Prologue: show
A loud horn broke the chilling silence in the pitch-black room. A light began to flicker on and off in the middle of the small room. In the back of the room sat a young boy, his eyes were just barely open and it looked like we was going to pass out at any second. Blood was flowing out from a huge gash in his chest, staining his shirt with a large, red mark.
"I assume that woke you up, or am I wrong?" A voice spoke from an intercom on the other side of the room. It was barely audible due to the poor quality of the microphone.
The boy opened his eyes a slight wider. He tried to lift his head from the wall he was resting on, but immediately fell back against it. He could still feel the pain, the intense pain that made him unable to speak.
In the corner of the room was a security camera, that aimed straight at the boy. It was hard to miss, and it watched him for every moment.
"I am awaiting an answer, boy." The voice from the intercom spoke louder this time, it was a little easier to hear, but not a lot easier.
The boy tried to swallow the pain and utter out just one word, but even a simple task like that was too hard in his situation. Instead, he let out a moan of pain. Loud enough for the mysterious voice on the intercom to hear.
"Wonderful. I see your wound hasn't gotten any better? I can see a huge pool of blood around you from the camera, wow, I'm surprised you aren't dead."
The boy closed his eyes, he felt like dying, in fact, he wish we would. He could barely handle the pain, but he has no strength left to even say a simple word.
"Hey, hey, stay with me here, boy." The horn from earlier sounded again and the boy immediately came back to his senses. "I bet you don't remember a lot, do you?"
The boy shook his head ever so slightly, he could barely think, let alone remember what happened beforehand. The light in the middle of the room shone to its fullest, properly revealing the whole room, the floors were covered with his blood.
"Allow me to explain. And I will make it as brief as possible." The voice spoke again, no answer nor movement came from the boy, and the voice continued. "I believe you got the biggest injury out of everyone I-" The voice stopped for a brief moment, he cleared his throat a couple times and continued. "-Kidnapped."
The boy swallowed fear after hearing that word. Not only was he on the verge of death, but there were others as well.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to participate in this little game I have planned for everyone. What a shame, and judging from the amount of blood you're losing, you don't have much time. I guess this is for the best, I kidnapped, uh, no, kidnapped is such a strong word. Sorry. I gathered an odd number of people which wouldn't work quite well."
The boy coughed up a lot of blood, but was still hanging on by a thread.
"You see, my friend, I have 16 others waiting in their respective rooms. Waiting for this game of mine to start. They are injured, too. I mean, it's not easy catching a mouse without setting traps. There is also you. Who is about to die. Which makes this much more convenient. Oh, I even have your name, too, Eduardo."
A tear ran down the boy's cheek. He was petrified. He did not know who he was and there was 16 others who were kidnapped, too.
"So basically, they all will compete in a game. I don't have time to tell you the rules, that sucks. But hey, everything can't go your way. Now before you go, any last words?"
The boy's eyes were growing heavy, he has lost way too much blood. He tried to leave his last words looming in the man's mind.
"Y-y-you...sad-...ist." The boy said with the last of his strength. He sat there in a pool of his own blood. Dead.
"Sadist, what a mean thing to say, you jerk. Oh well, I guess I will gather the others and start this game!" The man speaking turned off the intercom and the security camera. All that was left in that room has the body of a boy, a pool of blood and a hanging light that begin to flicker on and off once again.
10 seconds later, the light burnt out completely, and the boy's body was left there in that room to rot.
"I assume that woke you up, or am I wrong?" A voice spoke from an intercom on the other side of the room. It was barely audible due to the poor quality of the microphone.
The boy opened his eyes a slight wider. He tried to lift his head from the wall he was resting on, but immediately fell back against it. He could still feel the pain, the intense pain that made him unable to speak.
In the corner of the room was a security camera, that aimed straight at the boy. It was hard to miss, and it watched him for every moment.
"I am awaiting an answer, boy." The voice from the intercom spoke louder this time, it was a little easier to hear, but not a lot easier.
The boy tried to swallow the pain and utter out just one word, but even a simple task like that was too hard in his situation. Instead, he let out a moan of pain. Loud enough for the mysterious voice on the intercom to hear.
"Wonderful. I see your wound hasn't gotten any better? I can see a huge pool of blood around you from the camera, wow, I'm surprised you aren't dead."
The boy closed his eyes, he felt like dying, in fact, he wish we would. He could barely handle the pain, but he has no strength left to even say a simple word.
"Hey, hey, stay with me here, boy." The horn from earlier sounded again and the boy immediately came back to his senses. "I bet you don't remember a lot, do you?"
The boy shook his head ever so slightly, he could barely think, let alone remember what happened beforehand. The light in the middle of the room shone to its fullest, properly revealing the whole room, the floors were covered with his blood.
"Allow me to explain. And I will make it as brief as possible." The voice spoke again, no answer nor movement came from the boy, and the voice continued. "I believe you got the biggest injury out of everyone I-" The voice stopped for a brief moment, he cleared his throat a couple times and continued. "-Kidnapped."
The boy swallowed fear after hearing that word. Not only was he on the verge of death, but there were others as well.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to participate in this little game I have planned for everyone. What a shame, and judging from the amount of blood you're losing, you don't have much time. I guess this is for the best, I kidnapped, uh, no, kidnapped is such a strong word. Sorry. I gathered an odd number of people which wouldn't work quite well."
The boy coughed up a lot of blood, but was still hanging on by a thread.
"You see, my friend, I have 16 others waiting in their respective rooms. Waiting for this game of mine to start. They are injured, too. I mean, it's not easy catching a mouse without setting traps. There is also you. Who is about to die. Which makes this much more convenient. Oh, I even have your name, too, Eduardo."
A tear ran down the boy's cheek. He was petrified. He did not know who he was and there was 16 others who were kidnapped, too.
"So basically, they all will compete in a game. I don't have time to tell you the rules, that sucks. But hey, everything can't go your way. Now before you go, any last words?"
The boy's eyes were growing heavy, he has lost way too much blood. He tried to leave his last words looming in the man's mind.
"Y-y-you...sad-...ist." The boy said with the last of his strength. He sat there in a pool of his own blood. Dead.
"Sadist, what a mean thing to say, you jerk. Oh well, I guess I will gather the others and start this game!" The man speaking turned off the intercom and the security camera. All that was left in that room has the body of a boy, a pool of blood and a hanging light that begin to flicker on and off once again.
10 seconds later, the light burnt out completely, and the boy's body was left there in that room to rot.
Chapter 1: show
10:58 PM, April 23rd, 2014
A young girl wakes up to feel her head pounding, she rubs her head only to see blood. The only things around her were a table with 7 or 8 weapons sitting on top, and a hard concrete bed that she was lying on.
It felt almost like a jail cell. Did she commit a crime? Did she get in a huge fight?
"Wh-where am I?" She uttered softly.
She looked around again and saw a metal door with a huge lock on it. It looked like it wouldn't budge if she tried to open it.
She got up from the concrete bed and walked over slowly to the table with weapons on top of it. She swallowed fear as she inched ever so closely. The girl had never used a weapon on someone before, she had a pure heart and wouldn't hurt a fly.
On this broken down table were a few guns, a pistol, an AK-47, a shotgun, and a sniper, and a sword, a dagger and a switchblade. She picked up the dagger and examined it closely. It looked like it had never been used before. It shined brightly under the hanging light in the room.
She set the dagger down neatly beside the sword and the switchblade. She then looked at the pistol. Goosebumps ran up her spine as she looked at it thoroughly. She tried to open it and see how many bullets were in there. It took a while, but she finally got it, only to find out it was empty. She checked the others, and spent a few minutes on each because she didn't know a thing about guns, eventually she figured it out. The girl was shocked to find out that all the guns were unloaded.
Why are these here? She thought. A prison was no longer a possibility, a guard wouldn't throw her in here and leave a bunch of weapons on a nearby table.
As she stared at the weapons, a drip of blood rolled down her forehead and slid down the bridge of her nose. She almost completely forgot about her head injury. She wiped it off with her hand and looked around for any type of cloth or a possible bandage. None were found.
The girl walked back over to the bed and sat down, she tried to remember and think back what happened before she woke up in this place. But she couldn't even remember her name.
She laid down and put her hand over her eyes. The concrete bed, the weapons, the head injury and possible amnesia. The girl pinched herself, hoping and praying that this was a dream, but all she felt was slight pain on her arm.
This was as real as it gets. She felt like crying, she didn't know what to do.
KRIIIIIIING
She heard a loud noise coming from the other side of the room. She got up and saw the door before her was slightly open. She gasped and walked over to it.
Before her was a hallway, it was pitch black to the left, but slightly bright to the right. A subtle green light was shining.
She took a step forward but immediately stopped in her tracks.
"...I need that..." She thought aloud, referring to the dagger in the room behind.
With no idea of where she was, it was only logical to carry a weapon, considering there were a bunch in the room, it was like taking candy from a baby.
The girl ran inside and quickly grabbed the dagger, leaving the other weapons behind.
She began walking toward the green light, clenching the dagger tightly in her hand, preparing herself for any sudden attacks. There could be guards or watchdogs roaming around the place.
As she walked towards the light, it began to get brighter, and brighter, and even more brighter, until she forced her eyes shut due to the intensity of the light. It was blinding, but mostly because she was in a poorly lit room for a while.
Once she got adjusted to it, she saw a screen not too far from her, it looked like a computer screen.
"A...computer?" She said. Looking closer, she saw a black office chair sitting directly in front of the giant screen. She entered the room, which was humongous. It looked like the size of a football field.
"Welcome, Caitlin."
Her spine tingled as she heard those words so suddenly, it almost gave her a heart attack.
"C-Caitlin?" The girl was confused, was this her name? And if it was, why did this man know it?
"Hmm, out of the seemingly endless amount of questions you could have asked me, I'm surprised you went with that. I was expecting something like 'Who are you?' or 'Why did you kidnap me?' But yes, that is your name." The man's words were like bullets, his voice was firm and intimidating.
"Well, now that you mention it, I guess those questions should be asked, too." Caitlin gathered up some courage and tried to speak without sounding scared.
The man laughed and spun his chair around to face Caitlin with his piercing eyes. He had short hair and wore glasses, he also wore a brown trench coat and leather shoes. He smiled at her, Caitlin took half a step back and raised her dagger a bit to defend herself.
"Don't be frightened, and I guess you make a good point. But I will not tell you who I am, instead, I'll say 'I'm Tucker', which is my alias. Because you have to call me something."
"Tucker?" Caitlin sounded confused, she was dumbfounded when he gave her an alias. She wanted to know his real name. But judging by his looks, how he acts, and the possible fact that he may have kidnapped her, he won't give her his real name.
"...And as for that second question." Tucker continued. "This answer will be rather lengthy, so listen well, kid. Grab a seat or stand, whichever suits you best."
Tucker stood up from his office chair and turned towards the computer screen. Which showed 16 rooms, one of them was hers, or at least, the one she was kept in.
"Take a close look, Caitlin, this giant computers shows me a surveillance of the 16 'slumber rooms' in this area. There was originally 17, but the young boy in that room died. Anemia? Possibly, he lost A LOT of blood."
"Blood? Who...?" Caitlin asked hesitantly.
Tucker raised his index finger, in a manner that read "Just wait."
"Don't ask too many questions, kid." Tucker demanded. "We can save those for after my story-telling. So just keep 'em in your pocket."
Tucker lowered his hand and continued to speak:
"If you observe the bottom left screen, that was wear you were held. Therefore, obviously, it's empty. Everyone is asleep. Or...unconscious...however you wanna put it. Now, I gathered you 16 people to participate in a game I have organized. What's the game, you may ask? Simple, I call it by only one name:
The Game of Ultimate Death."
"Ultimate...Death?" Caitlin stepped back even more. She clenched the dagger as hard as she could, as it was her only form of defense.
Tucker turned around and started walking towards Caitlin, she gasped and backed up against the wall. Tucker stopped dead center in the middle of the room.
"To answer your previous question, that boy was Eduardo. He was the 17th person I kidnapped, which wouldn't make the amount of players even. Since he had the biggest injury, I decided to let him die." Tucker grinned, it was a maniacal grin that one would wear when they were about to commit a crime. But he has already committed one. Kidnapping 17 people? Leaving one to die?
He must have attacked everyone and brought them here, Caitlin thought, including herself. She rubbed her head, which was still bleeding a little bit, but not as much as before.
"What is the Game of Ultimate Death?" She asked calmly.
Tucker laughed like a madman. "I am SO glad you asked!"
He quickly turned around and began to run towards the computer. His manner has changed so suddenly, why is he so happy?
"The rules are as follows!" Tucker shouted. "16 players are to compete in various games in order to survive, 16 play, but only one person wins! Here's the catch, there is only one loser per game, and that loser will be killed!"
Caitlin's eyes widened. Tucker began to laugh louder and louder. She felt like he might attack her at any second.
"S-stop!" Caitlin shouted, her voice grabbed Tucker's attention and stopped his crazy laughter.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I must have gotten too excited. Anyway, back to the rules. So if one person dies each game, then there are 15 games total, some are the same, others are different. But you'll have to find out what they are."
Caitlin was finding it difficult to take this all in her brain. 16 people in a game, the losers are killed. She could kill him right now with her dagger, but somehow, she thought it wouldn't be that simple.
That's when she realized.
Looking at the sixteen surveillance screens, although very blurry, it's still possible to see someone in a concrete bed, except for her room. But she noticed one room was empty. No one was in there.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. You are the second person to wake up and walk into this room." Tucker stated.
"Second?" Caitlin's heart skipped a beat.
"Yes, look in the back corner to your left." Tucker pointed to where he wanted Caitlin to look.
She looked back and saw a shadowy figure sitting in the dark corner of the room. He had hair that went down to his ears, but it was hard to determine the colour. He held a dagger in his left hand, similar to her own dagger. He stood up and walked into the light beaming from the screen, only to reveal a very familiar face.
"...Kyle?"
Caitlin inched ever so closely towards who she thought was Kyle. The closer she got, the more certain she was.
"Hello, Caitlin." Kyle said clearly.
"Oh? You know each other?" Tucker said.
"Know each other? Kyle and I are great friends! Him, I, and a few others hang out a lot!" Caitlin explained.
Kyle avoided eye contact with Caitlin and stared at the floor. He looked like he saw a ghost. Caitlin thought it was ominous how Kyle was in the room the whole time, even before she entered.
"Kyle? What's wrong?" Caitlin asked.
"Oops, I forgot something else. Kyle ended up here just like you did, he woke up, saw the weapons, took a dagger with him and walked into this room. I explained to him exactly what I explained to you, Caitlin. Only difference is, I told him something that the both of you wouldn't enjoy doing."
"What? What did you tell him?" Caitlin anxiety grew.
"Ahem, like I said, players would participate in ultimate death games. The first game is the 'Deathmatch'. It's simple, two players of my choosing fight each other until someone dies. And I thought, you two both woke up before anyone else. The two of you will participate in the first deathmatch."
Caitlin was caught by surprise. She couldn't speak, her and Kyle, fighting to the death? She looked at Kyle, who couldn't even look at her. It was obvious that he was shocked when he heard this, too.
"I...I can't!" Caitlin said.
"I'm sorry, but you have to. You are under my order. If you refuse, I'll consider that a forfeit and kill you where you stand. Maybe a bullet through that head wound you have would feel great, am I right?" Tucker's words were cold.
Caitlin dropped her dagger, it was either fight Kyle, or be killed by Tucker.
"Caitlin, we have no choice." Kyle said.
Caitlin looked back at him, finally, he looked up and saw her face. "I am so sorry. But we have to." He continued.
"Good, now Caitlin, pick up your dagger and prepare yourself." Tucker said as he walked back and sat in his chair.
Caitlin took a deep breath and picked up her weapon.
"Now before you start, I know that the first deathmatch is tough, so I'll bend the rules a bit." Tucker explained.
Caitlin and Kyle both turned their heads toward Tucker in unison.
"Instead of fighting to the death, this shall work like professional boxing. If a player falls to the ground, they have 10 seconds to get up, or they lose. Simple as that. Once you fall, I'll start counting. If I reach ten, you lose, and I shoot you on the spot right in front of the winner."
"You're...you're sick!" Caitlin shouted.
"I can kill you right now, you sadistic ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!" Kyle yelled towards Tucker.
"Now that's where you're wrong. You have a simple dagger, I have a loaded gun. I can shoot you long before you get close to me. Now either the two of you fight, or I kill the both of you." Tucker stated.
A tear ran down Caitlin's face as she slowly walked towards the other side of the room. She held her dagger in her left hand and clenched her right hand.
"Good luck, Caitlin. I've had a lot of fun getting to know you and everyone else." Kyle said with a small grin.
Caitlin began to cry and almost dropped her dagger again.
"Aw, how sad. Alright, let's not waste any time. And I wanna see some bloodshed." Tucker said with a sickening grin.
"BEGIN!!"
A young girl wakes up to feel her head pounding, she rubs her head only to see blood. The only things around her were a table with 7 or 8 weapons sitting on top, and a hard concrete bed that she was lying on.
It felt almost like a jail cell. Did she commit a crime? Did she get in a huge fight?
"Wh-where am I?" She uttered softly.
She looked around again and saw a metal door with a huge lock on it. It looked like it wouldn't budge if she tried to open it.
She got up from the concrete bed and walked over slowly to the table with weapons on top of it. She swallowed fear as she inched ever so closely. The girl had never used a weapon on someone before, she had a pure heart and wouldn't hurt a fly.
On this broken down table were a few guns, a pistol, an AK-47, a shotgun, and a sniper, and a sword, a dagger and a switchblade. She picked up the dagger and examined it closely. It looked like it had never been used before. It shined brightly under the hanging light in the room.
She set the dagger down neatly beside the sword and the switchblade. She then looked at the pistol. Goosebumps ran up her spine as she looked at it thoroughly. She tried to open it and see how many bullets were in there. It took a while, but she finally got it, only to find out it was empty. She checked the others, and spent a few minutes on each because she didn't know a thing about guns, eventually she figured it out. The girl was shocked to find out that all the guns were unloaded.
Why are these here? She thought. A prison was no longer a possibility, a guard wouldn't throw her in here and leave a bunch of weapons on a nearby table.
As she stared at the weapons, a drip of blood rolled down her forehead and slid down the bridge of her nose. She almost completely forgot about her head injury. She wiped it off with her hand and looked around for any type of cloth or a possible bandage. None were found.
The girl walked back over to the bed and sat down, she tried to remember and think back what happened before she woke up in this place. But she couldn't even remember her name.
She laid down and put her hand over her eyes. The concrete bed, the weapons, the head injury and possible amnesia. The girl pinched herself, hoping and praying that this was a dream, but all she felt was slight pain on her arm.
This was as real as it gets. She felt like crying, she didn't know what to do.
KRIIIIIIING
She heard a loud noise coming from the other side of the room. She got up and saw the door before her was slightly open. She gasped and walked over to it.
Before her was a hallway, it was pitch black to the left, but slightly bright to the right. A subtle green light was shining.
She took a step forward but immediately stopped in her tracks.
"...I need that..." She thought aloud, referring to the dagger in the room behind.
With no idea of where she was, it was only logical to carry a weapon, considering there were a bunch in the room, it was like taking candy from a baby.
The girl ran inside and quickly grabbed the dagger, leaving the other weapons behind.
She began walking toward the green light, clenching the dagger tightly in her hand, preparing herself for any sudden attacks. There could be guards or watchdogs roaming around the place.
As she walked towards the light, it began to get brighter, and brighter, and even more brighter, until she forced her eyes shut due to the intensity of the light. It was blinding, but mostly because she was in a poorly lit room for a while.
Once she got adjusted to it, she saw a screen not too far from her, it looked like a computer screen.
"A...computer?" She said. Looking closer, she saw a black office chair sitting directly in front of the giant screen. She entered the room, which was humongous. It looked like the size of a football field.
"Welcome, Caitlin."
Her spine tingled as she heard those words so suddenly, it almost gave her a heart attack.
"C-Caitlin?" The girl was confused, was this her name? And if it was, why did this man know it?
"Hmm, out of the seemingly endless amount of questions you could have asked me, I'm surprised you went with that. I was expecting something like 'Who are you?' or 'Why did you kidnap me?' But yes, that is your name." The man's words were like bullets, his voice was firm and intimidating.
"Well, now that you mention it, I guess those questions should be asked, too." Caitlin gathered up some courage and tried to speak without sounding scared.
The man laughed and spun his chair around to face Caitlin with his piercing eyes. He had short hair and wore glasses, he also wore a brown trench coat and leather shoes. He smiled at her, Caitlin took half a step back and raised her dagger a bit to defend herself.
"Don't be frightened, and I guess you make a good point. But I will not tell you who I am, instead, I'll say 'I'm Tucker', which is my alias. Because you have to call me something."
"Tucker?" Caitlin sounded confused, she was dumbfounded when he gave her an alias. She wanted to know his real name. But judging by his looks, how he acts, and the possible fact that he may have kidnapped her, he won't give her his real name.
"...And as for that second question." Tucker continued. "This answer will be rather lengthy, so listen well, kid. Grab a seat or stand, whichever suits you best."
Tucker stood up from his office chair and turned towards the computer screen. Which showed 16 rooms, one of them was hers, or at least, the one she was kept in.
"Take a close look, Caitlin, this giant computers shows me a surveillance of the 16 'slumber rooms' in this area. There was originally 17, but the young boy in that room died. Anemia? Possibly, he lost A LOT of blood."
"Blood? Who...?" Caitlin asked hesitantly.
Tucker raised his index finger, in a manner that read "Just wait."
"Don't ask too many questions, kid." Tucker demanded. "We can save those for after my story-telling. So just keep 'em in your pocket."
Tucker lowered his hand and continued to speak:
"If you observe the bottom left screen, that was wear you were held. Therefore, obviously, it's empty. Everyone is asleep. Or...unconscious...however you wanna put it. Now, I gathered you 16 people to participate in a game I have organized. What's the game, you may ask? Simple, I call it by only one name:
The Game of Ultimate Death."
"Ultimate...Death?" Caitlin stepped back even more. She clenched the dagger as hard as she could, as it was her only form of defense.
Tucker turned around and started walking towards Caitlin, she gasped and backed up against the wall. Tucker stopped dead center in the middle of the room.
"To answer your previous question, that boy was Eduardo. He was the 17th person I kidnapped, which wouldn't make the amount of players even. Since he had the biggest injury, I decided to let him die." Tucker grinned, it was a maniacal grin that one would wear when they were about to commit a crime. But he has already committed one. Kidnapping 17 people? Leaving one to die?
He must have attacked everyone and brought them here, Caitlin thought, including herself. She rubbed her head, which was still bleeding a little bit, but not as much as before.
"What is the Game of Ultimate Death?" She asked calmly.
Tucker laughed like a madman. "I am SO glad you asked!"
He quickly turned around and began to run towards the computer. His manner has changed so suddenly, why is he so happy?
"The rules are as follows!" Tucker shouted. "16 players are to compete in various games in order to survive, 16 play, but only one person wins! Here's the catch, there is only one loser per game, and that loser will be killed!"
Caitlin's eyes widened. Tucker began to laugh louder and louder. She felt like he might attack her at any second.
"S-stop!" Caitlin shouted, her voice grabbed Tucker's attention and stopped his crazy laughter.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I must have gotten too excited. Anyway, back to the rules. So if one person dies each game, then there are 15 games total, some are the same, others are different. But you'll have to find out what they are."
Caitlin was finding it difficult to take this all in her brain. 16 people in a game, the losers are killed. She could kill him right now with her dagger, but somehow, she thought it wouldn't be that simple.
That's when she realized.
Looking at the sixteen surveillance screens, although very blurry, it's still possible to see someone in a concrete bed, except for her room. But she noticed one room was empty. No one was in there.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. You are the second person to wake up and walk into this room." Tucker stated.
"Second?" Caitlin's heart skipped a beat.
"Yes, look in the back corner to your left." Tucker pointed to where he wanted Caitlin to look.
She looked back and saw a shadowy figure sitting in the dark corner of the room. He had hair that went down to his ears, but it was hard to determine the colour. He held a dagger in his left hand, similar to her own dagger. He stood up and walked into the light beaming from the screen, only to reveal a very familiar face.
"...Kyle?"
Caitlin inched ever so closely towards who she thought was Kyle. The closer she got, the more certain she was.
"Hello, Caitlin." Kyle said clearly.
"Oh? You know each other?" Tucker said.
"Know each other? Kyle and I are great friends! Him, I, and a few others hang out a lot!" Caitlin explained.
Kyle avoided eye contact with Caitlin and stared at the floor. He looked like he saw a ghost. Caitlin thought it was ominous how Kyle was in the room the whole time, even before she entered.
"Kyle? What's wrong?" Caitlin asked.
"Oops, I forgot something else. Kyle ended up here just like you did, he woke up, saw the weapons, took a dagger with him and walked into this room. I explained to him exactly what I explained to you, Caitlin. Only difference is, I told him something that the both of you wouldn't enjoy doing."
"What? What did you tell him?" Caitlin anxiety grew.
"Ahem, like I said, players would participate in ultimate death games. The first game is the 'Deathmatch'. It's simple, two players of my choosing fight each other until someone dies. And I thought, you two both woke up before anyone else. The two of you will participate in the first deathmatch."
Caitlin was caught by surprise. She couldn't speak, her and Kyle, fighting to the death? She looked at Kyle, who couldn't even look at her. It was obvious that he was shocked when he heard this, too.
"I...I can't!" Caitlin said.
"I'm sorry, but you have to. You are under my order. If you refuse, I'll consider that a forfeit and kill you where you stand. Maybe a bullet through that head wound you have would feel great, am I right?" Tucker's words were cold.
Caitlin dropped her dagger, it was either fight Kyle, or be killed by Tucker.
"Caitlin, we have no choice." Kyle said.
Caitlin looked back at him, finally, he looked up and saw her face. "I am so sorry. But we have to." He continued.
"Good, now Caitlin, pick up your dagger and prepare yourself." Tucker said as he walked back and sat in his chair.
Caitlin took a deep breath and picked up her weapon.
"Now before you start, I know that the first deathmatch is tough, so I'll bend the rules a bit." Tucker explained.
Caitlin and Kyle both turned their heads toward Tucker in unison.
"Instead of fighting to the death, this shall work like professional boxing. If a player falls to the ground, they have 10 seconds to get up, or they lose. Simple as that. Once you fall, I'll start counting. If I reach ten, you lose, and I shoot you on the spot right in front of the winner."
"You're...you're sick!" Caitlin shouted.
"I can kill you right now, you sadistic ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!" Kyle yelled towards Tucker.
"Now that's where you're wrong. You have a simple dagger, I have a loaded gun. I can shoot you long before you get close to me. Now either the two of you fight, or I kill the both of you." Tucker stated.
A tear ran down Caitlin's face as she slowly walked towards the other side of the room. She held her dagger in her left hand and clenched her right hand.
"Good luck, Caitlin. I've had a lot of fun getting to know you and everyone else." Kyle said with a small grin.
Caitlin began to cry and almost dropped her dagger again.
"Aw, how sad. Alright, let's not waste any time. And I wanna see some bloodshed." Tucker said with a sickening grin.
"BEGIN!!"
Chapter 2: show
The table of people was bustling with conversation and laughter. It was just a simple picnic table in the middle of a park, sitting in the shade of a big tree. There was food everywhere, sandwiches, cans of soda, etc.
"I know! That's what I said!"
"It was hilarious."
"I wish I could buy it as soon as possible."
Many different conversations were happening. Even a couple arm wrestles and staring contests. Around the table were 16 people, who would all hang out almost every day.
"I gotta say, Caitlin, this was a great idea."
Caitlin was sitting at the end of the table, with Kyle right in front of her. It was almost hard to hear him with all the talking going around.
"Oh, thanks, Kyle. It was just a spur of the moment idea. I thought this would be a lot of fun. And I see everyone is enjoying themselves to the fullest." Caitlin replied.
Kyle flashed a thumbs up toward Caitlin. They both started to giggle as they grabbed more food. There was a little shoving going around but everyone was enjoying themselves to an extent and didn't notice.
As Caitlin looked around the table of her noisy friends, she notices a tall, bulky man standing under a large tree not far from them. She eyed him closely, blocking out the sound that everyone else was making. He looked really suspicious and it worried her a bit.
'Hey Kyle, do you see that man over there?" Caitlin said as she pointed toward the suspicious man.
Kyle turned around and tried to look for the man that Caitlin was pointing at, eventually he found him, only to see him minding his own business.
"What about him?" Kyle said in a confused tone.
Caitlin was always paranoid and her friends sometimes noticed. Seeing her act this way about a simple man in the park was no surprise to Kyle.
"Cait, you worry too much. It's just an ordinary man in the park. Nothing to worry about. Now, you might wanna get a sandwich while you can, we're almost out." Kyle said.
'OK then." But Caitlin wasn't satisfied. She could vaguely see him staring at the picnic table. Staring at everyone. She started to get really worried. Caitlin tried to get people's attention but it didn't work. After a while, she saw that he wasn't there anymore. He disappeared. She looked around, praying she could find him, but no luck came her way.
Caitlin tried her best not to let it get to her and enjoy the rest of the picnic, but it was still lingering in her mind even when they were all done.
-----
The sun was about to set as only three people were left packing up and cleaning the mess everyone made, Caitlin, Kyle, and a young man by the name of Austin.
"That was quite the party." Kyle broke the silence.
"On quite the small picnic table." Austin continued.
Kyle and Caitlin both laughed a bit and continued to clean up the mess. But that man was still on Caitlin's mind. She could almost feel the harshness in his stare.
She began to space out, only to be startled by Austin's snapping.
"Hey, Cait, we're all done here."
Austin and Kyle picked up the trash bags full of garbage, it seems they all made a bigger mess then they expected.
"I'm gonna drop these of at the dump quickly and head home." Austin said.
Austin ran off after waving good-bye to Kyle and Caitlin. The two of them started to walk home together as their homes were on the same route.
It was awkwardly silent between the two of them. Neither of them spoke a word on their walk back to their own houses. Kyle suddenly stopped immediately in his tracks and it took Caitlin a couple seconds to realize.
"Kyle?" Caitlin said in a confused tone.
"I...know about that guy you saw. Back in the park." He said, maintaining eye contact with Caitlin.
"Y-you do?!" Caitlin sounded more excited than she anticipated. She knew something was suspicious about that guy back in the park. Who wears a long trench coat and a fedora in the middle of the park? She thought to herself until Kyle continued.
"I've seen him before, many times, I feel like he's following me wherever I go."
"But, you acted like you never seen him before in the park." Caitlin pointed out.
"I wanted to ignore him, I was having too much fun, I didn't want him to ruin it." Caitlin could see the fear in Kyle's eyes. He was on edge and felt like he was gonna explode from all the fear building up inside of him. "This...something like this has never happened to me before. No one has followed me before like he has."
Caitlin looked around to see if the man was anywhere to be found, she couldn't see him, which only raised her worries even more.
"No one at the picnic seemed to notice him, even though he stood out like a shark in a fish tank. I thought that you might be able to help me, but I didn't want to bring it up during then." Kyle explained.
It was empty and quiet around them, the sun had officially set and it was completely dark out. Neither of them spoke a word, Caitlin was trying to piece together what the strange man could want with Kyle, and how he could have known that he was there with everyone else.
Caitlin's thoughts were interrupted by Kyle's sudden gasp. "He...he's here, I can feel it!"
Caitlin returned to her senses and looked around, until she saw, behind her, was the man she saw earlier, making a b-line toward the two of them. She was completely frozen, she couldn't move, she didn't know what to do. Kyle took a couple steps back couldn't get away.
"Wh-who are you?" Kyle nervously asked.
-----
Sudden memories came rushing back to Caitlin as she looked at Kyle. She remembered the day of the picnic almost perfectly. But that memory ran dry after that man confronted her.
It was Kyle and Caitlin in a fight to determine who would continue living, and Tucker, who would kill the loser in this professional boxing-like Deathmatch.
Tucker sat in his office chair at the other side of the room waiting patiently with a smile on his face and a gun in his hand. His mere presence in the room sent shivers up Caitlin's spine. After regaining that lost memory, she couldn't help but feel like she saw Tucker before. It didn't her long to realize that Tucker looked an awful lot like the man in her memory.
"Tucker...are you? ...That man I saw on the day of the picnic?" Caitlin slowly asked.
Tucker groaned out of annoyance, he was growing impatient. Kyle and Caitlin barely moved after he started the match. They both just stood there with blank stares on their faces.
"You guys are taking too long. Long story short, yes, I am. It seems you got some of your memories back. It was you and Kyle, standing in the middle of that street, not moving. Kinda like what you're doing now. I walked up to you and BOOM. Knocked you out. And now you're here." Tucker explained.
Kyle began to walk towards Caitlin with a dagger in his hand, Caitlin didn't realize it until Kyle took a slice at her, she immediately stepped back at just the right time.
"K-Kyle?" Caitlin was shocked at what he did.
"Once again, I'm sorry, but either we fight, or he kills both of us." Kyle said.
"Good! Very good Kyle!" Tucker said as he began clapping. "Now keep it up! I wanna see who can get first blood."
Caitlin was distracted by Tucker's excitement, Kyle attempting another slice without her realizing and slit her right arm.
"Oh, speak of the devil!" Tucker exclaimed.
Caitlin screamed out in pain and held her arm, which was bleeding badly. She looked at Kyle with tears in her eyes. It was still hard to comprehend the situation. She got up slowly kept staring at Kyle, who was only 5 feet from her. She ran towards him and tried stab his stomach, but he immediately blocked it.
"What a turn of events!" Tucker said, narrating the fight happening before him.
Kyle quickly countered and elbowed her in the stomach, she fell to the ground and lost grip of the dagger. Blood continued to pour from her right arm.
The only thing Caitlin could hear was Tucker counting from 1. He counted up to 5 until Caitlin got back up. Kyle began running towards her for another attack, but she dodged quickly and countered with a stab in the shoulder.
Kyle almost fell to his knees but stopped himself and tried to hold in a gasp of pain.
Why did it have to come to this? Caitlin thought to herself as she watched Kyle struggle to stay up. She looked at her dagger, the tip was drenched in his blood. She was disgusted at herself at what she just did. But she couldn't believe that Kyle sliced her right arm.
She walked slowly towards Kyle, his legs were trembling but he refused to fall down and lose. Caitlin prepared for another attack but was suddenly interrupted by Kyle, as he sliced her left knee, hoping that would stop her in her tracks.
Out of reaction from Kyle's attack, Caitlin unwillingly sliced Kyle in the lip. He fell to the floor and yelled in pain. Caitlin tried her best to stay up but she couldn't feel her leg at all.
Tucker once again began to count to count to 10. It didn't take long for Kyle to get up, but it looked like he was going to fall over again. He tried his damnedest to stay up. He held the dagger as tightly as he could.
Caitlin felt something strange, she felt like Kyle was holding back even though he dealt the first attack. She saw Kyle slowly walk over towards her, with the wounds he was given in this deathmatch, Caitlin knew that the back wound was the worst. She closed her eyes and dropped her dagger. Kyle gasped and Tucker was surprised.
"Oh, what's this?" Tucker said out in the distance.
Caitlin limped over slowly where was Kyle was standing. "Why did you drop your dagger?" Kyle asked. She stood right in front of him and threw her arms out. "Do it, Kyle, attack me, anywhere. I can't stand fighting you, I already can't forgive myself for causing you so much pain."
"No, I can't do that. I won't do that." Kyle dropped his dagger right in front of Caitlin. Caitlin was speechless, she was surprised at what he did. "Caitlin, if anything, you should live. You shouldn't give up your life like that. I don't want to see that damned Madman kill you right in front of my eyes. I can't see you die. I know this will be hard for you, but I must do this."
Kyle purposely dropped to his knees right in front of her. He picked up his bloody dagger and threw it across the room. He stayed there, making no effort to get up.
"Well well well, Kyle. Are you forfeiting? I guess I shouldn't waste time, then." Tucker began to count again to 10. Kyle didn't budge from his spot.
"What are you doing?!" Caitlin shouted. "I won't let you end your life like this!" She tried to pick Kyle up but it was useless, he wouldn't move at all. Before she knew it, Tucker got up to 9...
"10! Game over!" Tucker shouted across the room.
"Why? Why?" That was all she could say. She couldn't believe what just happened. Kyle forfeited and threw his own life away, just so she could continue living for a little longer.
Tucker got up from his chair and walked towards Kyle, who was still on his knees in the same spot.
"No, Tucker! Don't kill him, please!" Caitlin begged and pleaded.
"Sorry, kid, he lost, and now he dies." Tucker pushed Caitlin away with only one hand, she laid there with her eyes closed and her ears plugged, she didn't even want to hear the gunshot.
"Game over, Kyle, it sucks that you were the first loser, but every game has one." Tucker pointed the gun to Kyle's head and put his finger on the trigger, he was ready to shoot. "Any last words?"
Kyle wiped off the blood pouring from his lip. "I hope you burn in hell." He calmly said.
Tucker grinned and immediately pulled the trigger.
BANG.
Caitlin's efforts to block out the sound of the gunshot were futile. She sat up and opened her eyes to see the sickening scene of Kyle's dead body. Blood ran down his face from where the bullet entered his head. He lost, and he paid the price with his life.
"Kyle!" She shouted out in sadness, all those memories of him washed away along with his life.
Tucker put the gun away and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. "Look on the bright side, kid, at least you didn't take his life. I did." He said as he lit the cigarette.
Caitlin laid back down on the floor and began to cry. Kyle's life ended so suddenly. She woke up in a strange room, and an hour later, one of her best friend's was dead.
"As a reward for winning, I'll put a first-aid kit in your room, y'hear?" Tucker said. "Now you should head back there and rest. It seems no has awakened yet. So get a good night's sleep. This next game will truly be interesting."
Caitlin got up but couldn't say a word, she limped slowly back to her room, where she would get some rest and treat her wounds, too.
"Good job, kid, you'll now live, considering you don't die in the future games." Tucker remarked.
"I know! That's what I said!"
"It was hilarious."
"I wish I could buy it as soon as possible."
Many different conversations were happening. Even a couple arm wrestles and staring contests. Around the table were 16 people, who would all hang out almost every day.
"I gotta say, Caitlin, this was a great idea."
Caitlin was sitting at the end of the table, with Kyle right in front of her. It was almost hard to hear him with all the talking going around.
"Oh, thanks, Kyle. It was just a spur of the moment idea. I thought this would be a lot of fun. And I see everyone is enjoying themselves to the fullest." Caitlin replied.
Kyle flashed a thumbs up toward Caitlin. They both started to giggle as they grabbed more food. There was a little shoving going around but everyone was enjoying themselves to an extent and didn't notice.
As Caitlin looked around the table of her noisy friends, she notices a tall, bulky man standing under a large tree not far from them. She eyed him closely, blocking out the sound that everyone else was making. He looked really suspicious and it worried her a bit.
'Hey Kyle, do you see that man over there?" Caitlin said as she pointed toward the suspicious man.
Kyle turned around and tried to look for the man that Caitlin was pointing at, eventually he found him, only to see him minding his own business.
"What about him?" Kyle said in a confused tone.
Caitlin was always paranoid and her friends sometimes noticed. Seeing her act this way about a simple man in the park was no surprise to Kyle.
"Cait, you worry too much. It's just an ordinary man in the park. Nothing to worry about. Now, you might wanna get a sandwich while you can, we're almost out." Kyle said.
'OK then." But Caitlin wasn't satisfied. She could vaguely see him staring at the picnic table. Staring at everyone. She started to get really worried. Caitlin tried to get people's attention but it didn't work. After a while, she saw that he wasn't there anymore. He disappeared. She looked around, praying she could find him, but no luck came her way.
Caitlin tried her best not to let it get to her and enjoy the rest of the picnic, but it was still lingering in her mind even when they were all done.
-----
The sun was about to set as only three people were left packing up and cleaning the mess everyone made, Caitlin, Kyle, and a young man by the name of Austin.
"That was quite the party." Kyle broke the silence.
"On quite the small picnic table." Austin continued.
Kyle and Caitlin both laughed a bit and continued to clean up the mess. But that man was still on Caitlin's mind. She could almost feel the harshness in his stare.
She began to space out, only to be startled by Austin's snapping.
"Hey, Cait, we're all done here."
Austin and Kyle picked up the trash bags full of garbage, it seems they all made a bigger mess then they expected.
"I'm gonna drop these of at the dump quickly and head home." Austin said.
Austin ran off after waving good-bye to Kyle and Caitlin. The two of them started to walk home together as their homes were on the same route.
It was awkwardly silent between the two of them. Neither of them spoke a word on their walk back to their own houses. Kyle suddenly stopped immediately in his tracks and it took Caitlin a couple seconds to realize.
"Kyle?" Caitlin said in a confused tone.
"I...know about that guy you saw. Back in the park." He said, maintaining eye contact with Caitlin.
"Y-you do?!" Caitlin sounded more excited than she anticipated. She knew something was suspicious about that guy back in the park. Who wears a long trench coat and a fedora in the middle of the park? She thought to herself until Kyle continued.
"I've seen him before, many times, I feel like he's following me wherever I go."
"But, you acted like you never seen him before in the park." Caitlin pointed out.
"I wanted to ignore him, I was having too much fun, I didn't want him to ruin it." Caitlin could see the fear in Kyle's eyes. He was on edge and felt like he was gonna explode from all the fear building up inside of him. "This...something like this has never happened to me before. No one has followed me before like he has."
Caitlin looked around to see if the man was anywhere to be found, she couldn't see him, which only raised her worries even more.
"No one at the picnic seemed to notice him, even though he stood out like a shark in a fish tank. I thought that you might be able to help me, but I didn't want to bring it up during then." Kyle explained.
It was empty and quiet around them, the sun had officially set and it was completely dark out. Neither of them spoke a word, Caitlin was trying to piece together what the strange man could want with Kyle, and how he could have known that he was there with everyone else.
Caitlin's thoughts were interrupted by Kyle's sudden gasp. "He...he's here, I can feel it!"
Caitlin returned to her senses and looked around, until she saw, behind her, was the man she saw earlier, making a b-line toward the two of them. She was completely frozen, she couldn't move, she didn't know what to do. Kyle took a couple steps back couldn't get away.
"Wh-who are you?" Kyle nervously asked.
-----
Sudden memories came rushing back to Caitlin as she looked at Kyle. She remembered the day of the picnic almost perfectly. But that memory ran dry after that man confronted her.
It was Kyle and Caitlin in a fight to determine who would continue living, and Tucker, who would kill the loser in this professional boxing-like Deathmatch.
Tucker sat in his office chair at the other side of the room waiting patiently with a smile on his face and a gun in his hand. His mere presence in the room sent shivers up Caitlin's spine. After regaining that lost memory, she couldn't help but feel like she saw Tucker before. It didn't her long to realize that Tucker looked an awful lot like the man in her memory.
"Tucker...are you? ...That man I saw on the day of the picnic?" Caitlin slowly asked.
Tucker groaned out of annoyance, he was growing impatient. Kyle and Caitlin barely moved after he started the match. They both just stood there with blank stares on their faces.
"You guys are taking too long. Long story short, yes, I am. It seems you got some of your memories back. It was you and Kyle, standing in the middle of that street, not moving. Kinda like what you're doing now. I walked up to you and BOOM. Knocked you out. And now you're here." Tucker explained.
Kyle began to walk towards Caitlin with a dagger in his hand, Caitlin didn't realize it until Kyle took a slice at her, she immediately stepped back at just the right time.
"K-Kyle?" Caitlin was shocked at what he did.
"Once again, I'm sorry, but either we fight, or he kills both of us." Kyle said.
"Good! Very good Kyle!" Tucker said as he began clapping. "Now keep it up! I wanna see who can get first blood."
Caitlin was distracted by Tucker's excitement, Kyle attempting another slice without her realizing and slit her right arm.
"Oh, speak of the devil!" Tucker exclaimed.
Caitlin screamed out in pain and held her arm, which was bleeding badly. She looked at Kyle with tears in her eyes. It was still hard to comprehend the situation. She got up slowly kept staring at Kyle, who was only 5 feet from her. She ran towards him and tried stab his stomach, but he immediately blocked it.
"What a turn of events!" Tucker said, narrating the fight happening before him.
Kyle quickly countered and elbowed her in the stomach, she fell to the ground and lost grip of the dagger. Blood continued to pour from her right arm.
The only thing Caitlin could hear was Tucker counting from 1. He counted up to 5 until Caitlin got back up. Kyle began running towards her for another attack, but she dodged quickly and countered with a stab in the shoulder.
Kyle almost fell to his knees but stopped himself and tried to hold in a gasp of pain.
Why did it have to come to this? Caitlin thought to herself as she watched Kyle struggle to stay up. She looked at her dagger, the tip was drenched in his blood. She was disgusted at herself at what she just did. But she couldn't believe that Kyle sliced her right arm.
She walked slowly towards Kyle, his legs were trembling but he refused to fall down and lose. Caitlin prepared for another attack but was suddenly interrupted by Kyle, as he sliced her left knee, hoping that would stop her in her tracks.
Out of reaction from Kyle's attack, Caitlin unwillingly sliced Kyle in the lip. He fell to the floor and yelled in pain. Caitlin tried her best to stay up but she couldn't feel her leg at all.
Tucker once again began to count to count to 10. It didn't take long for Kyle to get up, but it looked like he was going to fall over again. He tried his damnedest to stay up. He held the dagger as tightly as he could.
Caitlin felt something strange, she felt like Kyle was holding back even though he dealt the first attack. She saw Kyle slowly walk over towards her, with the wounds he was given in this deathmatch, Caitlin knew that the back wound was the worst. She closed her eyes and dropped her dagger. Kyle gasped and Tucker was surprised.
"Oh, what's this?" Tucker said out in the distance.
Caitlin limped over slowly where was Kyle was standing. "Why did you drop your dagger?" Kyle asked. She stood right in front of him and threw her arms out. "Do it, Kyle, attack me, anywhere. I can't stand fighting you, I already can't forgive myself for causing you so much pain."
"No, I can't do that. I won't do that." Kyle dropped his dagger right in front of Caitlin. Caitlin was speechless, she was surprised at what he did. "Caitlin, if anything, you should live. You shouldn't give up your life like that. I don't want to see that damned Madman kill you right in front of my eyes. I can't see you die. I know this will be hard for you, but I must do this."
Kyle purposely dropped to his knees right in front of her. He picked up his bloody dagger and threw it across the room. He stayed there, making no effort to get up.
"Well well well, Kyle. Are you forfeiting? I guess I shouldn't waste time, then." Tucker began to count again to 10. Kyle didn't budge from his spot.
"What are you doing?!" Caitlin shouted. "I won't let you end your life like this!" She tried to pick Kyle up but it was useless, he wouldn't move at all. Before she knew it, Tucker got up to 9...
"10! Game over!" Tucker shouted across the room.
"Why? Why?" That was all she could say. She couldn't believe what just happened. Kyle forfeited and threw his own life away, just so she could continue living for a little longer.
Tucker got up from his chair and walked towards Kyle, who was still on his knees in the same spot.
"No, Tucker! Don't kill him, please!" Caitlin begged and pleaded.
"Sorry, kid, he lost, and now he dies." Tucker pushed Caitlin away with only one hand, she laid there with her eyes closed and her ears plugged, she didn't even want to hear the gunshot.
"Game over, Kyle, it sucks that you were the first loser, but every game has one." Tucker pointed the gun to Kyle's head and put his finger on the trigger, he was ready to shoot. "Any last words?"
Kyle wiped off the blood pouring from his lip. "I hope you burn in hell." He calmly said.
Tucker grinned and immediately pulled the trigger.
BANG.
Caitlin's efforts to block out the sound of the gunshot were futile. She sat up and opened her eyes to see the sickening scene of Kyle's dead body. Blood ran down his face from where the bullet entered his head. He lost, and he paid the price with his life.
"Kyle!" She shouted out in sadness, all those memories of him washed away along with his life.
Tucker put the gun away and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. "Look on the bright side, kid, at least you didn't take his life. I did." He said as he lit the cigarette.
Caitlin laid back down on the floor and began to cry. Kyle's life ended so suddenly. She woke up in a strange room, and an hour later, one of her best friend's was dead.
"As a reward for winning, I'll put a first-aid kit in your room, y'hear?" Tucker said. "Now you should head back there and rest. It seems no has awakened yet. So get a good night's sleep. This next game will truly be interesting."
Caitlin got up but couldn't say a word, she limped slowly back to her room, where she would get some rest and treat her wounds, too.
"Good job, kid, you'll now live, considering you don't die in the future games." Tucker remarked.
Chapter 3: show
As long as I can remember, death was a subject I did not enjoy talking about. Who did? It always scared me that death can happen to anybody. But the thing that scared me the most was how death can come in a seemingly endless amount of forms.
...My dad died when I was only 8. He died right in front of my eyes. Our house was being robbed late at night. My dad told me that everything was going to be alright. He said he was gonna call the cops and take care of the "evil men". As we sneaked downstairs, one of the men spotted him and knocked him out with a baseball bat. I heard the impact, and I slowly walked downstairs, even though I should have stayed put.
I stood there in front of the evil men, one of them pulled out a gun and pointed it at my dad. I screamed and begged them "Don't shoot! Please!" but it was no use. They killed him right in front of me.
The police came moments after, the neighbour must have noticed what was happening and called them for us. They arrested the men and immediately took my dad to the hospital. It was too late, however. They couldn't get to him in time.
My dad was the only parent I had after my mom left him because of his drinking problem. I still wonder to this day where she is, and if I will get to see her soon. But that time when my dad was killed would scar me for a very long time.
I was always afraid of death, I didn't want it to take me. But it met me halfway. It took someone I loved.
-----
Second after second, a metal door is opened. 15 to be exact. The people inside the small rooms slowly walk out into a pitch-black hallway, with only the sound of a man's voice on the intercom to guide them, Tucker's voice nonetheless.
The 15 people continue to walk with jumbled thoughts in their heads, one of them was Caitlin, who knew exactly what was going on and walked slowly and nervously, still traumatized at what she witnessed a while ago. She walked the slowest out of everyone. She kept telling herself that she didn't kill Kyle, but she couldn't convince herself. Kyle died because of her.
Tucker stood in the middle of a giant room with 8 doors at each direction. "Where you all stand right now is your new home, and for several of you, your grave." Tucker announced in an enthusiastic tone.
The next moment, all 8 doors slowly began to open, shining light in the pitch black hallways. "Welcome, one and all, to your new home!" Tucker shouted. "It may not be the coziest of all places, but I am sure that all of you will get used to it."
2 people stepped out of each door, as well as one from the north door. Gasps of shock and confusion fill the silent room. It was obvious what people were thinking.
"What...?"
"What the hell is going on?"
Everyone was confused. Where were they? Who the strange guy in the middle of the room? And what did he mean when he said new home and grave?
14 people stepped out, all but one, Caitlin, who hesitated to progress out into the large room to see the man who killed Kyle right in front of her eyes. Tucker immediately realized it her who was missing. "Oh, don't be shy, Caitlin! Step on out!" Tucker said.
In the south door stood the shadowy figure Caitlin. She hesitated to walk out. There were bandages that covered up all her wounds from her fight to the death with Kyle. She was at least a little relieved that Tucker actually gave her a first-aid kit in the first place.
But as she walked out she looked around the room where the other 14 participants stood. She started to panic, and even tear up a bit.
"No...this can't be..." She said softly.
Everyone around the room shared the same shock that Caitlin had. While it was scary that they all woke up in an unusual place, and that a strange man was standing in the middle of the room speaking into an intercom. But the scariest part was, that everybody knew each other...
"Take your time to readjust yourselves and get to know each other. But judging by your looks, I think you already do." Tucker raised his voice so everyone could hear him clearly.
The room stayed silent, a few walked around, getting a good look at everybody. It took a while for somebody to speak, that person was a kid named Cameron.
"You, who are you? ...And where are we?" He asked.
"Oh, I'm glad someone finally spoke up!" Tucker responded. "If everyone would kindly look up toward the big screen near the top of the room."
Tucker gestured to a large screen high up on the wall above the south door. The big screen showed pictures of 16 people, with a large red X covering someone's face. Kyle's face.
"Take a nice, long look at that television screen. It shows 16 people, those 16 people just so happen to be you. Now, let me introduce the players!" Tucker spins around and begins a roll call. Pointing at everybody while he says their name.
"Austin, Chris, Cameron, Matthew, Mark, Brandon, Tony, Jorge, Caitlin, Kevin, Mason, Garrett, Alex, Maya, and Bryan. You 16 people have been brought here to participate in a little game that I like to call 'The Game of Ultimate Death'. The rules are quite simple. You all will play games that will test your skill and endurance. There will only be one loser in each game. And the loser, well, dies."
Everyone gasped at the last word Tucker had said.
"Wait, die?!" Chris said. "What the hell is this? You can't just force up into playing some sick thing that you call a 'game'!"
"Now that is where you're wrong. You are really in no position to refuse. You are completely defenseless right now, you have no sword, nor a gun. I, on the other hand, do have a gun. And what I'm about to say is going to be the most important rule in the game. Kill or be killed." Tucker said. "Survival of the fittest, you could call it. If you are gonna let your love and friendship hold you back, then you are simply gonna die quicker."
"Hey, sorry, I couldn't help but notice...but you said that 16 people are going to participate, but I only see 15 here, not including you." Tony spoke up, seemingly pushing aside the fact that some deranged man is making them kill each other for a sick game.
"Oh, of course, I forgot to tell you. The 16th person is unfortunately not with us. His name was Kyle." Tucker said.
"...Was?" Tony questioned.
"Yes, was. He, unfortunately died because of your little female friend over there." Tucker pointed to Caitlin, her eyes widened and she struggled to find something to say.
Heads turned towards her and sounds of shock filled the room. "Caitlin...you...?" "You killed him?!" Everybody was wondering the same thing. Out of everyone in the group, Caitlin was the nicest. Many would say that she wouldn't hurt a fly. It was hard to believe that she may have killed someone.
Caitlin panicked, she knew she didn't kill Kyle, it was Tucker that did him in, he killed her right in front of her eyes. "N-no! I didn't kill him! It was him, Tucker, the man up there!" Caitlin yelled.
"She is telling the truth. I did kill him. But Caitlin and the late Kyle played the first game while the rest of you were asleep in your rooms. It was a simple deathmatch. A one-on-one where whoever lost, would die at my hands. Normally the loser would be killed by the winner, but seeing as how it was the first game, I decided that I would kill the loser. Caitlin did win, but it wasn't exactly a fair match. Kyle threw it and willingly gave up so that young Caitlin could live."
"You're crazy! You can't do this! I'm gonna call the cops!" Matthew said as he frantically searched for his phone in his pocket.
"Don't bother, where we are, there is absolutely no signal. Do you really think it would be that easy to stop this? This has been planned. I planned it, I have planned it for a very long time and I will not let it go to waste by some stupid teenager. Don't waste your energy kid, you might be chosen for this next game." Tucker wore a menacing smile on his face.
"The next game? What are you talking about?" Matthew was at a loss, he didn't know to do. He couldn't do anything. He slowly put his phone back in his pocket and cursed under his breath. Many others attempted the same thing but none of them were able to get a signal. Tucker wasn't lying, there was no signal to be found. They were all on their own with a crazy man they've never met, in an unidentifiable location.
"If you would please, direct your attention to the screen one more time."
Tucker turned towards the big screen hanging from the ceiling where everyone's faces were shown. Many noticed before that a large X was covering someone's face, but now they knew that it was Kyle's face. It would seem that whoever is killed would have their face crossed out on the large screen. What many didn't notice was Caitlin's face, which was grey and a little blurry.
"All of the participants are shown here. The ones that are still living are shown regularly and in full colour. The ones who have died, or 'lost', are crossed out with a large red X. As can be seen with Kyle. And the one that is grey, as can be seen with Caitlin's picture, is the one who is exempt from the next game."
Caitlin felt a little relief. She was still suffering from the wounds that she got while fighting Kyle and she was in no position to fight again or do whatever it is that Tucker had in mind. She had bandages all over her and her face and eyes were red, as if she was crying over what happened. Caitlin knew that Tucker was a dangerous man, but at least he had the decency to not make an injured women fight again.
"But why...out of all people. Why did you choose us? He all know each other...we're like family! We can't hurt each other!" Bryan said. "I mean, I've known these people for almost all my life. They're like siblings to me!"
Bryan's words didn't seem to affect Tucker. They just flew past him and he almost didn't acknowledge it. Did this man not have any emotions whatsoever? Has he no sympathy?
"Don't think that it's all some sorta coincidence, I find it convenient that you all know each other. Instead of wasting my time and trying to find 16 random people, there was you guys. Sitting at that same picnic table at that park."
"So you knew that we were friends? Yet you still chose us to play your awful game?" Bryan asked.
"Damn, what's with all the questions? I thought this was gonna be self-explanatory." Tucker looked annoyed with the bombardment of questions that everyone was throwing at him, he paced around for a few moments. Everyone was dead silent and stared at Tucker, finally he turned around to face the crowd.
"I have an idea. I guess I may be asking a lot from you guys. But I think I might reward you for winning a game. Yes, I'll give you a prize."
"A prize? What is it?" Chris replied.
"Simple. A question. It may not seem extravagant, but whoever wins will be able to ask me anything they want, and I will answer it. It can only be a question, not a request. Don't expect me to release you guys. But questions can be endless."
Everyone was thinking the same thing, they could ask Tucker whatever they want, and he will answer. They can find out where they are, or why Tucker decided to organize this game for them to play.
All of a sudden, the pictures of everyone's faces on the big screen started to spin in a circle, everyone's except Caitlin and Kyle. "Tucker, what the hell is happening?" Brandon asked.
"Well, it's time for the next game of course. We've all stood here for long enough and I'm getting bored and stiff. This is a game I like to call 'Quick Draw'." Tucker said.
Tucker pulled out two pistols from his coat pockets. He looked at them as if admiring them. He then set them down on the ground across from the big screen, which still showed the character's pictures spinning.
He stood up straight and cleared his throat: "Here's how it goes, two people will stand near these guns. When I yell 'start', they will run and choose which gun they want to use. After they have chosen, they will stand several meters from each other with their backs facing each other. They will turn around and pull the trigger when I say 'go'."
"S-so it's just whoever can shoot the fastest?" Garrett asked.
"Essentially, yes. But here's the catch." Tucker said. "One of the pistols is loaded, and the other one isn't. I loaded one of them before you all came here. I obviously won't tell you which is loaded and which one isn't. It's a game of luck, basically."
All 15 people stared at the guns on the floor. Everyone was worried, no one wanted to be picked for this. The first moment walking out into a large room and not knowing where you are, and then the next moment being forced to kill one of your friends or have them kill you. It's a 50/50 decision that will literally cost someone their life.
The spinning pictures on the screen started slowing down and almost coming to a complete stop. "I thought about choosing the participants myself, but I thought that wouldn't be fair. So I decided to let the computer randomize the players and choose them itself."
Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen. As the pictures slowed down, the 14 possible players all held their breath. The pictures eventually came to a complete stop, and the one in the middle was going to be the first player. And that person was...
"Brandon!" Tucker yelled as he pointed to Brandon standing there.
Brandon was surprised. He didn't want this to happen. Many thoughts were spinning in his head. Why me? Why do I have to kill someone? But most importantly, he thought, who do I have to face?
The pictures started spinning again, but this time they came to a complete stop a lot quicker. Brandon's opponent was going to be...
"Garrett!" Tucker said. "It's decided, Brandon and Garrett will face each other in Quick Draw."
Brandon and Garrett looked at each other in shock. They knew each other since the first grade, they knew everything about the other, they knew each other's favourite colour, their favourite TV show, practically everything. But now they have to decide who will live and who will die.
"Brandon and Garrett, if you wouldn't mind standing near the pistols." Tucker demanded.
The two of them reluctantly walked over to where Tucker wanted them to stand. Brandon stood on one side, and Garrett the other. With the two guns placed between them.
"Let me repeat, one of them is loaded, and the other isn't. You will both run to them and choose which one you think is loaded. You will return to your original spots, point the gun at your opponent and pull the trigger when I say 'go'."
Garrett looked at Brandon with a sad expression: "Well buddy, I guess this is it."
"What? You can't just accept this! We can't kill each other!" Brandon shouted. "I've known you longer than anyone here has. Just a week ago, you and I were talking about going to that cottage with Matthew and Kevin, right?" Brandon looked at Matthew, who was avoiding eye contact with him, Kevin, who stood right next to Matthew, did the same. "Tucker, I won't do this!"
"If you refuse to play, I will count that as a forfeit and I will kill you myself on the spot." Tucker said in a very serious tone.
Brandon gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He couldn't kill Garrett, and he didn't want Garrett to kill him. But what was he to do, if he didn't participate, then Tucker will kill him.
"If all is understood, and there are no questions. Then we shall begin. And good luck to you, gentlemen" Tucker said.
...My dad died when I was only 8. He died right in front of my eyes. Our house was being robbed late at night. My dad told me that everything was going to be alright. He said he was gonna call the cops and take care of the "evil men". As we sneaked downstairs, one of the men spotted him and knocked him out with a baseball bat. I heard the impact, and I slowly walked downstairs, even though I should have stayed put.
I stood there in front of the evil men, one of them pulled out a gun and pointed it at my dad. I screamed and begged them "Don't shoot! Please!" but it was no use. They killed him right in front of me.
The police came moments after, the neighbour must have noticed what was happening and called them for us. They arrested the men and immediately took my dad to the hospital. It was too late, however. They couldn't get to him in time.
My dad was the only parent I had after my mom left him because of his drinking problem. I still wonder to this day where she is, and if I will get to see her soon. But that time when my dad was killed would scar me for a very long time.
I was always afraid of death, I didn't want it to take me. But it met me halfway. It took someone I loved.
-----
Second after second, a metal door is opened. 15 to be exact. The people inside the small rooms slowly walk out into a pitch-black hallway, with only the sound of a man's voice on the intercom to guide them, Tucker's voice nonetheless.
The 15 people continue to walk with jumbled thoughts in their heads, one of them was Caitlin, who knew exactly what was going on and walked slowly and nervously, still traumatized at what she witnessed a while ago. She walked the slowest out of everyone. She kept telling herself that she didn't kill Kyle, but she couldn't convince herself. Kyle died because of her.
Tucker stood in the middle of a giant room with 8 doors at each direction. "Where you all stand right now is your new home, and for several of you, your grave." Tucker announced in an enthusiastic tone.
The next moment, all 8 doors slowly began to open, shining light in the pitch black hallways. "Welcome, one and all, to your new home!" Tucker shouted. "It may not be the coziest of all places, but I am sure that all of you will get used to it."
2 people stepped out of each door, as well as one from the north door. Gasps of shock and confusion fill the silent room. It was obvious what people were thinking.
"What...?"
"What the hell is going on?"
Everyone was confused. Where were they? Who the strange guy in the middle of the room? And what did he mean when he said new home and grave?
14 people stepped out, all but one, Caitlin, who hesitated to progress out into the large room to see the man who killed Kyle right in front of her eyes. Tucker immediately realized it her who was missing. "Oh, don't be shy, Caitlin! Step on out!" Tucker said.
In the south door stood the shadowy figure Caitlin. She hesitated to walk out. There were bandages that covered up all her wounds from her fight to the death with Kyle. She was at least a little relieved that Tucker actually gave her a first-aid kit in the first place.
But as she walked out she looked around the room where the other 14 participants stood. She started to panic, and even tear up a bit.
"No...this can't be..." She said softly.
Everyone around the room shared the same shock that Caitlin had. While it was scary that they all woke up in an unusual place, and that a strange man was standing in the middle of the room speaking into an intercom. But the scariest part was, that everybody knew each other...
"Take your time to readjust yourselves and get to know each other. But judging by your looks, I think you already do." Tucker raised his voice so everyone could hear him clearly.
The room stayed silent, a few walked around, getting a good look at everybody. It took a while for somebody to speak, that person was a kid named Cameron.
"You, who are you? ...And where are we?" He asked.
"Oh, I'm glad someone finally spoke up!" Tucker responded. "If everyone would kindly look up toward the big screen near the top of the room."
Tucker gestured to a large screen high up on the wall above the south door. The big screen showed pictures of 16 people, with a large red X covering someone's face. Kyle's face.
"Take a nice, long look at that television screen. It shows 16 people, those 16 people just so happen to be you. Now, let me introduce the players!" Tucker spins around and begins a roll call. Pointing at everybody while he says their name.
"Austin, Chris, Cameron, Matthew, Mark, Brandon, Tony, Jorge, Caitlin, Kevin, Mason, Garrett, Alex, Maya, and Bryan. You 16 people have been brought here to participate in a little game that I like to call 'The Game of Ultimate Death'. The rules are quite simple. You all will play games that will test your skill and endurance. There will only be one loser in each game. And the loser, well, dies."
Everyone gasped at the last word Tucker had said.
"Wait, die?!" Chris said. "What the hell is this? You can't just force up into playing some sick thing that you call a 'game'!"
"Now that is where you're wrong. You are really in no position to refuse. You are completely defenseless right now, you have no sword, nor a gun. I, on the other hand, do have a gun. And what I'm about to say is going to be the most important rule in the game. Kill or be killed." Tucker said. "Survival of the fittest, you could call it. If you are gonna let your love and friendship hold you back, then you are simply gonna die quicker."
"Hey, sorry, I couldn't help but notice...but you said that 16 people are going to participate, but I only see 15 here, not including you." Tony spoke up, seemingly pushing aside the fact that some deranged man is making them kill each other for a sick game.
"Oh, of course, I forgot to tell you. The 16th person is unfortunately not with us. His name was Kyle." Tucker said.
"...Was?" Tony questioned.
"Yes, was. He, unfortunately died because of your little female friend over there." Tucker pointed to Caitlin, her eyes widened and she struggled to find something to say.
Heads turned towards her and sounds of shock filled the room. "Caitlin...you...?" "You killed him?!" Everybody was wondering the same thing. Out of everyone in the group, Caitlin was the nicest. Many would say that she wouldn't hurt a fly. It was hard to believe that she may have killed someone.
Caitlin panicked, she knew she didn't kill Kyle, it was Tucker that did him in, he killed her right in front of her eyes. "N-no! I didn't kill him! It was him, Tucker, the man up there!" Caitlin yelled.
"She is telling the truth. I did kill him. But Caitlin and the late Kyle played the first game while the rest of you were asleep in your rooms. It was a simple deathmatch. A one-on-one where whoever lost, would die at my hands. Normally the loser would be killed by the winner, but seeing as how it was the first game, I decided that I would kill the loser. Caitlin did win, but it wasn't exactly a fair match. Kyle threw it and willingly gave up so that young Caitlin could live."
"You're crazy! You can't do this! I'm gonna call the cops!" Matthew said as he frantically searched for his phone in his pocket.
"Don't bother, where we are, there is absolutely no signal. Do you really think it would be that easy to stop this? This has been planned. I planned it, I have planned it for a very long time and I will not let it go to waste by some stupid teenager. Don't waste your energy kid, you might be chosen for this next game." Tucker wore a menacing smile on his face.
"The next game? What are you talking about?" Matthew was at a loss, he didn't know to do. He couldn't do anything. He slowly put his phone back in his pocket and cursed under his breath. Many others attempted the same thing but none of them were able to get a signal. Tucker wasn't lying, there was no signal to be found. They were all on their own with a crazy man they've never met, in an unidentifiable location.
"If you would please, direct your attention to the screen one more time."
Tucker turned towards the big screen hanging from the ceiling where everyone's faces were shown. Many noticed before that a large X was covering someone's face, but now they knew that it was Kyle's face. It would seem that whoever is killed would have their face crossed out on the large screen. What many didn't notice was Caitlin's face, which was grey and a little blurry.
"All of the participants are shown here. The ones that are still living are shown regularly and in full colour. The ones who have died, or 'lost', are crossed out with a large red X. As can be seen with Kyle. And the one that is grey, as can be seen with Caitlin's picture, is the one who is exempt from the next game."
Caitlin felt a little relief. She was still suffering from the wounds that she got while fighting Kyle and she was in no position to fight again or do whatever it is that Tucker had in mind. She had bandages all over her and her face and eyes were red, as if she was crying over what happened. Caitlin knew that Tucker was a dangerous man, but at least he had the decency to not make an injured women fight again.
"But why...out of all people. Why did you choose us? He all know each other...we're like family! We can't hurt each other!" Bryan said. "I mean, I've known these people for almost all my life. They're like siblings to me!"
Bryan's words didn't seem to affect Tucker. They just flew past him and he almost didn't acknowledge it. Did this man not have any emotions whatsoever? Has he no sympathy?
"Don't think that it's all some sorta coincidence, I find it convenient that you all know each other. Instead of wasting my time and trying to find 16 random people, there was you guys. Sitting at that same picnic table at that park."
"So you knew that we were friends? Yet you still chose us to play your awful game?" Bryan asked.
"Damn, what's with all the questions? I thought this was gonna be self-explanatory." Tucker looked annoyed with the bombardment of questions that everyone was throwing at him, he paced around for a few moments. Everyone was dead silent and stared at Tucker, finally he turned around to face the crowd.
"I have an idea. I guess I may be asking a lot from you guys. But I think I might reward you for winning a game. Yes, I'll give you a prize."
"A prize? What is it?" Chris replied.
"Simple. A question. It may not seem extravagant, but whoever wins will be able to ask me anything they want, and I will answer it. It can only be a question, not a request. Don't expect me to release you guys. But questions can be endless."
Everyone was thinking the same thing, they could ask Tucker whatever they want, and he will answer. They can find out where they are, or why Tucker decided to organize this game for them to play.
All of a sudden, the pictures of everyone's faces on the big screen started to spin in a circle, everyone's except Caitlin and Kyle. "Tucker, what the hell is happening?" Brandon asked.
"Well, it's time for the next game of course. We've all stood here for long enough and I'm getting bored and stiff. This is a game I like to call 'Quick Draw'." Tucker said.
Tucker pulled out two pistols from his coat pockets. He looked at them as if admiring them. He then set them down on the ground across from the big screen, which still showed the character's pictures spinning.
He stood up straight and cleared his throat: "Here's how it goes, two people will stand near these guns. When I yell 'start', they will run and choose which gun they want to use. After they have chosen, they will stand several meters from each other with their backs facing each other. They will turn around and pull the trigger when I say 'go'."
"S-so it's just whoever can shoot the fastest?" Garrett asked.
"Essentially, yes. But here's the catch." Tucker said. "One of the pistols is loaded, and the other one isn't. I loaded one of them before you all came here. I obviously won't tell you which is loaded and which one isn't. It's a game of luck, basically."
All 15 people stared at the guns on the floor. Everyone was worried, no one wanted to be picked for this. The first moment walking out into a large room and not knowing where you are, and then the next moment being forced to kill one of your friends or have them kill you. It's a 50/50 decision that will literally cost someone their life.
The spinning pictures on the screen started slowing down and almost coming to a complete stop. "I thought about choosing the participants myself, but I thought that wouldn't be fair. So I decided to let the computer randomize the players and choose them itself."
Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen. As the pictures slowed down, the 14 possible players all held their breath. The pictures eventually came to a complete stop, and the one in the middle was going to be the first player. And that person was...
"Brandon!" Tucker yelled as he pointed to Brandon standing there.
Brandon was surprised. He didn't want this to happen. Many thoughts were spinning in his head. Why me? Why do I have to kill someone? But most importantly, he thought, who do I have to face?
The pictures started spinning again, but this time they came to a complete stop a lot quicker. Brandon's opponent was going to be...
"Garrett!" Tucker said. "It's decided, Brandon and Garrett will face each other in Quick Draw."
Brandon and Garrett looked at each other in shock. They knew each other since the first grade, they knew everything about the other, they knew each other's favourite colour, their favourite TV show, practically everything. But now they have to decide who will live and who will die.
"Brandon and Garrett, if you wouldn't mind standing near the pistols." Tucker demanded.
The two of them reluctantly walked over to where Tucker wanted them to stand. Brandon stood on one side, and Garrett the other. With the two guns placed between them.
"Let me repeat, one of them is loaded, and the other isn't. You will both run to them and choose which one you think is loaded. You will return to your original spots, point the gun at your opponent and pull the trigger when I say 'go'."
Garrett looked at Brandon with a sad expression: "Well buddy, I guess this is it."
"What? You can't just accept this! We can't kill each other!" Brandon shouted. "I've known you longer than anyone here has. Just a week ago, you and I were talking about going to that cottage with Matthew and Kevin, right?" Brandon looked at Matthew, who was avoiding eye contact with him, Kevin, who stood right next to Matthew, did the same. "Tucker, I won't do this!"
"If you refuse to play, I will count that as a forfeit and I will kill you myself on the spot." Tucker said in a very serious tone.
Brandon gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He couldn't kill Garrett, and he didn't want Garrett to kill him. But what was he to do, if he didn't participate, then Tucker will kill him.
"If all is understood, and there are no questions. Then we shall begin. And good luck to you, gentlemen" Tucker said.
--
Made by LordFalcon 
