The Gravest Dare

The lady stands in the middle of nowhere, droplets of rain kissing the top of her head as the wind gashed through her body, like a two-edged sword she found no escape to the freezing weather. Her teeth were chattering while her lips grew the pale colour of purple. Her knees were shaking uncontrollably while she hugs herself, seeking comfort.

The raindrops kept splashing against her limb then suddenly the woman fell, her face facing the water with her eyes forcibly closed as the salty water slapped her right across the face. A loud splash echoed throughout the vastness as the lady went deep. The waves crashed to one another, engulfing the poor girl into the abyss.

She reached her hands towards the surface, with a shout of help internally for someone, anyone. She coughed hard, making the bodies of water rush into her lungs. Her cramped legs tried to crawl her out of the deep only for it to drag her down deeper in the sea, she coughed once more creating bubbles that reached the surface, how badly she wanted to be the bubble.

Drowsily her eyes began to close, the air inside of her slowly vanishing like thin air, she coughed there and then as the liquid substance choked her to sleep.

Friday afternoon, Everett along with the other twenty-four students are gathered in the school gymnasium for the long-awaited day, and seeing those individuals the lady couldn't help but felt chills along the base of her spine. The air was thick and heavy, dark and tense with all the hungry beasts thirsty for their desire to see how the sun will rise for another tomorrow, she gulped thickly as she approaches the empty chair at the back row.

None of them was speaking nor were they acting like friends that are going to work together. And that alone made her stomach twist and crumple, they were all risking their lives without the help of others but themselves- it just proved her theory that none of them was kind-hearted.

Without thinking straight, the maiden starts biting her nails as she rubs her feet together, the show hasn't even begun and no one was at the stage but the images of how her death will be just kept on poppin' on her mind like some kind of whack-a-mole.

Her feet were starting to get red, with scratches being visible to the naked eye, her anxiety was running fast to reach the top and her wild imagination just kept on getting worse and worse yet there was a voice like the light she saw in the midst of darkness, a little figure walking towards her like a little angel that came from above- Ethan.

There was a tap on her shoulder which made the girl scream at the top of her lungs, looking to her right she saw a boy- his eyes were shining like the most precious teal topaz, with his bangs obscured his eyes like a sheepdog, the way his ivory curls blends so well with his pale skin like snow.

The way his long and ebony eyelashes flutter, acting like a shield protecting his lovely orbs, as his soft pinkish lips bump gently at one another however what she found strange was his ears, there was a stud circle cross earrings with more raven earrings following.

And the more she stared at him, the more she gave him weird looks, his forearm was reaching out to her which she had noticed was full of tattoos. His shoulder was not of a child, rather, it was broad like it belongs to a mature male and that's where the lady realized that he was indeed the same age as her, maybe even older.

Though his face may give him away, his body tells it all. After studying him the girl furrowed her brows as she moved her body away from the said male, she averted her eyes away and fiddled her fingers for comfort, her body signs were telling the male for him to go away but instead of leaving he continued to stare at her which made it even more unnerving for the girl. No longer being able to cope up with the holes digging on the side of her face, she faced him.

Her face scrunches up in a frown. "Can you please...just leave me alone." For the second time, the lady averted her eyes, her anger and confidence slowly fading away. Her fear of being in pain came back crawling inside her chest, silence followed the lady, her emerald orbs absorbing the design of the blurry floor.

"Hey, hey...it's okay, you're fine."

The girl swallowed the lump of her throat as she was about to nod, a voice echoed throughout the whole gymnasium which made her flinch, tilting her head forward, she saw a woman. Her platinum locks were perfectly styled in classic ringlet curls, with her berry lips and her curvy shaped body- she was wearing a tight red mini skirt along with a black cami cropped tank top. " As you all know, games always have rules."

"And in this newly made game, three rules are set for all of you to follow. Firstly: No emergency number, which means none of you can call for help or else you die. Bring your kill bag, don't be foolish and think that you're going to survive by acting kind, and lastly abide by all the rules if you don't you, already know your future."

"I was informed that someone voluntarily takes part in the game, the new girl- am I right? Since you are new let me give you knowledge of how you'll die if you do not cooperate." The girl pulled out a small stygian magnetic earring as she shows it to the people.

"Disobeying and of sort and this will go off taking you with it. Two days and two nights running around with this earring. I'm sure you'll be best friends." The woman winked in sync with her lips stretching as if she told them all a joke however the air remained tense.

"And with all that said you may return to your rooms."

The hushed room was slowly becoming empty, leaving Everett, with her eyes still facing the front. The whole day for her was free, it was said that it was a special rest day for the participants to get ready however they can all agree that no matter how long the special rest day treatment if there's still a terror waiting at the end it can never be special.

The maiden sighed as she sprung to her feet, she looked at her chair only to lock eyes with the same teal eyed boy, he was staring at her like she was a treasure of his and it scared her. "I'm going to protect you, love." the boy comforted her earlier but she never realized how heavy his British accent was. "Why? We just met."

He only showed her his white pearls as he snatches her hands into his, intertwining it as his cheeks flared into a cherry colour. She slapped his hands away though he was handsome and the girl was tempted to not let go she still couldn't trust him, hell, she doesn't even know his name!

"Alastair Moore."

The man extended his hand to her as if he was able to read her mind, only for the lady to stare at his hand, suspicious of his weird behaviour and so she left him hanging with her walking towards the exit with the boy sitting on the chair with his hanging extended arm.

The girl wasted no time as she went back to her dorms, setting the ballistic dummy as she took her dagger and all sorts of weapons. She heartlessly stabbed, sliced, and shoot the figure with so much determination, all of a sudden her phone rang which made her stop.

Her sweaty palm reached the device as she read the screen, before answering the ringing phone she gulped the cold water, letting it wash her dry throat. "Joe! How are you?" she faked her enthusiasm, the corner of her lips, forced into a smile.

"Well...I miss you." the man on the other side of the phone sighed as he sniffed like a child. "I miss you too, Joe."

"Can I visit you this sa-" the maiden couldn't help but shout no at her phone, there was a high percentage where Joe can get hurt because of her and she can't let her see the pain Joe will be in, it is enough that she was in the system.

"Do you hate me that badly?" No, she wanted to tell him, no, to tell him how much she loves him and that she couldn't afford him to be in danger yet her lips mumble without saying a word. "Yes, Joe...I'm dead tired right now so maybe another time." with that she ended the call, she knew she had left him with a pained heart but it was better for him to just forget her and move on to find another girl. She wasn't even sure if she would be able to survive tomorrow's game,

she placed her phone on her table with a gloomy smile as she returns to her practice.

It was three o clock in the morning and the three girls were all sitting on the cold wooden platform, with all the different types of weapons and things for survival scattered all over Everett's living floor.

A slow grin crept over her face, proud of what she had gathered. "So what do you think? Isn't this wonderful?"

"No." it scared her, that's for sure. "You should've said it was wonderful, Everett. Now look at what you've done to poor Sabrina, she was excited about all these things she had gather but then again if I were you I would most definitely sh*t my pants."

These are only a few things that lie on the floor: a swiss army fieldmaster, an axe, an Stg 45(M), a barbed wire baseball bat, a spear point knife and so much more, it was so many that it made her wonder if she can carry it all. "Am I gonna bring this all? I know this is extreme but don't you think that this is too much?"

"Silly! Of course, you will not bring them all at once. You will just choose the things you'll bring, and we'll choose for you as well. For your safety since you have such a soft heart."

the girl nodded as she dragged the tactical army backpack in her direction. Inside were all the things she needed for survival and the maiden couldn't help but feel indebted to the two, for there was no reason to help her. She wasn't their close loved one nor was she close with them in the past so what was the reason for their kindness?

"Why are you two being so kind to me?" the two looked at each other, obviously telling one another to tell her a reason. "Just cause...we remember how we were when we saw you." Sabrina chuckled a little.

"That's true. We were by that time pitying ourselves and I, actually wanted to kill myself with all the pressure- we were slaves." Alicia added as she frowns at the memory of her suffering every single day.

Everett gave them a look of pity but then she smiled, they proved her wrong, there were still kind-hearted people in this school. They may not have shown it but everyone had experienced a lot of pain and they wanted to help others...they were just simply scared.

"Thank you. I will be forever grateful to you two."

Sabrina and Alicia watched as the girl took hold of the weapons she was used to, it was no surprise when they saw her took the different types of knives and daggers, placing it by her side as she examines the guns. Again, she picked her guns placing it to the side with all the knives.

"Really? that's it? God...you won't last a day with just that! Everett, remember you're going to be in that d*mn island for two days and two nights." Sabrina paused as she sighs. "I usually don't agree with her but she's right. Good thing is that we are here now so Sab put that drama in a different scenario and choose your weapons- we don't have all the time in this world."

Sabrina nodded, scanning the area as she picks the most gruesome instrument Everett did not even look at- the morning star, a pole-ax, and lastly is the barbed wire baseball bat.

Alicia speedily snatches the swiss army fieldmaster, giving it to the girl as she shifts, reaching for the different types of hand grenades, then her eyes searched for the big guns and immediately her eyes sparkled in delight seeing her favourites- The G36C, the DRACO AK, and a silencer.

"Will this all fit in the bag?" Everett questioned. "Of course! That's a tactical bag so don't worry, we even got you clothing where you can hide your knives and handguns."

"I'm scared of using a big gun. I don't think I'll be able to aim well." Everett gulped all the muscles in her body stiff. "Remember your loved ones. That will be your strength, and we practiced for this if you can't shoot them well, use the weapons Sabrina gave you."

"Don't worry Everett, you are going to survive. Now go change your attire, get ready." the teary-eyed girl nodded. She got up to her feet, walking to the bathroom with all the equipment she needed.

"Also, Everett- once you are there. Don't bother looking back, just run as fast as you can."