GAMBLE: Rule of Cards

CHAPTER 6

THE GATES of the battlefield opened and the guards started on entering. The players who survived the main match were still aware of what the guards will do after knowing how the game works. However, the alive players were not the guards’ agenda, but the eliminated players instead. The players who survived the game were just observing the guards who were cleaning the area as if the eliminated ones are just pieces of trash lying on the ground.

Paul just looked at how the guards put the killer in front of him inside the bag and carried it away from him. “I killed someone,” he muttered to himself, as if everything that has happened was coming to his system just now. “I am a murderer.”

“What’s important is the reason why you did such thing and not what you did,” Denton muttered on his side. Unlike the Denton while the game is on-air, he is calmer now. Nevertheless, the shock and all the emotions he had were still visible on his face. “I will tell the truth. I am disappointed with you at first for it, killing the killers on your own hand, is not in the plan at all. After giving it some thoughts, I realized that you did that to make sure the other player’s safety. I am not saying that you should feel good after killing someone, but don’t weep on it. They deserve to die, after all.”

Denton tapped Paul’s back and started walking through the gate where the guards are leading them. Paul has no strength to stand up but pushed himself to stand, scared that the guards might do something to him. The remaining players went to the platform where they are before the start of the game. They are all noisy and cheerful before the game started but this time, they cannot even calm and talk a word.

“That will be the conclusion of the level one, first main match.” The timer has vanished and was replaced by the speaker who spoke after the game has ended. “That was an exciting initiation game from our players. Good job to everyone who managed to survive despite the no-experience agenda. Better luck, next time to our eliminated players.” That was a sarcasm and Denton already knew that. How would a dead player have a next time? “The total eliminated players are 202; while the surviving players are 299.”

“I want to go home already!” a man on his 50s scowled before kneeling down in front of the guards. He sounded like he is really desperate of going home after seeing how brutal this kind of game is. It was then followed by a couple of more players to kneel down on their knees and ask for the guards’ permission to let them go home. The guards were not moved with how awful they look on the ground, kneeling. “My family needs me. I still have my children. They still need me…”

The speaker inside the television monitor giggled a distorted laugh. “And that is why we made the main match and the escaping match rule.” All the people who was kneeling down on the ground suddenly stood up and waited for more things to be uttered by the speaker. “The players should not be resting like this. Since the main match has concluded already, shall we begin the escaping match?”

The other players were silenced but the majority scowled a big yes from their mouths. Denton was just motionless on the backside of the crowd, beside him is Paul who was slowly recovering from the main match already. “Will you join the escaping match?” Paul asked Denton who just shook his head. “Why not? There’s a big possibility that they will let us go home if we win the match.”

“Observing how they organized the main match, the escaping match must not be that easy.” Denton was just observing people around him and he saw everyone getting interested with escaping. “Plus, I cannot bear going home without bringing even a single bill in my pocket. My daughter needs my help right now; so, I will do my best and win the prize.”

Paul heaved a deep sigh. “I’m not degrading you and your abilities but what if you die in the second level? It is still the same. We will all die here, in this case.” Denton looked at the ground, trying to think more critically. “Dying is not an option here, it is a choice. It is our choice whether to die now or to die later. And I am choosing to just die now, rather than dying later. It is still the same, anyway.”

The speaker suddenly spoke, getting all the attention to him. “The first escaping match is called the full house.” Denton’s brow furrowed. “Everyone whose card is a part of the usual poker card is required to join…”

Denton slowly grips on his card before looking at it. “I have an ordinary poker card with me…” Paul just looked at Denton who was in between of shock and agony. “What should I do with this, Paul? I do not want to play the escaping match.”

Paul just heaved a deep sigh. “I’m guessing that you needed to join, no other option.”

“Everyone with the normal poker card must join the game. Those who have used the card already will not be able to join the escaping game. Lastly, for those who wanted to join the game but has a different card, give up or either exchange with someone holding a normal poker card.” The whole area was surrounded with the murmurs of the players trying to negotiate with other people in exchanging their cards. “The rule will be easy. You just have to complete a full house of cards. You need to complete a whole set of cards including the jack, queen and king. How should you do that? It will be based on your own technique. You can either ask someone to get their card, snatch someone’s card or kill someone before snatching their card. You have two minutes to get ready and you will be given ten minutes to complete a full house.”

“I wanted to change cards with you but I have already used my card, Denton. I guess, I should just observe everything that will happen in this escaping match,” Paul muttered. “I should make my plan first, I thought. Going with this match just because I am desperate will not do any good, anyway.”

Denton looked like he was never listening to Paul’s remarks. “What should I do? I do not want to play the match yet,” Denton muttered, getting Paul’s attention. “This match will be a do-or-die. In this case, only one out of thirteen competitors will win.”

Not so long after, a woman approached Denton who was having a mental breakdown at that time. “M-22!” the woman called him. The woman who approached him after they woke up in a full while-painted room. The one who defended him from the younger woman in their room. The woman who is labeled as M-18. “Are you playing the game or not?”

Denton shook his head before talking. “I actually have no plan of doing, at all.”

The woman showed her card. “I am eager to go home to meet my children so I am thinking of doing this, actually. However, when the speaker announced the requirement, I lost hope…” the woman snatched Denton’s card and exchanged it with hers. “But, I remember you with the usual poker card, so I approached you. Thank you for this. If ever I don’t make it and you do, just tell my husband to take care of our children without me.”

The woman just left without listening to Denton’s response. “Uhm…” Denton tried to get the woman’s attention but he failed as the guard started on swaying those players who are not interested to join or did not meet the requirement to join inside the gate. He uttered his bye to Paul whose room is on the other side of them before entering the room together with the other nine who survived the game. The total survivor of the Room M is ten, including him.

It was a total silence and no one dared to talk. They were all just silent on their own and the ambience inside the room is too cold, and it was as expected. They entered a game, in hope of getting the prize money. Little did they know, everyone except one must live to get the money, and that everyone must die except that one player who will get a taste of the prize money that they all vied for.

A video suddenly started airing on the television that was inside the room. “Something is playing on the television,” said the bald guy who was actually just lying on the bed, trying to regenerate his energy.

Due to the bald guy announcing it, Denton’s presence has awoken. Just as what they all expected, it was the live coverage of the first escaping match. The screen was divided into eight sections and each section features a different place. Each player is divided into the different section. The players are also given a nametag with their codes on it. Denton saw the woman who swapped with his card on the fifth section of the monitor, carrying a knife on her and was looking anxious of the whole place.