Beguile

5 The Game

Suddenly, a click echoed from behind a nearby tree. We all turned, eyes wide with fear and curiosity.

The guy who had handed out the cider stepped forward, moving towards the sound. He crouched down, revealing a hidden box nestled among the roots. With a swift motion, he opened it and pulled out a dagger, its blade glinting ominously in the dim light.

"Is this really happening?" he asked, his voice echoing with excitement. "Shall we test it out?"

Everyone was wary. We couldn't move, couldn't react. The atmosphere was thick with tension, each of us frozen in place as the weight of the situation settled in.

Then, in a horrifying instant, he lunged forward, grabbing someone from the crowd. With a swift, brutal motion, he sliced across their neck. Blood sprayed out, and the person crumpled to the ground, gasping and choking.

Chaos erupted. Screams filled the air as everyone scattered, running in all directions.

The once orderly group dissolved into a frenzied mass, each person desperate to escape the nightmare that had just unfolded.

In the midst of the pandemonium, a notification buzzed on our wristbands. I glanced down, my heart pounding.

A screen had popped up, listing the name of the guy who had just died.

Anthony Rogers - Guilty of multiple counts of assault and attempted murder.

I heard my friends calling my name, their voices rising above the chaos.

In the distance, I saw Lucas trying to reach me, his face etched with desperation. But the throng of panicked students blocked his path, pushing and shoving in their frantic attempts to escape.

Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind, pulling me to the ground. I struggled, but their grip was ironclad.

As I twisted around, I saw who it was: a girl I had always seen on stage, known for her fierce competitiveness. She straddled me, holding me down with surprising strength, a wild look in her eyes.

She brandished a knife, licking the blade with a manic grin. "I love Lucas," she hissed, her voice dripping with obsession. "And I'll remove every woman in his life until he loves me too."

My wristband buzzed again, and I glanced down in terror. Her information had unlocked, revealing her crime: Natalie Greene - Guilty of stalking and multiple counts of murder.

Before I could react, she raised the knife, aiming for my throat. But just as she was about to strike, someone collided with her. The blow knocked her off balance, and she stumbled to the side, giving me a moment to scramble to my feet.

The throng of students surged again, and Natalie was caught in the crush.

She tried to fight her way back to me, but the crowd was relentless. Someone hit her in the head, and she fell to the ground. The mob, blind in their panic, trampled over her, and her screams were quickly drowned out by the chaos.

I wasn't even able to process everything yet when a hand grabbed me by the waist, and a towel was pressed over my mouth.

The smell of chemicals overwhelmed me, and darkness quickly closed in as I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, my vision was still hazy and my head throbbed with confusion. I struggled to make sense of my surroundings.

There was a door in front of me and the sensation of a breeze on my back, suggesting a window behind me. The room was dimly lit, and shadows danced across the walls.

As I slowly regained my bearings, my eyes focused on a figure kneeling in front of me. A wave of nausea and horror washed over me as I realized what he was doing.