the devil's reject. [temporarily discontinued]

5

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Ten seconds can feel like an eternity. Relativity and all that.

When there are nine left to go I begin to wonder what could possibly come of it, what's the outcome going to be? It's so close yet it seems so far.

Eight seconds in is a squeeze of the hand for comfort, to silently say it will be alright if I just hold on.

After all, seven isn't much at all, it's only one away from six.

Five seconds left, nothing takes five seconds. Aside from four it's the shortest time frame in existence.

Three means it's almost here. I notice that I haven't been breathing but it's too late now.

Two and it's so close.

In that moment I remember that all life is merely just a sequence of ones, adding up to minutes and hours and days and weeks and months and years.

Posthaste, 100 people of all shapes, sizes and colors bolted towards the center of the arena. It was already an endless battle, and no one had even acquired a weapon yet.

Those that fell behind in a speedy manner towards the center began to play dirty. Some pulling the clothes of those ahead of them. Others, kicking the shins of a much larger individual.

Sand flew up at me and made it extremely difficult for me to see properly. Hesitantly, I made my way into the centre of the arena. I made sure to avoid getting too close to someone, unaware of what they would pull.

I tightly squeezed onto Cassani's hand and took a quick glance at her trembling body. Before we continued forward, the world seemed to play in slow motion. A guy with an incredibly large build had a revolver in hand.

Before I could even bat an eyelash, a bullet punched it's way through a young woman's pale neck, causing a gaping hole in its wake that quickly filled with blood and gushed out.

The woman fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming around her, soaking into her clothes as she choked to death on it.

Then eventually, more and more people had a hold on their weapon of choice. An instant clash of war began, as clouds of dust surrounded the arena.

I was so unsure of what to do and where to go. The gunshots echoed deafeningly in the confines of the arena and I saw another man stagger and fall, clutching a tight hold onto his neck.

The blood pounded in my ears, heart pulsing fast in my chest. My hands shook as my feet tingled. With my vision disfigured, I staggered back and pulled Cassani out of harms way.

"remember mija, you're as clever as the devil and twice as pretty. accept your limits and go beyond them."

The soothing sound of mama's voice echoed in the back of my mind, snapping me out of the mist of my panic attack.

Everyone was so eager to win, and killed like they were born for it.

I just had to play the part.

Glancing around the perimeter of the arena, I fortunately spotted a large dagger and Beretta 8000. I immediately bolted with my hold still tightly on Cassani.

Blood covered the metal of the dagger, and the weight of the pistol dropped my wrist down slightly.

I had my fair share with use in the weapon department so I knew how to use and aim a gun. However, actually using it to conduct harm is a different story.

You watched him kill your mother. Win this for her.

That nagging voice in my head began to speak of such things I never could.

"Fuck," I mumbled. Before I got the chance to evaluate my surroundings. A loud battle cry ached my left ear and in that direction ran an older woman with red hair, knife in hand,

Fight or Flight.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I threw up my forearms like an offensive lineman blocking a defensive back, but the woman slipped to the side, pushed my elbow down, caught my head, and rolled me onto the floor.

I kicked harshly into the back of her knees as her gripped loosened and her balance wavered. Using this opportunity to gain leverage, I jumped to my feet swiftly as I urged Cassani step away quickly.

The woman grunted with gritted teeth. As she lunged forward again.

I put out a nice stiff left, which I followed with a right hook. Slipping to the left, in attempts to throw her off — which it did — enough so that I was able to get a handful of her coarse hair. I pulled her head forward and collided mines with it, hearing her nose crack in the process.

Still holding her hair in one hand, I got my other hand into her crotch and put my shoulder into her, lifting her off the ground and slamming her down on the hard sanded floor.

The small slim woman went limp slowly. When I stood back, her mouth hung open widely as her eyes were frozen in fear.

You killed her.

Shit. Cassani.

My eyes darted around the arena, speeding passed all of the lifeless corpses and continuing hand to hand combat, searching for Cassani's small figure.

"I'm right here," a small familiar voice muttered behind me. I let out a breath of relief and turned to face her, watching around for anymore attackers.

"Is she... dead?"

I nod in response, recollecting my lost breath and rubbing over the now bruising sensation in my rib.

"You know, this really isn't the place for chit chat. You know the whole fight and survive thing," a husky voice spoke to the right of me.

Simultaneously, Cassani and I looked at the disembodied voice.

He wasn't a male model but he should have been.

His crescent-of-moon eyebrows were thin and narrow. He carried an imperious nose well and his angular cheekbones carved down towards a flinty jaw. He had a manly, Samson physique.

His brown eyes were orb round and darted constantly, a-gleam with delight and the vigour of youth. They were soft, almond eyes that were filled with light and humor.

As the swirl of his loamy cologne filled my senses, I noticed the blood splatters covering his neck and shirt. Small dots trickling down his face and ear.

He smiled smugly at me, eyeing my physique as I did the same. Before I could respond, he raised his palm with thin lips "I'd love to chat but uh, I got some surviving to do."

As quickly as he came, he was gone.

I watched his figure disappear into the clouds of dust, and stayed out of harms way.

I counted 47 left over survivors.

6 minutes on the clock.

I deemed it best to pick a fight, concerned of the consequence if over 40 people we're still alive once the timer ended.

This is a fucking shit show.