Chapter Text
I wasn’t sure how long we stood there processing all the information we had just been forced to absorb. Based on the red clock on the monitor in front of us, supposedly only five minutes had passed, but it felt much longer with my life flashing before my eyes. My childhood, where my parents had shown me all the love a pair of souls traumatized by the tragedy could muster. No one could blame them for their shattered mental states, having both lost their own families during the carnage, only able to find solace in each other and a few surviving friends. I could vividly recall playing on warm, sandy beaches during vacations with them, both trying to ignore the omnipresent red atmosphere above to give their precious girl some semblance of normalcy in a broken world.
My teenage years, where I’d been forced to move away to a foster home as my father’s mental health rapidly deteriorated, the suppressed grief and frustration fracturing his grip on reality. Even after that, I could still hear his sorrowful wails in my sleep, begging people who weren’t there to forgive him for failing to keep them safe, his fists pounding the wooden walls so hard that there’d be blood stains on them in the morning. Despite this, I never stopped loving him, and I prayed to any God listening that he’d get better, that my mom would be able to help him find peace again.
Finally, as a young adult, when I’d used whatever money, I could save doing odd jobs to move to America and pursue an education in counseling. If nothing else would help my broken family, then I would. It had been a hard journey, but my surprisingly high intellect and natural desire to see people’s smiles helped me finish undergrad and masters in record time. I was looking to get my PhD when I first heard about legacy university, and I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to achieve the best possible chance at helping those like my family, souls seemingly broken beyond repair by the horrifying despair that had engulfed the world so thoroughly.
The last thing I remembered before arriving back at the present was getting dressed for another hard day of studies, along with a few clients who wanted the services of a young prodigy like me, and then…nothing. It was as if my mind had spontaneously blanked out in that final moment, and I’d regained my senses in total darkness. Only, I had to briefly question whether I truly had reawakened, because this situation seemed too much like a nightmare to be real. Despite how childish it seemed, I raised my arm up and gave it a pinch while looking down at it with a blank face.
Nothing, nothing but a sharp hit of pain. There was no more point in living in denial. As unbelievable and ludicrous as it might seem, I’d been abducted, and placed into what for all intents and purposes, looked to be a killing game. Granted, this hadn’t been confirmed, but with the 16 people that were suddenly crowding the hallway, the security cameras, the lack of an explanation as to our being here and topped off with the silhouette that could only have been the world’s most terrifying stuffed animal…. Yeah, it wasn’t looking good.
Speaking of looking, it seemed as if my stoic silence and flashbacking had given everyone else time to wake up and exit their rooms. Looking into the now open doors, I noticed that most of the rooms were still dark, but red emergency lights had activated along the baseboards and doorframes that made it easy to navigate out. I let out a frustrated huff. Evidently, Aloysius, Brian and I waking up early had been an anomaly that wasn’t supposed to happen. Looks like we got ourselves hurt for nothing.
Getting back to more pressing matters, a wide assortment of characters was rapidly conversing in excited and scared tones. Some shouting, some listening intently with nervous looks on their faces, and some just looked to be in a daze. Looking around with nervous looks in their eyes as if waiting for something to appear and announce that this was all a giant prank. I had only just started tuning in, but it seemed as if everyone that was still unconscious had been jolted awake by the alarm and had witnessed the same announcement on the monitors in their rooms. At this point, it was a chaotic scene of every person who cared to vocalizing their own questions and concerns.
“What the heck is going on?” Exclaimed a weedy looking kid with glasses, jeans, and a long-sleeved yellow shirt, “I know I asked for surprises on my next tour, but this is coming WAY out of left field!” He looked up at the ceiling and made a funnel with his hands before shouting, “Yo, Carter! I know you’re my manager, but this REALLY isn’t conducive to a good joke. I should know…”
“You think this is a joke?” A small, bespectacled girl with a black and white checkered skirt looked up with a grim expression on her face, her long, dark hair framing her stoic composure well. “There’s absolutely no chance of that, not when so many required pieces are already in place.” She crossed her arms, accentuating her bright red button up, giving off an aura of complete certainty as she closed her eyes and shook her head. “If you want any chance of surviving what comes next, your immediate concern is accepting this reality”.
“Hu…huh?!?!!? What are you trying to insinuate? You’re talking as if there’s no doubt we’re trapped in a death match! That’s impossible! Ultimate Despair was eradicated decades ago!!!!” The frantic voice a freckled brunette in a baseball cap reflected the rising tension in the increasingly cramped hallway.
“Wait, slow down, I’m really confused right now. What’s this about a death match?” The question came from an absolute hulk of a man in a deep, but not unkind tone. “I don’t know what the deal with that freakish Teddy Bear was, but this all seems like a giant prank.” He reached behind his head to scratch at the back of his neck, his obscene musculature straining his gym clothes. “Some bastards probably just spiked our drinks at a party or something and dressed up the dormitory halls.” He let out an amused chuckle, “That’s the only explanation I can think of, hard to imagine any other way someone could get the drop on me”.
“Party?” A wild haired red head with a pride flag on her shirt spoke up incredulously, “I’ve been on some heavy stuff with my pals, but that normally leaves you with a much worse hangover than what I’m experiencing right now.” She pointed her sharp, colored nails at the heavyweight as her face adopted a piercing scowl, “pretty sure at least one of us would remember going to some wild celebration beforehand even if drugs wiped out the whole night, and looking at this crowd? I doubt half of us drink at all.”
“I can attest to that...at least for myself anyway”, spoke a sharply dressed boy in a khaki uniform and a sash covered with colorful badges around his shoulder. “A scout is clean after all, not to mention I’m underage.”
“I…really don’t think that matters at the moment, we need to be focused on getting ourselves out of…wherever we are.” Responded an intelligent looking woman in hospital scrubs and a lab coat. “Even if this isn’t connected to ultimate despair, our lives may very well be in grave danger!”
It was at this point that Aloysius finally made his announcement over the chaos. “I couldn’t agree more…on the latter statement rather than the former.” He emerged at the head of the crowd and extended his arms in broad gestures as if to project himself. “If my assessment is accurate, the lives of myself and everyone in this hall are in greater peril than anything any of us may have experienced before.” He pointed behind us, and we all turned to look at the giant monitor at the back wall of the hallway. “Just now, we have been bombarded with a lot of information that all points to one thing…but just to clarify,” he paused, letting us soak in his words and turn back around, “would anyone who actually knows the specifics as to our being transported and placed in this location raise your hand now?” We all looked around at everyone else, but no one had any comments to make about our collective predicament. “I figured as much,” Aloysius shook his head, hands on his hips, disappointment radiating from him in waves…followed by fierce determination when he looked up and started counting down on his fingers. “To begin with, there are exactly 16 of us here, all of which, presumably, have been listed as having a particular ultimate ability on our door plaques, and all of whom have awoken in a strange, unknown location, which is in all likelihood sealed off from the outside world”.
I noticed a couple individuals nodding along with acceptance at Aloysius’s words, some adopting neutral and stoic expressions, and still more just looking around nervously at the previously forgotten plaques, afraid to put together what the more perceptive members of our group already had. Aloysius continued, “If this isn’t ringing alarm bells for you, the message broadcast to all of us just now should be the final nail in the coffin of your doubts.” He threw up his arms in exasperation, “ladies and gentlemen…whether you believe it now or later, we have unwittingly found ourselves in what can only be…a killing game.”
There was a moment of silence, before the small crowd erupted in either vehement denials, cries for this all to be proven fake, or barely contained rage and fear. I was still trembling in the back, vividly recalling the horrifying history lessons I’d been taught about The Killing School Life, all the innocent teenagers, meant to be protected from a broken world, forced to slaughter each other for empty promises of freedom. To call it hell on earth would’ve been an understatement, the scars on those who lived through it continued to impact our generation, and likely would for who knows how many years? Infrastructure could rise from the ashes, but humanities collective psyche could never be that simple.
“Enough!!!” Aloysius cried out, dousing the growing agitation in the hall, “The last thing we need right now is a panicked mob. Obviously, none of us have all the details, but I think I speak for all of us when I say it is impertinent to gather as much intel as we possibly can, as quickly as possible.” At this, he gestured to the red LED style clock face displayed on the screen, the seconds gradually counting up, with the time now at 7:15:49 AM. “The announcement just given commanded us to arrive at the so-called, “main hall”, by 8 AM to avoid punishment, and I dare not contemplate what that entails.” A dark shadow overcame his face as he looked down at the floor, indicating that he had at least, subconsciously, had his imagination supply a few gruesome possibilities.
Following this, he looked back over us all with his arms crossed and furrowed brows. “Though I would like to begin exploring our current location ASAP, I am also deeply curious as to the identities of those around me. To ensure an effective search, it would be beneficial to introduce ourselves to the group first so that we may coordinate our efforts more efficiently.”
At this, he stood tall and proud as he introduced himself yet again. “For those who do not yet know me, I am Aloysius Grant, and I have been rightfully bestowed the title of the Ultimate Politician.” He then swept his eyes over the 15 of us, as if gauging our reactions, and upon being satisfied that we’d all heard him, he followed up with, “if we could all follow a similar, brief introduction format, that would be greatly appreciated.” His eyes then lit up as another thought occurred to him. “To avoid interruptions, let us also go in the order of our door numbers, I myself am apparently in room #1, so this works out greatly.” It wasn’t hard to notice the smug grin that seemed to involuntarily worm its way onto his face at remembering that fact.
“Excuse me…what?!?” The vibrant redhead from before adopted a disgusted tone and expression as she gazed Aloysius down. “You’re telling me whoever’s in charge put a goddamn white, male POLITICIAN in the first room? How is the system always so rigged??”
I must hand it to Aloysius; he did a commendable job of keeping a calm expression at the abrupt provocation, as if he was used dealing with criticism. “Miss, I checked out room #3 earlier, and I can assure you there is no difference in quality between our temporary residences. Furthermore, classifying me so quickly without knowing me personally says a lot more about you than it does me.” He then adopted a much more obvious look of condescension, directed right back at the agitator, who put her hands on her hips in defiance.
“Whatever! I still don’t appreciate your obvious efforts to take control here, and I’ll have you know that my experience with judgmental individuals outweighs that of everyone here and then some!”
In direct defiance of Aloysius’s suggestion, the girls then puffed out her chest in pride and gave her introduction out of turn.
“I may be behind door #8, but I’m the number one girl to know in situations that call for quick action in the face of danger! My name is Sandy Wheeler, and I do NOT subscribe to any label imprinted on me by the system, be it an ultimate title or otherwise!”
“It says here you’re the Ultimate Activist.” Came a soft voice from off to the side. Looking towards the source of the noise revealed the small, dark haired girl with glasses from earlier with the chessboard patterned skirt. She had snuck behind Sandy to get a peek at the plaque on her door.
“Wha…who gave you permission to look in my room?!?” Sandy yelled out, flustered, “And don’t just blurt out private information! I won’t have my identity skewed by titles bestowed by some corrupt authority!”
“No one said you had to accept the title.” The girl candidly pointed out, “We’re just trying to get a better idea of who we all are. That means sharing what details we do know”.
Sandy could only let out a frustrated growl, cross her arms, and skulk off behind the crowd. Aloysius, who had adopted an annoyed expression at her attitude, appeared very pleased as he addressed the new girl, “Splendidly put…I’m sorry, what was your name?”
The girl looked stoically at Aloysius before giving her response, “Olivia Ryan, I’m in room #2 across from yours. And…I suppose I am to be recognized as the Ultimate Chess Master”.
Aloysius nodded, satisfied with the response, “Thank you Olivia, and she is correct!” He once again spread his arms as he addressed us all, “While these ‘ultimate’ titles may be fabricated by out captors, I have little doubt they reflect our abilities very clearly. No one is required to use them, but in a situation where we have very little intel…it’s important to share what we have.”
He then pointed to Brian as a silent request to keep introductions going, to which the brightly robed man happily acquiesced. “My name is Brian Smith, I am in room #3, and I am proud to call myself the Ultimate Pastor.” He gave a gentle smile as he surveyed the room, “I pray that we might find safety and comfort as a group in whatever challenges we are to face in the near future.”
Sandy squinted her eyes in thinly veiled contempt at the reveal of a religious figure, something that did not escape my attention. Thankfully, most of the other hallway occupants seemed more calmed, or at least placated, at the knowledge of his presence.
The Caucasian girl with a baseball cap, unbuttoned blue flannel and white t-shirt, and dark blue jeans went next. “My name is Courtney Bishop, Room #4, and I suppose I’m the Ultimate Technician.” She shrugged, “At least it lines up with my electrical engineering degree. I look forward to helping wherever possible”.
I wound up staring at Courtney a few seconds longer after her introduction was done, because it occurred to me that I had seen her at the university before. She was working in the IT department when I had gone to get my laptop fixed on occasion. Funny…she had never struck me as anything extraordinary appearance-wise. I wonder if she took notice of me.
The next individual was a rather athletic, tanned man wearing red shorts and a white shirt with a red cross. His brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and his clean-shaven face bore a sweet smile as he spoke. “It’s very nice to meet you all! My name is Tyler Long, and I’m proud to call myself the Ultimate Lifeguard in room #5. If there’s danger ahead, I promise to protect you!”
Huh, should’ve figured something involving first aid based on how he was dressed. He certainly seemed nice and reliable at first glance, ‘Not bad on the eyes either…’. I quickly shook my head, now wasn’t the time for those kinds of thoughts. Forcing my gaze away from Tyler, I looked towards the black woman in hospital scrubs from earlier who was speaking next.
“I am the Ultimate Surgeon, Danielle Connors, room #6. Currently I am still in the middle of my studies, but I’ve been working in medicine my whole life and am very much confident in my abilities”.
My immediate reaction to the knowledge of a medical practitioner was one of relief. If the situation we were in was as dangerous as Aloysius believed it to be, Danielle’s skills would be invaluable. From the expression on his face, I could tell Aloysius was pleased to hear of this development as well.
“Room #7! Ultimate Boy Scout, Aaron David!” The boy in uniform called out with boisterous vigor, “I’ve been an eagle scout for three years and have worked on charity projects in seven countries throughout my career! I am prepared to be trustworthy, loyal, and helpful to my comrades at all costs!” He then gave a solute while adopting a stiff posture, all while sporting a wide grin.
The whole display was so over-the-top that I let out an involuntary chuckle. Several others in the group seemed amused as well, particularly the bespectacled teen with black, curly hair, who promptly yelled out, “At ease!” To which Aaron relaxed with a pleased sigh. Since Sandy had already given her introduction, the next person to go was a tall, bearded fellow with a camouflage jacket and trapper hat.
“David King, room #9, Ultimate Hunter.” He grunted out, frowning deeply, “I’d prefer not to get close to anyone here…especially if this is truly a ‘death game’, as you so bluntly put it.” He cast a wary glance at Aloysius as he crossed his arms with a cold demeanor. I couldn’t blame him for his wariness, though I do wish he had taken a bit more consideration for the others around us. The tension in the hallway had been abating slightly over the last few introductions, and David had just reignited it with a single sentence!
Aloysius also seemed displeased, but he solemnly nodded in acceptance of the declaration. No one could blame someone for being tense in this situation. This attitude was reflected by the next girl to speak, a rather pale individual with bright blue eyes, platinum blonde hair, and a fancy white dress. “Um…my name is Victoria O’Reilly. I’m in room #10…and while I don’t disagree with the idea, I’m still uncomfortable at being labelled the Ultimate Ballerina. I’ve only been doing public performances for a year or so”. She looked down at the floor and clasped her hands over her stomach, clearly unwilling to say more for the time being.
In stark contrast to her quite humility, the bespectacled teen then introduced himself with passion and brash vitality. “The name’s Kevin Sebastian, though you may recognize me better by my stage name…PUNch Line! I’m joking of course, I don’t have a stage name, everything I’ve suggested never caught on, never figured out why… Regardless, I’m the Ultimate Comedian! IF you ever need comic relief, come to room Kevin Eleven!” His face kept a jovial look, but everyone around him, me included, cringed a bit at his poor attempt at humor. This negative reaction visibly draining Kevin’s enthusiasm.
The only exception to our collective disdain was a lithe Hispanic girl with overalls and pigtails, who giggled mirthfully behind her hand, something that made Kevin’s eyes sparkle in delight and his mood noticeably lighten. It would appear he finds happiness in the amusement of others, though I wonder if there’s more to it? My private musings were quickly interrupted by the next introduction, this time from a sophisticated looking girl in a sleek black gown and light makeup, who spoke with a French accent. “For ze duration of our stay here, you may address meh as Genevieve Elodie, the Ultimate Violinist. I am in room #12, but please do not disturb meh unless things are dire.” Giving a light curtsy, she then retreated into the thick of the crowd.
Her speech pattern and posture seemed to indicate a high-class upbringing, but I’d wait to interact with her more before making any assumptions on her character. The next person to go was the muscle-bound heavy weight in gym shorts and a tank top. “Not sure what the deal is here but I look forward to chilling with you all!” He bellowed out in a deep voice, “The name’s Zach Martin, but my friends call me ‘Maximum’. I’m stoked to be called the Ultimate Bodybuilder! My personal trainer would be so proud.” He then crossed his arms over his broad chest, adopting a proud grin.
“And you are in room #13, correct?” Aloysius asked pointedly, likely already knowing the answer but desiring clarification for everyone.
“Hm? Oh! Yeah, that’s my room.” Zach rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. “The treadmill should make that clear. Though I really hope I can find some other exercise equipment while we’re in this place…. There’s only so much you can do with pushups y’know?”
“I…don’t think that should be your biggest concern at the moment.” Kevin pointed out with a look of concern, “Aren’t you worried that your room has the unluckiest number assigned to it? The last thing we need right now is bad luck!”
“What, that?” Zach looked down at Kevin with a condescending grin, “C’mon, you don’t buy all that superstitious crap, do ya? There’s no such thing as luck.”
For whatever reason, I suddenly found myself adding a comment of my own, “I hate to disagree, but Hope’s Peak Academy spent years researching a variety of talents, including ‘lucky students’. I find it hard to imagine so much time and money would be invested into something that was only a superstition.”
Even before I finished speaking, I knew from the looks on everyone’s face that the mention of Hope’s peak was a bad move, particularly here. In contrast to most of the wincing and side glances, Aloysius glared directly at me. “Putting aside the inherent stupidity of considering anything that came out of that hellhole farce of a school worthwhile intelligence, do you really think it wise to bring up the site of a KILLING GAME now?!!?!?”
I immediately recoiled at the enraged remark, looking down at my feet in shame for my insensitivity. I could feel my cheeks heating up slightly as well. “M... My apologies”, I awkwardly stuttered out. “You’re right. That’s a topic for another time, ideally after we’ve escaped.” I blurted out my thoughts with complete disregard to the emotional impact on those around me…some Ultimate counselor. I looked back up then, and tried to save face, “I only meant to say that disregarding any phenomena as mere superstition is unwise. There is much about the world we do not understand.” I glanced over everyone’s faces then, to try and ascertain their discomfort. Sadly, it seemed the dark cloud I’d placed in the atmosphere of the hallway was still lingering.
Much to my surprise, Tyler suddenly came to my defense, glaring back at Aloysius, “She’s completely right! There’s no need to freak out at her, she’s…”. He suddenly stopped, then looked sheepishly at me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”
“Natalie Chui.” I responded with a friendly smile. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise.” He returned my smile, then once again frowned at Aloysius, “Right…Natalie here was just saying her piece, as we all have a right to. Even if certain topics are uncomfortable, that doesn’t mean we should shy away from them. Especially in the case of a potential killing game! If that’s truly what this is, knowledge on what previous versions of it were like could offer invaluable foresight!”
At first, Aloysius appeared annoyed at the dismissal of his input. But after a brief period of contemplation, seemed to be largely placated. “I suppose you have a point…being able to predict what obstacles may come our way in the future could be critical to protecting ourselves.” He lifted a hand to his chin in further speculation, “Perhaps we should pool our collective knowledge on the previous killing game to theorize survival strategies…”. He then shook his head and clapped his hands together in front of him. “Right, we’re getting off topic and are on the clock. Who’s next? I believe all that’s left is Natalie and two others… Natalie why don’t you share your details first? Wouldn’t make much sense to restart your introduction later.”
“Oh, OK.” I said, facing everyone as confidently as I could, hoping to dispel any remaining trepidation surrounding me. “You all already know my name, but it may also interest you to know that I have been given the title of Ultimate Counselor.” At the mention of my supposed talent, I couldn’t help but notice several people, especially Aloysius, stare at me with renewed interest. Perhaps they were contemplating if I might be useful in whatever challenges may lie ahead? “I’m in the last room, #16. While I can’t pretend to know exactly what’s going on, I’d be more than happy to lend an ear to anyone feeling troubled by our situation. I hope we can all cooperate and build trust together.”
The conclusion of my introduction was met with a variety of responses. Kevin, Aaron, Tyler, Brian, and Danielle looked especially happy to see an additional comrade that could work towards lifting others’ spirits and health. Genevieve, Zach, Victoria, and the Hispanic girl in overalls, weren’t smiling brightly, but they seemed to politely accept and be reassured by my presence. Aloysius, Olivia, David, Courtney, and a strapping African American man with an apron and glasses were regarding me with stoic contemplation, as if attempting to gauge my character from an introduction alone. That left Sandy, who, oddly enough, seemed rather put off by me, if not outright disdainful of my appearance amongst the group.
Before I could try to understand her strange behavior, Aloysius thanked me, reassured me that my abilities would be very much appreciated in the future, and moved on with the introductions. I noticed him looking rather anxiously at the monitor clock, which now read 7:45. This reminded me that we were expected to meet in the ‘main hall’ at 8:00, which we still didn’t know the exact location of. Thankfully, there were only two people left, and the first to go was the girl in the dirty overalls.
“Nice to meet you all! My name is Felicity Tanner, and before you ask Kevin, I DON’T work with leather.” She shot a smug grin at Kevin, who looked like he had been about to blurt something out, and then immediately cringed back. In doing so though, he missed the chuckle and mirth in Felicity’s eyes. “I am in room #14, and I am the Ultimate Gardener.” She put her hands on her hips as she beamed with pride, before a sudden realization made her jolt with worry, “Oh my…I certainly hope my plants are doing alright! I have friends I entrust with watering them when I’m away, but there are so many long-term needs to consider! The sunlight rotation schedule alone- “
“Alright, alright, thank you Felicity.” Aloysius cut the girl off by thrusting both palms towards her repeatedly. “I understand your concern, but we have more pressing matters to worry about now. We have somewhere to be in less than 15 minutes and I do NOT want to see what happens if we are late.” He thrusted his index finger at the last person, who up until now hadn’t said a word. “You are in room #15, correct?”
The African American man, who I just now noticed had multicolored stains on his apron, wrung his hands together anxiously as he finally received out collective attention. “Er…yes.” He finally uttered. Looking at us all cautiously. “I am, evidently, the Ultimate Painter, though I’d hardly consider myself an ultimate by any stretch.” He looked down at his feet for a few seconds before looking back up with determination. “Still, I look forward to getting along with everyone here. My name is Geoff Adams, and if you’re interested in my skills, I do take commissions.” With that, he nodded his head politely before taking a step back.
Just like that, we’d all been introduced to each other, but it was apparent that there would be plenty more to learn about everyone in the coming days. All good things hopefully, but with such a large group, that didn’t seem likely. For the moment, most of us seemed to be marginally relaxed to no longer be surrounded by complete strangers. But there was undeniably a large amount of tension in the atmosphere around us. Fortunately, we didn’t have to stew in it for long, because Aloysius made our next priority clear.
“Alright, now that that’s settled,” he looked back at the clock again, which now read 7:50, “we have ten minutes to get to the ‘main hall’ as it has been referred to. Hopefully it will be in plain sight.” He then marched right past us towards the end of the hallway opposite the screen that displayed the clock, conveniently between his and Olivia’s rooms. Thankfully, this was not a dead end like the wall next to mine and Geoff’s rooms. Instead, it contained a large, black double doorway with golden handles. Oddly enough, there was also a green light displayed over the door itself, but there was no time to wonder what that meant now.
Taking the initiative, Aloysius pushed the door handles down and inward, revealing a large room on the other side that largely resembled a fully furnished lounge of some sort. Four times the width and twice the height of the hallway we’d started in, the walls and ceiling were cream colored, leading down to a dull, grey tiled floor. A multitude of leather sofas and wooden tables were scattered throughout the area, as well as a variety of potted plants and bookshelves. There was even a counter off to the side with storage space underneath for snacks and a minifridge for drinks. More importantly, there were two hallways going off to either side and an intimidating set of golden double doors on the wall opposite us.
Fortunately, there wasn’t any reason to guess where to go, as Aloysius quickly pointed out a map, not unlike what one might see at a shopping mall, on one of the walls. Assuming it could be taken at face value, we appeared to be on a floor in the shape of an upside-down field goal from football, with the central lounge being our starting location. The two hallways appeared to extend outward in west and east directions before each turned a corner and went south. Multiple rooms with odd designations connected to these hallways, all of which faced outward, as between the hallways directly to the south of the lounge was a long rectangle with several smaller connected rooms that obviously represented the corridor and bedrooms we had just come from.
The end of the western hallway was labelled as having staircases at the ends of them, though whether those extended to floors above, or below us, or both would have to be investigated later. The only thing North of the lounge was a large, open area, conveniently identified as the “main hall”. Obviously, there was a lot to explore later, but the immediate concern was laid before us.
“Well, whatever’s going on, it seems our captors are courteous enough to give us straightforward directions.” Aloysius sarcastically remarked, before striding forward towards the double doors in front of us and grasping both handles firmly. Though, he seemed to hesitate before opening the door. Understandably, as everything leading up to this point suggested nothing but bad news from moving forward.
“Um…are we going or what?” Felicity spoke up nervously, her tone reflecting the anxiety emanating from most, if not all of us.
“Heh, figures the politician would falter in a time of need.” Sandy smirked condescendingly, though I sensed an undercurrent of fear from her as well.
Unsurprisingly. Aloysius rose to the bait, looking back with an annoyed expression. “I suppose you are eager to enter the metaphorical ‘belly of the beast?’ Forgive me if I am reluctant to follow the whims of an unknown kidnapper!”
“If you don’t want to deal with the door, perhaps a jelly container would be preferable?” Sebastian suddenly asked. To which all of us looked towards him with expressions of bafflement. “You know…” he took a deep breath, “by making the door A-JAR’?”
The sheer ludicrousness of the quip, combined with the horrific timing, had the opposite effect on us that Sebastian had likely intended. Those who didn’t face palm or cringe in second-hand embarrassment groaned as if they were zombies arisen from the grave. The only exception was Felicity, who burst out in laughter that sounded surprisingly genuine. This once again seemed to lighten Sebastian’s mood, though he visibly deflated after a heated glare from Aloysius.
“I cannot believe I actually have to point this out, but this is NOT THE TIME!” He marched straight up to the comedian and leered down at him, index finger pressed firmly into his chest, “If you wish to make a mockery of our situation, please do so when your neck isn’t LITERALLY on the line.” Sebastian appeared to shrink a couple inches in terror, stepping back and rubbing his forearms nervously while looking down at his shoes.
“Hey! Don’t be so hard on the guy, he’s just trying to cheer us up!” Tyler suddenly jumped to Sebastian’s defense. “Just because the situation is grim doesn’t mean you have to force the rest of us to be miserable!” The sputtering that came from Aloysius following the lifeguard’s statement was almost comical, but David interjected before a proper response could be made.
“Look, I don’t care if you all beat the crap out of each other later, but I’m not getting punished for tardiness because you were all more determined to have the last say in a pointless conversation. Will someone please open the stupid doors, or do I have to?!?” At this, the hunter’s indignant tone squashed the burgeoning argument in its tracks, subsequently reminding Aloysius of his previous commitment.
“Right, of course.” He said, adjusting his tie with a hint of embarrassment on his face from his display of frustration. “Allow me to just…”
“You all were taking too long.” Just then, a quiet voice caused us all to look back towards the main hall entrance, where the short-statured Olivia had somehow moved herself without anyone taking notice. Without so much as a blink, she thrust the doors inward, revealing a massive, open space with little in the way of furnishing, apart from 16 folding chairs arranged in two rows of eight before a central platform. At the center of said platform sat a single podium with a strange symbol plastered on the front, and a microphone on top.
We all quickly moved inside, some with more confidence than others, and began to look around, but before we could take in too much detail, an announcement suddenly blared out from speakers below monitors installed on each of the four walls.
“Welcome students! Please take your seats and the entrance ceremony will begin! Make sure to pay close attention, as the following details could spell the difference between life and death. Don’t worry about seating order for now…there’ll be much more pressing worries momentarily anyway. Puhuhuhu!”
I shuddered, the high-pitched voice wasn’t any less grating on the ears the second time, and it wasn’t likely we’d be rid of it anytime soon. Looking around, I saw Aloysius standing with his fists closed at his sides, sighing in resignation before walking forward and taking a center seat in the front row. Not long after, Sandy, Tyler, Courtney, Aaron, Olivia, Felicity, and David sat around him, each with unsettled, but determined expressions on their faces.
Sebastian quickly took a seat in the back behind Tyler, trying but failing to hide his nervous glances towards Aloysius, with Geoff, Victoria, Zach, and Genevieve hesitantly filing in afterwards. Danielle had stayed behind to check on Brian, who was on his knees in the corner, but after confirming that he was just praying and not nauseous, took her own seat. Out of curiosity, I snuck over to Brian and leaned in to catch a hint of what he was saying. I could only make out the words, ‘safety’ and ‘deliverance’, but that was enough for me to know he was trying to help in his own way. I walked over and took my seat, leaving one on the end that Brian took less than a minute later. We shared a smile in mutual understanding. The road ahead was full of unknowns and danger, but we had the means to keep or minds and spirit steady in the face of adversity. With any luck, this would be enough to help the others too.
Without any fanfare, the monitors suddenly stopped at precisely 8:00 AM, and the screen displayed static before shifting into that same, terrifying silhouette. Following that, previously unseen stage lights suddenly shown directly onto the podium on stage. That voice, that carefree, innocent, malevolent voice gave one final chilling announcement. “Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls…a wise man once said, ‘those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it’. Doesn’t that thought fill you with such DESPAIR?!?!?!??” The screens then went completely blank, and then, like a devilish jack-in-the-box, the top of the podium opened up, from which emerged the very thing we’d hoped wouldn’t appear.
A teddy bear, half black and half white, with a beaming smile twisted by evil intentions, and one blood-red eye that seemed to peer into the depths of our souls. It was undoubtedly, the nightmarish mascot that had brought the world to the brink of collapse and made life hell for the generation before us. That spawn of depravity and misery was now standing on top of the podium and cackled as it declared, “that’s right students…it’s time for distrust and horror to reign once again! I…Am…Monokuma!!! And this, is the latest rendition of…the killing game!”
There was no response, except for the stunned and terrified silence of everyone present. Our imaginations were working against us, conjuring up horrible fates that could befall us in what was to come. For a while, no one dared to breath, as if the slightest movement could be our last in this life. The truth was undeniable, literally staring us in the face as the monster in bear’s clothing smugly surveyed our faces, drinking in the trembling forms before it. Finally, after what felt like an hour of petrifying silence, Zach, who’d barely said a word this entire time, made a poignant comment that encapsulated our collective thoughts on the matter.
“Oh F#$%ck”.