Boarding School - SBI

Chapter Twenty

Techno was sitting in the library with almost everyone in the Dream SMP was there, listening to him explain the rules.

"Okay, so I know Puffy explained the rules last week, but we're going over them again. We are doing a manhunt tournament. There's two teams, the hunted/hiders and the hunters. The teams will be even, and we will have a set number of rounds, with each round having a time limit. When each round ends, we will count up how many people the hunters caught and how many are free. If there are more people who weren't caught, then the hunters win. If there are more free people, then caught, then the hunted win."

"The team that wins the most out of six rounds, three as hunters and three as hunted, wins."

"The first two rounds are straight forward. Don't get caught, or catch as many people as you can. It depends on what your role is. Last two rounds will be jail rounds. That means when hiders are caught, the hunter will escort them here, and the person who was caught has to stay put until they are tagged by another hider. If they aren't saved and the time limit expires, then the other team gets a point."

"Also, if you have to be on the ground at all times. No climbing. Also, we have to stay in the building. If you get caught by a teacher, you can say that Tommy made you stay up. Don't sell the entire group out, okay? There are two rounds for each of the parts of our tournament, that way each team can be hiders and hunters with both of the rules. Anyway, are there questions?"

"Do you have any tips for us? Since I don't plan on getting caught by anyone." The boy who answered was a little arrogant, although he was one of the youngest there. Techno was nearly positive that he was in year six, a little younger than Tommy.

"Sure. First, if you get caught, don't actually blame Tommy. This is a lot like any night that we're up and about after curfew, so if you hear footsteps run. Um, staying in the same spot for an extended period is just asking to be caught. And if a hunter or teacher figures out where you are, try to use a different hall to get around them and get away. If they spot you and chase you, there are a stupid amount of hallways to use."

"You should also avoid crossing open areas. Try to stay hidden and near an escape route."

"To the hunters, think like a hider. Look to where you would hide if you were hiding. You could try to surround the hiders, and you should definitely stick together. If you spot a hider, it's harder to outrun two people than it is to outrun one."

Sapnap raised his hand. Techno sighedd. "Yes?"

"When did you become a strategist?" He asked. He was clearly trying to get a reaction. And he did. Several people laughed. Techno decided to ignore him though, and moved on.

"Does anybody else have a question?"

"Yeah," a younger boy said. "How will we know when a round has ended?"

"You brought a watch, right?"

"No."

Techno reached into his bookbag. He had picked up a few timers earlier that week from the library. Techno pulled one of the timers out of his bag and handed it to the boy.

"Does anybody else need a timer?" A few kids raised their hands, and Techno passed them out.

When he was done, Techno answered a few more questions and they started the first round after a quick review of what they were doing.

Techno watched as kids ran out of the room when he blew the whistle. Since he was the one to orgnaize and manage the group, he was unable to play. It was sort of too bad, but Techno didn't mind. He enjoyed watching everyone play and have fun all around him.

At first, hunters were quickly finding and bringing hiders into the jail/meeting room, but after a few minutes there were way less people to come in. After another five, with only four minutes remaining, there was barely anyone who was still in the game in the room.

All of the hiders were hidden, and all of the hunters were searching for them.

Techno's timer went off, as did every one elses. He had sent every one off with little hand held timers, that way it would be stark when the round had ended. It wouldn't have been possible to simply shout to get everyone to come back, and giving out individual alarms was the best Techno could come up with. And the author.

When everyone got back, Techno did a quick head count and helped people reset their stop watches. When that was done, they started the next round. The hunters sat with Techno for three minutes while the hiders hid. When the time was up, they scattered. All Techno had to do was wait.

After a minute, the first of the hiders were being brought into the 'prison.'

Like during the last round, after about half of the group had been found and sat with Techno, hunters came in less and less.

When there were five people left hiding, and only two minutes to go. One of the kids that were yet to be found was Tommy's roommate. Techno only really cared that his brothers were either caught early on, like Wilbur had, or had caught someone. Like Tommy hadn't. It didn't bother Techno, he didn't care which team one and which lost.

The stop watch rang in Techno's hand. As did the other's in the room, coming from his colleges pockets or hands. One was going off on top of a bookshelf, which was worrysome. Techno was unsure if it would turn off automatically or ring until someone turned it off or it ran out of battery.

Either way it was annoying.

The hunters and few remaining hiders returned, the last of them returning just intime to see a kid fall off the top of a bookshelf. Techno had told him that he had to get it, not expecting him to fall.

"Are you okay?" Techno called from across the library.

He shouted a yes in response as roses bloomed on his face. Bright red roses, that gave away his embarrassment better than his tone of voice.

Techno sighed in relief. It would have been troublesome explaining how he had got hurt to the nurses. But he didn't have to worry about that, and Techno started going through the rules for the next part.

"You're playing the second part of the game, so new rules. It's a jail round. That means when hiders are caught, they can be saved. They can be saved by another hider tagging them out of prison. No babysitting this room, got it? If any does, their team is disqualified and they can't play again. Got it? If you're put in jail and nobody saves you, then the hunters get a point."

"Are there questions? And does anybody need help setting their stopwatch? If not, we'll start."

Nobody had any questions, and they started the round.

Techno waited with the hunters as the hiders went and hid, then watched them run off when the hiders ran out of time to hide. It was quiet in the library for a minute.

The first captured person was dropped off. Techno didn't know the kid who had beed caught very well, but he knew the hunter. It was Wilbur, and he looked very happy with himself for catching someone. In contrast, the hider looked very defeated. They were the first to be caught.

They seemed to have little interest in talking, or at least not enough to start the conversation. Techno wasn't going to make small talk either.

It was totally quiet for half a minute or so. There weren't any hunters coming with more captured hiders nor were there hiders coming to free the captured kid.

Techno heard a faint crash.

It lightly echoed through the canvas of the painting and then through the hidden hall behind it, all the way to the room where Techno was.

Crash.

Echo,

Echo,

Echo,

Scream.

Bang.

Quiet.

Wait. Wait.

an) this was unedited

~~Word Count 1349~~