Game Of Survival

Chapter 11

JAMES

"I don't know about you guys but I'm not about to become dead meat!" Dave blurted and he immediately started racing.

"James, don't just stand there!" Daniel yelled. Amidst all this chaos, everyone's natural instincts were to run without thinking. I should be doing the same thing too but my legs wouldn't just move. It felt as heavy as an elephant.

"James!" Eve blared again and somehow, I could finally see their faces clearly. That look of horror. In a way, I could finally make a move but as I took a step, the screen suddenly brightened. It immediately grabbed everyone's attention.

"In this stage, each contestant should kill ten contestants within six hours to advance to the next stage. We hope you enjoy yourselves." The deep voice quoted and everyone went dead silent. And after that, a timer displayed. It was a twenty minute countdown.

"What the f**k is this place?!" Dave blared, I didn't even know when he appeared beside me.

"Whatever that timer means, it definitely doesn't mean good." Daniel muttered.

"Meaning we only have twenty left to escape from this place." Eve replied.

"We have to go." Jason interjected. "Right now. We don't know whose head is going to blow next. Let's leave."

And this time, I didn't hesitate in the slightest. Earlier, my fear made me freeze but now it took control of my legs. Maybe it was because of the countdown that meant any one of us could have our heads blown. Either way, I ran. Running without second thoughts, escaping as fast as my legs could carry me. The rest followed behind me too and so were the other contestants. Scattered in various positions trying to escape from this nightmare.

I brushed past twigs and branches breathlessly, I was losing my strength by the second. But my will on the other hand was strengthening by the moment. One could hear different footsteps trampling on dry leaves under the rising moon.

"Where are we running too?!" Dave asked as he panted.

"Just keep following me, I think I know a way out!" I responded whilst trying to catch my breaths. My throat was literally burning, my eyes were twitching from the blowing winds and my muscles were going numb by the moment.

"I - I need to catch my breath..." Linda stuttered while her pace greatly reduced.

"We don't have enough time, we only have about ten minutes left! We need to hurry." Jason blared.

"I don't want to die, I don't want to die!" Dave kept mumbling but he was busy tapping his chest repeatedly.

My legs failed me at last, and just like that, we all collapsed to the floor, trying to catch our breaths. My heart was pounding as if it were going to explode in my chest and my head didn't help either. Storming with a powerful headache. It felt like my veins were being overloaded and would explode anytime soon.

"We don't have time..." Eve mumbled as she struggled to her feet. And just like that, we followed her lead too. Breathing heavily as we ran with our might.

And after a while we finally arrived at the shore. Daniel collapsed to the sands.

"Daniel!" I yelled, tapping him repeatedly but he was breathing heavily.

"You can do this, I'm not leaving you behind, we're there already." I said amidst my pants. Dave and Linda on the other hand kept threading forward.

"Daniel come on!" I tried to carry him. Eve came to his side too, lifting his left arm over her neck while I took his right.

And now that I took the environment into account, I noticed there were several others. All of them looking for a means to escape.

"There's no boat anywhere!" Dave blared.

"There has to be something!" Linda lamented, grabbing her stomach as she arrived at the border of the waters.

"This is bad, nobody has been able to live yet. There are literally no means to escape and we only have one minute left." Jason mumbled beside us but I cared less, all I cared about for now, was my brother.

"I'm fine now..." Daniel mumbled.

"Are you sure?" Eve asked and he separated from us. My ears were filled with nothing but agitated cries but we kept pressing on till we joined Dave and Linda. Tears were already dripping down Dave's cheeks as he gestured hopelessly. But I didn't want to believe our situation was that hopeless. There has to be a way! I didn't want to die either! I had my sister to save.

"Ten seconds left..." Jason mumbled.

"Can you not give us the countdown to our deaths!" Dave blared.

"Calm down Dave!" Eve pitched.

"Calm down? How can I calm down in this situation?! In ten seconds any of us might die!"

I breathed a heavy sigh and my trembling even worsened. Even though I didn't want to, my brain was literally doing the countdown. This wasn't how I wanted to end, this shouldn't be my fate! What of my sister I vowed to protect?! What of my brother?! I held hands with my brother, locking gazes with him. Telling him it was all going to be okay but was I deceiving?

"One!" My inner voice yelled and I immediately closed my eyes. The next thing I heard was screams, blood splattered across my face.

"Holy s**t! Holy s**t! I'm alive! Thank Goodness!" Dave's voice jolted my eyes awake. I looked to my side, Daniel was still alive.

I gasped, gripping his hand tighter. And then I looked around, Eve, Linda and Jason were okay. Then whose blood painted my face?

We looked around again and there she was, a lifeless body just meters away from us.

"There's no escape for us. We're trapped!" Jason mumbled.

"Oh God!" Eve started crying and so did Linda. It was hopeless trying to get Dave on track. And from the looks of it, Jason seemed discouraged too.

"Guys, there could be another way out!" Daniel said.