13.Thirteen

3.Three

Ninety-Eight seemed like a cool kid to Alex, he let him sleep on the top bunk. As everyone settled down into their bed, Alex watched the kid's chests going up and down. His mind was racing, why was he here? What were these kids doing here? Why was everyone against Thirteen?. Alex finally gave into sleep at one in the morning, but he was awoken by a buzzer at five. He hauled himself out of bed and joined Eleven and Twelve in the line for the bathrooms. "Good morning Ninety Nine and a half", Eleven said, putting on a false smile. "What are you talking about Eleven? My names Ale-". Alex was cut off by Twelves hand covering his mouth and pointing to a camera. Twelve said to play along and that is what Alex did. "Aah, good morning to you too, Eleven". The camera panned away from Twelve, Eleven and Alex and panned towards an empty field. "Your gonna have to work today in the fields", Eleven whispered. "What's the fields?", Alex asked.  "It's where we work for the day", Twelve explained. "Different numbers get different sections of the fields. Let's just say 0 to 20 have to bury dead, decaying bodies while numbers 20 to 50 plant crops and numbers 50 to 100 have to dig a hole to bury more dead bodies". Alex thought Twelve was joking with the assignments, but she was being serious. In front of Alex lay several dead, decaying bodies of children. "Get working boy!", a guard yelled, throwing a shovel at Alex. A boy, who was number was seventy-eight, looked worn out. Alex was shocked, he had not an ounce of fat on him, he was a walking skeleton. He finally collapsed after five minutes of digging, Alex went to touch him, but a hand touched his shoulder and nodded a no. The boys face contorted into weird expressions, his mouth foamed and he finally died, shaking like a leaf. "Another victim, we need more of these slaves!", a guard shouted in an angry tone. Alex saw Thirteen hauls the body off and dump it on the pile. "Get back to work!", the guard ordered. The children did as the guard said, and resumed their jobs as lie nothing happened. "What?!", Alex said outraged. "You guys aren't even going to hold a funeral for him?". "Another life claimed by the arena, to may die that way. No point", a fifteen-year-old girl said. Alex was weirded out by the ways of 'The Arena'.

After six hours non-stop of hard labour, the kids got lunch, which was a weird meat Alex had never seen before on bread. Alex ate with Eleven and Twelve. He saw Thirteen eat his sandwich alone, under the dead tree. "What the hell was that kid on?", Alex asked he was referring to Seventy-eight. "He died from Arena disease", Eleven sighed. "What's arena disease?", Alex asked. "It's when you go insane from being cooped up and your brain finally gives up", Eleven explained. "It claims so may live a day". Alex dropped his sandwich, he was sickened. None of the guards gave a damn what happened to the kids, he wanted to go home. Now.