Thud went boots outside my door and then click. Someone has a key to my room, how strange, I guess I've should have known. Stupid contest. A man walked in trying to be sneaky which is funny to watch. Five steps into the room though he tripped over my wire, which set off the alarm, It freaked him out big time. His scream carried out through the mansion. "Can you shut up?" I asked. Not caring to take the time to ask nicely. "What kind of guard are you? Scared of a noise, I'll give you something to be afraid of" He seemed to have heard me.
"Can you please just shut off the noise?" He sounded like a child, and even though he deserved it I got up and pulled the wire back into it's place and the noise stopped. The guard looked relieved. "Will you come with me now? A challenge is about to begin" It was pathetic, he was so pitiful that I decided I wouldn't give him a hard time. Going through my wires took only seconds and then I was on my way to my first challenge. Truly I didn't know if I was ready for it or not. "Thanks for not trying to fight me, I wouldn't want to have to shock you with the bracelet." I didn't look at him, how stupid was this man, not even just him but everyone at this mansion. A silly little bracelet will barely bring me down. "So how did you get the unpleasant task of having to escort me, and with no other guards" He gulped maybe he was afraid of what I could do to him when he is all by himself. "I'm new and they said if I failed that I wouldn't be able to be a guard anymore and I need the money" he seemed about to cry and it irked me, men shouldn't cry in front of another guy, it's the rules, they should at least be manly enough to wait and cry alone or with someone they at least know. "So how long are you my guard?" I asked him seeing as he could benefit me. I felt sick when I realized how cruel I have become. Preparing for the challenges made me into one heartless person. "Until you die, go home, or I fail to watch you"
"You know what, I'll help you out" He gave me a weird look that said 'No thanks' but helping him out would benefit me and maybe I could get some of my heart back by being nice to this guy. "How do you plan on doing that?" He asked, it was just to tempting to dismiss without an explanation. "I'll act like you got me under control, and that only you can control me"
"What do you want for exchange?" I couldn't tell him, it'd help me out if I ever planned to escape to only have one guard but I told him the other half of my story. "In exchange I want you to keep me sane" What was the point of winning if I would return home a different person that nobody wanted. The guards mouth opened up and he looked shocked and then he tried to cover it up. "The other guards told me of tons of tricks you might try to use on me, none of them involving becoming friends, but i'm sure if I told them they'd all think I'm stupid but I don't care. Ryder, will you be my friend?" I wish I never asked for his help at that moment, If only he wasn't just a few years older than me, If he didn't use that face and say friend, But I did asked for his help and he did say everything I didn't want him to. "Sure" I now had a new responsibility, a new person to protect. Why did I have to want a heart? "Were here" He said in a whisper. When I realized we stopped at a big metal door, it looked like a place that once you entered you'd never come back. "Ryder once you go in there, please remember it's all just an illusion, nothing in there is real. This is where they get rid of the weak minded, when the lights go on get up, don't you dare be on the floor, they'll kill you" His information wasn't everything I wanted, if I could of had it I would of loved more details, but the metal door was opening and I already got more information than I could ever ask for. I couldn't see anything in the room, that the metal door led to it was all just black. But I walked in with the confidence of a person who knew they'd survive, but with my guard's sad look on his face, a look that said 'I'll miss my friend' my confidence started to fall. Then the door shut behind me and I was left in the dark.
Light then came, but only a spot light and at the end of the spot light was Kayla. She was tied to the chair she was sitting in, her eyes were wide and she looked horrified. "Kayla? is that you?" I tried to run to her, she needed me, who knows what these people would do to her. But when I ran forward I hit an invisible wall. If that wasn't enough it seemed like Kayla couldn't hear me. Than another door opened on Kayla's side and a man walked in. "Please don't hurt me" Kayla begged. She never sounded so weak before, it scared me, especially since I couldn't get to her. But the man wasn't kind at all, he drew out a knife. "Stop!" I screamed, running into the invisible wall again and again, but it didn't give at all. The man cut into Kayla and I had to look away but I couldn't stop her scream.
When I looked away though I saw my bracelet. It was still on me, if this was real they would of taken it off they always give contestants a fighting chance. But then a scream came out of Kayla's lips again and silently she begged to be released "Please, what have I done?" I lost my sense of thought. The man laughed, it was a sinister laugh. "It's not you sweetheart, it's the guy Ryder's fault" A stab in my heart, Kayla looked so frighten. "Ryder is the reason this is happening to me?" Tears welled up in her eyes. Right when she said it was my fault I knew it wasn't my Kayla, mine wouldn't blame me, she would know that I didn't want her to be involved. The man came at her again, cutting her yet again. Her screams drove me crazy, it was my Kayla's voice, that's what I couldn't deny, it looked just like Kayla also. I couldn't restrain myself I hit the wall repeatedly trying to get to my princess. Not stopping until I finally collapsed from exhaustion and pain. Tears welled up in my eyes and I covered my ears, starting to hum to myself, hoping to cover up the sounds of her screams. Knowing that it wasn't real didn't help at all.
The lights turned on and a new door opened. In my mind the warning from the guard replayed 'When the lights go on get up, don't you dare be on the floor, they'll kill you' I got up immediately. Three huge men were standing around me. "Please don't mess with me" I begged them, I was in the mood to kill, but I didn't want to be a killer. They all smirked as if it was a joke. Than they advanced, it would be pointless to kill them. Pawns are useless to kill, at least in real life where it is so easy to replace them. "I'm sorry I have to do this" I snapped my fingers. Nothing happened, the guys laughed. I looked down at the damn bracelet on my wrist. It was holding me back, and maybe the injuries I gave myself are also. Sighing I started to say a small spell, the men looked shocked, not knowing what I was doing or how to counter act to it, all they knew was how to fight with their hands and feet, what useless humans. When I finished the spell, all three men were on the floor sleeping. It was such a simple spell, one I could do as a child. So i was surprised when I fell from exhaustion. That damn bracelet again.
