Battle Royale: Season 1

Chapter 1: It's A Mercy

Dee-Dee didn't know Tania well. Tania just transferred from a private school last year. She spent a lot of time sitting in the back of classes scribbling in a notebook. She gravitated toward Stacey Oneal (girl number twenty) but even from a distance, Dee-Dee could see that the two of them weren't tight. Tania didn't really seem to like a big crowd, which was a nice sort of change of pace. She didn't raise her hand in class and didn't participate in group activities, but she was friendly enough and she liked to greet people with a smile, albeit an obligatory one.

Dee-Dee reveals herself, deciding that staying hidden might make matters worse, especially if she doesn't clarify the situation. Tania is a large girl, carrying an extra twenty, thirty pounds perhaps? She doesn't do well in gym, not as well as Dee-Dee anyway. Thank God for afternoon yoga. It might save my life. "Tania? I didn't do that." She holds her hands up, as if she's under arrest. "Is he..."

Tania blinks several times, then shakes her head. "W-what happened?" She stutters. She looks petrified, her caramel skin becoming pale.

"I think he was playing." Dee-Dee says. "He had a crossbow and he pointed it at me and Axel saved my life."

Tania looks startled. "Axel?"

"Oh, he's not here now." Dee-Dee nods in the direction Axel had gone. "I'm waiting for Deidre. How is she in there?"

"I didn't notice." Tania shrugs.

Brent continues to writhe. Dee-Dee considers kicking Brent but as soon as she looks at him, at the exposed brain that she couldn't see from the trees, she covers her mouth, faces away from Tania, and tries to hold in her vomit. He's going to die, she realizes. He's going to be the first casualty of the Program, isn't he? She hears more footsteps. The pattern is boy-girl-boy-girl, so the next person will be male and this frightens her. She ducks back into the forest, nodding for Tania to join her. Tania looks hesitantly at Dee-Dee, as if she's unsure of whether or not Dee-Dee is telling the truth. She submits, although her eyes never leave Dee-Dee's hands.

Three more people come out, all greeted by the sight of Brent, but none of them stick around to see whether or not he's still alive. Deidre Cartwright exits the school, long strands of her brown hair whipping across her face, her pack held close to her bosom. She hones in on Brent and lets out a high shriek before Dee-Dee emerges from the shadows and engulfs her sister in a hug. They both start to sob in each others shoulders. There is a pained look on Tania's face. "We need to leave." Tania warns. "Before someone else comes through those doors."

"Okay," Deidre whispers, wiping her tears. "Okay,"

"Wait." Dee-Dee says, moving softly toward Brent.

"Dee-Dee, what are you doing?" Deidre hisses.

More echoes from the hall.

"We can use some of this stuff, you know? Just in case." She bends over to pick up Brent's pack and notices that his eye has become glassy and still. His shaking has stopped. She says a silent prayer. He is-- was an asshole, but he suffered enough, hadn't he? She joins Tania and Deidre, who are already rushing into the woods, running quickly to catch up with them.

~

Reid Parsons (boy number twenty) stays close to Vivian Khan (girl number twenty five) until his name is called. He looks up at the woman, shaking his head. "I won't leave her. She can barely stand up."

"It's your turn, Parsons." The woman says.

"Look at her!" He points to Vivian, who looks like a drunk trying to keep their head up. The blood has matted on her forehead now and her eyes are open but she seems to be having a hard time focusing on anything. "I can't leave her."