Sleeping Alone

Playing an Unfair Game

But why would Ace set you up? How could he do this to you? There was no possible way in your mind he could tilt this in your favor, it was just you and 332.

'I can't believe I actually trusted some random dude to keep me alive this entire time, I thought he actually cared for me... was he just using me?'

As you reminisce in your stupidity you acknowledge that living was never guaranteed to begin with. And you knew this when you re-entered the game. If anything, dying would be fair to everyone else you cheated out of the cash prize, as well as their lives. For the first time in a while, you were scared. Fear surged through your body as did anger towards Ace. The feeling of uncertainty from whether Ace had deceived you for his own pleasure or was secretly planning to help you had never been more profound. 

You realize that there was no getting out of this mess. You had to play the game fair and square.

No cheating.

You notice a group that was a few houses down to your spot, playing a game they had called "odd or even". Player A would put either an odd amount of marbles in their hand or an even amount, the player B would also put an amount of marbles in their hand. Then player B, marbles in hand, had to guess if Player A's marble amount was even or odd. If they guessed right they would get the amount of marbles they had put in their

"Hey, lets play the game that those guys are doing over there. I think they called it odd or even." you point at the other players, 332 lifts his head and surveys what they're playing.

You and him watch them go back and forth for a while and then look back at each other, neither of you wanted the other to lose, but you didn't want to die either.

"Okay," he positions his body towards you and picks a random amount of marbles from his pouch.

"Odd or even?"

You take two marbles out of your pouch and squeeze them in your hand.

"Even."

He opens his hand, revealing three marbles resting on his palm. You open your hand and give him your two marbles.

'It's fine, I still have 8 marbles left. I can do this.'

You take one marble and put it in your palm.

"Odd or even?"

332 looks at your hand for a moment and answers,

"Even."

You sigh in relief and open your hand to show one marble, he opens his hand and shows three. You take one from his hand and put them in your bag.

"Lets just get this over with, I can't stand this tension." 332 says, putting a random amount marbles in his hands once again.

"Odd or even?"

You stare at his hand and put four marbles in your hand.

'He is right, we should be wagering more, neither of us wants to hurt the other but we don't really have a choice unless we both want to die.'

"Even."

He reveals his hand,

five marbles.

Your eyes widen, you open your hand to show your four marbles. You start to feel an over looming presence, you look up and see the guard closely watching your game, reminding you this was a game of life and death.

You pick 3 marbles in your hand, you had no strategy, only running on sheer luck.

"Odd or even?" You ask, looking up at him for a response.