The Hollow Game.

Chapter Two

The girl stared up at the hulking mansion. Hollow Grove, host to one of the hardest parties to get into, and here she was. A wide grin accompanied the burst of laughter as she casually walked up the glass walkway. Men and women in sleek black uniforms rushed around, some carrying trays and others moving like sharks through water as they navigated the brightly lit foyer.

Ahead of her, a couple wearing matching light pink and white outfits descended into the house. A bored looking man glanced first at the list in his hands then at her.

“Invite?”

She handed it over, grinning all the while the man looked it over. “Through here, Miss,” he gestured to the doors impatiently. The girl blinked, “Thank you.” She hummed as she entered entered the mansion.

Black glass, dark wood, and gray furniture greeted her. The only color in sight were the dresses women wore and the matching tuxedos of the men. All of them moved towards a set of double doors on the far side of the room. She followed after them, stumbling slightly as her dress snagged against one of the glass posts.

The next room was better lit, the bright light hitting all of the glass and turning the room into cascade of colors.

The girl paused, eyeing everything briefly before striding over to several long tables pushed to the side. Roasted meats, vegetables soaked in wine and honey, breads and rounds of cheese. The tables looked like they would collapse at any moment with how much food was them.

She grabbed a plate from one of the teetering stacks and piled on as much as she could without breaking the plate. “You know those are supposed to be samples, right?” A low voice said. She turned, mouth full and grinned at the taller girl. “And I am sampling them,” her grin widened at the disgust on the other’s face. The other girl mumbled something, shot her another disgusted look then quickly went over to one of the arriving couples.

“Hey, do you know where the drinks are?” She shrugged, turning to the boy behind her. “Nope, not a clue.” The girl squinted, scrutinizing him before shoving the last of her samples into her mouth. “I like your arm thingy. Does it always glow like that?” He blinked.

“Yeah, means it works.” She nodded and opened her mouth just as a loud cough sounded. The two glanced over towards the front of the room where a richly dressed man stood. The hum of conversation died away until only the whirring, clicking sounds of the man’s pedestal remained.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for once again coming together tonight. With so many new faces I had to think long and hard about what the entertainment would be. And so, without further ado, drop your invites into the wheel and we’ll begin!” The girl’s grin widen as she watched wide eyed as the floor beside the man clicked and a metal cage rose up.

Once it was in full view, the man lifted one of its many metal flaps and mimed putting something in before gesturing for someone to step forward. Laughing, she darted towards it and reached for her letter. The man smiled as the paper floated down before delicately hitting the bottom. “Thank you for your invite,” his tone was warm despite the slight chill from the words. Like a spell being broken, others stepped forward and added their letters to the cage. The boy was the second person and sent a barely conceal glare at the man when he smiled at him before turning to leave the growing crowd.

“Hey,” the girl said, catching up to him. “What?”

“If you get chosen then do you want to partner up?” He stared at her. Finally looking away, he asked with a scowl how she knew she would be picked. She chuckled, grinning. “Because I’m going to win,” she said simply. He blinked, brows furrowing and irritated boredom shined in his eyes before she shrugged. “Why me?”

“Because I want to partner up with you.” Her grin seemed to take on a sinister appearance as she added, “and you look like a good person. So, what do you say?”

One more searching look and then he shrugged. “Alright. Better to have you over someone who’ll rip me off.” At that, her laughter could be heard over the mechanical thrumming as the wheel spun, shuffling the invites and letting the chosen ones slip into a compartment below.

The man cleared his throat as the wheel stopped. They turned their attention to him as he reached underneath for the chosen invites.

The girl bounced on the tips of her toes, eager to see who was going with her. The man called out the names and one by one the chosen stepped forward.

When her name was called, she bounded towards the others, grinning and laughing. The boy, her partner, also joined as did the girl who had told her about samples.

Soon twenty four people stood in a rough line in front of the man. Their expressions ranging from worried to petrified, not sure what was going to happen next.

“All of them have been chosen and now,” he paused. “Let the Game begin!”

The onlookers cheered and clapped; the contestants tried backing away; and the girl chuckled, a gleam in her eyes at the bubbling adventure.