When we awoke the next morning, the flashing red numbers read five o’clock. I tried to rub the bags away from underneath my eyes when the guards led us straight to the second game.
“No breakfast before?” I whispered to the boy walking ahead of me.
He tilted his head back. “I guess not. They probably just want to get this thing over with.”
The pit in my stomach festered into shaking hands and knees as we filed into the dressing room.
What fate was upon me in just a few hours was unpredictable. If what happened to my competitor yesterday happened to all the losers, it was inherently clear that I was at great risk of death.
I dug my fingernails into my palms as I imagined the sword slicing through my head, the thing falling off and rolling away from the rest of me, maybe even leaving a red trail of blood behind it. I couldn’t imagine what it must’ve been like for him… what it would feel like.
My anxious thoughts were ripped from me when the same clicking of the high heels entered the room and the woman appeared. Her appearance was the same as yesterday… tight bun, form-fitting black suit, tall heels.
“Good morning, competitors. To be held today are the last two remaining games. Behind you are today’s uniforms. Dress quickly. We’re heading out in ten minutes.” Her cold and empty voice sent chills down my spine. It was as if she had rehearsed and said those same lines a million times. Maybe even she has, seeing as the games have been going on much longer than I have been alive.
The uniforms today were a striking green with accents of gold that almost seemed to illuminate from the thick material. I ran my fingers over the material. It reminded me of the leather Theo used to sell at the market back home.
My stomach dropped at the thought of him. The idea of never seeing him again began eating me alive.
“You alright there?” Brianna asked.
I snapped out of my thoughts and shot her a fake smile. “All good.”
“Are you worried about the games?” She pulled on the form-fitting pants at the same time I did.
“I guess so. I just… didn’t know what I was getting into. It’s not right—what they do, I mean.”
“Nothing the Queen has ever done is right.” She pulled her hair into a ponytail and then began lacing up her boots.
I did the same.
“Follow me, everyone.” The woman called out after we had all dressed.
We walked down the same hallways as last time.
This time, I was in the group that branched off, making our way to the other doors of the arena.
Brianna and two other boys stayed behind while Amelia and another boy stayed with me. I shot backward one last glance at Brianna, our eyes only connecting for a moment before she disappeared from sight.
Once we made it to the doors, one of the guards began handing out blue scraps of fabric to each of us. We all exchanged confused glances.
“The second game—by tradition—is always a team vs team competition. Tie these around your forearms. You three are team blue. Your competitors are team green.”
We all fastened them onto our arms. My body seemed to relax a little at the thought of having two other people on my team.
The anxiety, though, skyrocketed right back up and the guards readied the doors.
I blew shaky breaths out from my mouth and dug and dug at my palms.
Focus. Breathe. You can do this.
The alarm blared and the screeching of the doors began. This time, my eyes adjusted quicker than the last. I could see all my surroundings perfectly.
The arena had completely transformed from a wet, rocky shore, to a dry, dusty wasteland. There were dilapidated, broken sandstone structures, all providing excellent coverage.
The other team wasn’t in sight, blocked by all the structures and crumbling walls.
As we entered the arena, we were led by guards to the back wall. They left us standing next to a large glowing green flag as the announcer began the speech.
“This is Game Two. Amelia Hue, Charles Dene, and Violet Beckett are on the Blue Team, while Brianna Peters, Nyle Winterstone, and Brian Epscott are on the Green Team. This is the simple game of Capture The Flag. Steal your flag from the opposing team and return it to your home base for your team to win. Hidden around the arena are various weapons to help you against your opponents. If no one retrieves the team’s flags before the time runs out, both parties are to be eliminated. You have fifteen minutes.” There was a long pause before the announcer added, “Any type of violence will be permitted… murder included. It is also important to note that all the members of the losing team will be eliminated.”
My face dropped as they delivered the last line. We all exchanged pale looks at each other. I gulped and leaned against the stone of the arena walls to catch my balance, my body daring to collapse and seep through the cracks in the sand.
My roommate—whose I learned name is Amelia—cleared her throat. “Okay, so we have no choice then. We must win by whatever means necessary. We must kill if we’re going to make it out of here alive.”
“Kill?” The boy said frantically. “No, no way. We don’t have to. We shouldn’t. Maybe if we don’t, they won’t either.”
Amelia scoffed, digging the tip of her boot into the sand. “Yeah, right. I can promise you they are having the same conversation right now. But when it comes down to it, that team won’t hesitate to fire an arrow straight into our hearts to win.”
I shook my head, eyes blazing into the ground. “We can’t kill them.”
Amelia approached me, a more annoyed look on her face now. “Look, they’re going to die anyway. It’s them or us.” When neither of us replied, she rolled her eyes. “Fine, do what you want. Get yourself killed for all I care. I’m going to get out of here alive, no matter what I have to do.”
The alarm blared. And the clock with fifteen minutes began ticking down.
Amelia began forward, and the boy followed closely behind like a lost puppy. When she noticed this, she sighed in annoyance and pointed behind her. “Charles, is it? You go stand guard at the flag. The last thing we want is for them to sneak by us. Violet, you come with me to look for weapons. We’ll bring back something for you, okay?”
Charles nodded and jogged back, raising his fist awkwardly out in front of him, readying himself an attacker. It was obvious the poor kid hadn’t fought a day in his life.
Amelia and I continued forward, ducking behind walls that were half there, half gone, and large barriers.
“There.” Amelia points ahead of us. Underneath some rubble, a strap of a satchel stuck up from the pile of rubble. Pushing the loose rocks away, Amelia grabbed the bag and reached inside.
She pulled three small knives from inside. She flipped them over, inspecting them. “They’re throwing knives. We can all have one. Take one back to Charles, I’m going to charge ahead and see if I can take out one. The fewer people we have hunting us the better. Once you get to Charles, start scaling the outside of the arena. Hug the walls and head towards the other side.”
I shook my head, not quite able to grasp all the information at once. “Wait, what do you mean?”
Amelia furrowed her eyebrows, obviously questioning my intelligence. “You’re going to get the flag. I’ve seen you. You’re fast on your feet, quiet, and small. You’ll be our best chance at getting that flag. I’ll go down the middle here and try to take some of them out.”
I searched her eyes for any sort of doubt.
“You’re the best person for the job, Violet. Now, go.”
My feet began moving before my brain could protest. My grip tightened around the knives as I made my way back to Charles.
I placed one of the knives in his hand and told him the plan.
“Wait, so you’re leaving me here?” he asked frantically. “So basically I’m just going to stand here in front of the flag and wait for someone to come and murder me?”
I huffed, not having time to deal with any more emotions than my own.
“You can do this, Charles. Call for help if things go south.”
I waved a small goodbye, forcing myself to not think about the fact that it would probably be the last time I’d ever see him, and took off down the side of the arena.
I crouched down low as my left fingertips trailed along the marble walls. I weaved in and out of the stone buildings, pausing every once and a while to scan my surroundings.
When I rounded the corner of a taller structure, I was stopped dead in my tracks. Just a few feet away, a girl stood facing away from me. She held a bow tightly in her hand.
I instantly stumbled back, throwing myself behind a barrier. The scuffle alarmed the girl, who was now slowly making her way toward me. I hugged my knees tight against my chest and squeezed my eyes shut, begging my mind to think of a plan.
When I opened my eyes, I spotted a way around just to the right of me. I crawled slowly on my hands and knees away as the scuffing of the girl’s shoes grew nearer and nearer. I slipped through a doorway and peered over the top of a hole that used to be a window. I had a perfect view of her. Her body turned, heading toward where I used to be. She fumbled with the bow, obviously never using the thing before. She pulled back the string as she rounded the corner of the barrier.
My heart began to quicken as I realized what I would have to do. She was a threat, obviously ready to kill. She would’ve run by now if she didn’t want to use the weapon on me.
I gripped the knife so hard my knuckles turned white. Time began to slow as my heart squeezed in fear. I slowly raised from behind the window, my body now fully vulnerable to her arrows. I lifted the knife to my ear, thinking back to all the times my father taught me to throw them.
I closed my eyes, blood sloshing in my ears, my throat completely closed.
Then, with all my strength, I launched the knife toward her.