Dared To Love

Chapter Twenty Five

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Ember's POV

I honestly don't know how my life got to this in less than a few months.

I was happy shutting myself from the world, just minding my own business but then Ryder came back, winning over my heart once again. I know we have to sacrifice many things for our love, but this is going too far.

I lost myself.

Now history is repeating itself, meaning I had to relive this nightmare all over again. 

All I could ask myself was how?

"You should now know the rules by now. If not, consider yourself dead," the man taunts from his microphone, standing a couple feet above us.

There's about twenty of us here, all mixed genders; girls and boys. But there's more girls than boys because the players' of this game mostly target the girls.

Surrounded by nothing but four massive walls, almost three or four stories high, I was trapped in some old office. There were a few desks here and there, paper scattered all over the floor. The building was old, with a few floors leaking. 

My eyes scan the room, in plain fear, not knowing anyone here, but I could vaguely recognise Ryder's brother, Jayden. Well, I assumed it was his brother? 

How am I going to survive this? I knew my chances of me surviving was more unlikely, only because I had no idea how to fight for myself. 

I should have taken the self defence classes, or anything that taught me how to fight, because right now, I was just a venerable walking target. 

Everything was over. 

The other people who have been kidnapped against their will, just like me look fit enough to survive this, but still, they had fear written in their eyes. Some even trembled with shivers, wide eyed and awaiting for the misery to end. 

I was the same, just like everyone else that stood in this room. 

I had accepted my defeat a long time ago, not everyone can have a happy ending. 

Hopefully luck was on my side- wait, thinking about it, I haven't been lucky for the past couple months, I mean, Ryder left town without a goodbye, I dated a terrible guy which ended up with me in this situation. I wouldn't consider any of this lucky.

"You alright there?" a man's voice echoed throughout the room, breaking me from the starting of the memory that has haunted me ever since.

Everything came rushing back like a ton of bricks, hurting like a slap to the face- no, even worse. Some how I had ended up lucky, surviving that game. Jarred was the one who put me in it, tricking me. Betraying me. 

But he was the one to help me escape. 

"Just peachy," I sarcastically reply, lifting my eyes from the cold, smooth, grey concreted floor, just as I meet gaze with him, I instantly recognise him, hatred burning up inside me when I see that smile I once almost fell head over heels for. 

Someone who was in his late twenties or even early thirties. His familiar brunette hair, defined cheekbones, and eyes like someone I loved, brought back all the memories. 

It was a face hard to forget.

"I take you recognise me?" he grinned, as things became clear, "Ryder's uncle Jack?"

It was him, the devil himself stood right in front of me. 

"What do you want?" I questioned forcefully, letting my voice bounce of the four walls of this empty room. Gaining some strength from my stiff body, I manage to push myself up, onto my feet, giving me a stronger look.