LET THE GAMES BEGIN • squid game

( 07 ) chokehold

N A R I

The lights shut off, and Nari gulped. It was deadly silent. Everyone was pretty much just waiting for something to happen.

Nari's eyes grew wet as she heard footsteps on the platform, and she prayed to god that it was just someone going to the bathroom.

Boy, was she wrong.

A woman's scream battered through her eardrums, and she shot up as the screams were muffled by sounds of breaking glass.

She couldn't see anything, and tears rolled down her cheeks as she frantically looked around, terrified.

The lights started to flash on and off, and she barely processed the bunks falling over before hers did.

She yelped as she hit the ground, immediately trying to stand so nobody could catch her off-guard.

That didn't help, as 101 grabbed her from behind and wrapped a cord around her neck, strangling her. She choked and struggled, hands scrambling to pull the cord away, before she kicked him in the balls with her heel and fell, coughing.

She didn't have much time to recover as he gripped her by the hair and dragged her over to a wall, where he held her by the throat. Once again, she scrambled to pull his hand away, but she couldn't.

Sobbing, her vision started to go blurry, and her face turned red. She managed to kick him in the balls again, but that wasn't a good idea, as he had the chance to pick up 067's pocket knife from the floor and slash her in the side. She screamed in pain before grabbing a pole, and with all her might, slamming it across his head.

He screamed and fell, and she used this chance to pick up the knife and run. She was trying to get to 456's group before she was hit in the back with a metal pole and pinned down by another woman.

She pushed the pole off and battered the woman's head with it, blood splattering all over her face and clothes.

She dropped the pole when she'd realised what she'd done, and started running again, dodging attackers.

A few hits here and there in her sides were all that reached her, and she finally made it near.

She watched as a man broke another mans neck and threw him off his bed, and sobbed as she finally reached them.

" You're here." 456 said.

" You told me to." She practically cried, scared out of her mind.

101 and his group cornered them, and she picked up a sharp piece of metal to defend herself.

Before she knew it, someone had dug something sharp into her side again, and she screamed, shoving them off her and stabbing them in the shoulder.

They slammed her head against a pole before they were pushed off, and 067 pulled her to the back.

456 pushed them behind him, trying to protect them.

" They're our teammates, you got that?" She hadn't heard what they said, and she was all too focused on the pain in her side to care.

" All of you, stop this!" The shaking voice of an elderly man caught their attention, and Nari looked up to see player 001 right at the top of a bunk, clutching himself.

" I'm-I'm scared! We are all gonna die in here!" Nari was already crying enough, now she was crying even more, silently.

" Everyone, every single one of us is going to die! Please. I'm so scared. Stop this madness!" Nari had never wanted to see those stupid guards so much. She just wanted the lights to be on so her eyes would stop hurting.

Like god had heard her prayers, the lights turned on and the guards ran in, shooting warning bullets.

The guards ordered everyone to drop their weapons and turn around, with their hands up. Nari did as told, breathing quickly and shallowly.

The guard with a square on his mask stopped by Nari.

" Player 455." She'd know that voice anywhere.

" Jun-ho?" She whispered, voice raspy and shaky.

" Don't say my name. Are you ok?"

" Not really, but I'll be fine." He nodded, patting her down to make it look like he was doing something.

" Have you seen In-Ho in here?" Nari furrowed her brows.

" No. Why? Should I have?" He shakes his head.

" No. doesn't matter." Then he walks away, leaving his sister confused and hurt.

Finally, the guards leave, and the group sits down. Nari sits beside the step that 067 is on, behind 456.

" Uh, well, at this point, we should know what to call each other." 456 spoke up. Nari sighed. She liked people not knowing her name in here. Nobody knew her living conditions, nobody knew her backstory. They were all equal. She didn't want that to change.

" I already know your name though." 199 pointed at 456.

" Ssangmun-dong." 456 chuckled, while Nari was amused.

" Ssangmun-dong is just my hometown. I'm Seong Gi-hun of Ssangmun-dong." 218 tapped 199's shoulder.

" What's your name, then?"

" Ali. Ali Abdul."

" Where are you from?" Nari blurted, curious, before shying away as everyone turned to her.

" Pakistan." He replied, and Nari let out a little 'wow'.

" I'm Cho Sang-woo." They all turned to 067 and Nari, and she shifted uncomfortably.

" Do I have to?" She asked, and Gi-hun tutted.

" We're all teammates here now. We should really know about each-other, build up a little trust, okay?" 067 sighed.

" Kang Sae-byeok." Nari smiles a bit. She had a pretty name.

Then, they turn to her.

She sighs. " Hwang Nari." She winces at the sudden shooting pain in her side.

While they ask the elderly man about his name, she stands up carefully.

" Sorry, give me a moment." She steps away and pulls up her t-shirt a bit, not noticing the watchful eyes of Sae-byeok.

She has to pull her joggers down on one side just a bit, and she grimaces at the sight of it. It's not deep enough to need stitches, but since she got stabbed twice, it's a nasty cut.

So, she pulls off her jacket and ties it around her waist before walking back over, grabbing a blanket for warmth.

Then, she falls asleep.

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I can finally start referring to them by name thank fuck 😩