"Carol, do something! Aren't you the leader!?" Theresa's voice pierced through the tense air as we all edged away from the menacing creature that had emerged from the darkness. Since we had stepped into this dimly lit room, Theresa and her friends had been silent, intent on examining our surroundings and questioning why we were there. Now, with the unexpected appearance of the creature, confusion reigned, and Theresa was looking to me for guidance. I felt a surge of panic as I realized that I had no experience in dealing with such a perilous situation.
"Keep an eye on it while we try to open the door," I instructed Theresa. I averted my gaze from the creature and carefully traced the wall with my hand to locate the door. Some of the others had already begun pounding on the door, and I hurried to join them, hoping that our combined efforts would break it open.
"Help us, please!" We shouted desperately from behind the closed doors.
"Lower your heads!" A voice from our group warned. The dragon, clearly agitated by our frantic shouts, spewed out a torrent of flames. We quickly ducked and scrambled away, narrowly avoiding the intense heat that engulfed those who hadn't reacted in time.
"Please, somebody," I silently pleaded, hoping that help would arrive before it was too late. I had no desire to face another confrontation after this. I promised myself to never get into any fight and to always keep my emotions in check.
"Keep banging on the door," I urged as the flames subsided and the burnt bodies lay motionless on the ground. Fear crept through me, settling like an unwelcome chill as we continued to pound on the door, our desperation palpable in the air. This method of ensuring we would be on our best behavior was the most terrible, yet effective. I'd forever escape the detention center while I was here.
The door finally broke down and we thrashed to the ground, all of us, on top of each other.
"Get off me!"
"Arghhh. You've broken my nose"
"Get your butt out of my face, you punk"
When I got up from the ground, assuming that I was already in the corridor where the security personnel had brought us, I was surprised to find that we were actually in a completely different location. Looking up at the sky, I could still see the drifting clouds and flying birds, but what truly astonished me was that we appeared to be inside a large enclosed space; there were walls all around us, and in front of us stood a massive pole with a timer attached to it. I squinted, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Suddenly there was a commotion, where the heated exchange between two individuals had seized my attention. It was baffling to witness yet another conflict unfolding, considering that we were trapped in this wretched place due to a conflict. Shouldn't our primary focus be on devising an escape plan rather than engaging in further discord?
"You killed someone," the guy accused, forcefully shoving the other individual, who had harshly flung the girl away. It was evident that there was a significant connection between the short guy and the girl.
"Did I?" retorted the taller, more imposing figure, tilting his head to the side as he scrutinized the other who seemed to be inviting trouble.
"You did. Your actions alerted the snake, leading to disastrous consequences. We could have all made it out unscathed if it weren't for you," the guy continued, delivering a series of punches to the other individual's chest. His rage was palpable, and it was apparent that another conflict was imminent if caution wasn't exercised.
"Would you have preferred to be the one flung away?" the taller figure questioned, looking down at the other guy with clear intimidation. "And it's a dragon, you fool," He corrected through clenched teeth and furiously slapped the guy out of his way.
I found myself scanning the area, and that's when I spotted Theresa and her so-called friends. One of them, who seemed to be in denial about her actions, was holding a mirror up for Theresa to inspect her injured face. I could hear her hurling curses at me for the damage I had caused. It was at that moment that I noticed a prominent mark running from the side of her cheek to her mouth. Meanwhile, the other girl with the broken bag was standing apart from the group, leaning against the wall and staring at the ground.
I decided to approach her, and as I drew near, she lifted her head to meet my gaze. "Hey there. Why are you all by yourself?" I asked, realizing that she had distanced herself from the others.
"Theresa doesn't want to be friends with me anymore because of what happened. I don't know anyone else here, so I'm left on my own," she explained.
As I studied her, I began to wonder if she was truly a bad person or if the influence of her friends had led her down the wrong path.
"Well, you seem to have made another friend. I'm Carol Davis"I extended my hand toward the girl, introducing myself.
As she hesitantly glanced at me, I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. It was clear that she was taken aback by my offer of friendship, likely due to the regrettable actions she had. However, my decision to befriend her was not solely based on her, but also the need for companionship in this unfamiliar place. I couldn't help but notice a sense of loyalty in her demeanor, although I was far from granting her my complete trust. Moreover, I hadn't forgiven her for colluding with Theresa to bring chaos into my life.
"Valerie White," she said, extending her hand to greet me. I took it, feeling a sense of unease lingering in the air. I couldn't quite trust her yet, not after what she had been involved in, but in this unfamiliar place, I knew I needed someone to rely on.
"Do you have any idea what we're doing here?" I asked, although deep down, I knew she was just as clueless as I was.
Valerie shook her head, and we both continued to observe our surroundings, waiting for the next turn of events. After a while, the sound of a machine caught our attention, and we turned to see a wall folding open, revealing a group of people, including someone I recognized as Ky, the person my brother had asked to take pictures of us on his graduation day.
As Ky whispered something to the older man among the group, a smirk formed on the man's lips.
When Ky's gaze met mine, a flicker of surprise crossed his face before he averted his eyes.
"Hello, students. Welcome to your first day in the detention center," the man announced, his voice carrying through the room. "We have designed a game for you to participate in, called Life Vs Death. The successful ones amongst you shall be rewarded as well as the losers. On the count of ten, the game shall begin."
After informing us of the danger ahead, the students began to chatter.
10... The sound of the countdown made my heart drop in my stomach. I felt sick, and the urge to throw up clawed at me.
I turned to Valerie, who looked equally concerned. The mention of Life vs. Death was ominous, especially considering our recent encounter with a dragon. My heart raced as the countdown continued.
5... 4.... 3... 2....
"Everything will be fine," Valerie reassured me, but I couldn't shake off the fear that had gripped me since we entered this place.
As the countdown reached zero, "Players... take your spot on each of the carved lines" the man instructed us to take our positions on the lines that had dramatically appeared on the ground.
Once everyone was in place, the man questioned, "You see the time up there?"
Everyone glanced up at the pole where the timer had been set to forty five seconds. "Failure to complete the race in forty five seconds shall leave you facing dire consequences. Best of luck... That's if you even need one"
"This looks like a scene in Squid Game," a voice beside me remarked. I turned to see a tall guy with black raven hair and green eyes.
Curiously, I inquired. "What's squid game"
"A movie" He responded flatly.
Valerie then cleared my riding curiousity by explaining. "Where players play a game of race within a stipulated time and if they fail, they'll be killed by guns. It's a cruel scene" she added while turning to face me.
"Let's hope there are no guns here. Otherwise, we're doomed," he added with a nervous chuckle.
The mention of guns sent a chill down my spine, especially after witnessing the horrors of this place, particularly the dragon attack. I couldn't help but wonder why I had been brought here and why Axel hadn't warned me about the dangers lurking within this detention center.
"On your marks!" the man's voice boomed, and everyone knelt in anticipation.
"Get set"
As the gunshot rang out, signaling the start of the race, we all sprinted towards the distant pole, our eyes locked on the finish line. The countdown began. Drawing upon my previous experience racing at home, I pushed myself with all my strength while Valerie and the other participants seemed to be keeping up just fine. However, as we raced onward, a terrifying sound echoed from behind us.
"Help me!" came a desperate cry.
I turned to see the ground crumbling and people falling into the ground below. I caught sight of a girl with glasses falling with trepidation evident in her eyes, her lips parted in vain as she outstretched her arms at me.
"Carol, run!" Valerie's urgent voice called from ahead. I glanced back to find them leaving me behind. My attention was torn between the girl trapped in the collapsing ground, pleading for help, and the others racing ahead. With the ground on the verge of collapse, I made a split-second decision and sprinted forward, leaving the person behind.