Status: Hiatus: Possible re-write/re-post in the future.
Trapped
Chapter 7.
Lisa and Steph headed into the woods together. Both remained silent. Both knew why too. Once they realized they were far enough away from the area, they sat in some bushes by a tree.
“I tried to get the message to Matt and Martin, but neither saw me,” Lisa said.
“I know, I tried to get it to Martin, but like you said, I couldn’t get it to him. This really sucks.”
“I’m scared though. What if it just comes down to us?” Lisa looked at Steph with tears brimming her eyes.
“I’m not gonna kill you, I’ll kill myself first.”
“Wait. If it comes down to just the two of us…”
“We’ll kill ourselves?”
Lisa nodded slowly. “As much as I’m against suicide, if that’s what it comes down to, I’ll do it before I have to do it to you.”
Both shook hands and would stay to that pact. They both leaned against the tree and sat in silence. The wind rustled the trees and bushes around them. A chill went through the air. They guessed the temperature had to be around sixty. They knew they were on an island as they could smell the strong smell of the ocean water. The fishy, saltwater smell hung in the air all around them. With all the students running around, the quiet was almost ominous. It wasn’t as high as it was in the classroom, but tension covered the island like a blanket. No one could truly tell if they were alone or with the ones they thought they were with.
Dawn began to break through the trees, and they could both see each other clearer now. Both looked at their surroundings. In their immediate sight, all they could see were trees. Both then studied their maps and took a moment to drink some water and bite at their bread. Lisa looked at the few smudges of dirt on her jeans. She sighed.
“I forgot to ask, but are you okay with that gun?” Lisa asked.
“I never really handled one before, but I should be fine. What did you end up with?”
“I got a machete,” Lisa said, her voice mixed with disappointment and excitement.
They resumed sitting in silence for a moment until a distorted ringing flooded the island.
“Good morning kids!!!” A familiar cheery voice rang out.
It was their instructor, with his six am announcement.
“How are we all doing this fine morning? Can’t be too bad right? Did you guys make it through the first shortened night okay? Good. Well, I shall announce now, the names of your dead classmates…”
Steph and Lisa looked at each other, wondering how many had died. No gunshots or shouting was heard at all, so they were both worried.
“No males yet, and aside from Mandy’s unfortunate departure in the classroom, Jewel was the only female. So there’s still twenty-nine of you running about out there. Get at it. And now, your forbidden zones. At seven, section B-2, at nine, sections A-6, and D-1, and at eleven, section F-4. Well, I’m done for now. Take care and get out there kids. Don’t be afraid.”
And with that, the distorted feedback was gone, and silence fell again. Lisa looked at the map, and determined they’d be okay for the time being as they were in about the middle of a section H-7. Lisa was getting fed up though.
“I wanna find Matt,” she said.
“Lisa? I know you do, and I wanna find Martin, but we don’t know where they are,” Steph said, trying to reassure her friend.
“I know, I know. I just still want to believe this is a dream.”
“Me too, but it’s not.”
“Steph? In case something happens to one of us. I just want you to know this now. Matt and I: we are together.”
“Oh, Lis?” Steph reached over and hugged Lisa. “I mean, it wasn’t hard to figure out, yet it was hard to figure out. We’ll find him.”
“I need to.”
“Well, I’ll wait here and you can go look.”
“No, I can’t risk anything happening to you. I’ll just wait it out, I’m sure he’ll show up, he won’t go down that easily.”
Steph looked at her map and surveyed the areas around them.
“How about we go here…” she paused and pointed to a residential area that looked about a mile away from them. “…that way we’ll be more covered, and can easily look out in case Matt was to show up.”
“You want to?” Lisa looked up at Steph.
“Do you?”
“It’s better than being outside open.”
Both girls nodded and got up, grabbing their stuff. They headed out of the shrubbery and on path to the residential area.
From the bushes about ten feet away, a hooded figure rose up. He grinned as he had listened to their entire conversation. He slowly began to follow them, making sure to keep at least fifteen feet behind them. He had his ninja stars loosely tucked into his hoodie pocket. He knew he was going to win this game.
“Jason?” someone whispered behind him.
He turned and saw Kyle, hiding in a tree. Kyle grinned and jumped out. He urged Jason to walk forward to follow the girls. They watched the girls walk into the residential area, and find a house to go in. Then it was silent. Kyle and Jason sat outside the house, around the corner, waiting for the right time.
29 Students Remaining
“I tried to get the message to Matt and Martin, but neither saw me,” Lisa said.
“I know, I tried to get it to Martin, but like you said, I couldn’t get it to him. This really sucks.”
“I’m scared though. What if it just comes down to us?” Lisa looked at Steph with tears brimming her eyes.
“I’m not gonna kill you, I’ll kill myself first.”
“Wait. If it comes down to just the two of us…”
“We’ll kill ourselves?”
Lisa nodded slowly. “As much as I’m against suicide, if that’s what it comes down to, I’ll do it before I have to do it to you.”
Both shook hands and would stay to that pact. They both leaned against the tree and sat in silence. The wind rustled the trees and bushes around them. A chill went through the air. They guessed the temperature had to be around sixty. They knew they were on an island as they could smell the strong smell of the ocean water. The fishy, saltwater smell hung in the air all around them. With all the students running around, the quiet was almost ominous. It wasn’t as high as it was in the classroom, but tension covered the island like a blanket. No one could truly tell if they were alone or with the ones they thought they were with.
Dawn began to break through the trees, and they could both see each other clearer now. Both looked at their surroundings. In their immediate sight, all they could see were trees. Both then studied their maps and took a moment to drink some water and bite at their bread. Lisa looked at the few smudges of dirt on her jeans. She sighed.
“I forgot to ask, but are you okay with that gun?” Lisa asked.
“I never really handled one before, but I should be fine. What did you end up with?”
“I got a machete,” Lisa said, her voice mixed with disappointment and excitement.
They resumed sitting in silence for a moment until a distorted ringing flooded the island.
“Good morning kids!!!” A familiar cheery voice rang out.
It was their instructor, with his six am announcement.
“How are we all doing this fine morning? Can’t be too bad right? Did you guys make it through the first shortened night okay? Good. Well, I shall announce now, the names of your dead classmates…”
Steph and Lisa looked at each other, wondering how many had died. No gunshots or shouting was heard at all, so they were both worried.
“No males yet, and aside from Mandy’s unfortunate departure in the classroom, Jewel was the only female. So there’s still twenty-nine of you running about out there. Get at it. And now, your forbidden zones. At seven, section B-2, at nine, sections A-6, and D-1, and at eleven, section F-4. Well, I’m done for now. Take care and get out there kids. Don’t be afraid.”
And with that, the distorted feedback was gone, and silence fell again. Lisa looked at the map, and determined they’d be okay for the time being as they were in about the middle of a section H-7. Lisa was getting fed up though.
“I wanna find Matt,” she said.
“Lisa? I know you do, and I wanna find Martin, but we don’t know where they are,” Steph said, trying to reassure her friend.
“I know, I know. I just still want to believe this is a dream.”
“Me too, but it’s not.”
“Steph? In case something happens to one of us. I just want you to know this now. Matt and I: we are together.”
“Oh, Lis?” Steph reached over and hugged Lisa. “I mean, it wasn’t hard to figure out, yet it was hard to figure out. We’ll find him.”
“I need to.”
“Well, I’ll wait here and you can go look.”
“No, I can’t risk anything happening to you. I’ll just wait it out, I’m sure he’ll show up, he won’t go down that easily.”
Steph looked at her map and surveyed the areas around them.
“How about we go here…” she paused and pointed to a residential area that looked about a mile away from them. “…that way we’ll be more covered, and can easily look out in case Matt was to show up.”
“You want to?” Lisa looked up at Steph.
“Do you?”
“It’s better than being outside open.”
Both girls nodded and got up, grabbing their stuff. They headed out of the shrubbery and on path to the residential area.
From the bushes about ten feet away, a hooded figure rose up. He grinned as he had listened to their entire conversation. He slowly began to follow them, making sure to keep at least fifteen feet behind them. He had his ninja stars loosely tucked into his hoodie pocket. He knew he was going to win this game.
“Jason?” someone whispered behind him.
He turned and saw Kyle, hiding in a tree. Kyle grinned and jumped out. He urged Jason to walk forward to follow the girls. They watched the girls walk into the residential area, and find a house to go in. Then it was silent. Kyle and Jason sat outside the house, around the corner, waiting for the right time.
29 Students Remaining