All Too Well

Chapter 3

"You knew."

He looked at you for a brief moment before continuing. "Be careful now. Start by carefully carving it out with the needle, then gently pull the sides off."

You stared at him for a few moments, an inexplicable feeling swelling in your heart. He knew what it could be, and kept you from choosing the umbrella. It made you feel safe and protected, even if just a little bit. You shuddered at the thought of trying to carve that shape.

You sat closer to him, whispering as you began to carve your triangle out. "Thank you."

After a few minutes, you heard the first gunshot. You flinched and almost cracked your triangle, a pang of fear coursing through you, but luckily it stayed intact. In-ho looked at you with concern before a cacophony of gunshots surrounded you.

You squeezed your eyes shut, bracing yourself against the sound and refusing to witness the horrors around you, people getting shot for simply breaking a piece of candy. The metal tin shook slightly in your hands. In-ho reached for your arm, gently grasping it.

"Y/n. Focus."

You turned to him, opening your eyes. He looked scared, but you could tell he was trying to comfort you. You took in a deep breath and nodded, returning to the task at hand.

In-ho watched you for a moment before continuing as well. He was beyond scared, just like you were, but he wanted to be there for you and wanted to make you feel better. Having someone there to give comfort to made himself feel better. Just like your first night together, he liked the feeling of being needed by you. It made him feel like he was more than he actually was. More than just a meaningless player in this sick game.

In-ho successfully carved out the triangle and waited for you, finishing shortly after him. You presented your shape to the guards and quickly left the room together, anxious to leave the dead bodies behind. You were relieved to have made it through, but would you be as lucky next time?

The two of you went straight to your bed, silently comforting each other again. People talked and walked around you but you barely registered them. After a while, you were served food again, though it could barely even be considered a meal. Just soda and a single egg. You ate quickly and returned to bed. You both laid on your side, with In-ho behind you, his arm gently around your waist.

You sighed. "Remember when it was snowing?"

In-ho gave a half-hearted smile. "Of course."

"I wonder if it's snowing now."

In-ho silently dwelled on your shared memory. He wanted nothing more than to be back in that moment with you.

"Somewhere, it's snowing, and you're singing, and we're together."

Your heart was silently breaking, tears swelling in your eyes. "Maybe we could've been there right now, instead of this awful place."

In-ho sighed and held you tighter, unable to find the words to help.

You gently pushed him away and sat up, your thoughts starting to overwhelm your mind. It was almost painful the way they weighed on you. You felt yourself start to come apart, tears freely falling and your breaths becoming shallow and quick.

It became painfully apparent to you how screwed you were. Yes, you made it through the last round, but what about the next ones? Sooner or later your luck would run out. The more people that died, the more likely you'd be next. On the outside, this seemed like the only option, but coming back forced reality to come crashing down on you. What did it matter trying to win the prize when you were seemingly destined to lose anyway?