The Life After: Volume One

Episode Three, Chapter Two. "The Pits"

"Well, well, well."  Garrett says as he approaches the small group.  The five of them turn around to face him and Ignacio.

"What is it Garrett?"  Asks Colin.

"You and Chad have brought an interesting group of people into our humble community.  Glenn and Jacob haven't been the most... Cooperative."

"What'd you do to them!  Where are they?"  Alice says in anger.

"Oh don't you worry pretty lady, they'll be safe.  So long as they survive the games tonight."

"The games?  What games?"

"Chad, come on already.  You were supposed to tell them."

"I think you forgot that Colin and I are new here as well..."

"Right, but you've been here for at least a week.  I thought you'd know your job by now."

"Look, Garrett. I'm sorry, not everybody's perfect. Not everything will go your way, it's called life."

"You kill or you die, or you die and you kill. Right?"

"That's my point, sometimes it might not go your way."

"Yeah... Good point." He looks over to Ignacio. "Ignacio, if I were to say to you, that I was gonna kill you. What would you do?"

"I'd-" Garrett cuts him off by raising the pool cue and bringing it down into his head. Ignacio falls to the ground and blood sputters out of his head. He then bashes the pool cue into his head eight more times before stopping.

"Colin. Clean this shit for brain up off of the ground would you?"

"Y-yes sir." He replies stuttering.

"Good.  Good.  You see Chad?  Colin follows the rules, he does his job.  Unlike you.  And you do know the punishments for not doing what your told."

"No...  Garrett don't do this.  Your better than that."

"Who are you, to tell me what I do?  Your going in the pits.  Just like everyone else in this group."

"We have kids..."  Alice adds.

"So?  The more the better!  Wager prices are always higher when it comes to children against the biters."

"Your sick."  Says Sara.

"You better shush your mouth little girl, don't think I don't have a few people around this city that are into that stuff."

She steps back and hides behind Alice.  Ryan steps forward.  "Where's my uncle?"  He asks.

"That's none of your business kid."  Garrett steps up to Ryan and kneels down in front of him.

He sighs.  "I don't know what it is, but I like you kid.  Don't ruin that for yourself."  He pats his cheek and flicks him in the forehead.  He flinches and steps back towards Chad.

"Come on, I'm gonna show you just what the pits are all about." The group stays as Garrett starts to walk away. "Don't, make me repeat myself. Ashley is getting hungry." He laughs.

The group slowly starts to follow him as he leads them to the pits.
"Pick up the pace! I hope you aren't this slow fighting for your life, otherwise you ain't gonna have one!"

"How come you never told Colin and I about the pits?"

"I didn't see it necessary, Mr. Neiger. I figured that the two of you would make valuable tributes to the games."

"And that's what's happening now, right? Your using all of us as toys for your stupid games? Even the kids?"

"Yes sir Mr. Neiger! Maybe that brain of yours is bigger than I thought!" He turns around to face the group for a short moment. "Right this way." He says.

"You told us to follow, we follow." Alice announces.

"Well pretty lady, now I'm telling you to lead. The first game is right down this hallway. So come on, after you."

She sighs and starts walking down the hallway into the building with the group behind her. Garrett shuts the door and triple locks it, tying it up with a strong metal chain afterward.

He leads the four of them down the hall into a gymnasium consisting of four pits in the center area and rows pf people lined up on the bleachers and few people surrounding the pits themselves.
They all follow Garrett over to the first pit where two scrawny teenagers are placing bets on whether Glenn or the Walker will win.  He shoves the teens out of the way and steps up to the edge of the pit.

"Well look at who we have here.  Mr. Xiong!  Nice to see you, again!"  He kneels down.  "If you thought your life sucked enough as it already did...  Your were wrong, matter of fact, you have not a damn clue how just so wrong you really were!  In fact, and I do mean fact, it's about to get a helluva lot worse!"  He starts laugh and sets the pool cue on his shoulder, keeping the bladed part away.

He then steps over to the pit I stand in.  He eyes me from head to toe and glances back at my eyes.

"Wow!  You, look, pissed!"

"Who else you got trapped in this shitty high school?"  I yell over the roaring crowd of people.

"I got your little group lined up next after you and your little asian friend.  Mr. Xiong.  So, Mr. Mathews, what do you say we play a little game?"

"Go fuck yourself."  I say.

"Woah, woah, woah there mister!  Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here!  I think your forgetting whose in charge around here.  Wanna take a guess?  It's most definitely not you!"  He spits into the pit, barely missing my shoulder and landing behind me.

"Bring em' out boys!"  Garrett yells.  I spot Alice, Ryan, Chad and Sara watching me from the edge of the pit.  Garrett turns and kneels down for a few quick seconds before standing back up and taking a couple steps back.

"Good luck in there.  You'll need it."  He says.

"We don't get no damn weapons?"

"Nope.  That wouldn't be fair to arm you against and unarmed force of nature, now would it?"

"More like freak of nature."  I spit.  The sound of a walker grows louder and fiercer as it approaches the pit.  The man holding the chained walker removes the chains and kicks it into the pit with me.

I quickly scan the ground for any sort of weapon I can use to defend myself.  The only thing I find is a rock the size of my fist.  I pick it up and use my time to my advantage.
As the walker tries to stand I kick it back down, jumping onto it's back, and slamming the rock into the back of it's head six to seven times.

Blood paints the front of my body head to waist.  I get off the walker and kick it as hard as I can to release my anger.  The corpse rolls over revealing a face I never thought I'd see again.