Deadly Games.

Chapter 1.

"Open! Open this door, you son of a B!" She slammed her fists against the bolted entrance again and again. She kicked, boxed and slammed the door but to no avail. "Let me out!" She screamed with fury. With a loud grunt, she hit the wooden door one last time cursing the person responsible for her state. Giving in, Ashley turned around and for the first time since she woke up this morning, examined her surrounding carefully.

It had been an hour since she had woken up. An hour since she found herself lying on the cold stone floor, in the middle of the room. A room, which only now, seemed creepy and haunting. Being the only sister to two older brothers, Ashley was no stranger to pranks. She had endeavoured pranks ranging from mild to borderline psychotic. But as she took in the appearance of the dingy, old room, she realised this was no harmless, sibling prank. She was in serious trouble.

Acknowledging the fact that she was in a strange room with no recollection of how she got there, scared Ashley more than she would like to admit. Feeling her anxiety creeping in, she decided to focus her attention on scanning the room for a way out. Her eyes roamed the room taking in the creepy, old, dingy theme feeling more and more deflated.

The walls were bare white, devoid of any paint or wallpaper giving Ashley a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach; the room had no windows that she could climb out of and the only door that provided an exist was bolted shut from the outside. Realising the predicament she was put in, there was no more denying the anxiety and fear that shook Ashley to the core.

Soon memories of last night came flooding in, adding to the sickening feeling. She remembered how the previous night, she had partied with her basketball team in spite of being grounded for getting into a fight with a junior last week. She felt remorse for the way she argued and fought with her parents after getting caught. "I hate u!" "You are the worst parents anybody could get." "I wish I could just run away from all of you! And live my life the way I want without your irritating nagging and lectures!!" Tears welled up in her eyes wondering if she would ever get a chance to see her family again. If she could turn back time, she would just hug them and never use such words again. Without even realising, Ashley slid down the door and with her hands on her knees, started sobbing loudly. She cried for what she said last night. She cried at her luck for waking up here alone. She cried over every wrongdoing she had done in her 17 years of life. All her emotions came flooding out of eyes and this time, she couldn't stop them from tumbling out.

Every little paint stain on the wall, every piece of plaster falling from the ceiling, every furniture marks on the floor added to her misery as she put her head in her hands not knowing what else to do. Just then, a low static sound startled her. "Well. Well. Well. If it isn't the star player of Berry Hill High sobbing uncontrollably!" Even a deaf person could hear the smirk in the voice that echoed throughout the room. Confused and angry, Ashley's eyes blinked back the tears and began looking for the source of the teasing voice. "Ashley Marianne Cooper, the star player of Berry High Tigers and the most popular girl in school." The empty room meant sound bounced off the walls making it a challenge to pinpoint the source. "Daughter of Mr. William Cooper, principal of Berry Hill High." Ashley was on her feet now, determined to find the source and the person behind all this. "And Mrs. Carrie Anne Cooper, a mere housewife who can't groom her children well; especially the rebellious Ashley Cooper." Her blood boiled listening the electronic voice. She knew he was trying to instigate her. Hence, she did the opposite of what was expected of her. She closed her eyes trying to concentrate on the direction of the voice. "Sister of the infamous Ronald Cooper, the high school bully and his side-kick, the spineless Frank Cooper; known for F-ing anything he laid his eyes on." Left! Ashley ran towards the left corner. "And then there is Ms.Ashley Cooper. The youngest daughter. Naturally, she too loved to suppress and torture other students. Looking down on those younger and less privileged than her." The speaker was so tiny and painted white that Ashley almost didn't see it at first. As the insults went on and on, her anger at the culprit behind all this, rose. Until she couldn't contain it anymore. "Found you, you devil B!" She smirked as she reached up as high as she could and pulled the device. "Must be so glorious being the princi's daughter. Knowing no one can stop you from bullying innocent younger students." Ashley grunted as her nails dug into the wall trying to claw at the device. "Yet all the professors never stop praising 'The Star Basketball Player' of Berry High." Finally the device plopped out of its socket and fell in Ashley's palm. "Must be exhausting being so two faced, right Ashley?" "Why don't you Shut the hell UP!" She screamed in frustration as she threw the device across the wide room. Ashley watched it intently as the speaker broke into two pieces and the room fell back into silence. Satisfied with the silence that surrounded her, Ashley heaved a tired sigh. Too soon! "Hahahaha." The sickening laughter pierced her ears excruciatingly. "But..?" "What happened Ashley? Cat got your tongue?" She looked around like a deer caught in headlights. "You thought it would be so easy to get rid of me?!" The laughter rang again loudly making her cringe and cover her ears instinctively. "Don't you forget 'Ms. Star'" the change in the tone was crystal clear, "This is my field! Here, I make the rules. And you will follow me!" As if the voice was transmitting its rage into Ashley, she rose to her feet in rebellion. "Screw you! And screw your petty little game!" She screamed at the ceiling turning around in circles. "Hahaha" the taunting for getting under her skin. She spotted another speaker at the opposite wall and pulled it out and broke it. "I'm still here!" This time the voice came from the other side of the room. Ashley smashed at it with the previously broken speaker yet the voice didn't stop. No matter how many speakers Ashley destroyed, the voice resonated back from a different direction every time.

"No.. No more. S-stop.." Ashley covered her face with her red, bruised fingers. Her voice barely a whimper. Dejected, she slumped down in the middle of the room. Broken pieces of speakers littering the ground beside her. The speakers boomed with more laughter as Ashley curled up on the floor. "This is just the start of your misery Ashley!" The next words echoed with a spine chilling frequency.

"Let the fun begin..."