Tag, You're It

Chapter 22

Tag, you're it.
That was the game.
Tag, you're it.
That was the name.
Tag, you're it.
That was the rule.
Tag, you're it.
That's what you'll do.

Catch me if you can.

The words had been so beautifully written onto that parchment paper I'd almost wanted to keep it. I could hear Alex and his rage from this end of the house, but I was lying in wait for Trisha. She still had to leave her room.

I heard a phone ring and Trisha's muffled voice came from the other side of her door. "What? You found her? Where-" she stopped. "What did it say?" Trisha had opened the door. "Tag? Why tag? What-" I saw her start down the hallway but then she stopped and I brought myself out into the open behind her.

"That was the game Alec had assigned to her and she- okay, but she can't set
off traps; we locked the door once we found her. There's no- we didn't lock the door? Who locked the door?" Trisha turned around and I stared; my heart rate was calm and my hands were carefully folded in front of me.

"She's right here." Trisha says with a smile. I continued staring. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." I allowed myself to smile.

"Trisha." I greet. She looks at me before leaning into her phone again.

"Did you set off that little net idea that trapped me?" Trisha asks, never hanging up the phone. That was all the better I supposed. "It's too bad I'm not afraid of nets. They only trap you, not harm you."

"I don't know why you'd accuse me of such a thing." I smile. This would be better than planned. Trisha steps towards me, listening to the voice on the other end of her phone call. I was sure it was Alex.

"Oh, please. I know it wasn't a malfunction and I'm sure you had your little nose in that book." Trisha comes another step closer. She was three steps away from her death. I smiled.

"Just because I had my nose in the book doesn't mean I could read it." I point out. She snarls.

"You should have just listened to Alec. If you would have stayed low and won, I wouldn't have to kill you." Trisha sighs as though the thought actually hurt her.

"You had no trouble almost killing a different girl. What makes me so special?" I taunt her by stepping closer. Trisha takes another step to meet my challenge. Two more steps.

"I liked you in the beginning." She juts her chin up. "You were smart, quiet. I knew I could make you understand and justify my cause but you refused to-" Trisha stepped forward. One more step.

"I will never be willing to work for anyone like you. If you take another step towards me I swear I'll-" She took her final step and I saw the net capture her, bringing her closer to the ceiling. Trisha screamed and I heard Alex's shout of response. He was coming to save her... but he would be too late.

Trisha's body was being contorted into an ugly twisted mess and the ropes were tearing into her skin, causing her skin to burst at the intensity. She was crying in pain, and yet couldn't move as the ropes pulled her tighter and tighter to the ceiling. I smiled.

Alex shouted from behind me and I turned to look at him. He looked from me to Trisha, rage filling him. Alex started running and I laughed. "Watch your step." I warned.

Trisha was almost torn to pieces when I heard the snap I'd wanted to hear. Her body was dropped but she had become one with the net and was so entangled that she herself was hanging from the ceiling. I almost felt bad as I saw the red streams of blood decorating her skin.