The Red Cube

10. A Numbers Game

*unedited*

Eight people are left to fight for their lives. From the ages of twelve to forty-five only one can win. Alliances have been made. Minds have been twisted. Couples have been broken. All for the sake of the government trying to get the strongest worker on their side. Myther who goes by the name Swift Proper has been in control of people's life since the fourteen people rising to find themselves in a giant fake cube.

The winner is almost random. It's all about how well you can get yourself out of danger.

The final eight now sit in a circle around the bucket where there futures lay. The temperature in the room is now settled back into a chilly autumn state.  Mischa's hologram appears. She's in the same black slender suit as last time. Nothing has changed in her look white confused the final eight. Swift changed something each round. It can be as little as a slight hair change or as big as a different textured pattern black suit.

"Hello...um...final eight? Yea.  In just a little bit there will only seven left, but first we will change up the place a bit. First we had a nice soothing ocean front, then we turned to a arctic blizzard. Now you have to endure-"

The walls changed abruptly into pitch darkness.

"Darkness"

The only light in to room comes slightly from the podiums and the red and blue lights surrounding the chairs. If you aren't in front of any of those things then you won't be seen at all.

"Ok. Now you may choose your cube."

Ophelia pulls first. "I hate this. I'm ready to just end this on my own terms. I'm just that crazy girl you see on the corner anyway. I'm a nobody and everyone at the same time. Ophelia is telling me to stay playing but the Bethany in myself is telling me to give up." She's looks at her cube to see blue. She's safe till at least top seven.

Next is Trisha. She and Wade are the only people to never sit in the hot seats. Will this be her time? She is the oldest person in the room and old people playing never ends good. They are understanding to everyone left. She pulls a blue cube.

Next is Jason. He's been under the radar the whole game. He's low key working with everyone. He has an alliance with Wade and Darwin, one with Isabella and Charlie, and one with Ophelia and Kane. He's almost set to be the winner because everyone is on his side even though he doesn't talk much. He reaches in to pull out a red cube. He sits in his same blue seat as last round next to Tatum. He covers his ears and lets out a loud screech. Ophelia is no where to be found to calm him down.

While he's screaming, the confidence leader Wade chooses next. He's still never touched the seat either.  Since of the start of the game, he has been the speaker of everyone. Controlling the votes by having minors on his side listening to everything he says. He now greatly messed up dark hair. A shaggy onyx mop laying on the top of his head with brown roots poking from the bottom. He reaches slowly unlike the six confidently pulled cubes. Almost as if he is scared now. He looks at his hand to see a surprise. Another blue cube. He is safe for the seventh time in a row unlike everyone left here except Trisha.

Kane, Darwin, Isabella, and Charlie are left to pull from the bucket of three blue cubes and one red cube.

Darwin chooses next. The youngest person in this game at the age of twelve. Even as childish he looks, he knows whats best for his game. He speaks his mind even when most people do not listen. His curly dirty blonde hair is now tied in a tiny ponytail on the top of his head. He reaches in the dark hole of a bucket to pull out the unquestionable.  A red cube. He sits in the red seat next to Jason. The youngest people has to sit next to each other and day why they should live over the other. So much pressure and stress is being put on these young minds. No one is stepping up to take his spot while Kane, Isabella, and Charlie are still sitting safe.

Mischa appears in the same look except her hair is swooped to the other side. The room is lightless except her hologram."Ladies and gentlemen who are safe. You must stand behind a podium and choose little Darwin or little Jason to die-" she walks off the hologram but they can still hear her whispering with another man. "I can't do this. I don't want to do this. This is your job, not mines."

"I am your father. You will do this for us." She walks back disheveled.

"Either Darwin or Jason will be leaving us and it's all your decision. There will be six votes this round. Whoever get the majority will stay another round. You may now begin."

Wade stands in front of Darwin to use his chair light.
"You are obviously voting to keep Darwin. He is the only normal one that's sitting left. He's not even fourteen yet, give him a chance to live. Please Kane. If he stays, I'll work with you again."

Jason covers his ears and makes noises to muffle any other noises from anyone else.

"This is a numbers game. Keeping Darwin will not help me in the long run, it would only help you." Charlie says and Isabella agrees. "You and him are going to vote us out as soon as we are sitting in his spot effortlessly. We are keeping Jason." Isabella and Charlie votes.

Wade votes.

Trisha adds. "Since we are getting this off of our chest. Keeping Darwin would be better for his life. He's normal and would have a normal life." She votes. Only Ophelia and Kane's vote left.

"Jason is normal. Nothing makes Darwin better than Jason. Nothing. Nothing at all. Jason has been through a lot in his life while Darwin has had everything handed to him. I'm keeping Jason one hundred percent. She votes leaving the final decision up to Kane.

"I can't do this. I don't know what's best for my game. Jason and I have a new connection, but I'm not sure if he's using me or if this is actually true. Darwin on the other side disowned me because of Wade. We had a great connection and we can still have one without Wade. So I'm saving Darwin." Kane votes.

The pitch black wall behind the chairs now has the numbers 3-3 in all white clock analog font. The room is now confused to what would happen in a tie. Are both of them safe and they will all pull again. Or will both be leaving them this round.

Everyone looks at the two kids instead of turning around to know what is going to happen. The shocking is taking longer than expected.

Jason's wristband begins to flow bright blue. His body begins to become shook and his tiny body flails violently with electric waves to no movement at all. His chair descends and one podium follows. "What?" Wade questions. "Why him? Ophelia follows. "What happened? Am I safe-" Darwin is cut off by his wristband glowing and his body filling what Jason's did. His goofy top ponytail sticks up with a few other strands of hair. His chair follows Goes into the floor while Jason's old seat comes back into place bodiless with one podium going down. Top eight went to top six real quick.

Mischa appears again with a frighten look on her face.

"Oh no. This is...is...the end of this round. See you guys...next round. Congrats on final six. You're almost there to come with us...I mean go back home. See you later."

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Tell me what you think of this chapter. How do you feel about the two youngest people leaving the game together? Who are you rooting for now? What do you think will happen the next tie? Do you guys want more Mischa?

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