Round One
prologue.
This wasn't supposed to happen to me. Or anyone else here. It shouldn't have happened to anyone. I stood in the washroom with my hands on the counter, knuckles white from clenching it so tightly, and examined my face in the mirror. A youthful face. An innocent face. But today I knew that nothing in the entire world could keep this innocence within me.'
"The First Game starts in five minutes," a sing-song voice rang out over the PA system. The irony made my stomach twist and I suddenly couldn't stand any more. My knees buckled and I fell to the floor, landing on my rear. With only a small whimper, I pulled my knees to my chest and fought my tears. But after a moment I decided to let them fall. If there was any time to cry, it would be now.
Please come home, my younger brother had said to me just days ago. His big green eyes sparkled with his innocence. He was too young to understand where I was going and why it was likely that I would never return from such a place. I hoped time and time again that my parents would not let him watch the games. They couldn't. They'd be crazy for it, but still; I could never forgive them if Roland saw me die. After all, they hadn't even taken him away from the room when the announcement was made, that I would be sent into the Warrior's Tournament.
At the beginning of the year, our government had announced that twenty teenagers between the ages of fifteen and eighteen would be randomly selected at the start of summer and be taken to the Warrior's Tournament where they would utilize their Talents - special powers most of us are born with - to slay the other nineteen and emerge victorious. No one took this seriously until the chosen were announced; nineteen others and myself. They came for me the next morning, storming the house and demanding my cooperation.
Three days later, and it was about to begin. It was explained that we could slay any of the others at any given time except during the games. This meant that while we we all lived in the same block we were all moving targets. However, the rules restricted any murders until the first game was played. This would grant us the first death of our Tournament and provide as the allowance for the killing to commence.
"One minute until the First Game. Please assemble in the arena."
At that moment, the bathroom door slid open, as did all doors of our living block. As I exited, I saw the others emerging as well. They all wore the same grey suits designated for our clothing. They resembled tracksuits with a high collar and numbers covering our breasts. Nobody spoke to one another. We all met eyes and broke our glances, taking steps forward and out into the open air and closer to our doom.
I very well may die today.
"The First Game starts in five minutes," a sing-song voice rang out over the PA system. The irony made my stomach twist and I suddenly couldn't stand any more. My knees buckled and I fell to the floor, landing on my rear. With only a small whimper, I pulled my knees to my chest and fought my tears. But after a moment I decided to let them fall. If there was any time to cry, it would be now.
Please come home, my younger brother had said to me just days ago. His big green eyes sparkled with his innocence. He was too young to understand where I was going and why it was likely that I would never return from such a place. I hoped time and time again that my parents would not let him watch the games. They couldn't. They'd be crazy for it, but still; I could never forgive them if Roland saw me die. After all, they hadn't even taken him away from the room when the announcement was made, that I would be sent into the Warrior's Tournament.
At the beginning of the year, our government had announced that twenty teenagers between the ages of fifteen and eighteen would be randomly selected at the start of summer and be taken to the Warrior's Tournament where they would utilize their Talents - special powers most of us are born with - to slay the other nineteen and emerge victorious. No one took this seriously until the chosen were announced; nineteen others and myself. They came for me the next morning, storming the house and demanding my cooperation.
Three days later, and it was about to begin. It was explained that we could slay any of the others at any given time except during the games. This meant that while we we all lived in the same block we were all moving targets. However, the rules restricted any murders until the first game was played. This would grant us the first death of our Tournament and provide as the allowance for the killing to commence.
"One minute until the First Game. Please assemble in the arena."
At that moment, the bathroom door slid open, as did all doors of our living block. As I exited, I saw the others emerging as well. They all wore the same grey suits designated for our clothing. They resembled tracksuits with a high collar and numbers covering our breasts. Nobody spoke to one another. We all met eyes and broke our glances, taking steps forward and out into the open air and closer to our doom.
I very well may die today.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry for how shitty this is wow.