Chapter 3: Countdown

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By now, nightmares have become a regular occurrence. I had gotten used to having them. They still scare me, and they still keep me from getting a peaceful night sleep, but I was no longer fazed by them when I wake up.

It was all the same by now.

Suffocation, drowning, being shot, hung, tortured, dismembered. It all repeated itself until I had suffered through all the ways I could die in my dreams.

I got up from my bed and walked to the bathroom. It was strange being in my own house again. This was the first night I slept in my own bed since the last day of Level 6.

It was completely empty. I was the only living soul in the house.

It was about 8 hours from graduation. Only 40 more hours until the hunt begins. Finally, I decided it was time to stock up on items.

So I got dressed and rode my bike to the weaponry store, which, of course, had to be in the violent part of town. While I was on my way over there, I saw two people running down the streets and one being beaten probably to death with a chair. I averted my attention back to the road and continued down the street.

When I arrived, I parked my bike outside the store and walked inside. There was a tinkling of bells when I opened the door. There was probably no more than four or five people there. I stopped and looked around me, unsure of where to start. There were many different kinds of weapons, big and small, plastered against the shelves and walls in each aisle

The person behind the counter could tell I was quite confused. "First time here, kid?"

"Um," I hesitated. "Yes."

"You need recommendations?" He asked.

"W-well I-" I started to stammer.

"It's okay," said another voice. It sounded familiar, and I knew exactly who it was. Annie walked out from behind an aisle. "I can show him around."

The man shrugged and went back to his dozing off behind the counter.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

Annie stared at me like I was insane. "I'm buying a new couch. Why else would I be here?" She said sarcastically.

"Does it have anything to do with Sasha?" I asked. However, she ignored me and pretended to observe a box of ammo. "Is it because of Sasha?" I reiterated.

"Take this," Annie handed me a small handheld gun. "This is the best option if you want to carry one around, but it's best if you have a purse and you definitely do not have one so keep it in your car when you can drive. In that case," she handed me a switchblade. "This is your next best option. Always have this on or near you. Even in your home."

"Annie," I spoke up. "I asked you a question."

"And here's the ammo for the gun," Annie threw two boxes at me.

"This is about Sasha, isn't it?" I asked again.

"Don't say her name," she pointed a gun at me, and I immediately dropped everything in my hands and raised up both my arms. "That is only going to make things harder. If I am going to do this, I cannot think of her as a person. Just prey. And why are you hands in the air? This gun isn't even loaded."

"You're really shaken up about having to kill Sasha, aren't you?" I asked quietly.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked.

"Well," I bent down to pick up the items on the floor. "First of all, you avoided the question about three times. Second of all, you gave me the wrong type of ammo."

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