Let the Games Begin DreamNotFound

Chapter 29

George POV

Don't think about it.

He thrust his palms at the girl's back, sending her toppling onto a white ribbon player. Both players hit the ground, pierced to death a moment later.

"Hurry up!" George shouted.

Dream's emerald irises held hints of surprise, but he made no comment. Hopping onto the cleared black square, he dodged a shove from another player. The man didn't try twice, quickly leaping to another tile before the dirty blond could retaliate.

An arrow whizzed past George's head, striking a player somewhere behind him. 

They cleared the next few tiles without much hassle, diving into the safety of green light. The timer ticked to sixty seconds. 

"A minute to spare!" Dream ruffled chocolate hair, draping his arm around the smaller's shoulders. "Let's fucking go!" 

George gazed at the bodies littering the checkerboard, swallowing his guilt when he spotted the players he'd murdered. He'd did what he had to. 

"That was easier than the last games." He swatted the hand messing up his hair, his lips forming a small smile. 

"Well, we had an advantage being together." Dream reminded him. 

His attention snagged past George's shoulder, and the brunette turned to see Tommy's group nearing the elevator. He moved to the edge of the elevator, Dream hot on his heels.

"We got him." Dream reached out and lifted one of Tommy's arms. 

George grasped the other arm, and they carefully took the blond from Corpse and Sykunno's hold. Sykunno flashed a grateful look, leaping freely into the elevator. Corpse hopped in a split second ahead of a loud blaring.

George clasped his hands over his ears, waiting for the ear-piercing alarm to stop. He couldn't hear the rumbling of the door closing, startled when the elevator snapped shut. The timer had struck zero.

"We made it." Sykunno sagged in relief. "That was terrifying." 

"Congratulations on surviving the fifth game." An electronic voice flooded the room. "Player count, thirty four. You may now return to the Common Area."

As if on cue, the ground jolted. Green light changed red. Agonized screams of the players who didn't make it to the end drifted below them. Those who lost the game were eliminated. 

Thirty four players left? George scanned the elevator in shock. He'd noticed their numbers dwindling, but he'd not realized how few were left. We're nearing the end... is surviving even an option? Or will they kill us down to zero?

Red returned to green, and the elevator door slid open. The players walked quietly into the Common Area, scattering to different sections of the room. Guards stood in their usual statue formation along the walls.

George's feet throbbed, no doubt harboring blisters inside his sneakers. He ached to tear off his shoes and allow the cool air to soothe his burned skin. 

"There's not many of us left." Sykunno interrupted his thoughts. "What will happen when it's down to us?"

Tension thickened the air. The truth they'd been dodging hung heavily between them, yet none had the bravery to say it. There were no rules against alliances, but the Game Host never promised protection to allies, either. If Karl's death was anything to go by, their story could have no happy ending. 

"I don't think we should go there." George avoided the med student's gaze. "We don't know anything, and it's not safe to assume."

Chocolate irises glistened, blue fabric twisted in anxious fingers. Sykunno's lip pulled between his teeth, and the med student appeared sickened at the reactions his words caused.