Handler's Game

C.ha.pt.er 4

**TW // Blood. Character Death**

Previously...

'Ashley spoke again. "Hayley," she yelled, "two more keys just came down from the ceiling! One directly on your right and one directly on your left. The one on the left is green and the one of the right is yellow! I think one of them opens the door!"

Hayley had tears streaming down her face and pouring from her empty eye sockets as she nodded and reached her hands up slowly on both sides, feeling around for the keys. Once she had her hands on both keys, she took a deep breath and yanked down...'

...the yellow key on her right, the sound of unhitching metal and the screams of her other captives filling her ears before there was nothing. The anchor sunk through the back of her skull and pinned her directly to the door in front of her, her body and brain reeling in the fact that she was - at this moment - dying before everything shut down and her body slumped against the door.

The other captives were screaming, tears pouring down their faces as they watched blood pour from the fatal wound on Hayley's head and down her body, too stunned to turn away. Ashton's eyes traveled along the anchor that impaled Hayley, squinting in concentration as he caught something glistening on the back of it. Upon closer inspection, he saw a single silver key resting on the back hook of the anchor, and his eyes widened in realization. Before he could attempt to alert his fellow captives to the trick to Hayley's game, the distorted voice was filtering through the television speakers once again.

"One down," it said in an eerily calm voice, "four choices to filter through."

Ashton felt anger and fear course through him as he started shouting behind his stitches, his salty tears burning the holes around his mouth as he yanked on his restraints.

"I see someone has some qualms with my little games," the voice says back as Ashton continues his muffled rant. "It is true, Hayley's game was meant to kill her, as are all of yours. Hayley had a choice. The green key would've given her more time to conduct a plan for survival, and she might have even escaped after the anchor had fallen. However, based on her choice, she lost. It's up to the rest of you to decide if you lose, as well."

Nicole was sobbing louder, Calum had his back pressed firmly against the wall as he watched with wary eyes and Ashley was pulling harshly at her restraints as Ashton kept his angry eyes trained on the television screen.

"You have all either directly or indirectly caused the death of a person on the outside, and so the price you pay to repent is the same as which you took," the voice continued, tone switched to hard and angry. "You were never caught. Never suspected. Never known. But we're making it known, now."

"What about you, huh?" All of the captives shot looks at Ashley, who's head was hung as she spoke loudly, her voice drained but angry. "You think you're going to get away with being responsible for the deaths of five different people? That's not how the justice system works, you slimy son of a --"

Ashley's words were cut off by her blood curdling scream as a loud cackling and sizzling sound came from where her ankles were bound together at the base of the pipe she was tied to. Smoke and the smell of burning flesh immediately filled the room the captives where held in, Ashley's screams combining with her sobs as the voice continued speaking.

"In all of your cases," it said in a deep huff, "I am in the position to be your judge, jury, and executioner. Your verdicts have been concluded as guilty and you have all received life sentences. It is your choice whether or not to save yourselves."

The television clicked off once more, the only sounds remaining in the cement room being the sobs of the two women and the heavy breathing from the two men. Ashley kept her eyes trained on her ankles, wailing as the chains stuck to the melted skin and ripped every time she attempted to move. "We're all gonna die down here," she spoke softly, her voice breaking with almost each syllable as she began sobbing in despair.

Before anyone could answer back to her statement - to either agree or disagree - the sound of releasing gas was being heard again and the captives all tried tot ink to the floor as best as the could, screaming for help but to no avail. Their vision all started to darken, the sounds around them beginning to silence and the feeling in their bodies beginning to dissipate as they all slumped to the ground, motionless and unresponsive as the deadbolt clicked once again.