Contingency

Morning came faster than expected. I look over at the room's only window, I lean my body against the wall to peek outside. I take a second glimpse just to be certain. The sun warms my face.

A beautiful day.

I trip over a stack of fitness magazines on the floor, but catch my footing just enough to slam my knee into a nearby desk. My breath hissed through my teeth.

I make my way downstairs. Unlike yesterday night, the gym is packed with people. The clang of weights and grunting men are the dominating sounds. Lydia is at her post charming the patrons of the gym; she waves at me.

Wish I was this productive in the morning. I don't even know where to start.

I make my way towards Lydia. A black four-door truck pulls up to the front door. The trucks gaudy rims bounce the sunlight into my eyes as I approach the door to investigate. I use my hands to cover my eyes, looking for some comfort. 

"Yo. Get a move on dude," Havyn yells, slamming his open palm on the outside of the door.

"What to where?" I answer back

"Just get in," he says smiling.

He opens the passenger side door for me. The back of the truck is full of gym bags.

We must not be coming back for a while, or at all.

My cell phone rings. The display shows ‘Mom.’ I open the lid of the phone; my thumb hovers over the green icon, but I close it.I downcast my eyes. The walk to the truck feels like slow motion. I look down at my phone one last time before tossing it into a nearby trash can. The ringtone amplifies from the receptacle.

The heat from the leather seat is burning into my back. I shift around in my seat. The electric guitar solos and wailing broke the awkward silence. In retrospect, hints of his personality should have warned me of his music preference. His hair is flying wildly in the wind from his open window. I watch his thumb tap the steering wheel, trying to keep a beat. My eyes are glued to his hands.

Havyn looks over at me curiously.

"Don't like metal?" he asks.

I shrug my shoulders.

"Where are we going?" I ask in return.

He lowers the radio and closes his window. His eyes stay fixed on the road ahead, ignoring my question.

"We are here," he says, exiting the truck.

I had been so fixated on Havyn during the car ride, I hadn't noticed the change in scenery.The wheels of the truck are kicking up massive amounts of dirt.The dust encircles the truck like we are riding on a cloud. Up ahead I can see an iron gate. I lower my window to get a better look. Time had been cruel to this structure. Rust encrusted the header, but I could make out the words.

Eternal Garden

 

Havyn rustles through some of the bags in the backseat.

What is he looking for?

I leave the truck to investigate the area. The archway holding the gate up is a compilation of old stones, weathered and dull. A pile of stuffed animals and flowers are nestled neatly in the corner.

A cemetery.

My Face is flushes like a tomato. My eyes dart side to side.

I turn to find a path to run but I see Havyn walking over, a shovel in hand. My body stiffens but I keep my body language firm. Even if I fought him off, I wouldn't know where to go.

"I could have saved you the trouble of the long drive. Settling this at the gym would have been much easier," I say.

Havyn looks at me puzzled. He looks at the shovel then back at me and laughs.

"You are really self-centered, not everything is about you," he remarks.

I am taken aback by his statement. I cover my head with both hands as the shovel goes whizzing past my ear and crashes into something. More dust is kicked up as a pile of metal slams into the ground.

 

Havyn gives a powerful kick to the gates causing them to open.

The pile of chains on the ground makes me wonder if someone was trying to keep something out or in.

"If I wanted to kill you. I would have already," Havyn says

 

"Why are we at a cemetery?" I ask

"Not a cemetery. A crypt. Nyxia is around here somewhere," he says, walking through the gate.

I swallow heavily.

"Can I ask you something?" I say.

"Depends, if you don't know the answer it's probably best not to find out," he replies coldly.

"Do you remember who you were last time, or how you lost?" I ask.

Havyn stops mid-step to face me.

"Let me fill you in on something. We all aren't privileged to remember. It's only enough to know you lost. I like to think I wasn't a complete a*****e in my last life, but we both know that's not the case. This is a different game, dude. Even if I remembered, it wouldn't help. I heard the rumors about some kind of savior that would take us out of limbo and here you are, pretty boy, right on my doorstep. The memories stay vague, but the names are always the same. Figures it applies fairness to our game. I will tell you this though. If this is the same chick I encountered last time, you shouldn't underestimate her. You have an advantage: you remember. At least you can strategize," Havyn says, digging his boot into the dirt.

I laugh sarcastically, "Advantage? What can I do that makes me any better off?" 

 

"How did you know my name, Ares?" he asks. 

 

"I looked at the poster," I answer.

 

"Exactly, my name was nowhere on there. That means you can find the players by faces, not names. I, on the other hand, am searching blind. I might know her name, but I don't know her face yet. She could be anyone this time," he says, "You won't know her until you see her."

 

I stare into his eyes dazed. I purse my lip.

 

"So I've played this game twice now. All of the people I've screwed over to get here come back scorned and out for my head because I damned every one of them. I have all three dimensions waiting for me to f**k up this time Havyn. The worst part is, if you are right about us being a team, you are going down with me," I say, staring a hole into the ground.

Havyn pulls his hair back into a ponytail.

"You ever consider we aren't worth saving? We’re not exactly here on vacation. We belong here," he says

"Truthfully it doesn't matter and I’m here for selfish reasons." I felt the shame dripping from my words.

"Know what's funny. You said you played this twice. Which means you were in the game with me this last time around. I don't remember your name," he says.

 

His statement causes my mouth to dry.

 

"Let's just start looking," I answer.

 

Havyn sized me up. The stare-down had lasted a couple of seconds before he started walking farther up the path. The truth was: I knew why he couldn't remember me. 

Rule Number 44: Contestants will not remember their elimination.

 Rules, that's where the council gets you. The rules of the game are only told to you after each game has a winner and in a completely random manner.  

 666 Rules and you only get rewarded 1 in the final game. I know two.

I can only recognize the other players by face, not by name. I am going to have to rely on them to locate each other for me. 

I need to see this girl’s face.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Great discussion in the chapter. I liked the road trip and the conversation changing to the game. Thank you my friend for sharing the excellent chapter.
Coyote