The borderlands... and him || Alice In Borderland

Tag, you're it

I want to run back to my room and cry, to just hide there until everyone comes back again, but i don't. The threat of tears stings my eyes, but i don't cry. I can't. Pull yourself together Kamiko, there must be someone else here. 

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I walk around aimlessly until the sun sets and the world is engulfed by darkness. By then, i don't even know where i am, and i can barely remember the path i took to get here. Stop this. You have more to worry about than just being alone. Why is this happening? Let's figure that out first. We can worry about everything and anything else later. What is this place? And why is everyone gone? The fireworks and power cut were really weird, but they couldn't have caused this... could they? 

Suddenly, all of the building screens turn on. My eyes take a second to adjust to the bright white lights surrounding me. There's writing on the screen, that takes me another second to read, but  even then, i don't understand it.

Welcome players. The game is about to begin. This way. 

Game? What does that mean? Looking in the direction that the screen rows are pointing in, i see a single building, near the forest, with lights on. Why would only one building... a game. Maybe people are there! Hope surges as i run towards the building. There have to people here, there must be! Slowing down as i near the steps, i see... people! I walk up the steps and through the entryway, trying to mentally note all the details i notice. Toei Sendagaya Apartment. There's quite a few people here. Counting in my head, 2,4, 6, 8, 10. A total of eleven people, including me. Everyone's standing in pair or alone with a phone in their hand... hm. My attention goes to the sign on the table. 

One per person.

On the table, there's a number of phones. I hesitantly pick up a simple black phone with no case. Facial recognition in process. Please wait a moment. Facial recognition? Before i can think about anything else the loading icon finishes spinning and brings me to a home page. A second later, another blank screen with nothing but a timer pops up. 

Please wait until the game commences. Two minutes until registration closes. Beside me, i can hear a guy in a cap asking a pretty girl with short hair and exercise clothes where everyone in Tokyo went. He gets interrupted by a large guy in a tank top and some weird blue bracelet that walks in and grabs a phone, like he's done this before. Huh. Now that i think about it, a lot of people here look like they've done this before, or at least, been here longer than i have. How did they get here? I'll figure that out later but right now, what is this? What kinda game are we about to play? I should leave, I don't feel good about this. I'm about to walk out when Cap guy stops me,

"Excuse me, do you know why everyone disappeared?" I can feel everyone staring at me, everyone...except for this guy in a white hoodie. But that doesn't matter, i don't even know why I even noticed that he wasn't looking. He's still got his hoodie hiding his face and i think he's listening to music? He's charging his music player too, which is... weird. Why charge your music player in a building with all these other people while waiting to play a game? And how does he have electricity? Everyone else's stares make me extremely uncomfortable so i edge back until I'm mostly hidden behind a column. But, the deep breath i take before replying does nothing to ease the tightness in my chest.  

"No, i have no idea what happened. I was reading and then when i stopped everyone was gone." I whisper this, but the room is silent enough that everyone would've heard me anyways. From the corner of my eye, i see a guy in a business suit scoff and say to his friend,

"Newbies. They won't make it one day here." What does he mean? The guy in the cap noticed what he said too, and I'm sure the fear in his eyes was reflected in my own. I clear my throat,