The Death's Game

1. Game of Memories

If I didn't stop that night to lace up my sneakers, would all of it never happen?

In her dreams, or rather nightmares, Percy has always seen her best friend's happy face as she danced in the middle of pedestrian lanes. The green light on the other side of the street was almost blinding in the dark of the night. It felt like there was nobody else in the world, except for the two of them. Percy crouched down on the sidewalk to lace up her black sneakers with golden diamonds. Those were her favorites, and somehow, she managed to keep them in the perfect state for all high school years.

"Hurry up, Perce! We'll miss our horror night!" yelled Millie, waiting for her on the pedestrian lanes with the green light illuminating her blonde hair. She would look great with green highlights, and she was always up for some look experimenting. Once she even had rainbow ombre hair. The school didn't really like that one.

They knew each other since they were little. Their mums were best friends since high school and ended up living on the same street. Although Percy didn't have any siblings, she always considered Millie as her sister, especially when having her basically one step away. They were inseparable.

And she would do literally anything for her.

"One moment, please!" These shoes would always untie in the worst moments, and always both at once. Still, those were the most comfortable and most beautiful sneakers she ever had.

"Come on, the most horrifying and creepy night is waiting to begin!"

Their tradition, a whole night of horror movies in the local cinema. The next step - a sleepover, or actually no sleep at all, after hours of fear. They had nightmares for days, but each year they were still going for that horror movie night.

Besides, what bad could ever happen in a town like theirs?

Percy laughed at Millie, who started pretending to be a zombie. Who even decided that zombie movies should count as horrors? Those were always hilarious.

"Beware, cause I'm about to eat ya brain!" groaned Millie.

It felt funny, because even though the next events happened throughout seconds, for Percy the time slowed down, and every moment felt like forever.

The green light on Millie's amused face, as she stuck her tongue.

Her own hands finishing lacing up the second sneaker.

The loud music coming from a car that was going way too fast, considering the light for it was red.

In this never-ending moment, Percy thought to herself, this car won't be able to stop before the pedestrian lanes. It hit the brakes, but it was already too late.

In the moments that happen at super speed and super slow volume at the same time, there's only instinct left. Percy didn't have to think what to do. For Millie she would do anything.

She jumped on the street, and pushed confused Millie aside, as the car lights dazzled them both.

And then, for her there was only darkness.

***

Percy woke up in the college auditorium with the shiver going down her spine. Her rapid movement made all the books from the table fall down with a loud thud that echoed in the room. Mr. Locking stopped talking, and everybody in the auditorium turned around to look right at her.

"Oh, no," she whispered to herself, noticing Millie, who had a hard time holding in laughter.

"Miss Spring, how nice of you to finally join us," Mr. Locking said with disappointment. He was one of the best lecturers here and Percy hated that it must've been his lecture that she fell asleep on.