PARANOID - kang saebyeok

005

"I'm three pills down and wide the fuck awake...,,

Inches away from the red stripe that commenced the end of the game, i stopped, panic running through my head as i stared at Sae across the line with tearful eyes and a clogged up throat.
The thought of dying was sawed into my mind when i looked up at the clock. Only 10 seconds left. A whirring sound echoed and the doll began to sing again. My feet moving against the sand at the speed of lightning and jumping to make it over the line. I shut my eyes tight, and when i landed, opened them again to see i barely made it over, the ones that had fallen behind, shot dead.
I breathed heavily, staring at the blood and devastation that had become of this game to win money, if i should even call it that.
A warm pair of arms wrapped around my body, shivering at the thought of Sae and I almost being one of them. The silence became deafening, the masked managers leading us back to our dorms.

-

Once we got back in, I swiftly walked over to my bed, Sae following behind. The shuffling of peoples feet echoed across the room yet there were no voices to be heard.
We sat down, holding my knees up to my chest with Saebyeok next to me. All that could be heard was our breathing, we didn't really know what to say after all that happened.
I looked around as everyone's heads hung low, only seeing a couple of men speaking, but of course, they were too far away for me to hear any of it.

I took a big breath and opened my mouth to begin to talk to Sae, only to be interrupted by a loud buzz. So many people were so terrified that they immediately got up and shuffled back into each other, begging for the safety blanket of those who were equally as scared.
The loud booted footsteps of the people in red stepped on the so-called 'stage' at the front of the room and began to speak.

"You have all made it through the first game." They spoke with a monotone voice, just like before. "Congratulations, you're moving on."
Those words sent chills down my spine. For the price of what? Other's lives? Killing people just for money?

"I will now announce the results of the first game."

The huge number on the wide screen in front of us started to drop, and so did my heart. We started off with 456 and now we're at 201. The fluid in my stomach felt as if it was about to come up and my skin turned white, like a sheet of paper white.

"Out of 456 players, 255 were eliminated." The sickening thought of how these people, if that's they are, can kill that many people, to give money to their components.
The loud gasps and horror came through each and every persons mouth, the sadness heard in their breaths as they turned to each other, hands over mouths and tears in their eyes. I looked at Saebyeok, seeing her staring at the screen with a downcast look on her face. My eyes drooped as i put my hands together in front of me, budging up closer to the tall girl stood beside me. I looked down at mine and Sae's feet, staying silent to respect those who had lost their lives just then, and in favour of the one's who killed them with no mercy.
Those poor people.

A woman with long brown curly hair ran forward in the crowd, crying and yelling to the masked managers.

"Mister, please!" She cupped her hands together as she got onto the floor. "Listen, I'm so sorry. I swear i will pay what i owe."
She begged with a painful voice, myself looking up to see the way she was pleaded to be let go and go home. Her sobs and screams made my heart hurt.

"I have a child. So young. I need to register, and i still need to name my child, sir." She put her hand on her heart, and i copied. That poor kid.