What Game Will You Play

Chapter 16

The reality of the situation is sinking in, and I can't help but feel a sense of dread and loneliness. We were so unprepared. So innocent. I am standing in an empty room holding a weapon that I never imagined I would ever be in my grasp.

I tuck the gun in the waistband of my jeans and hope I will not ever have to use it. I bring it with me as protection. I take the small flashlight with me as well because why not?

The only protection I have apart from the gun is myself. I don't think it would be in my best interest to try and fight a guard since I have never fought anyone other than Devin before. Fighting Devin can't even be considered a real fight, it was only ever play fighting, it was nothing serious. Given the gravity of the situation, I don't want to take a chance and try fighting someone today, especially not a guard.

I go through the rest of the bags, but they all seem to be the same as the first few I looked through. There were no more guns or any other weapons, so I move away from the table to leave.

I press my ear up to the door to try and listen for any guards that may be walking around on the other side. I don't hear anyone talking or walking, and there are no gunshots, so I crack the door open and look outside. Nobody's around.

I step outside, and once again, I am in direct lighting. I move to where Aiden and I were hiding before behind the booth and assess my situation. The guard is still standing at the entrance of the show tent, his attention focused on something in the distance.

The building I was just in is closer to where this spot is. To get to the other building, I would have to cross an open area in the light, but the guard in front of the tent would surely see me. I have to find a way to get to the other building without getting caught. I could do this by looking for dark places to hide, or I could just wing it and run across the open area through the lights to get to the room. It may be dumb, but I chose the second option.

Moving through the shadows would take too long, and there aren't many dark places over here to begin with, so it would be a challenge anyway. I would like a third and easier option, but it does not look like there is one. I need to get to that second building. By now, Aiden is probably making his way to the kitchen, and the other guards will be coming back my way at any minute. I don't have the luxury of taking my time.

I inch my way up to the edge of the booth and contemplate my chances of making it to the second building if I were to try and run there. All the lights are on over here, and there are also lights all around building two. There is no way that the guard in front of the show tent won't see me. The door is facing in my direction, similar to the first building, so the guard in front of the show tent will only see me for a few seconds before I disappear from his view, thanks to the building.

The main question now is, do I run to building number two, or do I try walking there casually and hope the guard thinks I am one of them?

I freeze for a second as a thought occurs to me.

There were guard jackets on the back of the door of building one. Maybe if I put one on, then I will blend in better, and I can make it to building two without getting shot.

I make my way back over to building one as fast as I can and go back inside. Once the door is closed, I look at the coat hanger on the back. There are a few dark gray guard vests and jackets on it, and I steal the one that looks the smallest, which is not that small.

I put the jacket on and I immediately know that it's too large for me. The sleeves go a few inches past my hands, and if I were to zip the jacket up, it would look like I am wearing a dress. I roll the sleeves up to my wrists, and then I press my ear to the door.

I am already a gun and flashlight thief, so I might as well be a jacket thief, too. Hopefully, I will blend in more with the darkness, and the guards will think that I am one of them and leave me alone.

If this does not work, then the guard will most likely shoot me or chase me down. There is probably about a fifty-fifty chance that either of these options will happen.

I want a second to think before returning outside, but I have already taken up too much time.

I take the chance and open the door again, leaving the first building. I keep my head up and look straight ahead, walking as though I have places to be, which is technically true. I hold my breath as I make it halfway to the building.

I tell myself that the guard at the front of the show tent will think I am just like another guard—a guard with a very oversized jacket on.

Each step I take feels like an eternity. The seconds seem to pass slower, and I feel as though I am walking in a dream, fighting to move my body just one step more.

Once I get to the door of building two, I let out the breath I was holding. My knees are trembling, and I can't seem to keep my hands from shaking with fear.

I lean up against the door and close my eyes. I listen to hear if any footsteps are coming my way, and when I don't hear any, I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down. If that guard came over here and looked at me close up, he would definitely know that I am not a guard.

When I don't hear anything else besides the leaves on the trees near me moving with the wind, I take that as a good sign and go inside.

***Authors note***

End of chapter quote:

"Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow internet to see who they really are." —Will Ferrell

Thank you for reading another chapter, please let me know what you think in the comments.

- B Bunny