Grimm Games

Chapter 3: Mother Holle

Two burly men emerged from the building and headed for the gates. Jade and I exchanged glances as the mysterious car vanished around the side of the building.

The gates were nearly closed when the man with dark skin and sunglasses used the keypad to reopen them. I tested the men's intentions by stepping forward, waiting for a reaction, but they didn't move.

I looked back at Jade and held her hand, trying to find comfort. She squeezed my palm twice, aiming to ease my nerves, but my tense shoulders betrayed my anxiety. We proceeded. Once through the gates, they closed behind us, cutting us off from the rest of the curious picketers.

"Come," the slim, tan man urged. We walked with them up a short path. I noticed our reflections in the glass door. My unkempt hair and crumpled top bothered me. I briefly let go of Jade's hand to tidy up, pressing my strands into a neater ponytail and attempting to smooth my shirt, though it didn't work.

Jade noticed my efforts to look presentable and promptly took my hand again. Our silent communication spoke volumes. This time, her squeezing my hand wasn't to relieve my anxiety but to ease hers.

"I'll straighten this out," I whispered, nodding for reassurance. But she only responded by meeting my gaze with wide eyes.

What horrors manifested inside her head? Was she not confident that we could fix what was broken?

Mending fractures was our specialty. Tackling issues united us. Our initial meeting at a rally over a year ago, where we fought for the rights of overworked and underpaid grocery store workers, had transformed my life. That victory had cured my loneliness, especially after cutting ties with Millie.

Whenever there was a problem, we focused our energies on resolving it. But never before had she given me the look she was giving me now.

When we entered the towering building, an overwhelming sense of displacement hit me. I slowed my pace, taking in the sight of the expansive, modern lobby.

The walls, reaching up twenty feet, were adorned with screens showcasing images of the recent and prominent winners. Snippets of their significant victories were frozen in pictures taken straight from the show.

A screen even idolized Tommy Miller with his iconic stance as he gripped a bloody axe over his head before the winning blow that killed the final monster. The still shot captured the raw anger and determination on his face, as well as the tattoo of his school emblem on his shoulder. His bared teeth suited him more than any snarling Big Bad Wolf in that moment.

On the opposite wall hung obscure still shots of the terrifying monsters that had become infamous for stalking the contestants throughout different games.

The silhouette of the Witch caught my eye. Her classic hooked-nose, gray skin, long-fingernails, and tattered rags contained visible traces of her previous victims in blood. The blood covered her forearms and elbows as her preferred method of slaying was to shred her prey alive.

Next to the image of the Witch was the gluttonous troll that stood in the shadows and behaved like an oversized infant who gleefully played a little too rough with his captured playmates. These sessions of 'fun' were so brutal even a ragdoll would be unrecognizable by the end of the play date.

Seeing the infamous gruesome creatures next to the triumphant winners, hailed as heroes, was revealing. Even Jade was startled by this sight. She raised her phone to capture the view of the screens and the spacious yet vacant lobby.

Her photos and footage would serve to demonstrate to Ensemble Org members and the public just how deeply invested Arcanum was in the Games. I could already envision the headlines I could craft just by describing the lobby alone.