One Up

Chapter 6

I'm wandering through a dark forest. The air is warm and the trees around me dance in the moonlight. A summer breeze lifts my hair and I close my eyes.

I love this feeling.

Suddenly, I feel a tickle. It starts at my ear and I quickly try to swat it away. The tickle doesn't relent though, so I keep smacking it. It finally yields.

Then...

"Oof!" I say as I wake to a sudden weight on my stomach. The culprit is no one other than Rachael. She glowers over me, feather in hand.

"Come on, sleepy head," she says. "We're gonna be late if we don't get ready soon!" I roll my eyes at her. "How can I get ready if you are laying on top of me?" I say in anguish. She puts her finger to her lips in mock-thought. "Hmm..."

I shake my head and push her off the bed, sending her into a fit of giggles. I start to rise when I here a 'click' as my mother walks in through our hotel room door. She regards me with annoyance.

"Sam! You were supposed to be up a half hour ago!" she sqeaks. I sigh. "Sorry mom, this bed was just way too comfy." She shakes her head before placing two sandwhiches wrapped in foil at my bedside before giving two to Rachael. The smell of eggs and bacon flood my nose, giving me the push to get ready.

I quickly dress in my black denim jeans, black shoulder-less shirt, and knee-high boots. I brush through my long, red hair, and apply my usual eyeliner and mascara. Giving myself a once-over in the mirror, I follow my mother and Rachael out into the hallway and down to the taxi that awaits us.

The taxi takes us out of the outskirts of Seattle into it's heart, where the International League of Gaming is to commence. I look around, watching the buzz of people on the street. A few are dressed as characters I recognize from a few well-known video games. Mario and Luigi are lounging against a wall deep in conversation. Link is running down the street. There's even a few people dressed as movie characters as well. As well as all the people, there were also MANY armoured vehicles. SWAT, FBI, local Police all wait for something to go wrong. I sigh in relief. At least we'll be safe.

Rachael nudges me. I look over and she's smiling. "Lost in thought again, Sam?" she asks, a knowing look in her eye. I roll my eyes and give her a sarcastic "How'd you guess?" She laughs and shakes her head.

Suddenly, we stop in front of a tall, glass building, where people are pouring in for the festivities. So many people...

"Okay girls," my mom starts. "Are you ready to go?" I quickly pull out my invite and wave it at her. "More than I'll ever be," I respond. She smiles, before tipping the taxi driver and climbing out of the front seat. Me and Rachael follow her out of the car, and together, we walk towards the ILG.

As we near the entrance, I see a sign saying Invited Players Only above a single door. A large, dark haired man in black with an ear piece waits at the door, stopping people before they go in. Invited players are allowed to bring two guests, so we make our way to the guy. Giving him my pass, he stamps my hand in black ink and lets us go through.

We walk through the door into a narrow hallway. Arrows direct us to an elevator. All five of us (a couple of norweigan contestants joined us) clamber into the elevator, where a single button is marked.

Once we reach the floor and the doors open, my jaw drops. There is a whole ballroom filled with players from all over. Party lights dance to the loud thrum of the music on the speakers. I can feel the buzz and excitement in the air as players mingle. Rachael dances up and down excitedly beside me, her hair bouncing almost to the beat of the music. I grab her arms and still her with a laugh. "We can't enjoy the festivities if you keep bouncing," I yell over the music. "You're right," she says "Let's go!"

She pulls me over to where there are people dancing. Bodies match their movements with the beat. I was never much of a dancer but I allow my body to mimick those around me. As I dance, I take in the scenery around me. Black, white, and yellow streamers decorate the ballroom with matching balloons in each corner. To the very far left, a table full of catering dishes awaits gamers from all walks of life. To my far right, there are tables and booths, where many people sit and wait. Ahead of me is a DJ on a high platform, and behind us is the entrance to the ballroom. I get so engrossed in my surroundings that I accidentally bump into another dancer. I quickly turn to apologize when my words get caught in my throat.

It's Sage.

"S-sage, I'm sorry," I stammer. He gives me a warming smile and I feel my cheeks warm. "You can run into me any time," he says with a wink. I roll my eyes at him. Rachael, noticing I had stopped dancing, comes over beside me. A surprised look fills her expression when she sees Sage.

"I didn't know you were here too," she says, nudging me in the 'go get him' way. Sage gives her a welcoming glance but his eyes stay on her face. "Yeah, I got an invite too. It's nice to see some familiar faces," he says as his eyes rest on mine. I glance away away, suddenly feeling wordless. Rachael doesn't seem to notice. "Did you guys want to sit over at the booth? I'll bring us some drinks." she says, gesturing toward an empty booth. Sage says 'sure' and we make our way toward the booth.

Sage sits across from me and Rachael. Rachael quickly excuses herself to "get those drinks" leaving me alone with Sage. He watches as Rachael is out of earshot before turning to me. His eyes change from mysterious to worried. "You're not safe here," he says. His words catch me off guard. "Um... what? What do you mean?" He lowers his head as he whispers over to me. "The twenty spots are predetermined. You hold the twentieth position. You are not safe and you need to go now," he says, urgency rising in his voice. I start to ask him more when a man with long, blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and a grey suit taps on the mic at the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, gamers from all around! The contest is about to begin. We will identify you by the stamps on your hands. Please make your way to the podium! All other guests, remain here. You will be escorted to the VIP watch room momentarily." I start to get up when Sage grabs my hand. "Please don't go," Sage says. Just then, my mother and Rachael appear. "Time to go hun! This is so exciting!" she exclaims. I smile, taking my hand out of Sage's. Rachael looks from his hand to mine and looks at me in question. I quickly grab her arm as we walk away.

"What was that about?" Rachael says in question. I turn to look back at Sage but find him gone. I shrug my shoulders and turn to face her. "I don't know, but I think this is going to be an interesting tornament."