The Twenty-Five

Chapter Two

Twenty-four of us left. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel after knowing that these men could just kill anyone whenever they want. Honestly, I don't think anyone would notice if I was gone. I haven't talked to my parents in years, I had no friends back home. I was pretty much invisible. Once I turned eighteen, I moved out of my parents house and left the city all together. 

I put my head down as I was sitting and contemplated where I went wrong in life. All the choices I've made, all the lies I've told, every bad thing I've done in my life lead up to where I was right now. I should've listened to my gut feeling.

"H-hey, uh I didn't get to thank you for what you did yesterday." A man said, tapping my shoulder.

I flinched and looked up to see who it was. It was the man who was sitting next to me and wanted to get up and leave. He had brown scruffy hair, and he looked like he was about my age. 

"Of course." I said, smiling.

"It's just crazy to think, that man who was lying on the floor could've been me. I- I can't believe I almost died." The man said, taking a seat next to me.

I liked to be alone, and deal with my own problems by my self but I guess I could help out this man.

"It is crazy, please be careful. We don't know who is going to be next to die." I said.

"I'm Ricky, and you are?" Ricky said, putting his hand out. 

"Caleb. Nice to meet you, Ricky." I said, shaking his hand.

"I'm not going to lie, Caleb. I'm really scared to die. I'm too young to die." Ricky said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I looked down at his hand on my shoulder and he put his hand back down to his lap. 

"Listen, I'm scared too. But what are we supposed to do? Sit around and cry? No, I'd rather try to find a way out of here and if I die during the process, then at least I know I died actually trying to do something." I said.

Ricky looked at me, and his eyes lit up.

"What?" I asked.

"Let's team up. Come on, we can try to be heroes." Ricky said.

My lies got me in something once again. I was too scared to try to do anything, I don't want to die. I'm scared of death!

"Oh, I don't know.. Maybe we should just lay low.." I said.

"Lay low? Dude, someone died yesterday. They aren't afraid to kill another." Ricky said.

"Well, if we're going to do something.. we need people we can trust." I said.

"Like who?" Ricky said.

Only one name came to my mind. We need Julia.

Jasper walked inside the room with Lucifer by his side. All twenty four of us put our heads down to not make any eye contact. 

"If-if you wanted to kill all of us, you could've done it by now!" A girl shouted.

Jasper stopped walking and turned his neck to see who said that. The voice sounded familiar, I turned around to see who it was. The girl had long black hair, and she had a nose piercing. Her mouth was clamped shut, and she had fear in her eyes. It was Julia.

"Wheres the fun in that? I love to see the fear in everyone's eyes, just as I see fear in yours right now. If I just killed everyone at once, there's no thrill to it! There's no leading part, no c****x, it's just all of you dead all at once." Jasper said, standing over Julia.

"Well, just kill me then! I know I'm next, especially after disrespecting you like that." Julia said.

It almost sounded like she just wants to be gone. But why would she do that? She can't die right now, Ricky and I need her and I'm sure she has family and friends back home who would be devastated if she was gone.

As Jasper was about to lift up his shirt to grab the gun that was strapped, he let out a chuckle and pulled his shirt back down. He bent down to Julia, and instead pulled out a knife. Julia was shaking, a tear rolled down her cheek but Jasper wiped it away. Jasper pushed her hair away from her face and pressed the knife to her face.

This can't be happening, not to Julia.

"I won't kill you." Jasper said, wiping another tear and putting his knife back.

He got up, and walked back to the front where Lucifer was standing. He grabbed the clipboard and matched Julia's picture with her face.

"At least not today, Julia." Jasper said.

They walked off and everybody stared at Julia in shock. I grabbed Ricky and ran to Julia.

"Why would you put your life in danger like that!" I yelled.

"You've been ignoring me all day, now you want to care about me?" Julia asked.

I rolled my eyes. She does not get to be angry with me for being in my own thoughts all day. I don't even know this girl well enough. 

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm not used to people wanting to be friends with me." I said.

Ricky and Julia looked at me with worry in their eyes. I don't know why but, it felt right finally telling someone the truth. If they were just random people I would've just lied about everything, just like I always do.

"Look, It's okay. I understand. I'm still a stranger, I just don't want to go through this alone. I don't think any of us do." Julia said, looking at Ricky.

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Ricky." Ricky smiled, putting his hand out.

"Julia. Nice to meet you." Julia smiled back, shaking his head.

"Well, I don't know if I would've been able to meet you after that stunt you just pulled! What were you thinking? You could've been dead!" Ricky exclaimed. 

"I know it was stupid! I just wanted it all to be over. I can't take it. Everyday we're going to wake up wondering if today is the day one of us dies. It's too much for me. I can't sleep, they could kill us in our sleep." Julia said.

"Okay, Julia. We need to stick together. For now on, we all have each other's backs." I said.

I know that if I give in to this fear, I'll start to panic. I need to stay strong not only for myself, but for Julia and Ricky.

"Aren't you scared?" Julia asked, looking into my eyes.

"I am. I'm scared of dying. But, I can't let that fear take over my emotions. I want to try to get out of here. Dead or alive." I said, this time meaning it.

"So, what do we do?" Ricky asked.

"We'll figure it out. Just stay low for now, and for the love of god don't try to act tough in front of Jasper and Lucifer." I said, giving Julia a look.

"I get it, I get it. Stop bringing it up!" Julia laughed, slapping my chest.

Lucifer walked back in the room with a box full of everyone's phones.

"Alright everybody, you're phones kept going off and no matter how much times we silenced them they'd keep vibrating. This is what you're going to do. One by one, I will let you make a phone call to your parents. Tell them that you're okay, hard at work, whatever. But, if any of you TRY anything. You know what'll happen." Lucifer said, calling Jasper and the guards to stand by him. 

I didn't have anybody to call. I mean, even if I did call my parents they'd think it was odd that I would call them. Once I moved out of their house I was sure to let them know how much they meant to me. I guess I'm regretting it all now because I know I didn't mean anything I said to them. It was all out of anger.

"Is there a Ricky here?" Lucifer called out.

"Yes, I'm right here." Ricky said, getting up.

"Is your mother's name Janet, by any chance?" Lucifer asked.

"Yeah.. how do you know that?" Ricky asked, fear in his eyes.

Lucifer let out a loud evil laugh, Jasper joining him. 

"That just gives me a bigger reason to target you." Lucifer said.

"Tell him why, Lucifer." Jasper smirked.

"Imagine how devastated my Janet would be if she found out that her son was killed. Or better yet, killed himself." Lucifer said.

"YOUR Janet?" Ricky asked, a confused look on his face.

"Well yes, she was mine at one point. We dated for a few years way back when, she broke up with me because she fell in love with another man." Lucifer said.

"And?" Jasper said.

"And, I killed the man she was with because I caught him cheating on her with another women. I am the love of her life, she just has to realize it." Lucifer said.

"I know my mom, she's not going to want to get back with a guy like you! You're crazy!" Ricky yelled.

Anger washed over Lucifer's face and he began to run after Ricky, but Jasper held him back.

"It's not his time yet. You're going to need him." Jasper told Lucifer.

Lucifer coughed and fixed himself up. He gave Ricky a glare, and walked back to where the guards were.

"Who's up first?" Lucifer said, skimming down the list of names.

As most of the names were called, it was finally my turn. I contemplated on calling my parents. Who would even answer? 

"Don't make a mistake, kid. It's your life at stake." Lucifer smirked, watching me dial my mother's number.

I didn't think she would answer, but after the third ring I heard her soft voice say, "Hello?"

"M-mom?" I said.

"Caleb? Is that you?" 

"It's me, I'm uh just calling to check in. I'm doing just fine, working at the studio!" I said.

"Honey, no offence but this isn't normal. You never call, ever. Are you sure you're okay?" She asked.

I wish she would take the hints. All I wanted to do was cry and tell her that I'm not okay.

"I am perfectly fine, I love you Mom. I'll call to check in again, soon. Tell Dad I love him." I said, hanging up the phone.

"Nice work." Lucifer said, breaking my phone afterwards. It was so that nobody could track the calls, and find where we were.

I walked back to where Julia and Ricky were sitting. I sat in silence.

"It just felt weird knowing that could be the last time I'd hear my mother's voice." I whispered.

"I know." Julia and Ricky said, at the same time.

We all turned our faces to the girl that was screaming on the phone to her father.

"I'm not okay! Dad! They have us trapped here please CALL THE POLICE!" The girl cried out.

Lucifer grabbed the phone out of her hands, ended the call and smashed the phone. Jasper took the girl and pushed her onto the floor. She began pleading for her life.

"Please, please don't kill me! I'm sorry I didn't mean to do it, I swear!" She cried out.

"What number comes before twenty four?" Jasper asked the girl, standing over her with a gun pointed to her head.

"T-twenty three." She said.

Jasper chuckled, and pulled the trigger. The bullet went to her head, and her body laying dead to the ground.