Dead End | Jun-ho

6 | All Your Fault

◯ △ ▢

Aera stared down at the small word on the piece of paper. triangle. She questioned it, wondering what it could possibly mean.

All the players had nearly formed a full line, each face decorated with dread and anxiety as they awaited the treachery to come.

"Aera, hurry up." Mi-sun shouted, bringing Aera out of her staring trance.

Shoving the piece of paper into her pocket, she made sure it wasn't going to fall out. Aera quickly walked over to Mi-sun, joining the depressing line of participants.

"Why didn't you follow? You were staring at your hands for a good while." Mi-sun questioned, putting a hand on Aera's shoulder.

Aera couldn't explain the situation right now, too much had happened to tell her where the piece of paper had come from. "Just got distracted." She replied with a compressed smile.

Undoubtedly, the piece of paper had come from the square-masked guard whom she'd met in the bathroom. The anomalous encounter had put her more on edge, adding to her worry after the dreadful game. Confused, she didn't understand what 'triangle' was supposed to represent. Or what the guard was playing at.

The line began to move, people's anxiety growing more by the second. People dragged their feet along the floor, putting the game off as much as possible. Guards shouted, telling everyone to hurry up.

Aera tapped Mi-sun on the shoulder, grabbing her attention. "After the game, I need to talk to you about something." Aera made a promise to herself, that she'd tell Mi-sun what had happened in the bathroom. She hoped she could tell Mi-sun, praying they would both make it out alive.

"Okay." Mi-sun smiled, admiring her confidence.

Four guards lead the players to a large room. Walking in, it felt familiar, so similar to the last. It was almost as if she'd stepped into a children's play park; an enlarged version. Clouds painted onto blue walls; the floor covered in sand; immense pieces of playground equipment scattered around the room.

"Players, welcome to the second game. We will begin shortly."

Aera ignored the speaker's voice, her eyes darting around the room as she looked at the large structures. She kept to her tactic, trying to figure out what was up ahead for her.

This place, wherever she had been brought to, was so confusing, completely abnormal and nothing like she'd ever come across before. Every room she'd found herself in was so child-like, decorated with pretty colours, almost like it were trying to trick you. If you didn't know the story behind the place, it simply looked like an innocent children's play area.

"I still don't understand the whole children's games thing." Mi-sun spoke, gazing at the structures and trying to figure them out as Aera was.

"Players, before the second game begins, choose one of the four shapes on the wall in front of you. Please then form a line by your chosen shape."

Aera's gaze shifted, moving to examine the shapes on the wall. She began to look at each of them, circle, trian- triangle. Not bothering to look at the other two, she stopped in her tracks.

Fumbling around in her pocket, she slightly pulled the piece of paper out, only enough so she could see the word again. triangle.

Was this some sort of coincidence? Or was she meant to pick the shape?