Nightfire Warriors (Remastered)

28.

When I return to the Bunkers that night, I still feel pretty stoned. The brownie Chris had given me was powerful, and it had been a few hours since I consumed it. However, it had a desperate thirst and need for sleep. I sluggishly walk back to my room, down the corridor where its residence was sleeping with my eyes half-opened. Or so I think.

I see Kendall and Amanda are here, with Abigail, A'Dimsyte, and Palmer, too! What are the judges doing here? It's very peculiar to see them unannounced unless it's a surprise mission or something. But it's the middle of the night! Something must be up.

I bump into Justin along the way. "Oh, sorry—" he says and then breaks off abruptly. His gaze takes in my bloodshot eyes. "Sag. Where have you been?" His eyes are red, too, not from weed but tears. "Wait. Are you...baked?"

"Like a cake," I confirm. "I was just out. Are you okay?"

Justin sniffs. "No. I'm not," he whispers. "It's Danny."

My heart stops. "W-what? What's wrong with Danny?" Immediately, I sprint down the hallway and towards his bedroom, where all the judges have conveniently gathered. Cody—the other competitor left—also took it upon himself to cry at the shocking scene.

"Oh, my goodness," Kendall shudders, pulling herself tight in the doorway.

I have to rudely move her out of the way to see if my worst suspicions are confirmed. Something terrible has happened. After blinking clouds from my eyes, my limbs heavy and weak, I step into Danny's bedroom.

Two men are taking photographs. Their cameras have such bright flashes it's almost blinding. A Seeker unties a rope from a hook somebody had purposely nailed into the ceiling. After the cord detaches, he heaves the figure towards a body bag. I watch the Seekers flip over the body, the head still tangled in the ropes. As terrible as it is, I can't help but look.

For some reason, Danny killed himself.

No! Not Danny! No. No, no, no.... "No..." I sob. "Dan—no, no, no...no...." I step further into the room, taking one final look at his face before they zip up the body for good. His eyes are still open, empty, and dark like a doll. Somebody pushes them shut. Trying to make it look like he's sleeping, but there's an evident difference. It doesn't look like that at all. Death isn't sleeping. Not even close. It means we are never going to wake up again. He is gone forever.

I'm crying my eyes out now and going into an emotional breakdown. First, I collapse to my knees, and then I vomit my entire milkshake from the Christmas party because the sight is revolting to see.

There is only one reason I can think of why Danny would do something like this. He knew his life was over if he didn't win the tournament. That he would be in prison for the rest of his life and separated from his family for, God knows, how long. The last thing he said to me was, I'm done with you. He knew wholeheartedly that he was not going to win the tournament and save his family. Add that to his drinking addiction; he decides to take the straightforward way out by hanging himself. I realize I wasn't the most depressed one in high school. This was not a last-minute decision. It had been building up for years, and I've never noticed it. Did Frankie? Or was Danny just really good at fooling others?

Abigail says no one in Nightfire has ever committed suicide in recent memory. But her stance on it was clear. Suicide, to her, is an act of selfishness. Someone who is genuinely selfless should not think of themselves often enough to desire death. Perhaps a few people may think that, but no one will ever say that aloud. However, she did. And with another casualty in the tournament, I can't see why this one would have justice like the last one.