The Game Part 2

Last Thursday we introduced a new author to the group, BAMonster.  This week is the second part to her first contribution,  The Game.  Please leave your comments and let us know what you think!

The Game Pt 2

by

BAMonster

 

 

Bomb or be Bombed

                Again and again pairs went in and either died or disappeared. Right as the twelfth group finished, the god smiled and pointed at me. Gulping, I felt myself float and the next thing I knew I was in the opening ready to run. ‘Oh God. I'm scared. Please god let me make it out of here alive.’ I prayed this over and over again.

                The man whom I was to run against had a mask like the one I had been standing with earlier, though that man had lost and went up in a red smoke. This mask was different. It covered the eyes and allowed his mouth to be seen. His silver teeth shown and I shivered at what he could do. This man looked like a cold –blooded killer.

                When the god said go, I slowly walked out waiting for the maze to change at any moment. I was about twenty meters when I saw the masked man though the other side of the glass. I jumped when he tapped on the glass to get my attention.

                He smiled then reached into his jacket. I tilted my head at this and started to back up. Before I could find my footing, I saw that the man had started to take something out of a ball.  Once that was done, he tossed it over the wall towards me. Startled, I stood still and watched as it rolled towards me. With its weird shape and the happy smile from the man from across the glass, I turned on my heels and sprinted away from the ball. Just as I started to turn, an explosion threw me forward, slamming me into a wall.  As quickly as my legs could go, I picked myself up and turned to face the mess. Glass fell everywhere and I could feel the edges slice into my bare legs, feet, and arms. Through the smoke, the masked man chuckled and crunched the ground as he advanced closer to me. Bursting with fear and adrenalin at facing my death, I crept to the left to try and find my escape. Though shards on the ground sliced into my feet, I kept my eyes on him and stepped lightly. His eyes saw and he grinned, thinking I was going to run.

                Do I? I asked myself. Or do I fight? I looked at the man again, thinking of a plan. If only I could get a bomb like he had before, then I might have an advantage.

                Making up my mind I decided to charge at him. Slippery with blood and glass underneath me it was slightly difficult, but I was able to shove him back some. Though, not enough. I thought to myself. Lashing out my leg, I aimed for his mask trying to cause some kind of damage. Turning, I aimed with my other leg with a pinwheel motion. He dodged and backed up, trying to not let me touch his mask. Stopping mid-way after a kick, I slammed my foot flat on to his chest pushing him over a half broken wall. Gritting his teeth, he lifted his knees and flipped himself backwards and tried to land on his feet but with the back of his legs hurt it was difficult. Rocking back and forth on my feet, I tried to mimic the pony-tail girl's movements when she had bounced.

                I watched the man as he settled into a comfortable position; he reached into his jacket again.  Thinking he was going to pull another ball with a pin; I jerked down, grabbed a few pieces of glass and chucked them at his reaching hand. Only it missed and hit him center below the collar bone. Gasping, I huffed which raised my temper. I missed! Damn it! I missed. Slinging more shards out of my hand, I aimed to stop the man from reaching any further with his hand.

                Grunting, the man had barely any time to reach up with his other hand to take out the first piece of glass when three more came at him. Slicing his cheek, I throw more glass pieces, wedging into his shoulder and his other leg.

                “Fuck it girl. Stop you prissy aiming!” he shouted at me. I gave up throwing and decided to cut him directly. Running towards him, I jumped the broken wall and narrowed the distance between us. Coming in low, I slapped his hands away and aimed for his chest. Over and over again, I stabbed. I just want to leave. I kept telling myself. Leave and live. After a couple of times I started to push harder into his body with the glass knife. Feeling the man's hand punch on me and pull my hair, just attempting to get me away from him and to make the stabbing stop.

                After what seemed like the hundredth stab I backed away and let the man fall amid the  scattered broken glass on the ground. I thought he was trying to hold the cut up chest of his, but I was wrong.  He dug into his jacket once more and pulled the pin, making the ticking start. Smiling, he fell to the floor bleeding, his eyes blank. Running up to grab the now ticking weapon I searched around to find the best choice for it. Even though I wanted the thing, I didn't know what to do with it.

                “Throw it high in the air, Lass!” I heard a rough accented voice yell at me from the center of the maze. Without thinking of disobeying, I did as he asked and shucked the ball in the air as far as I could then bolted in the other direction. I turned corners trying to find the exit, when I heard screams and running feet from the start of the maze then the large bang happened again, only this one was larger.

                Breathing heavy from running around with no sense of direction I stopped and looked back at the smoke seeping into the air at a fast rate. Coughing, I turned and tried to locate my escape route. Before I could get any farther, I felt myself rise up again and I appeared in front of the god.

                “Lovely job, girl.” He smirked as I watched people smoke up into red puffs all around us. Cringing I lowered my head. Aw crap. I could feel the impending doom rise upon me. “Since, it seems that none of you, actually want to race within my maze then lets just head off and let you kill each other off like boring gladiators.” He huffed like the idea wasn't fun at all. Waving his hands the maze was replaced by a glass dome that was empty except for the people inside.

                The ones left were the two skirt men, the pig-tail girl and some man in a white monk’s robe. I looked around and saw that everyone had somehow been ready to fight before they died because most were decked out in fighting gear. The skirt brothers had large swords that were almost the size of themselves plus daggers on their sides. The monk had a long spear and the girl had metal strings wrapped around her wrists and waist. Me on the other hand, was left in a pale pink sleeveless night gown with no protection at all, no weapons but my smooth hands. As I looked down at my hands, I noticed that they were not bleeding from gripping the glass earlier. As a matter of fact, I did not have any cuts on me at all from before. Not even my feet, which I checked. With this, I looked up confused to find the god in front of me.

My Choice

                “Now my dear, you get to go first.” I just gaped at him. I just got done fighting and you want be to go back and fight these warriors? I wasn't made for fighting!”  Sagging, I waited until he pointed to one of the skirt brothers, the nicer looking, without the scar.

                “State your name.” He told the man.

                “Niall Tromchuiseach of Clan Neil.” All I understood from his thick speech was that he was named Neal or Niall. But which ever, it didn't matter because I was going to die.

                “Your name girl.” The god smirked. Sighing, I reached up and grabbed a strand of my hair and started to tug on it.

                “Willow Regina Post.” I didn't look at him as I told the two men. They would be the last to know my name.

                “Alright then! Niall and Willow fight!” I just stood there when the god threw down his arm. I had already given up. I had no chance in the world to win this. Maybe I could with the small girl, but not with these trained men.

                As I waited, I saw that the man didn't move either. Well toward me, he didn't; though when he reached for his weapon, I flinched. Bringing up as much courage as I had,  I opened my mouth and pleaded to him.

                “Make this as painless as possible please. Quick and clean! That is all I ask.” He looked at me confused as he shoved his sword into the ground and crossed his arms.

                “ I will no' do that.” He told me as I could feel deep dread fall upon me.

                I'm going to be slaughtered.

                “Trick god,” the man started again, “I will no' kill a defenseless female.” The god raised his hand to stop him from speaking.

                “Are you saying you forfeit or are you saying to give her a weapon?”

                The question shook me. Was this large man actually willing to not hurt me, surely not? He just felt that the fight wasn't fair. That had to be it.

                “No, Brother do no' do this! One of us needs to live. Don't throw ye life away with no' a fight” This came from the other skirted man. The voice was that of the one that yelled to me inside the maze. Turning my eyes to him his stone-face seemed to be breaking.

                “But she is just a wee lass!” Nail shouted to him as he pointed to me. “She has yet to live a life.”

                ‘How could they be like this? They don't know me. These men don't know what I was raised to be. Why these strangers would be fighting like this, over something so important’. From the decision I had been fighting at from the start of this game; I finally felt like the answer was within reach. ‘I should never have asked for a second chance at life. If that was the end and it wouldn't have killed any more people than me, then that's what I should have done; just me and no more.

                I blanked out at the brother's fight as the god got annoyed and yelled for them to stop.

                “Well” The god growled angrily. “What is it?” He turned to me and I knew I had the final say. “Girl, what is your choice?” The men stared at me both throwing mixed signals so I tried not to focus too much on them.

                “I'll forfeit.” I told them softly.

                “What? Speak louder.” The Trickster ordered.

                “I Forfeit.” I told them strongly.

                “What a waste of time.” The god mumbled as he pouted. His hand went up but just as it made a sound the stone-face man who said not to threw his dagger at my feet.

                “Take it...You’ll need it.” Nodding I quickly picked it up and held it to my chest.  Then with the feeling of blackness, I floated away.

                ‘I won't beg for a second chance. I'll make my own.’ I told myself.

                The dirt started to fly at my closed eyes and I felt it hard to breathe through my nose with all the dust filling the air. Opening my eyes, I looked down to find the dagger closed within my tight grip.                 Once I get out of this, I'll find that stoned-faced man in the skirt and thank him. Even if I have to go to hell to find him; I will tell him his knife was not given in vain.

The End

The Game

A slight deviation from our regular schedule, we are featuring a new writer.  Leave some feedback and let us know if you want to hear more from her!

The Game

 

by

 

BAMonster

 

                A town can be single minded. Definitely one that is in the 1720’s. Within one, you can be their special prodigy or the misfit, the whore or the stranger. But as a young woman who had been a favorite, it was through the knowledge that I was the granddaughter of a Madame.

                She was pretty with those Goldie-locks curls and willowy though curvy body. Everyone liked her, but secretly she was hated. She was too perfect the people would say. And I looked just like she did when Grandma was in her prime. So I expected the same treatment.

                Grandma had never been one for doing things out of character, for her perfect behavior was everything to her. Though unknowingly, I tried to do everything opposite to rebel against her. That girl, I was young and just wanted to have some fun before she had to take care of the business that her Grandmother owned. It wasn't a difficult business, I had been taught at a young age to know what to expect.  But once I started, I would never be done. And it was a lifelong career that I didn't want.

 

 

Remember What They Did

                The maze was congested, you could see through it because the walls were glass, but people were littered everywhere. Confused and scared, I stood between a young girl with pig tails shaping her hair and a weird looking man who had a mask covering his face was on my other side, only the mask made his right eye show. But it was too shadowed for me to see clearly.

                The last thing I remembered was running away from the police and Mal... who said he loved me, but then turned around and gave me to them? The thought was bitter. That liar! His younger brother was screaming for him to not let them take me. At least someone cared. The poor kid was only seven, and Mal had a bad temper.  He smacked him, shushing him, he then growled not to interfere.

They dragged me viscously; I was barely able to touch my bare feet on the dirt road. Then I remembered why I was running. They think I killed Grandma! I started to fight them, but it was difficult with three trained men escorting me to who knew what. Kicking up my leg as high as I could get, which was a distance because I was trained at a young age to be flexible, I tried to kick one of them in the head. It was unsuccessful, which led to the third man grabbing my legs and pressing my ankles together tightly enough to make me wince. I screamed then, which got me a hard slap to my face several times.

                “Shut up you whore!” He spit at me as I turned my face. I'm not a whore you smelly faced bastard!

                “I am never going to-” I started, then was slapped with a piece of duct tape over my mouth.

                “No you won't. You will never get a chance either. Not with your bitch Grandmother hanging around to protect you anymore.” I scrunched up my forehead and tried to tell him that she never protected me. If only she lived just another two years, I would have been 21, then I could have left.  Because she never was much of a Grandmother, always telling me to do this and punishing me when I didn't do it right, and indulging this dirty town with all its vices, saying, “This is good for you. You need to understand that pain can be turned around.” Oh, I never liked lessons with her. They seemed more perverted then those that I read in the books that I was supposed to read.

                We came closer and closer to my house, which surprised me. Wouldn't I be brought to the jail? As we came into the fenced yard they detoured and took me to the back. Many of the community were in my back yard, all circling a plot of dirt. I stared at it frozen. What are they going to do to me!? I thrashed around more trying to escape, but it was fruitless. The people around me didn't make it better by shouting harsh words and trying to throw thing at me.

                “Bitch!”

                “Whore!”

                “You’re a devil's servant.  You and your she-witch Grandmother!” All these and more were spat at me over and over. “She got what she had coming! And you do too, with your wicked seducing ways!” I glared at that one. Oh yeah, I looked down I'm in my night gown. It wasn't as bad as some my Grandma advised ones, but it was still short for their taste which was ankle-length.

                The new Priest that was sent by the state stepped up all decked out in his robes. He raised his hand and the crowd quieted quickly. The third man let go of my feet allowing my night gown to go down to shins.

                “This girl with her sins of being taught the way of the pleasure house, who shall be condemned by God. Whom God has chosen the punishment, just as he did her Grandmother, is to be taught their lessons in the depths of hell.” A few cheers went out and some grunts of agreement. I stared at the holy man in shock. Too shocked to react I just stared wide eyed as he reached to tear the duct tape off my mouth. Feeling my lips burn from the stripping of skin and hair, my eyes stared to water. “What is your plea?” He asked me with cold eyes while I shrugged out of the other two's hold.

                “But I've never -” I tried to start but was out voiced by everyone yelling ‘guilty’ and other foul words. I attempted several times to finish but they wouldn't let me be heard, so I started toward him but was held back.

                “Why won’t you listen?!” I screamed. “I was taught forceably.” I whimpered. “I didn't want to be a paid whore...” Real tears started to stream down my face as I shook in fear and shame.

                “Then with no declaration of innocence,” The Priest started, “Throw her into the pit with her wicked Grandmother. I grabbed an arm of the nearest person holding onto me and held on with dear life.  

                Please someone, anyone save me! I begged and prayed.

                “You called my dear?”   A male voice spoke to me through the mob of screams and cursing.     “Please help me!” I begged again. I was tossed into the hole, right on top of my grandmother, who had been dead for almost a week. “Please!” I shouted louder. The members of town started to bury me, shoving me back into the hole, as I tried to climb out.

                “This favor you’re asking of me has some catches.” he started. I spit out dirt that had made it into my mouth and chose to officially close my eyes to protect them.

                Please just do it. I don't care what the price.

                “Very well... It’s your life.” He answered as if he was shrugging it off. Then everything went black. Then back to where I am right now.

 

Maze Time

                Standing surrounded by a lot of people in the middle of a glass maze. Daring to speak I asked the girl next to me who was dressed in a leather suit of armor and pig tails. She seemed to be about twelve or thirteen.

                “Uh, where are we?” I tried to start it off but she just raised an eyebrow as she stared at me. Turning fully to look at me, she crossed her arms.

                “This is the 2nd chance tournament.”

                I tilted my head in confusion. “You know, every October 31st the god of tricks saves thirty one people who have death impending on them. Then they have a chance to win back their life by playing the game at random.”

                “A game, what do you mean?” I couldn't help but to question.

                “Yeah, I heard from a girl on the street that was dating a guy that was related to one of the temples of the trickster servants, that the last game he played entailed bouncing balls and that two were lucky enough to survive and get a second life.” She looked away and then came closer to me with a gleam in her eyes that wasn't quite sane. “So I jumped off a cliff at 11 o'clock and estimated the time through mathematics and came up with the predated time to fall to be 11:59pm so I could come to the game. You see, I have this problem with-” But right as she finished, the same male voice boomed around the maze making the glass rattle.

                “Welcome to your possible last chance at a second life!” He sounded excited. “Now let’s get rid of this maze for a minute.” The glass disappeared and the area was filled with bright colors and numerous pillows. Almost like the special room Grandma had hidden away at the back of the house. “Now have a seat and  I will instruct you all about your game.”

                Almost everyone slowly found a pillow away from each other and sat down. Though a few stood like a man, or at least I think it was an man, in knight-like armor, the man in the face mask that was next to me before that seemed to be across the room, and then a couple of muscled men that had plaid skirts on and no shirts. The two almost looked alike except that their hair was different.  One looked slightly younger and more relaxed as the other was stone-faced, glaring eyes staring at everyone.

                Popping into the room like a snap and a wisp of smoke; an olive skinned man smiled and tilted his head in greeting. Several people gasped making me jump on my red pillow. ‘This was unnatural.’  I thought to myself. ‘Am I dreaming? Am I Dead?’  I glanced around the room again taking in more of the people. No one looked the same except the two men in skirts. They appeared to be from a different world or era. That just in itself; scared me enough to keep an eye on anyone who was close to me.

                “Hello. The rules of the game is to not piss me off. But otherwise it's a free for all.” He smiled as a large throne like chair that I had seen in history books appeared out of nowhere startling some and forcing those to make signs of evil on a few.

                “As you saw when you first arrived, that maze will be your game. A pair of runners will go through the maze and fight their way to the end to make it out. If you lose and come in last on the first round, you die. The next round you will fight the person and kill them before they reach the end. Each round will have some differences in it until there are only two runners left. That's when things get juicy. I'll tell you that if you live through the first couple of rounds.” The room went up in murmurs and harsh whispers.

                “Also, here I have slowed time so the fighting can last for what to you seems like days, but really you've only been here about five minute. Don’t bother trying to do the math, it's complicated. Now for those who die here, you will be transferred out of the maze and given back the death you originally meant to have. For the lucky one who wins...” he smiled and looked at everyone. “I'm not telling you how I SAVE you.” He put up his hand and used hand parentheses as he said save. “So eat and do whatever you need to do now because after this treat, you’re running like mice through my maze!” He laughed at that and waved his hand making food appear on small tables within the room. INstinctively I grabbed a plum and ate it; I hadn't had anything since the day before.

                Stuffing my face slowly, I people watched again but this time my eyes strayed to the two men in the corner wearing the skirts. After staring at them for a little while, I looked down and chose something different to munch on and returned my eyes to find that the stone-faced man was staring back at me. Or was he glaring. Widening my eyes, I just kept staring back. It was hard to keep my eyes just on his shining blue ones, when I had a tendency to look at other parts of his face. He had a scar on his cheek that crossed over the bridge of his nose and his lips were fuller then Mal's.  Mal had thin wide lips that looked odd when he opened his mouth. His skin was tanned like he had spent time outside most of his life and his chin had a little stubble from forgetting to shave. I started to look down but noticed that he tensed. He turned and spoke softly to his friend who dressed like him and then I switched my gaze to the other man. I saw that the younger man was smiling and grinning at me. I gave him a confused look and turned back to search for the man who was called the trickster.

                Sitting in his chair he watched others around him and talked to a few. Once he felt my gaze on him, he turned and hooded his eyes and slyly smiled at me. It was a smile that said ‘I know a secret’ or to be particular, he knew my secret. But what is my secret? Do I even know myself well enough to want a second chance at life? Do I deserve a second life?

                “All right now,” The god boomed in his scaled voice.  Everyone stopped what they were doing, all eyes fixed on him. “It's time for your race!” The room disappeared and the maze took its place. To what looked random to me, he pointed at two men and they were carried off into two openings that led into the maze.

                “First one out by any means wins their life!” The god crackled as his teeth were bared in an excited smile. “Go!”

                Watching from the sidelines as two men raced in and out of a maze was uneventful. That was, until they caught up with one another and started to fight each other. One, finally seeing his defeat ahead of him blocked after being hit multiple times and ran for it. This was a good thing for him because he turned the second corner and made it out of the maze in ten minutes flat. The other man screamed and disappeared in a red smoke.

                “One down 29 to go.” The god smiled, then pointed to the next two people. The pig tailed girl next to me and a large seven-foot man who looked like Goliath. She hopped up and down like the little girl she was. At the signal, the two were released and the girl ran toward the same direction as the previous pairs route.

                “Time for a change up!” The god yelled as he clapped his hands. The glass maze shifted making the girl and man slid to a stop right as they were about to crash into each other. Cursing, the man pounded on the wall as he watched the little girl blow him a raspberry. The two ran around again but when they came close to each other a glass wall would block the way. After about four times of this the big man let his temper get the better of him so he took off his gloves he was wearing to produce thick bronze knuckle weapons which he pounded at the wall in his way. The girl eyed the man but didn't move as she waited for him to break the wall. It took less than a minute for him to do so.

                “Come here!” You could hear the man shrill as he aimed for the girl while glass shards littered the air. The two played a game of chase, then she side-stepped and bolted up a wall allowing her to balance on the thin maze wall. He pounded at the wall she was on until she changed position and flung out her hand to swing on his extended arm that he was hitting with. She twisted around and slammed her heel into the man's nose. Stumbling, the man spat out blood and lunged, throwing his whole weight at her. The only problem was, she wasn't there. He looked around and she wasn't anywhere. Before she could even have time to think, the girl appeared by his head and wrapped a wire around his neck. Slowly slicing his throat and smiling as she did it. The man's head dropped to the ground and blood sprayed the clear glass like a fountain. Gasping, I turned my head and covered my mouth. That girl is insane! She's sick! I told myself. And I talked to her! I realized in disbelief.