THE MIDNIGHT GAME 2

These are the rules of the midnight game:

You must keep your candle on at all times.

If your candle goes off you have just 10 seconds to relight it with your lighter.

Don't stay at one place for too long, you must keep moving.

Survive till 3:33 AM

If you fail any of these rules the midnight man chasing you will kill you.

Goodluck.

—-----------------

"What the fuck is this? Squid Game Part 3?" 

Teen was exasperated with all the drama and raised his hand to fling the candle away when a low growl shook the room.

It was the second growl.

And it was deep… and inhuman.

I froze. 

Slowly, all five of us stretched our lighted candles toward the far end of the room.

Even with the candles on, the rooms past the walls that had slided up was dark, heavily dark.

The darkness was so thick I could almost touch it with my eyes.

Then we saw it, a tall form— no, figure, of someone.

It—- it looked like a man but I wasn't sure— stood very still like it was staring at us.

"Wait, there's… there's six of us?" Timid whispered. 

"No," Stern muttered as her face turned pale.

"That's not one of us."

We stood at our spot without moving, till IT too took a step forward.

Stern turned facing us, "RUN!" 

We ran towards the far right of the room, passing were a wall once was.

"Don't look at it," Old man said, gripping his candle so tightly. 

"I remember this game, I remember it now. The midnight man—-

"The what????" Four of us asked at the same time.

"The one chasing us, he is the midnight man. Don't stop or he will—-"

Teen looked back, "Well the fucker isn't chasing us." 

"He will. We just have to keep moving—"

Old man paused mid-sentence and stopped moving, clutching his chest with his left hand while the candle in his right hand shook widely.

"Are you okay?" Stern asked, stopping as well and going closer to him.

But Old staggered back, making a sound I can't describe and fell to his knees.

The candle tipped out of his hand and went out, just before it reached the floor.

"No, no, no!" I rushed toward him.

Suddenly, the midnight man was on him.

"Get back!" Stern shouted, yanking me away.

The figure loomed over Old man, it was so quick.

How did it get here so fast?

It raised one foot and brought it down with force onto Old man's head. 

The sound was like that of a watermelon splitting open, it sent bile rising up to my throat.

Old didn't scream, he didn't have the chance.

Teen shouted at the top of his lungs and before any of us knew it, he had ran away leaving us.

Timid ran after him, I followed then I heard Stern's ragged breathing behind me.

Stumbling over my own foot, I fell to the ground but thankfully my light was still on.

Then Teen came running back to us, I was confused but Timid was already turning around in the opposite direction, holding her candle with her right hand and protecting it from blowing out with her left hand.

I think that was when I noticed that Teens candle was off.

"I'm not dying here!" he screamed and snatched Stern's candle out of her hands.

"Give that back!" Stern shouted, lunging for him.

Teen swung at her with his fistvand punched her face.

Stern's face snapped to the side and she staggered, holding her nose as blood dripped between her fingers while Teen ran.

"You bastard!" she screamed, going to chase after him.

She didn't get far.

The midnight man appeared behind her, stretching its overlong arms and hugging her to itself while she screamed, crushing her body to a bloody liquid.

Timid grabbed my hand and pulled me toward another hallway.

"Run!"

—---------

We ran down the corridor looking hallway with the flame on our candles blowing in the rushing air, threatening to go off.

Behind us, Teen tripped, and his candle slipped out from his grasp, rolling several meters away. 

It was still burning, but the distance between him and it was much.

"Help me!" he cried.

I glanced back and saw the midnight man pause chasing us, turning toward Teen instead.

It was moving slowly this time, like it was enjoying the hunt.

Teen crawled forward, dragging his body on the floor, instead of just standing up.

The midnight man hovered over him just when he snatched the candle up.

It froze with one leg high since it was in mid step and tilted its head frustratingly.

Teen breathed a sigh of relief and his breath put out the flame.

"No!" 

We heard him scream and scream as the midnight man did whatever it was to him.

Timid sobbed while we kept running, neither of us could see the midnight man separating Teen's body from his waist.

Soon he stopped screaming.

—-----------

Timid burst into a corner with me following her, crying and sobbing loudly.

"Shhh, quiet," I whispered, covering her mouth.

"You can't let it hear you."

She nodded, meeting my eyes with her tear-filled ones. 

Slowly, she calmed down, taking in gulps of air along with me.

We turned to move but as we stepped out of the corner, the midnight man was suddenly there.

It was like my soul left me, I literally froze in place.

It was standing just inches away, yet the candle flame didn't cast any light on its dark form.

Timid screamed in shock and dropped her candle. 

Without thinking, I went for it, taking it off the floor and shoving it back into her hands just when the midnight man bent over us.

"Hold it!" I hissed, patting her hand to keep the flame at a place.

I stood still, my legs trembling when I tried to turn and felt my hand press on its chest-like surface. 

But it didn't move, it didn't even react. 

Timid looked at it then at me, "It can't hurt us as long as the flames stay on."

I nodded.

Gently, we passed under its arms, running again.

Timid glanced at me for a second before returning back to look at her candle.

"What if we stop running? If we stay still, it can't hurt us, right?"

I shook my head. 

"You heard Old man, if we stop, it'll catch us. I don't think it will kill us right away, but it'll hold us down until the flames go out."

—--------------

Time was stretching, the growls from IT kept reaching our ears, sounding closer but I didn't look back.

Timid didn't either.

It felt like we had run forever then I remembered that I had my watch on.

Checking it, the time read 3:32.

Only one minute left.

Ahead of us, a wall—- no, door creaked open, spilling bright light into the hallway.

I could see the open, there were trees and birds outside.

And the sky!

"That's it!" I shouted. 

"Run!"

Timid doubled her speed, but as she reached it, she stumbled.

"No!" she cried.

She was just at the edge.

I kicked her forward and she tumbled through the doorway, collapsing on the other side.

I was just short of the door when I felt a cold, clawed hand grip my shoulder.

Looking down at my left wrist, I saw the time.

3:33 AM.

IT lifted me effortlessly, clamping its hands on either side of my head, putting pressure.

My head pumped with pain as I felt my skull begin to crack.

Through the doorway, I saw Timid roll further out and turn, realising I was not with her.

"NOOOOO!" 

She screamed, standing up to get me.

I smiled at her.

Tears streamed down my face while the door slammed shut before she could reach me.

Darkness consumed me.