Don't Play With Death (on indefinite hiatus)

Chapter 4

Hi, so this chapter was more like a filler, now the real exciting stuff can begin! heh..:) Feedback is appreciated!

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Chapter 4

“Can I sit down?” someone asks softly.

I stick my head out of my jacket, and stare straight into Cato’s chestnut brown eyes.

He flinches when he sees my face. “Jesus Christ, Runa, what happened to you,” he says startled and takes the seat beside me.

I raise my eyebrows. “I just said goodbye to my family, and now I’m prepared to be murdered. That’s what’s happening.” My voice sounds lifeless…hollow. Which is exactly how I feel.

Cato becomes quiet. I peek at him; his old careless attitude has returned. “You don’t have to do that, you know,” I tell him, sighing.

“Do what?”

“Act like nothing’s wrong. Like you’re not afraid.”

He looks at me sadly. “It’s much easier to pretend like I don’t care,” he says. “I’d rather do that than to cry and worry about what will happen.”

I stroke his cheek gently, just like I used to do when we were kids.  “But you don’t have to do it in front of me,” I whisper shakily. “It’s okay to cry and be scared.”

A tear runs down his face. “I’m terrified, Runa,” he admits, and his vulnerability immediately makes me grab his hands. His body relaxes when I touch his skin.

“I know, I am too,” I say truthfully. "Aren't we all?"

We don’t say anything more after that. The bus starts to move. The other contestants don’t even look at us; they’re all minding their own businesses. Some are talking quietly with each other, others are crying or looking like they're dead. Like me.  I notice that Jerich is cracking jokes loudly; he’s betting on who will be killed the first day. “My guess is that it’ll be the ugliest and weakest one!” he says and smiles viciously at little Tyson.

I open my mouth to defend him, because I can’t stand listening to Jerich one more second, but Tyson surprises everyone by saying: “I don’t think we need to mention names here…Jerich, was it? I think we all know who you mean; black hair, eyeliner, dark clothes, kinda looks like a girl? Yup, that sounds familiar.”

My jaw drops, and Cato chuckles beside me. Who would’ve thought that this tiny little boy would dare to challenge one of the scariest contestants? He doesn’t even try to say it quietly, and he doesn’t sound like he’s joking either. He’s simply stating the truth, which makes it even funnier.

I’m obviously not the only who is impressed. The other contestants smiles approvingly at Tyson, and Veronica even raises her hand to give him a ‘high five’. “Nice one, kiddo,” she laughs.

Jerich gives us all a murderous glare. He bends his face down until he’s only inches away from Tyson. “What did you just say to me?” he asks, his voice venomous. 

I’m about to stand up and walk straight to them, because I’m pretty sure that Jerich will kill Tyson on the spot if no one intervenes, but Cato grabs my arm and whispers into my ear: “Hold on, he can deal with this.”

“Deal with this?” I hiss. “The kid is about to get murdered!”

“Just look at him, he’s not just some regular ten year old. He has plenty of backbone.”