I was at the grocery store, buying late night snacks for myself. As I was walking out to my car, somebody ran into me. All of my stuff fell to the ground and I attempted to pick it up when the person who ran into me caught my attention.
Alec.
I bolt up from my sleep and find myself sweating. My hands run through my greasy, tangled hair, and I let out a shaky breath. I officially loathe grocery stores.
My legs start pacing as I try to calm my erratic heart beat. I sigh and look around the room. After Alec had the private conversation with me, I remember feeling super sleepy and thinking that he must have drugged the food. He probably brought me here to this room, which was large and had furnishings that cost more than my apartment.
I see a bathroom and I immediately enter it, hoping to refresh myself. A clock tells me it's three in the morning but I don't want to go back to sleep. I would be just fine with never seeing that dream again.
My hands fumble as I turn the water on. I strip myself of my grimy clothes and step into the shower. The temperature of the water could be scalding hot, but I refused to allow myself the pleasure of being comfortable and kept it cold, waking my body up even more. As I cleaned myself I realized just how badly I needed this shower.
I stood in that cold shower for a long while, but it was nice to escape from the outside world. When I was finished, I stepped out and dried off with a plush towel that made me jealous of its softness. I wrapped the towel around me and began to look to see if Alec was kind enough to give me clothes.
There were some on the end of my bed. I didn't know whether to be creeped out or relieved that there were clothes. Instead of brooding over the thought, I slipped on the clothes. It was athletic wear. The black shirt fit me snuggly and the blue shorts were a bit big, but there was an adjustable waist band.
I felt clean, and the refreshment brought me pleasure. My hands began to pull my hair back into a braid and I sat on my bed when I was finished. I glanced at the clock to see it was now quarter to five.
What if that wasn't really the time and Alec was going to try to blunt my senses so that if I tried to escape I'd think it was night but it was really midday? I didn't have a window and I doubted any of the other girls did either. I was probably just overthinking this, being paranoid. I ran my hands over my face. Alec wasn't that committed to the game was he?
What if the water from the shower makes my brain show me things that aren't there? I look around to search for anything out of the ordinary.
No, Austen, you're just being stupid.
I start pacing. There's no way I can stay in this room but I'd rather not go to open the door and have it be locked. Such a disappointment would lead me to be increasingly claustrophobic.
My brain was wheeling and I decided to make my bed. After that was done, I realized that had only taken me two minutes. Okay, so let's freshen up even more. I walked to the bathroom and found a toothbrush. My mouth thanked me after I was finished and I found that the normal routined action had calmed me down.
I didn't have much time to contemplate that as there was a knock on my door. Fear crawled up my spine and I walked slowly towards the door. A soft chuckle reached my ears and I stopped. "Good morning, Darling, did you want to open the door for me?"
"Why can't you open it?" I ask curiously. Alec clears his throat in impatience. Instead of waiting for a true response, I opened the door and noticed there wasn't a handle on the outside.
"I'd suggest you don't get caught outside your door after dinner." Alec tells me. "I can't save you after the doors close." His words are chilly and I don't respond, having too many questions without any answers running through my head.
"Now, Darling, these are your instructions. It begins at six, so I would be prepared." He hands me a white envelope made of a thick material. I clench my jaw and take it without a word. "I hope you've found your accommodations acceptable." I hate his sophisticated speech.
"Yes, they were quite pleasurable." I decide to mock him, though he doesn't seem to realize I'm doing it.
"I'm pleased to hear that." Alec nods and I try not to smirk. "Now I will leave you. I hope to see you by the end of this. Something tells me it will be a quick one." Alec turns on his heel and I walk to my bed.
The envelope is sealed tightly and it makes me wonder why he would seal it if he had handed it to me personally. Sighing, I open it carefully and see it's one piece of thick paper. Why was it so durable? My eyes met the beautiful cursive lettering with jealousy, but the words made my blood boil in hot hatred.
Pretty little girl, don't be alarmed.
Stop when I turn and you won't be harmed.
You must cross mothers line, but not while she's looking.
If she catches you, beautiful, you're going to be cooking.
I snarled in anger. What was this supposed to mean? Mother may I? Red light green light? Were these really the games he was making us play? I glance at the clock. I had two minutes to figure this out.
Don't be alarmed, something was going to go off that could startle you, something that could warn you.
Stop when I turn.... So someone, or something, was going to be watching for us to make a wrong move. I frowned.
You won't be harmed. That was a lie, everyone here would be harmed in some way by the end of the day. We all knew that.
Cross mothers line, but not while she's looking. Perhaps whatever was looking at us could resemble a mother in some type of form. So there would be lines, and if we crossed them while she was looking she would get angry.
If she catches you... You'll be cooking. As in the hot seat? Any mothers reprimand was sure to make anyone feel scolded and bad for what they had done. I grumble but suddenly it was six o'clock and my door swung wide open by a force other than me.
My hands put my instructions down and my brain started already running everything over in my head. I bit my lip and started towards the hallway. There were girls poking their heads out of their doors, but no one wanted to take the first step out. I looked on the ground for any type of lines and not seeing them, I stepped forward.
I heard a bell go off and my entire body went tense. It went off again. The sound came from my left. I followed it, looking around on the ground for lines. There! Two paces in front of me there was a black line on the floor. I paused in front of it, looking for 'mother'.
The other girls began to talk to each other, at least to the ones they knew. It seemed everyone here knew at least one other person, but I shook the thought off. They were most likely here longer than I was so naturally, they'd know someone. I continue searching when I hear a whisper go through about a camera.
My eyes look to the end of the hallway to see a revolving camera. It continued spinning at a constant rate, never staying too long in one place for fear it would miss something somewhere else. I crossed the line when it wasn't looking and it did nothing when it saw me again.
Mothers have eyes everywhere, so it would make sense that a revolving camera could mimic that. I wondered if there were sensors that reported to it whenever it looked at them. So, I decided to test a theory. When I made it to a girls room I went inside and grabbed a chair. I hope she didn't mind.
I went back into the hallway and the girl close behind me raised an eyebrow. "I'm testing a theory." I tell her. She nods, watching closely.
I place the chair over the line when the camera wasn't looking, but when it came back around nothing happened. Frowning, I threw the chair back in the room and started forward again.
I came to a part in the hallways and had to watch both cameras in order to make sure I wasn't caught. With the sheerest amount of luck I switched into another hallway unscathed, hearing the bell come from this way. The girl behind me followed close. "Have you figured it out yet?" She asks. I shake my head.
Suddenly a new bell sounds and my blood runs cold. Don't be alarmed. Someone set the alarm off.
I turn around just as I see a girl become snatched up in a net. Her scream was horrifying as a gas was sprayed in her eyes. The net continued to pull up into the high ceiling, starting to contort the girls body and crush her. Panic raced through me and I felt sick, but I was unable to turn away. Then, suddenly her body was let go but her leg was stuck in the net. My impulse was to go to her but the speed at which she fell had snapped her neck. The crack of the fatal fall had resounded in the silence that followed.
I stared, looking at her body bent at the awkward angle. The cameras continued to spin, but no one dared to move. Suddenly, I heard those purposeful footsteps that made my hatred bubble to a horrifying level. Alec's face appeared and he slowly untangled the girl's body, holding her in his arms.
A tear fell down his face and he lowered his eyes. "My pretty little girl." He sobs. His hands shakily close her eyes and he starts down the hallways I was in. The audacity he had to act like he cared made me want to trap him in a net to see how it felt. The cameras continue rolling, but he feared them not as he walked. It didn't matter if he was on a line or not.
I closed my eyes and relaxed myself. Revenge could come later. I needed to survive this first. Suddenly a new theory came into my head. What if Alec could walk on the lines because the cameras were only searching for particular faces? Or what if there were only certain lines that held traps beneath them?
I didn't really want to test my theory. However, I knew it was a logical explanation as to why Alec could so easily walk through the hallways. Another bell went off, this one the first one I had heard. I glanced at the girl behind me who was shaking in fits.
"She's dead." Her words echoed in my ears, but I shook my head to get rid of the sound. If I focused on that, I'd lose my head. "He killed her." The tone of her voice was one of fear. "She's dead. He k-killed her."
"What's your name?" I ask, trying to change the subject. The girl keeps repeating those two lines and I start forward. "What's your name?" I repeat, louder this time. There are sobs coming closer to me from the other hallway and I can't handle them. My head needs to stay level.
"Makayla." The girl says, following me. "My name is Makayla." Her voice is changing into a whisper.
"That's a pretty name." I compliment, turning the hallway carefully. The bell is still going off in front of me and I intend to find out what it is. Makayla follows me slowly and I take the time to look at her appearance.
Makayla had long blonde hair, pulled into a ponytail. She had large, innocent blue eyes, brimming with tears. Her body was skinny, and she was given the same outfit I was, but she was much paler than me. I looked over her sharp nose and pursed red lips. She was pretty, but pretty was not an advantage in a game such as this.
"Thank you." Makayla tells me as she notices me analyzing her. I notice her voice is louder this time. Good. She's focusing. "What's your name?" She asks me. I smile. Conversation was good. If she shut down, she wouldn't last.
"Austen. Austen Grey." The name sounds foreign on my tongue for some reason.
"I like that name."
We're both silent after that, and we remain set on our trail to the bells. We make it too, but I wish we hadn't. In front of us is a large camera set on one girl. It seems the bells knew we were there because suddenly, the warning bell goes off again. The girl, whose face was on the screen, looked down to see her foot on the line. She looked up and then the screen lit up in flames.