Down The Rabbit Hole

Twenty four individuals gathered at a certain place, bullet of sweats dripping unto the side of their faces. Their chairs were formed in a circle with walls made of glass separating one another, in the middle was a round table, and at the top of it lies a grassy transparent bottle. It was spinning fast and she can only wish it would never stop but slowly and steadily it did.

The opening of the wine bottle pointing at a random girl, her lip trembled as the man from the other side of the table chuckle, knowing well how he had the power. "Give or take?" The girl brows furrowed, her eyes narrowing while biting her nails as if it was the last hope she could hold unto, a mixture of fear and regret crept into her eyes, nevertheless, she answered with no hesitation.

"Take."

From the other side of the table, a piece of ballpoint was thrown connecting the two, slowly the girl reached for the pen, she looked at him suspiciously before opening the cap, a gasp was heard from the lady's mouth as she gapes at the small knife that pretends to be a pen.

"Stab yourself continuously until we end the game." The lady brows flinched as she glared at the man, she examined the pen once more before shakily raising it in the air, all eyes were on her and she felt as if some kind of animal in the zoo, with all the force she can gather she stabs her left leg, a cry of pain escaped her chapped lips.

The muscles in her leg engulfed the little knife, blood slowly creeping, wanting to escape the flesh only to be blocked by the pen's blade. It didn't reach that deep however the pain she felt was undescribable, considering that she stabbed herself, she could control the force but no, she wouldn't.

Not with the eyes lingering around her bloodied area, she wouldn't want to face worst. The girl huffed out her breath as if it's her last, she bit her lip and as she grasps the pen as if she wasn't grasping it, she closed her eyes and speedily pulled the bloodied blade out of her damn leg.

Her poor lips burning to the sensation of her teeth against it, what a bloody mess she was. Again, she raised the pen, stabbing herself for the second time. Her screams echoing throughout the dead quiet room, the man who commanded for the girl to stab herself rolled his eyes as he spins the bottle, letting the horror continue.

Everett gulped at the scenario, she was sweating furiously, her sweats were dripping inside her shirt as it makes its way inside her pants, she felt that at any moment she would pee her pants. Her ears were ringing at the sound of the lady's unending screams.

There weren't any type of tricks in the game, just pure luck. No one was holding the power, it was the bottle itself playing them, her eyes kept glancing at the time, hoping it would end fast without her getting picked. It may be selfish of her but this was the time to be selfish.

The game was simple, it's the same as truth or dare, the difference is that it's either you're going to give money or you'll going to take any dares, simple words, hard reality. It's harsher than it sounds for you can't keep on giving and giving money, surely you'll run out.

The game demands you to give five hundred dollars and surely, not all have that kind of money. Everett's lips quiver as the bottle slowly stopping, pointing at her. 'God! Please no, no' she screamed internally, crossing her fingers, she closed her eyes. Her legs felt like soggy noodles, her stomach was drenched in sweat, squirming like a rabbit.

then the bottle stopped, the woman next to her gasp, her eyes wide open, staring at the bottle who was pointing to the woman next to her, relief washes her whole being though she felt bad for feeling the relief, she did felt relaxed, knowing she wasn't picked.

The same question was asked and luckily the woman was rich and so immediately she gave the money, no hesitation needed. Again they spun the bottle, landing on another individual then the same process was made without Everett getting picked, she was practically jumping in glee yet it seems that the terror never ceases.

As the game amuses itself. The dares were taking itself to another level- there were dares where the ladies were forced to make out with some random guy. They kept on going to one another and with her on the spot, she felt like her insides squishing and crushing with disgust, and as the time runs she felt everything around her became a blur like it was only her and the clock that was positioned by the end of the room, up in the middle wall.

She heard it ticks and tocks like its way of saying 'you'll get pick even before I end this' her toes were curling at the thought, making her nails scrape against the rubbery material. ' five more minutes!' the girl thought in aspiration then finally the time was up, she was done with the misery for the day. A genuine smile crossed her lips and she triumphs over the

clock.

"What you smiling at you b*tch?! Answer the d*mn question!"

The girl's brows met, her concentration disturbed with her grassy optics she turned to face the table, no bottle was pointing at her, in fact, the bottle was no longer on the table so why were they calling her? Was it a mistake? She stared at them, confused, her finger was pointing at herself, asking if they were implying to her. "Yes, you. Give or take? Come on just answer the question so we can all go home."

"No...it- it wasn't supposed to be like this. T-the timer's up!" Desperation laced her voice, her eyes full of sorrow and fear but they couldn't care less all they wanted was to end the foolish game and save their asses, just like her.

At that moment, her perspective became dark, her world was spinning around and all eyes that were staring at her that were once human became the devil's like the demon wanting to swallow her whole, and she, sitting on her chair felt incredibly small, back up in the corner with no escape for the big bad monster.

She knew she would be swallowed hole, even if she did gives her money, it wasn't enough. Desperation and pleads will take her nowhere, maybe somewhere and that's her grave! Regret washed her whole being, why did she allow pride to take her on? So what if he wanted her to be as low as the ground? She wasn't in a position to be prideful-she doesn't have any power, she wasn't rich. D*mn to it all she was nothing but some dirt that can be kicked and stump.

So softly she whispered her answer, so low that even she wondered if they had heard her at all but they did consider that they were in an isolated soundproof room that was dead quiet. "I heard you won against Asher?" the girl gulped thickly, she knew where this was coming. She raised her sweaty hands in the air, waving it no.

"It wasn't me."

The maiden was trying her hardest to convince the man in front of her, to convince everyone that's watching her however her act gave it all away, her eyes that seems to be finding the comfort it needed.

"What a bad liar you are...Everett. Do you not know you're the talk of this whole d*mn school?"

Not even one of them believed her, the whole incident gave it all away. How stupid was she to think that she could lie just like that, they may act like animals but they weren't stupid. "I want you to prove to us all that you are indeed the girl who won against Asher Sullivan."

"But it was merely luck!"

"then prove to us all just how lucky son of a b*stard you are!" Nonsense, that's the first thought that came to her senses. They knew that she was a lost newborn lamb placed in a territorial, set into new patterns and webs of life, it was obvious that they knew-how can they not when she's their new shred of amusement.

"Be a participant for the upcoming game: The Islanders."