I Know What You're Afraid Of

Chapter 1

It was quiet apart from the distant sound of birds singing a soft tune. The ground felt damp, like it had just been raining. The grass tickled the girl's pale arms as it blew in the wind. Marianne sat up and looked around at the unfamiliar atmosphere. The soft breeze grazed her face and arms, leaving goosebumps across her skin. She didn't know where she was or how she got there. All she remembered was arguing with her sister, and her mom walking in on them, telling them to stop yelling and go to bed.

So, that's what she did. She just went to sleep. If I went to sleep, then I must be dreaming, she thought. Marianne stood up, knees wobbling slightly as if she hadn't walked in months. But can you feel in your dreams? She caught a whiff of what she guessed was a nearby river. I don't think you can smell. Marianne jumped, hearing a crash from behind her. She quickly whipped around, searching for whatever caused the loud noise. She was expecting to see an animal or a person. What she didn't expect to see, was a house.

The house was huge, and it looked to be a hundred years old. There were vines growing up the side and wrapping around the windows. The door was blue, and the wood was cracked. A snake was carved in the center.

Marianne walked up the steps and stopped in front of the door. She could hear the clanging of pots and pans through the wood. Marianne hesitated before turning the handle. The floor creaked as she stepped through the door. She could hear people talking in another room. She slowly walked toward the voices, stopping in front of another door. This one was pale pink with a spoon and fork painted on it. This must be the kitchen. Marianne took a deep breath, opening the door.

The voices stopped suddenly. She looked up to see five pairs of eyes on her. There were three boys and two girls. One of the boys was tall and muscular. He wore a sports jacket. She noticed a name stitched into the fabric, on the left side of his chest. Brad. Standing next to him was a darker skinned girl. She looked at Marianne with a skeptical expression. Her stare made Marianne want to crawl into a hole and stay there forever. She felt the need to say something to end the awkward silence. "Hello."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see one of the boys smirking at her. He had curly, jet black hair and brown eyes. He wore a rusty orange sweater and teal blue high-top Converse shoes. "Hi. I'm Miles." He extended his hand out for her to shake. 

She thought it was oddly formal for a teenage boy, but She took his hand, shook it, and quickly pulled away. "I'm Marianne."

There was another moment of awkward silence. Marianne was thankful when a red head girl ended it. "I'm Sydney. Syd for short." She flashed a friendly smile her way and turned her gaze to the other girl. 

"Gina," is all she said.

 "I'm Ricky." Marianne turned to the boy she hadn't seen before. He had short, brown, curly hair and a kind smile to match the friendly gleam in his eyes. 

 "I'm Brad." She already knew that, but she didn't want to be rude, so she just nodded. 

"It's nice to meet all of you. Can any of you tell me where I am?" She was hopeful for a response. 

Until Miles spoke up. "No. We don't know either."

Marianne was about to say something but was interrupted by a beeping sound. The window flashed and glitched until it became something like a screen. Words appeared on the screen as an automated voice began to talk. 'Attention competitors. You have been chosen to compete in this year's Game. Please proceed to your assigned rooms and wait for the games to begin.'