The Absconsion

Prey And Predator (P-2)

Since the cages were concealed and sound-proofed, all the teams felt like they were isolated and disconnected from the outside world. It felt like all the 169 teams vanished and they were the last ones standing. 

As the game began, a box came through the opening on the predator side, and when the predators opened it, there was a g*n, as communicated. More than half of the players had never used a real g*n before in their lives. It was heavier than how much they had expected it to be All the rookie g*n users were shivering to just hold the g*n and shooting a puppy was unimaginable at this moment. 

P4(Elly) was really scared but she did not say anything. She looked at D4 intently hoping that he would get her to safety. She was not depending on him because she was incapable of protecting herself but because there was no other option to help herself. All she can do is wait and not get bitten by the venomous reptile. D4 took out the g*n from the box and the way he handled the g*n made it clear that he had prior experience. In the usual cases, this might be a bad thing, but now, it was of extreme importance.

P4: Have you ever used a g*n in your life before? 

D4: I will pretend that you did not say that. The one I'm holding in my hand is called Nr.3 Beretta 92. It is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta. Beretta is an Italian private firearms manufacturing company that is operating in many countries.  The magazine of a standard Beretta consists of 15 rounds, but alas! we are provided with only two bullets. 

P4: Okay, I am sorry, you know about guns. I get it. So, this task is easy peasy for you, right?

D4: I do not know how you perceive me, wait, I think I may have an idea, but killing a puppy? That is something that I had never done in my life. 

As they were conversing, the box at the prey end came inside. Elly was now sweating rapidly. The box came slowly, and as instructed, it opened on its own. Very gradually, an orange-colored head came to visibility. The snake indeed looked exotic, but that was not the time for appreciating its beauty. The snake was hissing but did not come out of the box. P4 was relieved that it stayed inside, but the hissing alarmed her. Whether it is something that it usually does or was a warning, she could not tell. It sounds absurd but despite being a venomous reptile, even the snake was afraid in presence of a human. 

Just as she was looking at the reptile without blinking her eyes even once, she recollected the web search she made the day before she left for her pickup point. Her friend, Nita asked her to explain how to deal with the snakes. That article was now telecasting in her mind. 

The things one can do if they encounter a snake are

The first thing that they can do is to STAY CALM. I repeat, STAY CALM. Jumping in fright or making sudden and erratic moments might alarm the creature, and this indirect provoking might lead you to get bitten. It is difficult to stay calm in situations like that. Not all people are capable of controlling their emotions and especially in situations, that involve life threats. But remember, your life depends on how you react. Keep in mind that not all snakes are dangerous, most of them mind their own business, and they won't attack you unless they are provoked. The second thing that one do is to move away. Moving away doesn't mean running all of a sudden. The reptiles may perceive immediate actions as hostile and may retaliate. So it is advisable to slowly step away while keeping an eye on it. Taking a picture of it would also help in identifying the snake, just in case something happens. One of the things that can help you relieve or alarm is to recognize whether a snake is venomous or not. It can be identified by the snake's eyes. Venomous snakes generally have elliptical pupils, with non-venomous snakes having round pupils. But this aspect is not true for a few snakes, so it is better to follow other guidelines. 

These were the information P4 gathered regarding what to do during snake encounters. Staying calm is the first suggested thing which she was already doing. Moving away was not possible in the current situation as she was trapped inside a cage. Recognizing the snake is also not helpful here as the Organizer already informed the snake to be venomous, and its bite is fatal. 

So far, the techniques P4 adopted were helping her in maintaining peace with the snake. P4 wanted to help others by imparting what she knew but could not because of the sound blockers. 

Some of the players jumped in fright upon witnessing the snake at such a close distance. They began to make a huge mess which agitated the reptile even before the puppy entered. Those players became the victims of the snake bites. The people who were calm and maintaining their composure had no altercation with the serpent so far. 

A few seconds later, a cute pup entered the cage. It has a golden-coloured fur which would dazzle for sure under radiant sunlight. The pup is so adorable that no one could resist touching it. And killing it was a totally messed up and impossible thing for any sane person to do. But given the situations and necessity, it does not take much time for a sane person to transition into an insane personality.

A15(Jackson): Oh, s**t. D18, I want you to listen to me. I know shooting that little dog is immoral in every way, but if you don't, then I may not make it out of here. I will remain calm for as long as possible, but the snake might grow restless at one point. The organizer did not mention any end time, so we will be here until the snake kills me or you kill the dog.

D18: I know my situation, okay. We are talking about killing a pup, man. I may have grown in a harsh and rough neighborhood, but I am stranger to killing as well. And will you look at that thing, it is like a little kid.

During the conversation, the cute pup approached D18's leg, sat beside him, plus started to pant.

D18: How can I kill it, man. See how cute and innocent he is. I don't know if I can ever do this and if I do, I don't know if I can ever forgive myself.

A15: I know it is difficult. I could not imagine what I will be going through if I were in your shoes. I have imagined a lot of situations but never about murdering something. It is a tough call to make, but you should make it eventually. The alternative is my death, and I did not come all the way here to die. I need to get out and get back to my family. Please help me get out of this round alive. I will walk away from whatever shithole this is.

D18: Give me some time. I need to make up my mind. 

By this time, most of the players understood that maintaining their cool is the key to survival. Those who did not, failed to maintain their composure which threatened the coral snake, which in turn resulted in their deaths. The predators, whose teammate got killed walked away. 

 The real task here was convincing the predator to kill the dog.

E7: Hey, hey, look at me. Do not panic. It is alright. You just need time to process this. Trust me when I say this, when I heard the organizer say snake, I freaked out. I understood that this opportunity would turn out to be s******c. But we all are here for different reasons, right? We need money to change our lives. By the looks of all the arrangements made here, I can only hope that they had been planning this for a long time, and I highly doubt that they would allow us to leave before the event ends. 

E7's teammate was a young man, whose code is P9. It was his first time holding a g*n. Despite being shaken, he was intently listening to whatever E7 was saying. His voice was somehow comforting him, and that helped him to attain balance.

E7 continued saying, ' If the very first round is like this, imagine how it is going to be from the next round. You would need someone to watch your back, to help you get through all of the rounds, so you can go back to your family. You have a family, right?

P9: Yeah. My parents.

E7: Yes. Family is very important. That is the reason, I want you to put the puppy to peace, so we can both walk out of here alive, and trust me, I will stay with you all the time and promise to get you out of here alive. Just help me out this once. Killing the dog may change who you are, but letting a person die when you know you could have saved them will haunt you forever. I know that pain. I don't want you to go through it. So, P9, please take your time, but you have to do, what needs to be done.

                                                                                        ----*----

H8(Zain): What are you thinking?

L1: I have a dog like this at my home. His name is Shiro. When I see this, I feel like I am looking at my dog. I am really sorry. I don't know if I can do this.

H8: I feel you. No one can kill any creature unless it is attacking them or for some other reason. Let us assume you walk out of here without killing it. The snake will eventually bite me. The round will be completed. What would you do in the succeeding rounds? So far, I am the only person who became a friend to you. In a place like this, you need as many friends as possible. As you go forward, you might find yourself in the position that I am in today. If you want to get through them, then you got to help people now. That is how it works here, L1. Quid pro quo. Give and take favors.

L1: I know, I know. But I do not want to think about the future. I want this to be over. I have an idea, why don't you kill the snake?

H8: Firstly, those are not the rules of the game. Secondly, how am I supposed to kill it? With my bare hands? I don't stand a chance against it. Even if I manage to kill it, I might get disqualified. I do not want to risk my life over something that I am not sure it works.

L1 pointed the g*n at the dog. She could not look the pup in the eye. She finally managed to put her finger on the trigger. Her hands were shaking immensely. But she could not do it.

L1: I am really sorry. I don't know if I can do it.

She started to sob, and H8 knew that sobbing would not make things better. Since she was not making any noise while crying, the snake was still at ease.

H8 needed another manipulation now. He let L1 cry for a while, and during that, he intently watched the pup. His ultimate goal was to kill the animal. He was not a bad person, but any usual person would choose a stranger's death over their own. H8 was doing the same.

                                                                                ----*----

P4(Elly): Have you decided?

D4: Yes.

P4: What are you going to do?

D4: I cannot kill that little one. I am sorry.

P4 did not say anything in return and she gradually fell on her knees, and tears started to roll down her cheeks. All she could think of was that she will not get to see her parents anymore. Lying to her parents would be the last thing. She worked hard all her life to change their lifestyle. She wanted to be the person who would break the cycle of poverty in her family. She had many dreams. She then realized that taking shortcuts to success will result in a tragedy. Success does not have shortcuts, it is a long journey of dedication, determination, and persistence. She knew that better than anyone. Despite many adversities, she never gave up. But one small temptation, one small detour, cost her everything.

Just as she was drowning in her thoughts, she heard a gunshot. The first thing that she looked at was the snake, which was clearly alarmed and was attempting to attack. Everything happened so fast that P4 did not have time to think about the gunshot. All she could focus on was the snake. As the viper jumped onto P4, she ducked, and the cage doors opened. P4 ran out as fast as she could, while the Officers retrieved the viper and placed it back in the box. A moment before, she thought everything was over. but the tables have turned. She made it out. She still has the opportunity to achieve her dreams

P4 and D4 successfully had finished their first round. It felt like a dream. P4, who fixed in her mind that the cage would be the last place she would ever visit and D4 would be the last person she had conversed with. The moment when we fix a pathetic reality in our minds and when a miracle happens that changes and override our assumptions feels like a dream. That is one of the moments when what-ifs come true. P4 could not believe that D4 had done it, not because she thought he was a good person, but because he did not have to. The decision to end the little pup was completely his and he could have waited till she died without killing the puppy, but he saved her, no matter what the reason was. For once, she was glad that he was her partner. Not many people can do what D4 did to her.

The players who cleared the round were escorted back to the main hall. They were all silent just like the soldiers who return home after a war. An aura of depression surrounded them. What they needed was time to process what they had just experienced.

D4 walked ahead without waiting for P4, and she walked behind him slowly.

                                                                                ----*----

D18: I think it is time to make a decision. Under any circumstances other than this, I could not even imagine killing a dog or any other creature, but I need to think about you too. If I fail to do this, I am responsible for your death, and I need to carry that guilt for the rest of my life, and knowing that I could have saved your life would kill me every day. I know the value of life. I also believe that for whatever reason that you are here, you also need to make it out of here alive to get back to your loved ones and help them in making their lives better. So, with all these things in mind, I decided to do the unspeakable thing. I will kill the puppy.

A15 remained silent as he knew how difficult the task is. He did not want to say anything that would make it more difficult for him to carry on with his decision. Even though he had not forced D18 to fulfill the task, he kept thinking about it in his mind. He cannot be aggressive at that time as it would frighten the snake. So he was hoping that D18 would make a decision on his own which would be in his favor, without the need to manipulate. Thanks to God that D18 made a decision that would free him from the snake and help him get out of that damn cage. The round that they were so excited about in the beginning, was now cursing it.

D18 aimed the g*n at the dog and went closer to the dog, so he would not miss it. The g*n had only two bullets so taking precautions is a good call. He knew in his heart that if he delay, he might change his decision for sure, so he counted back from 3 and pulled the trigger at one. As soon as the cage opened, A15 ran away like a crazy person. As soon as the Officers caught the snake and put it away, he was finally relieved. Then he shifted his gaze to D18, who was still closing his eyes and was standing in the exact same position. D18 could not open his eyes and look at the horrible thing that he had done. He felt like a murderer and with that murder, a part of him was dead.

A15 had an idea about what he was going through, but no one can truly comprehend what he was going through, except for himself. A15 ran towards him and snatched away the g*n from his hands and threw it away and then hugged him tightly. He wanted to show how grateful he was for saving him, but that was not time for appreciation, as D18 was mourning. D18 kept his eyes closed, and A15 helped him in walking and took him back to the hall.

                                                                                    ----*----  

P9: I am trying, but my finger, it would not listen to me. I cannot pull the trigger.

E7: Listen to me, P9. Your brain is the one that gives instructions to all the parts in your body. You holding the g*n itself is an instruction given by brain to your hand. I know that you already knew all that. Now I can deep dive into the concepts of the brain and explain to you why you can't do the thing that needs to be done, but I am afraid we do not have that amount of time, and you are not in a position to listen to a lecture. So, the only thing that I would like to say is, prepare your mind to do the thing that needs to be done. Do not listen to your heart just for this once. It will only offer resistance to this task. Remember the story, the Organizer told us today. Ram, who stuck to his principles, held on to his ethics could not do what Kishan did, and as a result, he stayed behind and lost everything he had. The heart is not always your friend, in a very exceptional case like this, it is your enemy. And being good will not always do good to you. Everyone has darkness inside them, and it is time for you to embrace yours for just this one moment. I will help you get through this, and you will continue to be a good individual as you are now. And also, you will be saving a human in distress, for which I will be in your debt until I return the favor. Just have faith in me and pull the trigger.

Hearing this long speech definitely had some impact on P9, and it looked like he might be able to pull it off.

E7: Now, look at me. You can do this. Just put the g*n closer to the pup, aim at it properly, close your eyes, and pull the trigger. That is all it takes for us to get out of this s**t hole. On my count, 3,2,1 shoot.

P9 followed what E7 instructed and shot the little pup down. When the cage opened, both of them ran outside.

E7: You have done a great job. R.I.P for the little guy, but you saved me today, and I will never forget it.

E7 made sure that P9 does not feel bad about the thing he had committed. He talked to him in a way that made him feel like he did what he had to do for a reason. He had to make a choice between a human and a dog, and he chose the human. The situation that he was put in was not his choice, he was just trying to make the least bad decision. E7 patted on his shoulders and they together walked back to the hall.

                                                                                        ----*----

After observing the pup closely for a while, H8 made a remarkable discovery.

H8: L1, listen to me. Stop crying. We can get out of here. I found a way that does not involve you killing the puppy.

L1 abruptly stopped crying as soon as she listened to what H8 said. It was as if she was acting all this time.

' How? ' She asked hopefully.

' I have been observing the little pup, and there is something odd about it. Look closely. '

' Odd? Are you kidding me right now? This is the cutest pup I had ever seen in my life. Sorry, Shiro, but this little one seems perfect. '

' Exactly. He is too good to be true. And the actions he had been doing from the time he entered are periodical. When he entered, he stared for a while from a distance, then came closer to you and panted and rolled twice, then he is repeating the same again and again. I have been observing for quite a time. It feels like it is robotic and is programmed to perform a few actions to mimic an actual dog. '

' I don't know about all these. And based on what you are saying, I cannot shoot it. '

' Let me prove it to you. Can I ask you a question? '

' Yeah, what is it? '

' Do you know what is meant by panting? '

' Of course, I know. It's what dogs do to cool their bodies. I have a dog, remember? So I studied dogs a bit. '

' If that is true. Please define what is panting. '

' I don't even know why I am answering you, but panting means it is a behavior that helps dogs cool themselves down because they can't sweat as humans do. When they pant, they keep their tongue outside and the saliva on it evaporates and cools off its body. '

' Exactly. Saliva, right? Did you notice that the little one here is not salivating even when he is panting? There is no trace of saliva. '

L1 put the g*n aside and held the dog, and when she placed her fingers inside the dog, it was completely dry and soft. No organism's interior is dry. Now L1 was checking it out as if it were a toy. No matter what she did to the dog, the dog was not responding. She slowly hit the dog with her hand, but the dog was not shouting or running away. It was not even scared. Then L1 pressed the dog hard, and then she could feel the metal beneath the soft skin which made her confirm that the dog was not a real one. She was infuriated upon realizing this because she was crying over a fake dog all this time. She immediately took out the g*n and blasted its brains off. A red-colored fluid started to come out of the dog.

L1 was shocked upon seeing blood. She froze and thought, what if it is really a dog? H8 immediately approached there and touched the blood. And before he could do anything, the officers dragged them aside and were doing their works.

L1 could not stop crying. H8 held her by her arms.

H8: Hey, listen to me. This is not blood. Smell it. The red fluid is just to make it look all real. That is not blood. Trust me, I can recognize whether the blood is true or not, and this isn't. You destroyed a mechanical robot, that is it. And do not tell anyone about this, okay?

L1: Why is that?

H8: At places like this, information is very powerful. It remains powerful as long as it remains between a few people. Also, this gives us a competitive advantage over others. Now we know that not everything that looks real isn't real. And we play the next rounds with these things in mind. 

L1 did not think that much ahead. She was just trying to get out of the current situation. But H8 on the other hand was able to think about everything despite the situation they were in. The players who had completed the round reached the main hall, one by one. They were guided by the officers. The players who teamed up sat on a single bed rather than going to their respective ones. No one wanted to be alone, especially after the task they had committed.

The players who assumed the role of prey were thankful that they made it out of the round alive. Most of them thought that it was their last day. The snake would most probably kill them, and that they would die without even a chance to say goodbyes to their loved ones. The players wanted to get out of here at any cost when the game began, but the game had induced shock in their brains that they were not in a position to react and rebel. They were in the processing stage. They were trying to make themselves believe that the round had really happened, and they faced their death but made it out alive miraculously.

The players, who assumed the role of predator were numb. They were loaded with extreme guilt that they do not know how to deal with it. They were sort of in a trance. Except for L1, all the other predators were grief-stricken as they believed that the puppy was a real animal and that they killed an innocent creature. A team after a team started to come back to the main hall. Since the round did not have a time limit, most of them were taking so long to do the unspeakable task. No amount of time is enough to prepare someone to execute a brutal act like that. When we don't have the power to create a life, we are not entitled to take a life. No one has the right over another's life. But the situation demanded to choose one life over another. They had to kill something to save something, which is a kind of decision that no one should ever have to make.

E7 was looking at P9, who was still pretty shaken about what he had done. E7 wanted to make him feel better, but that did not seem like a good time. Time is the only that will help in dealing with the pain. E7 chose to give him some time to process everything and when that is done, he decided to go talk to P9 and support him and be with him and help him cope up with the pain. Most people make promises to get out of an undesirable situation but E7 was not one of them. All the commitments he made to P9 were real and he intended to stick with them.

Unlike all the teammates who were sitting together, P4(Elly) and D4 were the only ones who were on their respective beds. In the beginning, P4 was worried about D4 staring at her, but it was her now who was constantly looking at what he was doing. She did not get a chance to talk about what had just happened. She did not even thank him properly for the act that he had done for her. She was in a dilemma whether to go talk to him or remain where she was. She is the kind of person who usually does not like asking for help, but in case, when someone helps her, she would definitely thank them and return the favor when a situation comes. So she gathered courage and walked up to D4's bed and stood there without saying anything.

D4 ignored her for a while, and then after a few minutes, ' Do you have something to say to me, ' he questioned.

' I, uh, just wanted to thank you for what you had done for me. I am really grateful. '

' I would have done that for anyone. Do not be in a delusion that I have done something for you. '

' Whatever your reason may be. I am alive because of you, and if there is anything that I can do for you, please let me know. '

' Listen, whatever your name is, killing is not a stranger to me. And stay away from me unless we are playing this sick game. You do not want to be around me. It is not going to end well for you. '

P4 did not want to push him anymore. So, she just left from there back to her bed. She usually enjoys her solitude, but she wanted to be in a group at that time. Talking to people might ease her anxiety and help in getting her mind off of the round.

The sight of the players was so depressive. No one had clarity anymore. They were just hoping to get out of there, but can they? If yes, what would they even do by going back? Their problems were not going to vanish.

Anyways, everyone was eagerly waiting for the round to complete, so they can get out of here for good.