Sang is chosen for the Culling, a series of fights to the death that are generally played by men. In fact, Sang is the first woman selected, well, ever. As the games start, and Sang forms bonds with a group of nine men, she comes to realize that the...
"Of course I'm sure." Kota grinned at me, his green eyes shining. "What kind of man would make a lady climb up a ladder to sleep? Besides, I like the top."
Gabriel, who was one bottom bunk over, snickered. Kota rolled his eyes in Gabriel's direction.
I eyed the ladder in question, which was basically a thin stairway that led to the top bunk. Each bed was equipped with their own ladder at the foot of each bunk.
"I think I would have survived, I'm not that helpless." I told him seriously.
"You aren't completely passive, are you?" He reached out towards me with one arm and hung on to the bed with the other. "Sit up so I can reach you."
"What?" I had been laying down while talking to him, but at his command I sat up until I was near his hand.
His eyes were sparkling with restrained laughter, and his glasses had fallen a bit more away from his nose. It was just too cute and I couldn't resist anything he asked of me right now.
"Closer."
I leaned a bit closer to him.
He reached over and booped my nose - complete with a boop sound effect.
"Kota!" My face exploded with heat while I jumped backwards into bed and pulled the covers up over my head.
I heard him chuckling in response to my reaction, but I couldn't help it! No one had ever done that to me before, not even my father. Wasn't that something you did to children?
I heard rustling, which must have been him pulling himself back up into his bed. "Goodnight Sang."
Other variations of the bedtime utterances echoed throughout the room addressed to me. I smiled as I still hid under the blanket, this was the first time someone other than my father had wished me goodnight.
"Goodnight!" I whispered back, loud enough where I hoped they hear me.
I might not know what I was going to do tomorrow, or the days following. But I did know this, I was glad to finally have found some friends before whatever else happened in the future.
That night was the first time I had a nightmare in three years.
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