Video Games

Chapter Eighteen

Twelve of us are left.

I am the only female left in this competition since yesterday. Knowing who is left and who has fallen makes me want to cry. Honestly, watching Chibuike fall from the ramp and Nysan get run over by the New York train has sent shockwaves through me that I can only describe as agonising. Of course, three had to die – they had to choose my best friends to fall, didn’t they? This place is too cruel. Then again, I did manipulate the system and change the game so that Tynoco had more chance at survival.

As Ithai emerges onto the hovercraft, I look down and try not to let out a heart wrenching sob. This is all too much. Today, whoever passes will probably hurt me in some way. How many people are even passing? What are we playing and how different will it be to real life? Questions float around my head and eat away at my brain. I’m sure that Kyo and Ouais can see that I’m troubled. I feel uneasy not sitting next to Tynoco or Baiyou, but both are sat on the very end of the rows. At least I’m pretty near Tynoco, for Tainai sits directly opposite Tynoco and next to Kyo.

Glancing at Tynoco, I see the hatred in his eyes for whatever has upset him this time. He looks like he got a night of little sleep; I did too. Oguro sits next to Tynoco; he looks even worse. Then again, Chibuike came from the same place as Oguro. They had a friendship like I do with Baiyou. Like the friendship I once had with young Dexio. Like the relationship Tynoco once had with Kwesi. The young pass too soon and if the youngest die first, then Ithai will be dead today.

Staring over the shoulders of the guys sat to my left, I try to peer out of the window; I fail to see anything of interest. By the looks of it though, we’ll be travelling around a little bit – the places are just as spread out as the skateboarding areas yesterday. Hopefully, we don’t do something too physical, for I don’t have the energy to continue with these activities. Slowly, the life is draining from me and if Tynoco dies, I’m going to kill myself. My energy is gone and my heart is barely holding on as my friends are individually slaughtered for the entertainment of some sick people behind all of this.

We’re ushered off of the hovercraft; instantly, my face falls and my eyes light up. The mixed emotions spiralling around in my head are unexplainable. Part of me is ecstatic to be able to do this, but the other part of me is filled with dread and fear for the outcome. This can’t be good, can it? Of course it won’t be good – do you expect me to be good at my own game? Yes, that’s right, we’re playing MarioKart. I’m truly screwed.

Tynoco catches up to me through the shrinking crowd. By the looks of his face, he’s never played anything past the Gameboy or something; he is the retro version of me. I like new graphics and old games, whereas he likes the oldest games out there. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t own anything past the second PlayStation. Saying that, I only own the first two consoles. Maybe we retro players are designed to win and the people playing newer games are the ones who’ll fall now. Man, I hope so.

The first track in front of us is one I’ve come to know and love all too well: Delfino Square. By the looks of things, we’ve already been assigned the standard karts; twelve different colours are present and I’ll probably get lumped with the pink car. Then, one of the stormtrooper guards reads out our names in an order I’m not familiar with: Tynoco is first. He’s told to choose a car of his choice and that they can modify it to make it slightly better. Then, it clicks: these are the rankings of some sort – most like overall.

Chryso is next; he chooses the dark blue car next to the lime green racer that Tynoco sits in. Suddenly, two names are announced: Baiyou’s and my own name. We walk forward, high fiving as we realise that we’re in joint third place. Baiyou chooses the black racer and I choose the pink one, just because I don’t want to hear people complain about the colour. It’s the colour of a rose. These guys come over and lift the bottom of my kart before modifying something underneath and walking away. No other rankings are announced.