The Higher Define (2018)

23

Breakfast is an affair of trying to avert Courtney's gaze and wondering if she'll approach me.

I'm only too glad when breakfast is over and myvteam is told to assemble at the place they have marked as gathering area- a gigantic blue square that sits at the side of the living space.

When my team arrives, I see that the other teams who took part in the hunt with us are already there. In fact, they are stocked with weapons and equipments- nothing fancy, just a few wooden guns and little canisters of paint. Some of the members wear suits or dark clothes and seem to help them blend in.

"What's this?" I ask Kayla.

She turns to me with a smile, "One of the best things that you'll ever experience. We'll be merging paintball with Hide and Seek. Crossing games are a rare thing so whenever we have them, it's always awesome."

"Where's our equipment and stuff, then?" I glance at my other members to notice that none of us are geared up the way the other teams are.

Kayla laughs but just as she's about to answer me, Emma clears her throat. We take our places and let our attention slide to her- she stands before all of us, cladded in her usual attire and devoid of missile or weapons.

"We'll be playing Hide and Seek with paintball today. Team Lunar will be carrying the game and the others will be participating."

Carrying? I'm moments away from asking Kayla what that means but Emma interrupts my intention.

"Take note that there is a change in your schedules for night acitivities- all of you will be on recycling duty tonight."

My breath catches in my throat. Wasn't this what she and Courtney were discussing about? They were going to transfer something to our teams tonight.

Fear reasonates through my body but now isn't the time to be afraid. I need to focus and set my attention on the game. Only when night comes, shall I try to understand the situation.

"You have an hour and thrity minutes. The teams who aren't carrying should start makung their way to the outer area." With that set of intsurctions, the other teams start to run off, with some of the members splitting up and moving in different directions.

When they have all disappeared and their shadows are figures that I can't trace, Emma coaxes us to move a little closer. We form a ring around her but I can't make myself meet her cold gaze. Hearing her voice is already sufgicient to bring the memories of being in that room flooding my mind. I do not want to open up that hole again.

"I'm sure you all have a good idea of what you need to do but before you begin, I'll give you a run down since Aspen's new."

I try not to roll my eyes, thinking that I could at least figure out the basics of the game if I watched the others.

"Carrying the game is a big responsibility. You sit and watch the game and only show up when you feel that someone has made an unfair move or cheated. As carriers of the game, you decide on whether a person who has been shot should remain in the game or leave."

"Other than having a say in the game, you'll also be taking down notes on the decisions that you have made and the actions of the other teams- little things such as where they choose to hide and who they choose too shoot. The way they shoot, the way they move around."

I can see the others nodding to Emma's instructions like they've heard it many times but I don't understand the need for recording the teams' movements. Is Emma tracking us, the way she's tracking the Corrupts being experimented on? And if so, why?

"You'll each be on your own and should already have a plan as to who should be in charge of which areas. Send me a wireless after the game of the data that you have taken." I see Reyna make a face at this but choose not to a say a word.