The 1st Game

2

2

“Students and Teachers.” This is not the principal. It is a very gruff, very male voice, and I've never heard it before. No one makes a sound. “Your school has been selected for an experiment the government has put together.” Experiment? The government is letting this happen? “Now, let me make this extremely clear before we begin. Anyone who disobeys my orders will be shot on sight.” A chill goes down my spine, and I hear people gasp. “The entire school has been completely secured, and everyone in a ten kilometre radius has been evacuated. All communication devices have been disabled.”

I take my phone out of my pocket and try to turn it on. It stays off.

“Do not try to escape. Do not try to get help. Just do what I say.” Sam grabs my hand and squeezes it.

“All teachers must report to the Administration building immediately. Do not comply and you will be shot by my soldiers. You have two minutes.” I look over at Mrs Hinde hiding beneath her desk. White faced and shaking, she emerges.

“What are you doing?” Kylie half whispers, half shouts.

“I- I have to go,” she stutters.

“Don't listen to him!” another boy says. The teacher hesitates, her bottom lip shaking. Then the door bursts open. Kylie, who was hiding near it, is slammed in the face. Her glasses smash and she is knocked unconscious. A man with a metal black mask and body armour grabs Ms Hinde.

She screams, along with some students as the man cuffs and gags her. Desperate to escape, the teacher begins to claw at the soldier's arms. I hear Sam gasp. I am frozen. She is restraining. She is not obeying the orders.

The man swiftly pulls out a gun and shoots her in the head.

I should be screaming like everyone else, but instead I sit there. Everything happens in slow motion as I watch my English teacher being dragged out of the class. The door closes. I finally look at Sam. Her eyes are wide and there are tears on her cheeks. “Kylie,” I croak. She nods, and we crawl across the room, diverting our eyes from the blood on the floor.

The class is chaos. Most are crying, and some are just in shock. I check that she's got a pulse. “She's breathing,” I say. Sam wipes the tears off her cheeks and puts Kylie on her side.

After another minute of screaming and shots being fired from around the school, everything is quiet again. The man comes back on the speakers.

“Now that all the teachers have been dealt with, we can begin.” I glare at the ground, anger bubbling up inside me. I don't care who this man is, or who he works for, I want him dead. “You are now in an experiment where each and every one of you will fight to the death, until one remains.” I stop breathing and my vision blurs. He can't make us do that. Where is the police? Is this really being authorised by the government?

“Anyone who attempts to escape will die. Supplies and weapons are stationed at the oval, which is where you will begin. Everyone must head there immediately. There'll be a round circle for each of you to stand on. You have five minutes. If you are not there...well, I don't need to say what will happen, do I? Good luck.”

I let out a shaky breath and look at Sam. Her eyes are vacant as she asks, “Is this real?” I don't know how to reply.

“We have to go” I say. I don't know anything for certain, but I know I have to play this sick game if I am to survive. “The police will be here soon.” Sam looks at me.

“I don't think the police are coming, Mason. They would have been here already.” I know she's right. We both stand up. Everyone in the class is panicking. They don't know what to do, and I can't help them.

I look at Kylie. “There's nothing we can do,” Sam says. Tears slide down my face. She doesn't deserve to die, none of us do. I turn away.

Sam and I are the first to walk out the door.