Battle Royale: Yet to End

Ni-Ju-Shichi

   So, this is it? Seven of us are left? Shigeo Ishihara (Male Student No. 10) pondered. He still hadn't found Junka Hitomaro (Female Student No. 8) yet, but since her name wasn't mentioned in the announcements yet, he's still certain she's somwhere in the island. He was in the western part of the island, around sector C=3. He did hear continuous gunfire throughout the night, which made him feel queasy and very nervous. He doubted that it wouldn't be her, but the opposite thought kept recurring to his mind, trying to fight it off.

   The sun was half-risen into the sky, illuminating the place with soft sunlight. The morning wind began to blow, making the coldness rise.

   He arrived at the base of the central mountain while keeping an alert look on his surroundings. Despite the remaining people are seven (including himself), its no excuse to go all relaxed. Clutching to his supplied hatchet, he turned a sharp right to C=4, a former danger zone. As he reached the border of the two zones, he smelled smoke. He looked up and saw thin smoke rising from the trees. Someone must be making fire near his location. 

   What if... Its Junka? But... What if its somebody else? 

   Shit, it won't get me anywhere if I just stand here, he thought.

   That's it!

   He didn't hesitate any further. He ran for the direction of the smoke, with highest hopes that it would be her.

   Please be her... Please be her... I can't wait anymore. Please be Junka!

   As he arrived near the fire's site, he crouched down behind a clump of bushes and low-lying branches. He moved some of the leaves to see through a small gap in the bushes to see. 

   There he saw the small bonfire blazing at the center of the clearing. He looked a bit to his right and saw the suppiled bag sitting beside a log, and on the log sat a human. He looked closely and discovered it was a girl. The girl was sitting behind her back so he couldn't make out the face, but something was familiar with that hair that reached her waist. 

   His eyes widened. It couldn't be...

   He was about to mention the girl's name when a piercing scream broke the silence. Tne girl quickly looked to her right, revealing a part of her face,

   Yes, it was Junka Hitomaro, the most beautiful girl in the class, and the one whom Shigeo was looking for ever since the Program began. The scream was repeated for the second time, making Junka grab for her bag and stand up quickly. In response to her movements, Shigeo stood up too. But this only made the bushes rustle, making Junka run away to her left. A few seconds later, she disappeared in the trees.

   Damn! Shigeo thought. He quickly jumped over the bushes into Junka's abandoned camp. He saw an empty water bottle lying on the ground, indicating Junka either drank it, used it to wash herself or used it to maintain the fire. When he picked it up, he heard footsteps. But it wasn't walking, it was running. You could really hear the pounding of the ground as the footsteps approached. He listened intently and discovered that the footsteps belonged to two people. Maybe one of the screams belonged to one of those people running.

   Should I ready myself? I know killing is a sin but...

   On the left side of his head, his bad moral side shouted, "Oh for Pete's sake, kill someone already! Kill or be killed!"

   Meanwhile on the right side of his head, his good moral side yelled, "Run for it! Don't kill! Please, don't kill!"

   And he himself said, "Agh, dammit! I don't know what to do!"

   His bad side continued shouting, trying to overpower his good side, "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill so that no one can come your way and Junka's! You want to see Junka, right? Then kill everybody else so that no one can butt in!"

   His good side, however, was as stubborn as the other. "Listen to me, not him! Don't kill! Just find Junka without killing anyone! Killing wasn't on your list, right? Don't kill, please!"

   And so Shigeo's two moral sides began to bicker for his final decision.

   So, what would it be? Kill so that no one can intervene in your search for Junka or risk your life to find her? And with not killing others, it will pose a threat to Junka's very life too. Choose wisely. Once you've chosen a decision, there's no turning back. Once you've committed murder, the guilt and hatred will be embedded on your heart forever. Murder will be etched on your wholeness as a human being.

   So, make someone fall on your hands? Or die running? Find Junka without intervention? Or run for both your and her life? Decision's are somewhat irreversible in this type of situation so you have to make up your mind and don't regret it.

   Shigeo gripped harder on his hatchet's handle, then loosened. I can't. I can't kill for the sake of others. Its too low.

    This is so messed up. If only I can turn the hands of time-

   "Ahhhhh!!!!!"

   His eyes blinked. His hand felt light all of a sudden. It hanged freely. He didn't know what he was seeing anymore. He was staring into a seemingly empty void, as if he was knocked out unconscious. The voices inside his head were silenced at an instant.

   Then suddenly, his own voice spoke to him in a cold and rash manner.

   So, have you made your mind, Shigeo? You seem to. What's with those eyes? 

   Running away is futile, I give you that.. But this? 

   Well, its your life anyway. You can do what you want.

7 Students Remaining