Survive 30 Days

Chapter 11: Skylar

It was a relief that the splatter of blood sound was just a small hot spring blowing up. Don't ask me why there was a hot spring nearby in this small island, almost anything is possible here.

"Let's go everyone." I said trying to leave Jake behind. Luna seemed unsatisfied but grunted and swayed her purple hair to face Jake. Cam and Harley looked twice back at Jake who was horrified.

I was grateful I didn't have to see Jake's stupid face anymore—he was one of the last faces I wanted to see here. Better than monster, perhaps.

We walked for days, hunt, drink, eat, and sleep. Maybe because we stayed in a group that we haven't seen monsters for the past couple of days. But all those thoughts were gone when the sun rose announcing it was January 11th, a day before our Trial of Death.

When I woke up, Luna and Harley were already packed up their face dark. I guess Harley was different than usual since Luna always have a stern face. Cam was silent, and nobody dared to speak a word. After today, we were going to face our weapons to our faces hoping to live.

After a little walking, we arrived at where the Trial of Death is held. It was pretty obvious where it was even without a map. Why? There was a fifty floor building, right in the middle of the island with words that saids "Trial of Death". Another weird thing is that three days before today, it appeared out of nowhere. Now, I'm not THAT surprised...

Master! I'll be sleeping so don't talk to me. Blizzard chirped by telepathy. I thought, Night Blizzard. And didn't get a another reply from my bird.

After an whole hour of walking, (at least I think so since I don't use my watch anymore) we made it to the venue. From what Harley and Cam said yesterday, there used to be a palace here, like a Europe castle here but I didn't see anything like that. I wanted to ask, but did not want to at the same time.

The door had a sensor so it automatically opened (something I haven't seen very long) as AC (another thing I hadn't felt very long) blowed cold. Although it was January, it was 96 Fahrenheit with sticky moist. The tempature just drops and rises where we went.

Surprisingly, the "sign up" that is totally not optional was the first thing in sight. Slowly Cam, Harley, and I shuffled in a line behind Luna. A old guy with a cloak, a Shadow Hunter was waiting at the counter. 

"Pleasant day survivors." The Shadow Hunter bluntly greeted. No one greeted back either because it wasn't a very pleasant day, or because the old man had a huge sword in his back. And just to make sure yes, he had wrinkles all over his face.

"Name?" The Shadow Hunter asked. 

"Luna Chambers. Princess of Bellicor."

"Ha, Harley Johnson." Harley said with a almost crying face.

"Cameron Ruzzell." Cam's nervous caused his s's to pronounce like z's.

I let the air out before I introduced myself. "Skylar Suzuki."

The Shadow Hunter pauses, eyed at me and Cam, and dropped his gaze to the paper with names, participants in the January Trial of Death. He checked off our names with his pen and raised his head. "First, we want you to know out of twenty four participants, twelve would live. Not two, not four. I know that the Shadow Hunters that told you this said two, or four, depending on the person. Either way that's not true."

I dropped my jaw. So twelve of us can live? And they just lied? But I was too scared to ask why.

As if reading my thoughts, the Shadow Hunter explained. "If we killed twenty, our country would already be dead."

It still didn't answer my question, but why take a risk to die.

"Your rooms are on the second floor. Take any room you want. And no fighting, killing each other until tomorrow's trial. If you do...you can probably take a good guess right?" The Shadow Hunter shooed is away like we were whining kids asking for candy.

Without a word, we used an elevator. Everyone decided to look at the other direction so they don't meet eyes. How awkward can it be? Once we hopped off the elevator, Harley nervously spoke.

"Uh, so I guess we'll meet tomorrow. Bye." Harley hurriedly walked away searching for a room. Cam dipped his head and went to find his own room, and Luna just walked away. I sighed, and went to go find my room. It was more like finding a room that wasn't locked. I turned three door nobs that was locked, and found one that was open. I entered, locked the door, and swung my backpack on the bed. The room looked like a hotel, with a single bed, a small table with a big mirror, and three light stands. There was a shower but I was unsure if it was safe. What if the water was poisonous?

Sitting on the bed, I felt tiredness spreading from the tip of my legs to the top of my head. I fell back lying on the white sheets. The bed was soft and fluffy, and I realized how blessed I was with my own bed. A bed that I might never see again. 

So out of twenty four survivors, half survive. Not two, nor four. A bomb crashed into my brain and kaboom. 

Last night, when I couldn't sleep of all things, I had a private conversation with Luna. Girl talk, you can call it. 

**********************

The sky sparkled with stars and without the street light, I saw more stars than yesterday. There wasn't a single cloud and if I was older maybe I would call this a romantic night. The moon was full, yellow and beautiful.

I turned around from the smush of dirt seeing Luna Chambers. She walked up next to me and took her perfect blue eyes to the night sky.

"What are you thinking about?" A strangle question popped out of Luna. What I was thinking about? Why was Luna curious about that?

"Erysichthon." I replied.

"Why?" Luna questioned back. It was hard to think of an answer why I was thinking about Erysichthon...but my mouth had a other idea.

"It was the second human I killed...considering he is a human."

"Who was the first?"

Both our eyes was still locked in the night sky. A princess and her citizen.

"A friend of mine." 

Luna unlocked her gaze from the stars and tried to meet her eyes with me. "Why did you kill your friend?"

I clenched my fist having a flash back. "I pushed my friend in the road and a car ran over her."

"That's not killing someone." Luna snapped. "Killing is when you kill someone with your own hands. You pushed her, not killed her."

I lashed out tears wanting to come out. "What do you understand? You can easily kill things with your own hands. If I hadn't pushed her, she would still be alive—,"

"That's just your own excuse." Luna rolled her blue eyes that was sparkled by the moonlight. "Look, there's no what if's in the world. It happened, and it did. If you hadn't pushed her she could be alive and if you hadn't she can die somewhere like here. Stop thinking about freakin' what if's. And do something more meaningful."

I exhaled a angry breath like a hyena. "Says someone who never done something meaningful."

"I am and I will do something meaningful I ever done in my life this month." Luna answered her arms in the pocket of her used jeans.

I decided to sleep, her words stuck, and fearing if I'll die two days later.

It's been long since I updated, but I want to complete this book, with a actual ending. I read  someone's words that in order to get better at writing, you must first have the ability to finish a book. Please keep following the journey of Cam, Skylar, Luna, and Harley!