Where our demons hide

Chapter 5- A brush with death

Trigger warnings: Blood mention, mention of needles, electric shock mention, violence and attempted murder.  

"Kaiden!" Finley screamed as Kaiden landed.

He raced over to him. Repeating, "please be ok," to himself, over and over. If Kaiden died, his chances of surviving were over. He'd be dead in a day, just like Kaiden said he would.

Luckily, Kaiden's head had been protected by their bags. If he wasn't carrying them....Finley didn't want to even think about that.

Kaiden wasn't responding. He was breathing, slightly, but he'd been knocked unconscious.

"Need some help?" said a voice from somewhere behind him.

Finley started reaching for the sword in Kaiden's bag. He could hardly see due to the storm, but he also discovered that he had tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Who are you?" Finley asked.

"Adam," the voice replied. The figure stepped closer. He was a boy who seemed much older than Kaiden and Finley. He had a scar over his right eye, and he was holding a serrated knife. His brown hair, which was similar to Kaiden's, was covered in snowflakes. His green eyes shone through the snow. Unlike Kaiden's eyes, Adam's, seemed as if he was staring into your soul. He didn't seem overly friendly. "I can help your friend."

"You'll help us?" Finley asked, desperate for Kaiden to wake up.

"Yeah, for a price of course," Adam replied.

By now, Finley had found the sword. He held it out to Adam. "What else do you want?"

"I don't want your lame sword. I think a fair trade would be your life for his."

"What?"

"Look, I'm from Halei. Our whole thing is medicines and healthcare. If I can't save him, no one can. He'll be dead soon if someone doesn't help him. So, I kill you, and he gets to live."

"Why would you do that?" Finley questioned.

"Well, let's be honest. You're from Kyrah. Neither of you have any chance of winning. So even if you agree, and I save him, it's not like he's going to win is it?"

"He'll kill you before he lets you kill me," Finley lied. Though he didn't believe it. Kaiden would probably watch his death and celebrate it.

"Oh please, Kyrahians are the losers of the Ceremony. He wouldn't be able to kill me if he tried. No one from Kyrah's ever won, and if he's stupid enough to climb up a cliff in a snowstorm, I doubt he'll be the first." Adam sneered.

"He's not stupid," Finley snapped. "And how do you know that he has no chance of winning?"

"Well he's been hanging around with you for one thing. Second, he doesn't seem like he could harm a fly, what is he like fifteen?"

"We're both seventeen actually," Finley replied, crossly. "And we've killed people, by ourselves."

"Huh, you don't look seventeen," Adam snapped. "And you don't look like you could kill anyone. You were crying just now. What is he, your friend?"

"Yeah," Finley said. He didn't know if Kaiden felt the same way about him, but he'd call Kaiden his friend.

"Anyway, you need to hurry up and make up your mind. Do we have a deal?"

Finley considered everything. Kaiden was going to kill him regardless. He'd either die of starvation or be killed by another contestant, who would probably take their time doing it. Or, he could agree to Adam's offer, giving Kaiden a chance of winning. Kaiden was the best chance Kyrah had of getting a Champion.