Brook

Brook              Twenty-One

          I don’t remember falling asleep last night. I don’t really remember much of last night besides Cam coming back into the room and throwing the steel- or iron, I can’t tell which- door closed with a loud slam that shook the small ten by ten room. One wall still projected with the color blue, the same one that is marking my wrist with the number three, and one projected with the color red that matched the number two that was tattooed on Maddy’s wrist.

          I stared down at the glowing blue number on my left wrist before slowly running my finger over the glowing number. It doesn’t itch anymore, which I guess is a positive thing. The dim glow disappears for a split second wherever my finger touches the number. I don’t know how they got it to glow. I’m not entirely sure I want to know how they got it to glow.

          When Cam came back into the room yesterday he didn’t say anything except the word ‘dog’. He slowly went back and sat in the spot he had been sitting in before he left the room, right next to Gabriella. For the next hour or so we would hear Cam go “Dog...”  every ten minutes and then hear what sounded like a sob.

          Eventually, poor Cam had “Dog”ed himself to exhaustion and passed out against Gabri’s shoulder. No one else really talked, but there was still that question floating in the air.

          What the hell did ‘dog’ mean?

          I looked at Ashley, who sat next to me now. She had moved back over to the blue wall after she was sitting with her brother who just so happened to be tatted with the same number as her only on a different team. We all knew what that meant. Ryan would sacrifice himself for his sister whenever they had them play against each other in the maze.

          I rubbed my eyes before hearing the same static noise that we’ve heard every morning for the last four days. That same cocky voice came ot of the intercom, sounding so happy to watch more people die for their entertainment. They belong in The Capitol from The Hunger Games. They’re certainly sick enough. I bet they would be Erudite if this were Divergent. They must be smart enough since they recreated a video game.

          “Good morning, Players. You know what time it is. Day five of Die to Live. Anyone want to take a guess at what number we’re going to call?” I glanced at my exposed wrist again and gulped. It suddenly felt like I had drank from a tube of paste, my saliva didn’t want to travel down my throat when I gulped. I felt my throat tighten even more. I did not have a good feeling. “Contestant number Three! Come on down and claim your prize!”

          I stared in disbelief at my tat. Not only did the Captain make his voice sound like a game show host’s, he called my number. I knew I had no choice but to get up and play their wicked games. If I played their game right I would get a small bit of safety back. Outside of the door was things still unknown to me. I had aimed to keep it that way for as long as possible but that obviously didn’t work out.

          Clearing my throat, I shakily and slowly got up, scanning the room for someone else who was either hyperventilating or getting up as well. My eyes met with Liam’s, a small groan escaped my lips. I didn’t bother to slap my hand over my mouth. He knew I hated him. He knew everyone hated him.

          Liam was a jock at school. If it came down to a wrestling match, I would most definitely lose. If it came to weapons he might lose. My parents had taught me to hunt with bows and guns. I knew how to shoot and I damn well knew how to aim. Liam looked broken, exhausted, and beat up. I smirked a little, seeing the remaining bruises from Ryan beating the s**t out of him at the club.

          A jolt ran down my spine at the thought of ‘the club’. My throat kept constricting, sending me back against the wall as I gasped for air. If I had never gone to that stupid club I would have never been in this f*****g mess. My eyes met Liam’s again and I tried to regain my composure, standing upright and clearing my throat again.

          “Today, kids.”

I looked up at the camera and raised my middle finger up high and close to the lens so they could clearly see it. “F**k you.” I narrowed my eyes as I walked to the door, waiting to hear the distinctive sound of it unlocking. I looked at Liam as he slowly shuffled over to stand next to me. I felt as if daggers were being thrown into my back, I knew everyone was watching me.

All I need  was to hear the sound of the door unlocking before I stepped out into the hallway, my feet echoing as I did. Liam stepped out a moment afterwards, the door shutting and locking behind him. It was cold in the hallway, and the white walls were illuminated with dim, yellow light. I turned and looked at Liam, his eyes looking at me, almost pleading with me to not leave him alone.

“I have to...” I looked at him apologetically before slowly backing away from him, spinning myself around to face forward after a couple steps.

          “You don’t have to...” I heard Liam whisper after me as I rounded a corner. I heard footsteps and had to stop and listen before figuring out that they weren’t following me, but going the opposite direction.

          The hallways were set up just like they were in the video game. I knew the path, almost by heart. Everyone loved the game. These guys obviously loved it a little too much. I took a left, a right, and another right before I reached the giant circular room that you would have to stand in until the other Player reached the circular room on the opposite side of the maze. There was a light beside the only other door in the room, it illuminated everything within five feet of it red.

          It was only a few minutes before the light by the door switched to green, allowing me through. Liam played the game a lot when he was younger. He mentioned that after we were told what this whole game was. I pushed through the door, and walked quickly down a short hallway. I’d have to be careful when I went into the room, Liam most likely already had his gun trained on the door.

          Luckily though, when I opened the door slowly Liam was still fumbling with the latch on the black lock boxes. If this were still a video game I would just have to position myself in front of the box and press ‘X’ to open it and get my gun. But this isn’t, so I can’t. I don’t make myself known as I walk over to my box, Liam is focused on his. It’s a simple latch but he’s shaking so hard he can’t get it open.

          It’s fairly clear who is going to win now. I flip the latch on mine and open it, reaching inside until my hand connects with the cold metal of the pistol. I pull it out and it’s a smooth matte black color. I get a hold on it before clasping my other hand around it and raising it up to eye level.

          “Liam.” I’m aiming at him, or his foot rather. He looks up and his eyes go wide before he shatters, his sobs coming quickly and loudly. His pleas are muffled by sobs and I have to picture something else. He has given up on the lock box, he’s accepted his fate. I lick my lips so they aren’t dry and taste salt. It’s then I realize that I’m crying too.

          I don’t dare let my guard down for one second. Slowly, I place my finger on the trigger and Liam’s blue eyes meet mine. “I’m sorry,” It’s only a whisper but it’s soon followed by a loud bang that echos in the room, a scream, and then the sound of Liam’s body hitting the floor. He’s sobbing but all I hear is the voice screaming in my ear for me to toss the gun and get out of the room.

          I blink several times in a row before throwing the gun in the open lock box and bolting from the room in the only open door. It shuts behind me but the door in front of me that leads back to the hall way that I very first started in closes too.

          Looking around I notice that some sprinklers have come down from the ceiling. There’s a buzzing noise and next the sprinklers are emitting a mist. I cough a little before lifting my shirt over my mouth and nose, trying to breathe.

          But then my eyes start to burn. Not just a slight burn like when you cry, this feels like I’m being stabbed in the eye. I hear a scream as my hands go to my eyes, my vision going black. I haven’t lost consciousness and I can still hear and feel the mist  sprinkling down on me from the sprinklers in the ceiling.

          I take my hands away and I still can’t see. “W-what the hell!” I scream again, my eyes just hurt. I can’t even explain it they hurt so bad.

          “Take five steps forward” That voice is in my ear again and I know it must be my team captain. “Just do it.”
          Nodding, I reach out, feeling for the wall. I feel myself tip slightly before my hand collides with the cold, slick wall. I can’t tell if my eyes are open or not so I try to open them as I take five steps forward. Turns out they were open, I felt my eyelashes brush against the space above my eyes. I hear the door open and I let my hand follow along the wall until it meets the door.

          “Just keep going straight. Three more steps, the door is opening for you.” My captain instructs me more as I stumble blindly into the hallway and hold my hands in front of me until I reach the door to the room my friends are in.

          “Brook?” I hear someone, a girl. I can’t decipher who but I think it’s Gabri.

          “Gabri?” I move my head around and step forward more, tripping and almost falling on my face before two warm arms catch me, pulling me up into an embrace.

          “God, what is that smell?” It was Gabri, I could feel her hair as she held me. I couldn’t see her. God how I wanted to see her. I don’t know what the smell was either but if I had to guess it would be the mist sprayed over me.

          “I don’t know. But when I was on my way back they sprayed me with a mist and I thought it was gas so I covered my nose and mouth with my shirt but it got in my eyes and now I can’t see.” I was blind. I don’t know if it was temporary or permanent but I knew I was blind.