Capewood (Book I) *Completed*

Katherine

These chapters will either be a lot shorter than normal or a lot longer. It depends how long I can tell their stories and how effective I feel it got told in the amount of words used. I never want to post a chapter a certain length because it's unrealistic for certain things. I just type until I feel you guys understand what's going on.

I wake up with cold sweat pouring down on my face. I'm panting attempting to catch my breath after whatever was in my system is wearing off. In my disoriented state, I'm able to tell two things. The first is that I'm sitting in a chair tied up. The second, there is nothing in this room except my chair, a table sitting in front of me, a chair, and a single lamp hanging above my head.

How original.

This might sound petty in the list of problems I'm having right now, one of which I'm currently tied up in a room by a deranged psychopath, but I was enjoying those chicken tenders. I had eaten three by the time I took a sip of the freaking water bottle, and I'm kicking myself for not shoving one final one in my mouth when I realized I was being drugged.

"Hello?" I call out into the dark room. "Is someone going to come to tell me what is going on in here or am I going to sit here all day?"

I have to admit I've grown a bit insensitive to Eros' psychotics as he has put us through so much. I know this is something that I should feel scared by, but I am in the final 3 of a death trap that he moved into motion.

My stomach drops to my feet as I realize that. I am in the final 3. I'm one of the three worst people that have played this game. Every one of us is responsible for the blood that was shed. Every one of us had a hand in making sure that Eros was entertained. That's the only thing that's been getting to me throughout my time in the maze. I've truly become a monster.

I hear the sounds of a lock, and the door that is in front of the table opens. Lights flood the room for a brief moment, and it takes a second for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting when the door is shut again. "I'm a little disappointed, Katherine," says Eros' unmistakable voice. "I expected you to be already picking at the knots on your ropes,"

"Who says I'm not?" I respond in a defiant tone, even though it's a bluff.

"You just woke up," he says crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

"Your point?"

He chuckles and uncrosses his arms. He gets up and begins to pace back and forth in front of the table. "I've liked you since the moment I picked you, Katherine," he says. "Out of everyone in this contest that I've created you're by far the most like me,"

"I'm nothing like you," I say

"No?" he asks me confused. He reaches into his black hoodie and pulls out small card shaped items. "Tell that to Kyle Beard, you remember him, right? The boy you stole the key from? Oh, and we can't forget Sean Cooper. That was the boy you did that cool thing where you slid on your knees and still managed to cut his stomach deep enough to kill him. Oh! And my favorite! Elena Hastings! You just stabbed her in the head-"

"I was forced to do that, Eros'," I say interrupting him.

"By who?" he says with a chuckle. "I may have provided the means, but you my dear, you held the knife in your hands. You decided that your life was much more valuable than the others that you have been competing against."

Tears start to well up in my eyes, because the truth is, the sick bastard is right. Who would have thought that Katherine LaClair would do all of this?

"It's humorous if you think about it," says Eros. "You're class president of your high school. You're also a cheerleader, valedictorian, and I've been told you dabble in the performing arts," he says with an eye arch. "Who would have thought that a girl that looks so perfect on paper would turn out to be such a little bitch,"

Tears pour down my cheeks as he talks. He's right. It's not even a question as to if he is playing a mind game on me. He's just stating facts. Gather around as the highest sprung teenager in the world has finally snapped.

"Why are you doing this?" I manage to choke out.

"You want to know what I think, Katherine?" he asks ignoring my question. "I think there's a part of you that likes killing. I think there's a part of you that likes the blood and gore. I think there's a part of you that longs for the thrill of taking someone's life into their own hands and deciding what to do with it. I think you have a God complex,"

"I don't like doing this," I protest, "I hate myself for what I've done,"

"Yes, but do you hate yourself because you did it, or because you liked it?" he asks me chuckling.

I lunge from the table and gnash my teeth at him. I attempt to bite his arm but he steps out of the way, and I end up just falling into the table. I hit my head on the way down, and everything is dizzy.

"That's why I'm going to make you this offer Katherine," he says. "Join me, be one of my loyal guards. Help me accomplish my mission of making the world a better place through a journey of self-discovery, and have fun while doing it," he adds. I open up my mouth to speak but he holds a finger up, "I don't want you to answer me now. In a few seconds I'm going to untie you," he claps his hands, and bright ceramic lights shine in the room. The room is pretty much what I had seen before, but this time there was a blue button that is sitting on the wall.

"If you'd like to take my offer and join me, press that blue button. You'll stay in here, and the other two will fight it out in the arena. If you decide not to take my very generous offer you open up the door and walk down the long hallway. There's no other way to go but straight so don't think you can be sneaky," he adds quickly. "You'll fight your way into the final 3, and maybe, you'll get to leave with your life,"

He walks behind me and lifts my chair up, placing all four legs on the ground again. Once he finishes untying the ropes, he walks to the door and opens it. He turns his head back one last time and smiles. "Choose wisely, Katherine LaClair," he says as he closes the door behind him.