This was a countdown, as the figures experienced the process of depreciation. Watching as time elapsed second by second, the house immersed into a deafening silence.
“They are telling us … there is no way out of here and besides, a knife lies beneath this ring. Chanyeol said as his face grew ghastly.
“In 2 days time, there will only be a sole survivor.” I skimmed their horrid expressions.
“Also, we are to be divided into 2 groups, the last two people who survive are to be from the same group.” Luhan said, “If there is a breach of the rules”, he pointed at his neck, “the knife would supposedly play it’s role, emerging from this ring.”
Everyone turned invariably silent, the only sound came from the countdown board, ticking ceaselessly, reducing.
“Teaming method...” Jongdae whispered, “the two people closest to the door will be the captains, they will start by choosing people, the chosen ones shall then proceed to elect the next and so on until everyone becomes a candidate.”
Everyone coherently turned, eyes on the two people standing closest to the door, Minseok and Zhang Yixing.
“Insanity, will anyone believe this nonsense, it must be fans’ prank!” Minseok said as he shook his head and flung a chair against the window.
The window’s ability to withstand any blow is equivalent to tampered glass, yet Minseok who stood right beside the window had fallen to the ground. Chanyeol stumbled his way over to look and screamed, falling to one side, blood began oozing profusely from his neck, forming a pool around Chanyeol’s feet.
I plopped right down on the sofa, all of them had lost their pretense of nonchalance and erupted into chaos. Baekhyun ran up the 2nd floor screaming, Jongin flipped the tea set onto the ground while Luhan and Yixing paled as they watched the train of events unfold right before their sight, Sehun retched several times and clutched his stomach.
Jongdae was the most hysterical, not only did he run forward to hug Xiumin, he flipped him over as well. Panicky shrieks and running sounds, including mine, reverberated into the surroundings as the sight of the knife and the intricate deep red slash made its appearance into everyone’s visibility.
“What is this! What exactly do you want!” Jongdae cried and rushed up to the front door, pounding his fist against the password lock. Kyungsoo and Junmyeon dashed forward while Jongdae continued bawling and trying all kinds of number combinations ….
“You still have two chances” the lock announced in a monotonous voice, Jongdae frantically tried again.
“You still have one chance” declared the voice.
“Stop trying!” Jongin adviced from behind.
“You are unlucky, bye bye.” Everyone stood deep rooted to the ground. Jongdae’s cries screeched to a halt. He fell to the ground and in that instant, a pool of blood surrounded his body.
The house momentarily became silent, only the noises of the persistent flowing blood could be heard.
“Jongdae?” Chanyeol whispered as he stood forward, scrutinizing the lock and then at the fallen candidate, unable to believe his eyes.
“Why would a person trying to break the passcode die?” Chanyeol flashed his intensely pale face, “WHY?!!” he hollered against the 4 corners of the room.
“No,” he mumbled, “I need to get out of here ….” And as he spoke, he circled the entire area, entered the kitchen, clambered up the stove and pounded against the rooftop window. It remained silent and still. He descended with heavy breaths, took a pan and made his way up the stove again with intentions to break through the rooftop window but one second before it, I rushed in and helped him down.
“Let go of me!!” He struggled with all his might and yelled, “I don’t want to die here! How do you know it can’t be broken through!”
I staggered a few steps before walking towards him and gave him a tight slap across his face, he went silent.
“Do you want to die?” I looked at him.
“We aren’t urgent for that moment.” I walked over, snatched the pan from him and made my way back to the living room, head down.
I had almost forgotten how long it had been since everyone went silent, it was as though it had been eternity.
As the countdown clock reduced by half an hour, Junmyeon decided that he had to break the silence.
“Let’s find a dark and dim place and carry them there.” He looked at the bloodied corpses. Everyone stood up and began their aimless searches. The shuffling of their feet overshadowed the power of speech.
“There is a basement there.” Sehun opened the doors and turned to speak.
The basement was about 2 floors deep, there were no lights, it was chilly and at the end of it was a locked door seemingly resembling a garage. Junmyeon and Kyungsoo carried Jongdae while Luhan and myself lifted Minseok, exploring our way in. Old furnitures were kept in limited boundaries. Halfway through, I seemed to have kicked a metal shelf of some sort that had it dislocated but I could not be the least bit bothered.
“Where do we put them?” Kyungsoo asked.
“As deep in as possible.” Said Junmyeon.
As I made my exit, I saw Yixing and Jongin kneeling on the ground and wiping off the blood stains. Everyone sat back down again, the countdown board displayed 46 hours 32 minutes.
“How?” Jongin said as he wiped his hands, as though asking everyone and himself as well.
Seeing as the rules of the game stated on the wall did not change, “Maybe,” it’s the first time I’m stammering while speaking, “We should, we should divide into teams.”
Everyone looked at me then turned to look at Junmyeon. What was this insinuation, everyone was aware.
I looked at him with expressions as though to ask if this was how it was supposed to work.
I don’t know, maybe it is supposed to be done like that? He returned the gaze.
Is adaptation to the rule the only way to survive? I sent him a look again.
Probably, weren’t we taught to do that since young? He slowly lowered his gaze.
After a few minutes, he lifted his head in difficulty, shifting his sight to the two people nearest to the door, Yixing and Chanyeol.
“Let’s split up.” He announced.
The two people stood up silently and walked towards the center of the living room where there were two carpets, one green, one blue.
Yixing who stood on the blue carpet lifted his head and asked Chanyeol, “Who chooses first?”
“Let’s use our old techniques.” Chanyeol smiled and spoke.
The two counted to three and stretched out their hands together, indeed, Yixing never had luck playing this game.
Looking at the original K team, Chanyeol hesitated for a good 10 seconds.
“Jongin.” he said at last. Jongin stood up from the couch and walked to his side, they seemed to have shook hands from behind.
“Kris.” Yixing called out just as Jongin reached. It was almost like I had expected this. In that instant, I saw Luhan’s eyes dim for a second.
I stood right beside Yixing, Jongin looked at the both of us blankly and listed a name which took us all by surprise, “Luhan.” I felt Yixing’s hand grabbed mine as though expressing a gastric pain.
The air seemed so thick, Luhan frowned for quite some time before he finally stood up and only after a moment of silence did he slowly make his way over. I looked at Jongin almost to say, “Why?”
He didn’t return my gaze but instead, “because you want victory, but without Luhan, you won’t win.” He lifted his chin, “Also, I wouldn’t want to miscomprehend things you say in Chinese when you do.”
Having underestimated his calm and clarity, I shook my head and smiled at him, shouting, “Oh Sehun, come here!”
