GuesS Me

Chapter 7:GAME DAY

As the clock struck 7 o'clock, a loud trumpet blast echoed through the hallways of the luxurious prison, joking the housemates awake. Ann groggily opened her eyes to find her door wide open. A fierce-looking man stood at the entrance, his expression unreadable. The obviously gave her a fright as her brain remind her of the recent events and where she currently is. The soldier held a neatly folded outfit with her name tag pinned to it. The clothes were elegant yet practical - clearly meant for a day of intense games. On the outfit, a prominent number '3' was pinned, indicating her rank. The same scene played out in each room. The housemates, still rubbing the sleep from their eyes, put on the clothes and were herded to the sitting room.

In the blink of an eye, a staircase emerged from the floor, leading to a grand hall downstairs. The housemates were shocked awake by this spectacle. As all their previous searches were vain . Turns out the “secret passageway”had been under their feet all this while. Ann scans the door of the passage way carefully with her eyes, trying to figure out how it works but she was pushed forward by one of the soldiers and before she could react the Host's amplified voice spoke with unnerving cheerfulness, "Welcome, players! Today's game: 'Rise to Rank'. The number on your clothes - from 1 to 7 - is your rank. Lower numbers mean less time for challenges. Higher numbers... more time and easier wins. Let's see who rises."

The rules were simple: complete tasks based on your rank. Physical, mental, and strategic challenges would be tested. Points would be awarded, and the top scorer by nightfall would secure immunity in the next game plus earn 10 points. Ann (rank 3) glanced around the hall. Marcus (rank 1) looked focused, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. Sofia (rank 5) smiled, seemingly relieved. The others looked nervous, their faces etched with tension.

Today's tasks were revealed:

- Game 1: Decode a complex password within minutes according to your rank. Marcus, being rank 1, had 10 minutes, while others had time limits based on their ranks.

- Game 2: Obstacle course + riddles on the wall. Game 2 would start immediately after Game 1, but with a different time setting.

As the Host finished reading out the tasks and rules, an eerie laughter echoed through the hall, followed by the command, "Housemates, carry on!" The games kicked off, and everyone dove into hacking. Alliances shifted rapidly - Rank 2 (Jake) teamed up with Rank 7 (Mrs Patel), while Rank 4 (Tim), looking lost and confused, whispered to Rank 5 (Sofia). Rank 6 (Ms Jasmine) seemed to be leading, leveraging her computer skills. The tension mounted.

Marcus, frustrated, got logged out as his time ran out, he couldn’t help but curse “F*ck”. Jake's palms were sweaty as his time counted down in seconds. Ann's eyes kept glancing at the time limit, her anxiety palpable. Everyone was in a state of panic. And then, the winner was announced: Ms Jasmine had cracked the code in 28 minutes, securing 10 points.

The scores were revealed:

1. Ms Jasmine (Rank 6): 10 points

2. Marcus (Rank 1): 0 points

3. Jake (Rank 2): 0 points

4. Ann (Rank 3): 0 points

5. Tim (Rank 4): 0 points

6. Sofia (Rank 5): 0 points

7. Mrs Patel (Rank 7): 0 points

As the scores were announced, everyone except the winner couldn’t help but feel tensed. The question on everyone’s mind was: “who’d get the next 10 points?”