LITTLE GAME apply fic

chapter three, an inch from death

Black boots thunder down the hallway in a symphony of perfect order.

Step-step, step-step.

White tiles under their feet shine, a permanent chemical smell lingers in the building, evidence of the evils no one can prove. Six doors, locked securely, keeping in the twelve new competitors of the games.

Two masks approach each door, standing on either side of the door as a third mask waits in front of each room. On the dot of the hour, all six doors are thrown open with sickening thuds. Twelve heads swivel to the doors they had been forced through over an hour ago only to be pulled from their new sanctuaries into the hallway.

Laverna exits her room first, following a mask into the hallway until they direct her to stop at a specific tile. Hye-jin is brought behind her, a mask practically dragging her to the spot behind Laverna. Hye-jin nearly growls as she shakes off their clingy hands.

Jasper and Colt are taken from their room in the same way, the same as all the others. The teens are ordered into two lines; seven girls and five boys. There's a silent fear to follow, to obey; the same fear that led each of the twelve to go with the masks as peacefully as they did when they were first selected. The masks work in a creepily synchronized order, never a fault in a single step.

This, this is their first glance at one another – the people that they will either survive, or die, with.

As though in a trance, all of the masks step off together and the twelve teens find themselves following suit. They sneak glances at one another, hearts hammering in their chests. Most don't remember the names they had seen before they were taken and the ones that do can't connect the names with faces. They are all lost in the herd, finding themselves becoming the colors that they wear.

They've all grown up watching the Puzzler, and now as they get closer to the start, they suddenly realize that they have no idea how they get into the Puzzler.

The masks around them lead them through dozens of hallways before ushering the lines through a pair of double doors into a circular room that's been darkened except for the spotlights pointed around the room and the anchors' desk in the center. A digital timer flashes on the anchors' desk, counting down for the "show" to begin.

The teens look around, frozen in place as the double doors behind them seem to seal closed with a heavy thud. Darkness surrounds them as they take in the sights of the room. Black walls, darkened tiles, shadows flitting around as seconds tic by.

A mask approaches the two lines, speaking into a hand-held radio before directing their attention onto the teens. This one is different, unlike the white uniforms of the masks around them, this one is clothed in all white except for the orange vest-like pattern sewn down the sides of the mask. And, it obviously controls the rest.

"Circle them up! T-minus thirteen minutes until starting time!"

Rising from the floor, twelve circular platforms rise up, flashing white for a moment before changing to match the color of their uniforms.

The closest platform is dark red, and Hye-jin watches from the corner of her eye as a mask grabs the boy in the matching-colored uniform and puts him up on the pedestal. As Colt steps on, a spotlight turns on directly above him, seeming to entrap him in the light. The platform under him flashes white again before turning green and the timer on the anchors' desk appears under his feet.

Yellow and pink are next, each going on either side of the kid in red. Their platforms copy the same pattern as the first, flashing white one more time before turning green and the timer appears under their feet as a spotlight from above shines down on them.