It spun in the air over and over again. I watched through tunnel vision.
It buried itself into the shoulder of the girl, who then cried out in pain, dropping the bow and falling to the floor. I quickly ran to her, desperate to get the knife and bow. She cried out over and over as she weakly scooted away with her one good arm.
Her screams halted and turned into whimpers of fear as I approached her.
Standing over her, I took in the horrendously bloody sight, my eyebrows raised in worry as her back hit the wall.
“I-I’m sorry,” I told her in a cracked, dry voice. I knelt next to her and twisted my face in horror as I planted one hand on her chest to steady her and pulled the knife from her shoulder with the other. Another piercing scream escaped her lips.
If I stayed any longer my cover would be blown. I had to leave before I was found. I grabbed the bow and single arrow, tucking the knife in my boot, and turned to leave.
“Wait…” She said quietly, breathlessly. She was wheezing now, her breathing ragged and her eyes drooping. “Don’t… leave me like this…”
I furrowed my eyebrows, barely being able to look at her.. to look at what I had done to her. “I… someone will help you.”
“I’ll be killed. The guards… the Queen… I’ll be killed. Please… don’t make me stay here like this.” Her eyes flickered down to the knife in my boot. “Do it quickly please.”
My mind went completely blank, and my next movements where completely mechanical. The knife made a loud squelch as I drove it through her heart. Her last breath fanned my cheek as my soul seemed to fall from my body in unison with hers.
I waited to feel it…. anything. Pain, suffering, sorrow, guilt, fear.
Yet, nothing came.
I pushed myself up from the ground and continued forward, my boots making bloodied prints in the sand.
The alarm sounded from above and the familiar voice blared. “Five players remaining.”
I gulped as I peered up at the watching audience. It was almost dead silent now. Each person was as small as an ant, yet I could tell all eyes were on me.
By the time I neared the other side of the arena, the big red clock read eight minutes remaining.
Footsteps sounded to the right of me, in the center of the arena, and I quickly ducked behind a half wall.
Loud, angry voices could be heard. One was familiar. I peeked over the ledge.
Charles stood there with the knife drawn in front of him as another boy stood across from him yielding a long spear.
What was he doing over here? I had told him to stay put!
“Please,” Charles begged the boy who took slow advances toward him.
“Don’t move, kid,” he barked. “Don’t try anything.”
My eyes widened as the boy lunged toward him. Charles cried out as the spear pierced through his stomach. The boy pulled the spear from him as Charles fell to the floor.
I placed a hand over my mouth to muffle my gasp.
I fell back behind the wall.
“I told him to stay put!” I whispered through gritted teeth. I pulled on my hair and dug my feet into the sand repeatedly.
By the time I gained the strength to peer over the ledge again, the boy was long gone, and Charles’s body was a contorted, bloody pile on the ground.
I swallowed back the bile in my throat as the alarm blared again.
“Four players remaining.”
In and out, in and out, I breathed. I regained my composure and headed toward the center now that I reached the end. I stood with my back against the wall, peering around each corner.
Finally, I saw the bright blue flag illuminating the walls of the room. I crouched behind a barrier just outside of the room.
With a better angle to see inside, I saw a boy with a large axe-like weapon standing guard. He paced back and forth, swinging his head left and right, watching for any signs of people.
I raised the bow out in front of me, pulling it back and taking aim.
Just as my fingers began to release the string, the alarm blared again, causing me to lose my balance and stumble backward.
“Three players remaining.”
I gasped quietly. Who could have it been? Was it Amelia? Am I the only person remaining on my team?
I shook my head over and over, begging my brain to simply shut off.
I got back into position again and raised my bow once more. I waited for the boy to pace over in my direction to let it fly.
The arrow landed right on target.
Straight through his eye socket.
He was gone before he even hit the floor, and his axe went clattering away from him.
I shot up from my position and ran straight for the flag, leaping over his body as if it were just another pile of rubble and ripping it from it’s pole. I tucked the bow under my arm and took off.
I didn’t bother being stealthy… the image of winning and moving on to the final game caused my feet to go fast and faster.
A dark figure shot out from a corner and smacked into mine. The flag went flying from my grip and my bow shattered in a million pieces. I fell backward, pushing myself away from the figure as quickly as I could.
“Violet?” The figure said.
Finally, Amelia materialized in front of me, a whoosh of relief leaving my body.
“I thought you were dead!” Amelia said breathlessly.
I pushed myself up and helped her to her feet. “I thought you were.”
Her eyes widened as wide as the moon when she saw the glowing blue flag on the floor. “Oh my god, you got it.” She snatched it from the floor and picked up her knife that had been knocked from her hands. “Let’s go. We’re so close.”
Leaving the snapped bow behind, I pulled my knife from my boot and began following her.
I noticed her worried glance at the blood stains on my knife.
“Did you…?” She asked.
“Twice.” I told her quickly.
We hurried back, not exchanging any more words.
When we reached our room, the green flag still illuminated the walls. We both shared a sigh of relief. Amelia walked up to the podium and reached out to place the flag.
A voice scoffed behind us, causing us to whip around and hold our knives out.
Brianna stood with a machete hanging loosely at her side. Her hand rested on her hip as she took both of us in.
“So, this is it, huh? You guys win and the Queen gets another kill under her belt. This is it? This is what I came here for?”
I took hesitant steps toward her, tracking her every move.
“Brianna, don’t,” I warned.
“I’m tired of doing these things for the Queen. I’m tired of being her little puppet. I’m… not doing it anymore.” She raised the machete.
I yelled out in fear and lunged at her, desperate to attack before she could.
The machete lifts to her throat, and in one quick motion, she swipes.
I gasp as blood pours from the slit in her throat. She choked and gurgled as she fell to the floor.
I looked back at Amelia’s stunned expression. The alarm blared.
“Two players remain. Ten seconds left.” The mechanical voice boomed.
Amelia stood there, completely still. I wouldn’t go out like this. I wouldn’t be slaughtered because we were too stunned by the death of a girl I only knew for mere days.
I slipped the flag from her hold and pressed it down on the podium. It illuminates bright blue.
The red timer stopped, and the alarm blared once more.
“Blue team is the winner.”
Amelia and I locked eyes with each other, our expressions mixed with horror, happiness, fear, and excitement.
“We did it,” Amelia whispered.
I smile of relief cracked at my lips as Amelia’s face remained hard and stern.
Realization spread over our faces at the same time as the seemed to distance grow between us.
“Wait,” I said. “Does that mean…?”
Amelia’s face went pale. “We’re the final two. One of us must…”
“Kill the other?” I whispered.
The guards flooded in and whisked us away in a flash. I didn’t even have time to look back at Brianna’s body.