Hide and Seek

Chapter 2 - Roommates

     I shook my head.

     "I don't know what it's like." Aya beckoned me to sit down on the steps of the stairway. I thought about my schedule. It was still early, and since today was hide and seek we didn't have any duties. I walk over and sat down. Aya observed me.

     "How did you get here?" I shrugged. I didn't know how I got here, but I want to know the story. Aya pressed about it even though I told her I didn't know.

     "You don't know anything?" 

     "I don't really know but, most numbers under 1200 came when they were young. Everyone over are older than 15. I heard they come from asylums, orphanages, the streets from outside or the unwanted." Aya quietly listened to me.

     "I wish I knew, but maybe it's better not to. I came for a reason and I survived for a reason. Maybe somethings are better left undiscovered." It became soundless for awhile. I think my story really hit Aya.

     "I came here because of the stuff I did outside." 

     "Like what?"

     "It's bad stuff. I can't go into it." I was left wondering about what Aya did before she came here. It must be really bad if it was the reason they sent her here. 

     That reminds me, if I didn't do anything bad. Why was I sent here?

     "Number 3431. You're needed at the front. Number 3431." Aya jumped up at the announcement. I reassured her.

     "It's not a bad thing." She sighed. I smiled at her.

     "You're one of the lucky 200 from your batch that survived." Her mouth gaped.

     "Huh?!" 200 is a lot actually. I hope they all make it. 

     "That's good! There's only less than one hundred left from my batch." I could tell Aya was starting to get stressed.

     "How long have you been here?" I thought back on the years that felt like centuries, how old am I again?

     "Maybe... I don't know. I can't remember." Aya took a step closer.

     "How many batches are there?" I replied, we had classes, so I knew a few things about how this system worked.

     "There's about 8 batches left as of right now. The leaders can only have up to 2500 people in here at a time to keep control. Every few years, once there's less than one hundred people in a batch. They bring in a new one. That's why you guys came. Like I said before my batch doesn't have a lot of people anymore."

     "So, then, how many people are in a batch?"

     "250 in a batch." Aya's eyes widened.

     "I need to find a way to escape. That means that 50 people from my batch died?"

     "Not exactly, it's about. But, you should get going Aya. The leaders called you. You're going to get in trouble if you stay any longer." She smiled.

     "You're right. Thanks Delilah." I waved at her.

     "Don't give up." She walked down the stairs, I was worried. Would that be the last time I saw her?

     I sat in class held inside of the building. I looked at the windows high above the ground. That was my motivation to get out of here. The blue sky calmed me and I saw faint fluffy clouds pass by the tiny windows. It looked nice, I wish I could see it outside of this cage. My mind wondered to Aya. Friends... This place wasn't one to be in favour or encourage the making of friends. It's good to have three at most. Any more and you'd be in trouble. At least, that's the amount I think is safe to have. It's about quality over quantity. If you have too many friends that increases the chance of them betraying you. Having a smaller amount of friends that you can trust is better. I've seen the cruelty of playing hide and seek with a lot of friends. 

     "Let me in!" A popular kid in my gym class was banging on a closet. I watched from the top of a closet inside a box.

     "No! There isn't enough room in here! Find another spot!" The one in the closet whispered loudly.

     "Ready or not, here I come!" The game began and he still didn't have a hiding spot.

     "Let me in! I thought we were friends!" 

     "I just hung out with you! I don't know you personally, sorry." The seeker walked in and spotted the kid. The seeker ran in and hit him in the head with the hammer. 

     That's when I learned you shouldn't have too many friends, and I learned to close my eyes when the seeker was going to strike. You can't trust everyone. The less friends you had, you never needed to worry about saving them. I didn't want to be friends with Aya. I'll see how it goes though. If she gets too close, I'm going to have to cut ties. I too need to be careful, I can't talk too much. I need to watch my words.

     The bell rang and I went to P.E. It was the only class I could train in. I needed to get stronger so when the time came, I could fight off the seeker. I hid my strength. I had to. Show off too much and the leaders will closely watch you. I didn't want them on my back, so I would do exercises in my room when I had the time. Once P.E. ended it was the end of my school day. I walked back to my room empty handed. We never got homework, we only had yearly exams. I did okay on them, but it's not like it personally matters to me. Some take it too seriously and study for weeks. I don't know how they do that. I'm more worried about making it out alive, not some meaningless exams.

     It was my last year. One last exam and I would be evaluated to have a job in this building. But that would mean I have two games of hide and seek left with six rounds in total. Could I do it? Could I last that long? I have to, I'm so close. I reached my door and opened it. I was surprised to see clothes on the other bed in my room. My previous roommate didn't make it. Did I get a new one from the latest batch? I walked closer.

     "Boo!" I turned to see Aya. She awkwardly stood there.

     "Aw, I thought I could scare you." 

     That's cute, nothing scares me anymore. If you've been here for a while, you don't get scared by little things like that. Aya's going to have a big fright here.