written by @stephisawesome edited by @crazybookworm123
We’re back in our cabin room preparing for the pulling of the contestants for the paintball game tomorrow. I was drawing in my sketch pad, bored. Lindsay and Joy, with the other girls were sitting in a corner gossiping about boys and Lexi had her earphones in her ears listening to her ritual opera and drinking decaffeinated tea before going to bed.
“What are you listening to?” I asked Lexi.
She paused the opera and took of her headphones.
"Aida by Giuseppe Verdi. The tenor parts are beautiful especially the-"she started but was cut off by the laughter of Lindsay and the others in this cabin.
"You hear that? Little miss Alexi thinks she is so sophisticated and listens to opera’s before bed time and drinks tea with her pinky up. Does ickle Lexi get nightmares at night?" asked Lindsay in pure mockery.
Lexi had a straight poker face and continued on listing to her opera droning Lindsay out. Lindsay started to hop on one foot around the room, bucking like a chicken.
“I’m so scared of the dark that I listen to boring opera’s so I can sleep.” said Lindsay and she started to sing like she’s an opera singer. Lexi hung her head.
“Do worry Lexi. You’ll get them back.” I said to Lexi, as I crawled on top of her bed.
“Carrots.” She said with her regular British accent.
“What?” I asked clearly confused by what she said.
“Carrots.” She replied again.
I was confused and looked her in the eye. She held the poker like face but there was a gleam of revenge in there. I smiled. She is the same Lexi from last summer I knew alright.
* * * * *
“Welcome everyone to the 25th paintball games!” yelled a lady in a pink sun dress.
I felt like I was Katiness waiting for her name to be pulled from the bowl, to be whisked to the Arena. Only I probably wouldn’t get drawed, Lexi might though.
“Our players for this year’s games are chosen by you and your votes. Now can our fifteen winners please come up here and bring the partner you chose. Josh Cadence, Emma Jansen, Lindsay Owens.” I heard cheers from her friends and I looked her way. She stared back. Suddenly I started to have a feeling that I’m going to be chosen. “Natalie Cook, Thomas Pike, Walter Keen, Isabelle Deanery, Blake Duncan’s.” I start sweating. Please don’t be me I though; repeating in my brain. “Jay Harvard, Sophie Aldershot, Marie Bison, Harry Jones, Alice Green, Conner Hall and-“ I started to sweat. “Charlotte Hillfield.”
Lindsay finished with a smile. My only thought was no this was not happening. These two weeks were meant for me to watch the paintball games and laugh at the people who were hit and out, not participate in them.
I nodded to Lexi and we both slowly walked to the stage.
“Well congratulations competitors you’ll move your stuff to the head cabin and meet me in the lunchroom. Kay?” said the lady in the pink. We all nodded our heads or muttered yes. “Great.” And just like that she walks of.
Lindsay snickers at us.
“You two will be the first team dead.” Lindsay said.
The rest of the competitors laugh except a boy with light tossed brown hair and brown eyes. He just stared at me.
“Well we’ll see about that bitch.” says Lexi.
I grabbed her arm and yanked her away before she could do more damage.
“You’ll get your revenge in the arena. Okay.” I said to Lexi, she calms down and follows me to our cabin.
I was happy I didn’t really unpack anything. All I needed to do was roll up my sleeping bag and that’s it. Same as Lexi. Sitting on my bunk I quickly rolled up the sleeping bag and put it in the bag it came in. I looked at Lexi and she looked really.
“Are you ready?” I ask.
“As ready as you are Lottie.” replies Lexi and we drag our stuff to the head cabin.
As painful of a walk to the head cabin it is we made it before a lot of teams and got a good bunk to place our stuff that we won’t be using again till the games are over. Lexi got the lower bunk and I got the top, as usual. We each grabbed a couple T-shirts and our first aid kits. Lexi grabbed her fully charged iPod and a small of box of tea bags and I grabbed my sketch pad and three pencils.
Slowly the competitors quickly filled in. Taking the other bunks they dumped their junk, grabbed what they neeed and soon we all head out to the lunchroom. Fifteen of the counsellors were standing in the next room, ready to go. Splat was there and so was Pinky. They were all standing along the opposite wall. The other twenty-eight kids stood away from me and Lexi; we stayed near the door and they walked farther into the room. A group of backpacks stood in a pile in the middle of the room.
“You will each get a team name, a paintball gun each, and a backpack.” said Splat, “The rules are simple. Stay with your partner, shoot the other teams down, and stay alive. If you’re shot on the torso or head and your vest beeps come back to camp. The boundaries are the two rivers on side, the lake and the road. You might see brick walls and wire link fences but just ignore them. Any questions?”
A boy, maybe a year younger than me, raised his hand.
“Yes?” yelled Splat.
“What if your partner “dies?” What do you do then?”
“You keep running.” answered Splat, “You can make alliances with other teams, but you can only win if you’re the last individual or the last team standing. Anyways each of you should take a bag right now.” Soon everyone reached into the middle of the room and grabbed a bag.
“Inside each of your bags should contain extra ammo, matches, a canteen for water, a sleeping bag ropes and some food. “ answered Splat. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
“Okay let the games begin!” she yelled. I looked at Lexi and she nodded her head. This is war, and we charged into the arena loading our paintball guns. We scrambled our way to a river side and came across the same guy who didn’t laugh at us, who then pointed his gun at us.
“Oh it’s you guys. Everyone is searching for your group at the moment. If you want to stay alive follow me.” He said.
I thought it was a little mysterious and I questioned him.
“And why should we follow you?” I asked.
“Because I’m going to be the only way you two can survive this game.”
