heartache || alice in borderland

chapter two

They nod sympathetically.

"Game: Tag."

"Oh, tag?" I say. "I'm a good runner." I boast jokingly. The girls laugh.

"Clear condition: find the safe zone within the amount of time."

"Ugh, with all these doors? That'll take forever." I comment.

"Game start."

Everyone begins splitting up in different directions.

"Where should we go?" One of the girls asks.

"I don't know!" The other replies.

"Come on!" I yell. "Let's try and open some of these doors. Keep a lookout for whoever's 'it'!"

Suddenly a floor down we hear gunshots.

I run ahead not looking back. The girls trailing behind.

I can feel myself getting tired, until I hear one of the girls behind me yell.

"Hurry up Mai!" A thud as Mai falls on the ground. Then, a gunshot.

I turn around and see her friend get shot second. Without another thought, I climb on top of the balcony and jump down. I feel a tear roll down my check at the sight of two friends separated by death. That's one of my biggest fears.

"Ah!" I feel a hand on my foot. I look down. A girl? We both loose balance and fall to the first floor.

"I'm so sorry!" I bow.

"It's alright. I'm Usagi, you?" She smiles.

"Aya." I reply, before getting cut off by a yell.

"Everyone! The tagger is at the second floor of the central area! The taggers vision is poor because of his mask! Let's inform each other of the taggers location, and look for the safe zone!"

"Wow, bravery." I comment, looking up. "Wait, is that Arisu?"

"Do you know him?" Usagi asks.

I shake my head. "No. I mean, kind of."

Usagi yells out. "The tagger is on the fourth level! Anyone nearby, run!"

She grabs my hand and we make a run for it. Opening doors as we pass them, but being unsuccessful.

Then the shooters behind us. We both climb up a pole, unfortunately watching a lady who was in front of us die. I finally got a good look the tagger. Not sure if it's a man or a woman, because of its large horse mask.

Me and Usagi have parted ways. I look around for her but there's no sign. I hope she's okay. "Who's that?" I think to myself when I spot a man with a white hoodie. Suspicious.

Oh, what's that? Why are there so many bullets surrounding that specific door?

I approach it slowly and open it. Only to see Arisu and the man with the white hoodie behind me.

"Figured it out too?" The suspicious man asks.

"Arisu! You're okay." I exclaim.

He nods.

We all walk in. It's eerily dark. Is this the safe room?

Suddenly a tagger from behind us begins shooting. The man pulls out a taser and he falls to the ground.

I squeal, backing up from the area. Before taking a closer look, I thought for a moment he had killed the tagger.

"It never hurts to be prepared—" The tagger rises again.

The suspicious man flails to the door and coincidentally I do too. We close the door and I panic.

"Arisu! Ugh, please be okay..." I sigh before glancing at the man.

I clear my throat. Awkward.

"Someone please come over! We need two people to clear the game!"

I want to get up, but I can't. My legs are jello.

"I-I'm... sorry..." I murmur. Then I see Usagi.

"Usagi!" I get up.

"Let's help him." She says.

I nod frantically. "Okay!" Without another word, she pulls me around the building and signals me to climb to the window. We bust through and see Arisu in a headlock from the tagger. I yelp.

"Hey!" The man says from the entrance, throwing his taser.

Usagi picks it up and tases the taggers leg. With three seconds to spare, Usagi and Arisu both press the buttons. I drop to the ground in relief.

"Game clear. Congratulations."

"Haah... I'm so tired!" I pant.

BOOM.

A sound I could only describe as disturbing echoed in our ears. I looked up and saw blood on the walls. I don't even look at the tagger. I know what happened. I just make a run for it, pushing the man in the doorway away and running.

"Oof!" I hear a man say as he runs into me.

"Wh- Karube?" I ask, looking down at his wound. A stab wound near his stomach.

"T.. The beach..." he muttered.

"Beach?"