Player 457

-4-

Everyone sat on the floor of the sleeping quarters. Each too shaken up to even move or speak, processing the game where they could have lost their life as the watched many others lose theirs.

Ali had his back against one of the best posts and Y/N's head was in his lap as he lightly played with her hair attempting to keep her calm.

It did help for a short while until a loud alarm buzzed and the large doors slid open revealing the pink guards.

"You have all made it through the first game. Congratulations. You're moving on. I will now announce the results of the first game." The man spoke eyes scanning the crown for Y/N and he saw Ali helping her stand up with them rest of them making him angry. He couldn't wait for the day that he could finally talk with her along with the others who had begun to admire her. "Out of 457 players, 255 were eliminated, and 202 players successfully completed the first game." The players gasp and light talking is heard amongst them. Knowing 255 people were dead and they could have been among them was frightening. While Y/N had silent tears streaming down her face, grieving those who had died, not from the fear of losing her own life.

People began stepping forward towards the guards.

"Mister, please." The woman cried "Listen. I'm so sorry. I swear I will pay what I owe. I'll do it, I'll pay it all. Please, sir. I have a child. Oh! So young, I need to register, and I still need to name my child, sir." She continued to cry out and Y/N started to cry along with her making all of the guards angry at the woman for making Y/N cry after she had already stopped. "Please, sir, let me leave."

Another woman stepped forward pleading the the guards who didn't move an inch "Please. I'm so sorry. Sir, I'm begging you. Let me leave and I swear
I'll find a way to pay it all. Let me go home.

"Me too." Someone chimed in pleadingly "I can't keep going. Sir, please, I can't go on."

"Please let me go home." A man spoke with just as much desperation in his voice as the others, each pleading in fear as more and more of the crowd began to murmur talking about going home. But Y/N had no home, no one waiting for her either.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. We are not trying to hurt you or collect your debts. Let me remind you that we're here to give you a chance." The masked man began to correct the the offer didn't sound too bad to Y/N. Or course she realized now she could lose her life but there wasn't anyone waiting for her and she was living paycheck by paycheck. It was hardly living.

"A chance?" A man began "We play some kids games. And you shoot us. You want me to choose that? That's some chance. We may be in debt, sir..." he began to cry out "but that doesn't justify killing us all."

"This is just a game." The man said and Y/N was shocked at the lack of remorse but she understood in a way. They were always saying that it was a game, just not what the price to play was.

"Killing everyone out there was a...game to you, huh?" Another player spoke out in disbelief and disgust at the lack of human empathy.

"They were simply eliminated for breaking the rules of the game. If you just follow the rules, you can leave this place safely with the prize money we promised." The masked man tried to reason as the others continued staring at Y/N watching her reactions and staring at her beauty. Meanwhile the square was trying to figure out how to shut them up.

"Just keep your damn money. I don't care! Let me just go home. That's all I want."

"Let us leave. Let us go."

They were ignored as the man spoke again "Consent form clause 1. A player is not allowed to stop playing."

"Come on! You think you'll get away with this, huh?" Another voice chimes in