"When all the world falls silent,
Whose voice could you hear?
Just a madman and his lament,
of the gods who cannot feel."
I.
"Fifty-one~" Loki said. A woman wearing a long floral skirt and a pink sleeveless top came forward, hands clasped together as if in prayer. She looks like a model with her height and her shape.
"Shame" I said to myself, knowing that she will soon share the same fate as those who went before her.
The show started hours ago. All of us are made to stay backstage until our number is called, just like that woman. There is food prepared for us. Sofas are also available to sit on and there are rooms people could use to practice before being called.
Disregarding the fact that we would probably all die, I'd say that this is a V.I.P - like treatment. The food is even top gourmet class in taste but, that doesn't amount to anything.
We're all dead.
"Shit. Shit. Shit."
"This isn't real."
"Mommy I want to go home."
The voices keep piling up backstage. As the hours drag on, more and more people sink into despair. Frankly speaking, I understand why a lot of us are entering that kind of state. After all, nobody would ever expect to be taken as part of this sick game. One where we are entertainers for these "gods". One where, a bored audience is equivalent to your own death.
"AHHHH!" The voice came from the stage.
"She's dead" I told myself. That scream just now confirms it. I just don't want to know how they killed the person this time around.
"Fifty-twooo~" Loki said right after the scream died out.
The problem here is that nobody has yet passed to be amusing to these gods/goddesses. I have watched the first batch of people getting killed through various means. None of which have any hint of mercy.
Intestines were torn out.
Flesh have been burnt.
Bodies have been electrocuted.
Eyes have been gouged.
Death is different for every individual, and with each death, the gods will always roar in laughter.
Maybe we really are capable of entertaining them. But not through our talents, no. They'd get entertained through the various methods of our deaths. The concept made me laugh and I didn't stop it.
"HAHAHA" I'm sure everybody heard me loud and clear but nobody batted an eye. We're all halfway down the road of lunacy anyway, so that laugh might also be normal now.
"AAAHHH!" Another scream. Another death.
"Fifty - Treis~" Another murder victim.
II.
"Come on Jean, there has to be something amusing about you right?" I thought to myself. My number is about to be called and I don't want to die without putting up a proper fight.
"Hey mister." *Poke. Poke*
"I'm not a good comedian. Nor am I a dancer. Heck, my voice can even raise the dead because they'd get disturbed by it."
"Miiiissteeer~" *Poke*
"Huh?" As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a head directly above mine.
"AAAAHHH!" I quickly moved away with the shock that I felt. I have always been bad at handling women and most of the time they just outright scare me. "Wh-Wha-What?"
"Hmmm?" She said in reply, smiling in my direction. "You were blocking the curtain mister." I quickly examined the apparition that appeared before me. We have almost the same height. She wore a lousy white tee partnered by black boxer shorts. Her hair is a long jet black, and her eyes are deep purple, as if they could suck you in anytime.
"Name's Heidi. I'm a bit interested in this next contestant." She continued, uninterested if I have anything else to say.
"Come here, take a peek with me." She opened a small portion, big enough for both of us to see through. Again, disregarding if I have anything to say about the matter.
"haaaah" I let out a deep sigh and positioned my head just above Heidi's.
"seventyone" Loki now said, as if he lost all interest in hosting altogether. He didn't even bother putting a small pause between words. He just said it as if "seventyone" is a real word.
I sneaked a peak and saw a person known by almost everyone on earth. It's the famous musician Bach! He became popular because of how well he can play the bass. At the age of 9 he could already play the most difficult music scores and sheets. For the first time in this whole competition, I felt like something would change. With him playing, things might just flip over.
"Loki sir, a bass please." Bach said. Right now, Loki is sitting at the furthest corner of the stage, probably bored to death. But he cannot leave his station because he is the one providing the things needed by the entertainer for their performance. He just snaps his fingers and the item magically appears in front of the contestant.
"Hey, how did you know he'd come next?"
"Oh him?" Bach started playing the bass.
"I wasn't referring to him." After a few seconds, he was killed by the bass strings piercing through his body.
"Whaaaat?!" I am now completely lost for words. He wasn't the one? A renowned musician with multiple international music awards isn't the one? Who could be better than him?
"Hey lighten up will ya?" Heidi said as she headbutted my chin, causing me to bite my tongue in the process.
"Wha dee yu do tha foe? (Normal person translation: What did you do that for?)
"Just calm down. I swear the next one will be different." I don't know why but, Heidi's words felt reassuring. So, I just did as I am told and looked at the contestant who would come next.
"sventytree" The useless host said.
What I saw through the curtains looked nothing special. It's a random girl. She's wearing the uniform of a 7-and Leven employee. A green cap, ponytailed auburn hair, medium stature and frankly nothing eye catching. I don't understand what there is to watch but I still followed Heidi's lead.
"Hey douchebag, gimme a mic."
What…the….FUUUUCKKK? After the first incident, everybody has been super careful when addressing Loki. I mean come on, he can chop you as fast as your fruit ninja high score. Even Loki seemed a bit surprised but he didn't act up. He just giggled and snapped his fingers, giving the woman a mic.
"Imma sing for you bastards, so you better be grateful and bring me back home!"
Below me, Heidi held back her laughter but the only thing I felt was more nervousness for that woman. It's like watching a stunt-lady slowly walk through a thin rope covered with grease, with lions waiting below her.
"Okay here I go." She said as she prepared to sing.
"Lift your head, don't be scared…of the things that may go wrong along the way…" I felt a warm breeze run through my skin. She's a completely different person when she sings.
"You'll get by with a smile. You can't win at everything but you can try." There's no roughness or crudeness in her voice. All I hear is a gentle lullaby that would even make the whole of hell stop in their torture games. It's as if time stood still.
For a moment, the audience fell silent. Even all of us backstage stopped with our panicking and lamenting. Everybody. Listened. Not a soul dared to intrude on this heavenly performance. But then, like all good things, her song has finally ceased.
I was caught in a daze, not sure what to do next. My eyes went to Loki and he seemed pissed because, the woman who talked trash to him actually survived.
"How's that you PUUNKS!"
Ahhh that's right.
"Come on get me out of here before clobber you all to death."
I forgot.
"Fucking psychopaths, get a life!"
She's a brute.
III.
"HAHAHAHAHA" I was shocked to hear that the whole audience started bursting in laughter. Then, in the blink of an eye, someone came on stage. The man has a muscular build. He has eyes that seem to be a burning red, his hair is neatly shaved and he has scars all over his face. He wore a crimson leather jacket covering his cream-colored shirt, looking down he wore black trousers, coupled with black combat boots.
"I like you lass! The names Ares." Ares, as in the god of war right? Well, the look does fit the job description.
"You reek old man." The girl on stage said, pinching her nose and moving a step away form him.
"Buahahahaa! A feisty one aren't ya." The girl on stage didn't respond anymore, as if annoyed by the person in front of her.
"Well no matter." Ares said, forcibly grabbing the woman and putting his hand around her shoulder. "Oi this girl is mine already got that!"
"Yeah sure Ares." A voice from the crowd said.
"You do fit each other perfectly. Hahaha." Another voice said.
"Let go of me you punk!" The woman on stage said as she elbowed his stomach, but Ares didn't even bulge.
Ares didn't say anything anymore. He just lifted his left hand and I saw his pointer finger burning. He then used his right hand, the one around the woman's shoulder, to quickly unbutton the upper part of her uniform.
"LET GO! LET GO YOU BRUTE! LET GO!" She started screaming and shouting but nobody was there to help her. Nobody would dare go against these gods because it would mean their own death. Only an idiot would come to her rescue. Yes. Only an idiot. Good thing there's an expert idiot right here.
"HEEEEY!" I said as I dashed outside the curtains. I didn't dare slow down because if I did, my legs may lose whatever strength it has left. I looked down and ran at their direction. As soon as I saw his feet I clenched my hand into a fist and then…I hit him.
IV.
"Oi kid." I knew it was his voice but I didn't bother looking up.
"LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Ares shouted with such a commanding and fiercely voice that my legs were about to give away. But I refuse to look scared! I will not be be pushed down in fear. If I'm gonna die right here, then I should at least look like a decent man.
I stared right into Ares' burning eyes and with all the energy my body has left I was able to mutter the words "Let her go…"
"Huh?!" As soon as he said that, my vision whirled. Suddenly, I'm looking at the ceiling and my body feels light. A strong thud brings my body back to the ground but it's strange because I don't feel any pain.
"The fuck man, this is my girl already." Ares said as his voice came closer to my direction.
Both his hands were already fixed on the woman, so whatever hit me probably wasn't anything connected to his body. I tried to sit down at the very least, but it took all my effort to do so.
*cough. cough* Blood spurted from my mouth and I understood the situation quite well…
I'm going to die.
I couldn't say anything anymore. Guess my vocal cords got wrecked too. But I could still see him and I refused to look away.
I glared at him as he said some words which I couldn't hear anymore. My body started feeling cold and I saw the woman forming tears in her eyes. But then… a familiar figure appeared in front of me. Wearing a lousy white tee and black boxers, her jet-black hair eating up her own shadow. It was Heidi.
Before consciousness finally left me, I saw her mouthing two words.
"He's mine."