Capewood (Book I) *Completed*

Katherine

I wake up in a cold stone-floored room. My head is pounding, and I swear there's a drum being played right inside my ear. The place I'm in is dark, but there is a slight hole in the ceiling allowing for a peak of sunlight to light up my surroundings. Rocks are scattered all around me, and other than a door that leads to the exit of the room there isn't much else. I attempt to get up and go to the door when I trip and wobble. I let out a scream, and realize that my leg is attached to a chain.

"Where the hell am I?" I ask myself looking around the room, next to the lock holding the chains on the wall is a note. 

Katherine, 

Welcome to Capewood. It's me, your Gamemaster; you can call me Eros. You're about to embark on a once in a lifetime epidemic. I say once in a lifetime because you have a one in twelve shot of making it out of here alive. 

My eyes widen as I read that last line several times in my head. How did I get here? What is this place and where are my parents? And who names their kid Eros?

I've been watching you. That's what every girl wants to hear. You and all 11 of the other contestants have been hand selected as the best of the best for this year's festivities. You are a true warrior, and I expect to see that mentality arise throughout your time in the game. Before we start, please join us for a grand luncheon. There's a key under the rock that opens your chain and door. Open both and join the others down the hall. 

My body starts to quiver as I sink back down to the floor. This has to be a joke or a terrible dream. This is just an elaborate prank that Mom and Dad decided would be funny. We all know how Dad thinks his practical jokes are funny, but I don't think Dad would take a joke this far. This is petrifying. I don't see my father putting his daughter in this much distress. 

"Under the rock," I mutter to myself as I search around the room. There's a rock every other square centimeter. All of which are big enough to hide two keys. "Gee, you couldn't have been a little more specific? 'Katherine you're going to have to fight for your life but here's a very obscure instruction to get unchained.'" I say with a mocking voice. Eros is already on my life, and he's getting higher up there every second I'm still chained up.

The sound of metal clinking together sends me into a panic as I spin around to see the door to my cell open. A girl no older than me stands in the doorway. She's striking with brunette hair, grey eyes, and freckles that are delicately placed around her cheeks. She looks like one of those girls in a small town movie that is the all American girl.

 She looks frightened as she stands in the doorway and throws a key ring at me. "He's getting impatient. You're the last one to wake up," she says as she turns around and leaves the room. 

"Wait!" I say trying to get her to hold on, but she's already left the room.

My hands begin to shake as I fumble with the keys to unlock my chain. So this isn't a joke. This Eros guy is real. This situation is real. This girl had real fear in her face. This isn't some practical joke. He's here. 

With my chains undone, I get up and slowly walk to the door. I peak my head out and see that the decor in the hallway is very similar to the decor inside my holding cell. There's a doorway straight across the hall that looks like an exit. "I wouldn't," says the girl that came to get me. She stands in the middle of the hallway, and she ushers for me to follow quickly. 

"What's going on?" I call too her. "Let's go! There's the door!" 

"He's waiting," she says. The look in her eyes says it all. That whatever is going on, it's not good news. "Someone tried to leave earlier," she whispers. "I was watching from my cell. He shocked them with the door. There's not a way out,"