showed she was confident. Her brown hair was short, stopping at her shoulders, but it made her look sophisticated, like the head she bore was full of knowledge. She had deep brown eyes and a body built for running. I was jealous of her confidence to speak so boldly, but also felt concern at such a bluntness.

"Now, Babe," Alec begins but he never gets to finish his statement.

"Don't babe me!" The girls steps forward, giving herself more of an intimidating stance. "You killed two innocent girls! You're a murderer! A psychopath!" The girl gets in Alec's face, but he remains calm, staring at her intently.

"Because one kills another does not make them a murderer." He argues cooly. The girl is level headed enough to hear the truth in his words, and it seems she's lost her argument.

"You didn't kill them. You murdered them." I say the words robotically, void of emotion. Alec's face turns to me.

"What is the difference?" Alec demands. I try not to laugh.

"Why are you asking a question you know the answer to?" I return, lifting my eyes to meet his. The girl beside him, looks at me with respect, but I don't feel I deserve that. I'd never have the guts she just had.

"I have no ill intent towards them." Alec defends.

"Killing someone is different from murdering because of the intent then?" I ask. He nods. "You have no ill intent towards them." I repeat and Alec's lips curl up in a small smirk because he thinks he's won the argument. "But of course you don't." I stand slowly and the room's silence returns. "You can't have ill intent for someone who is dead because they were murdered by, well you. Your ill intent was satisfied." I keep Alec's gaze and he clenches his jaw.

"Only someone who was messed up in their brain would set up something like this." The girl from earlier begins again. I see her hatred in her eyes. Her grit surprised me, but it didn't surprise Alec. "You're nothing but a monster."

Those words hurt Alec. He hid it well enough, but anyone who was paying attention would see it struck a chord, and the girl certainly did. She smirked at his pain.

"A monster who will never be loved. You will die one day, and I hope you die a horrible death that-"

"If you would stop degrading me with useless comments, I would tell you that I'm only abiding by the rules." Alec's words come out gentle, but his body is tense, defensive.

"Rules? You murder two girls and then try to talk to me about rules?" The girl starts ranting, but suddenly I have an idea.

"What are your rules?" I ask the question, intent on receiving an answer. Alec's eyes turn to me. I keep his gaze, pushing my anger down so he didn't become satisfied with riling me up.