Flicker [CLOSED APPLY FIC] ✔️

SIX.

When Li opened their eyes, Frankie was gone.

"Who died?" Nellie asked, scanning the clearing. 

Their face fell when they looked next to them, where Frankie should have been. "No. No no no no no."

Her body was only a few feet away, laying in a pool of blood. The wound was still fresh, and Li spotted the knife's handle jutting out of her corpse. 

Whoever had done it had good technique. They'd gone right through the stomach and up to the heart.

They spun around, reviewing the clearing. Two people should be dead. Unless... their eyes locked with Ryder's. He shook his head subtly. he hadn't killed to play innocent and throw the blame. Li was fed up with his manipulation.

"Is that it?" El turned around, facing Ryder. "Decided not to kill someone tonight, did you? Thought you'd let Sol do your dirty work?"

Li smirked. She had caught on quick.

Ryder's eyes widened, and he stepped back. "What? No!"

"Guys, guys," Nellie stepped forward, wiping the tears from their eyes. "Please can we focus? Frankie's gone, and unless we rebel, people will keep dying. Why can't we just work together, for the good of all?"

"I agree," Maeve nodded, folding her arms. "As much as I hate to admit it, setting against each other any further is what they want, and I don't intend to give it to them."

"Fine," El raised her hands in surrender, but her eyes didn't leave Ryder for a second that day.

When the time came to vote, they sat in silence, Nellie chewing their lip, Maeve glaring at everyone who looked their way and Maisie biting her nails whenever she thought the others weren't looking.

But despite all of this, nobody lifted a damn finger.

"Is that it?" Nellie breathed as the timer ended, looking around in awe.

Maeve halted them. "I wouldn't be so sure."

"The game heads are planning something," Maisie agreed. "This isn't over."

The light started fading from the sky, but there was no dramatic text to warn them of the night falling.

"What the hell is going on?" Maeve demanded, as if she expected a reply.

Li didn't say anything to Ryder, who they could see signalling to them. Instead, their eyes strayed to Frankie's body, which hadn't yet been taken by the game heads. They noted a flicker in the shadows, but it was gone before they could see who it was. However, Li did notice that the hilt of the knife was no longer visible. Whoever had been hiding in the dark had stolen the dagger, meaning that someone was probably going to die.

As the night fell, Li realised they still had to use kill, but something told them they should save it. Besides, if the others were serious about breaking the rules, maybe they'd get more than one.

"Guys?" Nellie called hesitantly into the darkness. "What's happened? Why isn't there any text tonight?"

"They know what we're up to," Maisie responded. 

"They know what we're up to," Maeve scoffed. "They know everything."

"So, what, they'll keep us in the dark until they figure out what to do?"

Li shrugged, though they knew no-one could see them. "Probably."

"Well..." Nellie frowned. "Could we try and light a fire?"

"Yes," Maisie said sarcastically. "Let me just get out my lighter!"

"I think they control the campfire too," Maeve cut in.