Darker at Night

How games go

Hey, lemme get your attention there! I haven't edited this, like at all. I'm trying to motivate myself by posting my unfinished work, that way I get so worried I bother to finish what I started. You're still free to read and comment! (I made the cover myself, art and all. Probably temporary, I i'd like to see what people think of it.)

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       I don't know what happens when people die. When it's so cold like this, when my skin cuts like sandpaper, is that what it's like? It's dark- and it's been dark- but I know it's not empty. My shoes scrape across the ground as I pull my knees forward. I find comfort in the sound, like it's familiar. Every sensation is familiar. It's sort of like your life flashing before your eyes, but without sight.

       Little echos similar to shallow breaths soon follow. That's the one thing that I don't recognise; It isn't my voice. Infact, it's many. A warm sting in my chest grows with each unfamiliar sound until I can feel blood pumping through every vein. Everything around me seems to glow softly to a point, like I'm the center. My head tilts up with difficulty. There's a torch attached to the wall above me.

"...imperative that you cooperate to the fullest extent," blares a robotic voice as I fade into consciousness. The speakers give off occasional static but were very clear on their delivery. "Any and all participants are to follow the scenario exactly."

Even in the dark it was obvious there were many people within this space. Some were sitting, others standing straight in a panic. One man stood closest to the light's edge. You could only see the details of his face that pushed out, but his expression was clear. He was angry. "This is bullshit!"

"Hello and welcome participants. Please wait for your instructions. It is imperative..."

"SHUT UP!" The man charged to the left, pounding on something metal. "Show yourself you fucking coward!"

There was a word that I didn't recognise that kept repeating: Imperative. It wasn't that big- my mom use to give me harder ones. As I thought about the mystery, a scene unfolded in the foreground muted like a background. A large woman ran towards the man, taking hold of his right arm. He in turn flipped around and punched her. The woman, along with two teens, screamed at him to stop. One of the youngest started crying. The speakers repeated their message every few minutes. The man became more of a silhouette as he argued back. More and more figures collected until you could see the sides of about nine faces, each with a different type of distress. It was like a play.

"I'm trying to do something about this!" The man had backed into the light. He was a burly guy- he seemed to have a beer gut but wasn't quite out of shape.

"You're going to get us all killed!" cried the larger woman in a shrill voice. She wore cat eye glasses that were now slightly hanging off her face. I couldn't tell if they were cracked or not.

"Dude, just sit down." This voice belonged to a ragged teen. He seemed to be calm, but his expression said otherwise. His hoodie was slightly ruffled.

"No he's right, there's probably more of us then there is of them!" shot out another. The most I could make out from them was a nose ring.

Maybe it was all this noise, maybe that's why I couldn't remember. "Imperative..." It was a simple word. My mom should have known it. I should know it. I'm smarter than this.

The speakers shot out a loud blaring wave of static. Everyone clasped their hands to their ears in unison, some sinking to the ground. This time a man's voice came out-one that you could tell was real. "Pardon me for the intrusion. It is at this time I would like to give all participants their instruction."