The 1st Game

7

7

It's been two hours until I've decided that Sam is not coming. “Wait, so we're leaving?” asks Winter. I don't want to, but it's best not to stay in one place for too long. I don't need any more fights.

“Yes. Make sure to keep any eye out for Sam though. Who knows? We might be able to find her.” I say this with such lifelessness that I don't believe it myself. It's most likely she's dead, and I have to come to terms with that.

We make our way around the perimeter of the school, spotting soldiers patrolling edges from time to time. Those are probably just the ones visible. There have to be loads more.

I've decided that we go to the visual arts building. It's the biggest one-storey building in the school, lots of hallways and dark rooms. Perfect for hiding. We find a small supply closet and spend the rest of the day in there. Luckily no one comes in, even though from time to time I hear people screaming and shouting.

It's not until Winter wakes me up that I realise I've fallen asleep. It must be hours later because I remember having a long dream that had something to do with my family. “Mason! Mason, listen!” I do what she says.

“I will repeat once more,” says the man on the speaker. He's muffled slightly by the walls, but I hear him fine. “The group who holds the number one competitor, Sam hostage is in the Science block. Good luck.”

I snap out of my daze. “Sam? She's alive?”

Winter hesitates. “Yeah. It seems like a trap though, doesn't it? Maybe we should stay here.”

“She's alive, Winter, and we know where she is.” I get up and give the daggers and backpack to Winter, but keep the bow and arrows and triple staff with me. “We'll just go and check things out. Okay?”

Something changes in her facial expression, but it's gone before I can tell what it was. “Okay.”

Just before we're about to step out of the closet, I hear people run right past our door. “We're gonna get her,” a boy says. He's probably around sixteen from the sound of it. They open the door to the block and then they're gone.

We wait one more minute before we decide it's safe and exit the building. Whoever that boy was, he's not touching Sam.

On a camp that I went to last year, we learnt how to do archery. I'm not the best, but at least I know how to pull the string. As I hide behind a large tree near the science block, I hope I still remember how to aim.

It's pitch black, but I just make out four boys waiting outside the door, heavily armed. The ones who walked past us before. I hook the notch of the arrow on to the bow and pull back. Once I shoot the first two, Winter will throw the daggers. She's closer than I am so it shouldn't be a problem.

The boys must be planning, so it's the perfect time for attack. I aim the first one up in my sights. I should release now. I have to release the arrow. But I can't. My chest constricts. I can't kill these people. The adrenalin subsides and I lower my arrow. What makes Sam any better then them? Why do they have to die? They're just trying to survive. I can't take another life. There has to be another way. I go find Winter.

“What are you doing?” she asks, bewildered.

“There has to be another way. Maybe we can negotiate.”

She shakes her head. “We have to take them out.” She says this with such fire that it startles me. Where did this blood thirst come from?

“Look, I know that-” Before I can finish my sentence, Winter jams the butt of her dagger in to the side of my head. I fall to the ground in shock.

“You pussy,” she spits. I grab my throbbing skull and try to get up, but she kicks me back down. “You can't even kill a few people to save your best friend. How pathetic.” That's when I remember. Winter Tile, head of dramatic arts, straight A student. A born actress. She's been playing me all along.

“Well, it doesn't matter any more, since she'll be dead in a few minutes. Toodaloo.” She's gone before I can say anything.

The nausea subsides after a minute and I stand up, looking over at the science block. The door is now wide open, all four boys inside. I swing my bow and arrows over my shoulder, taking out the triple staff, swinging it as I do. This time I will not hesitate.

I walk in and immediately hear the sounds of a fight coming from a classroom, plus a strange beeping. Edging closer, I peer in through the doorway. Three of the four boys already lie dead on the ground, throats slit, their blood all over the walls. Winter is in combat with the last boy for less then ten seconds before he is also no longer breathing. I see Sam, tied up in the middle of the class, unconscious.

“Sam!” I scream, running in. Winter is soaked in blood as she turns to face me.

“Oh look. Retard decided to show up.” She is a different person, but there is no red eyes.

“Don't touch her,” I growl.

“Oh, you mean, like this.” She takes one of the bloody daggers and stabs it in to Sam's arm. She wakes up with a yell as I lunge toward Winter. I throw my triple staff but she ducks and misses with ease.

“Stupid boy!” She laughs and slices Sam on the face. Sam shrieks and shakes in the chair.

“You bitch!” I shout, but I don't attack. She could kill me with the flick of her hand.

“Mason! Run! Get out!” Sam screams. I ignore her.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask Winter, grating my teeth.

“How was I supposed to survive with you two idiots?” I notice Sam removing the dagger from her arm and cutting the ropes. Winter doesn't see, and I quickly dart my eyes away. “I was going to kill you anyway. But as soon as I found out that little Sam was number one, I knew I had to be the one to get that reward.” She licks her lips, not noticing what was about to happen. “I knew I would be the one to-”

Sam smashes Winter over the head with a chair. She falls to the ground, knocked out cold. “We have to get out. Now.” She says, fear in her eyes. That's when I hear the beeping again. It's louder now.

“Go!” I shout, and we run out the door and down the hallway. As soon as we step one foot outside, the science block explodes.