Lips Red As Blood

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The key doesn't fit in the keyhole. Cora blinks, before trying to cram the key in the outline of the keyhole. Once again, nothing happens. 

"Maybe twist it this time?" Asher suggests. "Or break the glass." 

"In case you haven't noticed, the glass is about two inches wide," Cora points out in a skeptical voice. "I doubt I'd be able to break the glass. Plus, I've been trying to twist the key but it's not doing anything." 

Asher snatches the key away. "Watch the professionals and learn," Asher says smugly, before spending the next three minutes trying to put the key inside. When Cora raises an eyebrow, he glowers. "The stupid protective layer glass thing isn't letting me put the key in." 

Cora releases an exasperated sigh. "That's what I've been saying, but you were all like: trying to insert a key under a two inch wide glass pane is so easy, watch the professionals do it." 

He frowns. "Okay, well, I admit I was wrong." 

They go silent, trying to think of new ideas. "Should we offer a sacrifice?" murmurs Asher, studying the thick glass. "I mean, it might work." 

Cora shoots him a look. "No, we should not offer a sacrifice. Who would we even sacrifice in the first place?" 

Asher chews on his lower lip. "Good point. I like everyone here, so I'd be sad if anyone got sacrificed for the glass wall." 

Silence descends on the group, as they stare at the wall with an intensity that rivals that of taking an exam. 

"No! He's absolutely right!" Yuna suddenly bursts out, startling everyone. 

Asher smiles triumphantly. "See? I'm right!" he exclaims happily, before lowering his voice to a whisper. "How am I right again? We're not actually sacrificing anyone to a wall, right?" 

"Of course not, but you're on the right path." Yuna unsheathes her knife and before anyone can react, she slices a piece of her skin off. Blood drips down and Cora gasps. "A sacrifice of blood." 

Yuna slathers her blood on the wall. As the glass pane starts to lower, Yuna nods. "I thought so," she says, more to herself than anyone. "They don't allow drones down here, so no one can see what's happening. But they also want confirmation to see who's winning, so it would make sense they want to see who it is by their blood." 

This time, when Cora inserts the key and turns it, the ground shakes. Cora lets out a shriek of surprise, as grass starts flying everywhere. The ground isn't just shaking — it's also lowering, going below floor level. 

It's like an elevator, but without doors or safety measures. Even more terrifying. 

The ground keeps lowering until they finally reach an entrance made of... "What the hell is that?" Cora asks, squinting at webs of frozen red liquid, forming together the shape of an intricate door. "Is that blood?" 

"So cool," Asher whispers in awe. "And yes, I do believe it's blood." 

Cora makes a face, though she doesn't question anything. I mean, it's totally fine if people in Hell like decorating doors with blood, she thinks, as Asher obliviously pushes open the door. It's not my place to judge. 

"I wish you brought your phone," declares Asher, trying to squint at the darkness. "Then we could take selfies of this place and brag to all our friends—" 

A piercing shriek echoes through the darkness and Cora shivers. It doesn't sound human-like at all. "Okay, I take someone doesn't like my suggestion of a selfie." Asher swallows, the sound reverberating. "Maybe we should slowly back away and"—something sharp whizzes through the air, whistling inches away from Cora's cheek, before smacking into the door made of blood. The door instantly collapses. "—let's run. Yeah, let's do that because I think someone's trying to kill us." 

The moment Asher says that, the whole world bursts into chaos. 

Asher starts running back, before realizing that the door is broken and that the ground is flying up until it reaches its original state, leaving them in utter darkness. Yuna shouts something that sounds like "attack" and randomly grabs her knife, stabbing the air. Cora just stands there, stunned. 

"Don't worry, let's all remain calm!" Asher shouts. "Panicking will solve nothing— oh, lord. I think I almost got stabbed." 

More sharp things whistle past Cora, but she stays where she is. "We must attack them," Yuna declares. "On three—" 

"I don't think that attacking thorns will help, though." There's a heavy thud, as Asher's voice muffles. "Also, I think one of them hit me." 

Cora frantically fumbles around, finding Asher's body. He's unconscious and heavy. Too heavy for Cora to even carry but she manages to drag him a few feet, before a thorn slices open her arm. 

She gasps, crumbling to the floor. Her body feels numb and she can't control any part of her. She's paralyzed, desperately trying to get up — but she can't, each attempt futile. 

Cora lays on her side, eyes open in determination, willing for her fingers to move. To get up. To be safe from whatever will happen next. But she can't, and frustration burrows through her. 

There's light streaming in, finally, and Cora's eyes adjust. Two figures, blurry and disoriented, hover over her. 

"Damn, that one got hit hard," someone says. "It's a pity. They were so close to the prize." 

"Stop taunting them, William," a female voice snaps and with a chill, Cora realizes that it's Brielle. "You're being incredibly rude right now." 

"Whatever. Let's just pick them up and go." 

"So how are we going to kill them again?" Brielle hums. "We never agreed on anything. Yes, for torture?" 

William snorts. "You know that I hate all that torturing garbage. I'm only here to protect my family, while you're always... bat crazy about torturing." 

The air shifts, as Brielle leans towards Cora. "I guess we all cope in different ways." Nails sink into Cora's shoulder, but she can't even protest. "Anyways, bring these two to the car. Dalton says whoever we find, we bring them to the center to be processed." 

Is this the end? Cora wonders, as her eyes close and darkness overwhelms her in a smothering hug. After we worked so hard? 

Author Note: 

even though it's not even christmas (november 8th), i'm listening to christmas songs-