The Last Man Standing

Chapter 9

Clio almost died at the bloody sight. Her body was trembling and her heart was racing. She felt nauseous as the rusty smell of blood entered her nostrils. Dead bodies with pierced bullets on their foreheads lie on the cold white floor of the room.

The deafening sound of gunshots continued—more bodies fell, lifeless.

She tried pulling Mercy and Summer who were both standing still at her sides.

“Don’t run!” Reneger shouted, giving Clio an intent stare.

Clio's eyes widened as she looked at Reneger. “Are you crazy already? What if we die?!” She then looked at Summer whose hands remained covering her ears with eyes shut close. She turned his gaze back to Reneger with a horrified look. Then, she turned to Mercy who was motionless in her stance.

It was not only Mercy and Reneger— the rest of the players who chose the colors red and gold didn’t move. No matter how much the sound of gunshots scared them, they didn’t leave their places. No matter how horrifying it was that people were being shot on their foreheads like crazy, everyone remained frozen; with suppressed tears and weeps.

That's when Clio remembered one of the game's important rules; stay within your chosen line.

Tears started pooling Clio’s eyes when another realization hit her. So, this was what Evolution was all about— to survive… death. Her knees started shaking. She held her mother’s locket tightly as fear invaded her system. “This is not real,” she murmured to herself, closing her eyes to prevent herself from seeing all the lifeless bodies around her.

Moments later, Clio could no longer hold it. Her trembling legs gave up. She dropped on the white floor crying.

“This is Evolution. Only the strong ones will survive,” Mercy uttered, looking at the lifeless bodies around her. Then, her gaze darted to the remaining players— some were crying, some showed no pity or fear, some were enjoying it, while some were like her; embracing the familiarity of the bloody situation.

Not long after, the sound of gunfire stopped. But peace did not prevail and was replaced by loud moans and cries from the remaining surviving players. The sight was traumatizing but the game had just started.

Clio did not want to open her eyes. The same goes with Summer and the rest of the disheartened and scared players. But they had no choice. There were still two remaining rounds that they had to survive— that’s when Reneger and Alice assisted Clio and Summer, respectively, to stand up.

It just took five minutes to kill seventeen teenagers. And it took a bit longer for the guards in white bodysuits to clean the bloody mess.

Clio couldn't take her eyes off the long guns hanging from the shoulders of the guards assigned to collect the corpses. The brutal scenario she witnessed kept replaying in her head like a sick movie.

“Stay sane, Knave,” Reneger whispered, reminding Clio that the m******e really did happen.

“Again, the rules of the game are very simple: Bet on the color you think will be the one to give you the luck. The people who will get it wrong are eliminated and the people who will get it right will advance to the next round. That’s how simple it is,” the woman laughed— it was the most cruel laugh you could ever hear.

Clio’s jaw clenched and her shaking hands formed into fists. She loathed whoever the woman speaking on the speaker for laughing just after people died in a merciless manner.

“Don’t be fooled by your anger. This is how Evolution simply works, Knave.”

Clio looked at the one who said that; a big man with brown complexion and notable goatee beard on his fat chin. He was a tall guy with a broad body frame. He was Sheol— one of Clio’s teammates.

“Death will never be normal,” Clio answered back and Sheol snorted at what she said.

“Death is part of human’s life— it’s the finish line. It is normal.”

“Sheol,” Reneger called, stopping Sheol from whatever he was trying to instigate. She knew him so well; he was the kind of person who would fire up someone’s emotions for his own fun. Right now, Clio was the easiest target in their group. “This is not the time to be a sociopath, you asshole,” Reneger added, caressing Clio’s shoulders to calm her down.

Sheol shrugged, putting his arm around a tall and leaned guy with curly jet black hair and Westernized features; strong jaw, thin lips, oval-shaped brown eyes and aristocratic nose. “Reneger is being considerate out of nowhere. Can you believe that, Irgo?” Sheol asked, talking to the man beside him, Irgo. He was also from Clio’s team.

Clio stared at the two guys in front of her with hateful eyes. She could not believe how they could even smile in a situation they were currently in.

Just as the guards finished cleaning up the dead bodies and exited the room, the woman’s voice was heard again by the remaining players, still appalled and afraid because of the brutality that happened. “Remember good children, the reason why you’re here at the very first place is to repent, to be challenged, and to give back to our Lord. If you are starting to feel doubt towards the game or yourself, then that means that you are not worthy of the seat of salvation when the world has come to an end. Because your doubts and cowardness will fail you to serve the Lord.”

They wanted to run and surrender but the majority of them know that Evolution should never be played with taking steps backward. There’s no room for doubts nor fear.

“You have to show in these games that you deserve to be saved in the coming end. Show dedication and determination in playing. The weak are easily tempted to give in and turn their backs. Prove to the Lord that the Compact did not raise quitters and cowards, Children. Believe in yourself and in Him. And so, the Lord will gently guide you through all the trials that lie ahead. Mercy is in God, work is in man.” The woman lost the enthusiasm in her voice and yet her serious and commanding tone erased the fears of the remaining players. It was uplifting for the majority, including Reneger and Mercy, who were both starting to doubt their participation in the Evolution.

But for Clio, it was a different effect. She felt like a fool listening to what the woman said— there’s no way God would want them to die like this. She looked at the rest of the survivors; they were no longer crying. The determination to win came back and the fear was put aside. Just like that.

The announcement for the second round followed. The woman’s voice became lively again— and so did the majority of the remaining players as if they did not mourn for the seventeen who died. There were ten survivors and there were two more rounds.

The female speaker repeated the mechanics. While speaking, the remaining players slowly gathered on the start-up line for the second round. Majority of them have blood stains on the black hoodie they were wearing. Stains of blood that did not belong to the person wearing the bloody hoodie.

Clio stared at the backs of the remaining players as they stood in the middle of the starting line. “Why are you playing again?” she asked, standing still on the bloody gold marker tape from the first round. She no longer wants to participate. She could not do it again.

“All players, proceed to the starting line for the second round.”

Clio did not move. Her body was trembling.

“All players, proceed to the starting line for the second round.”

Clio was the only one who was not on the starting line. The other players looked at her in disbelief and terror.

“All players, proceed to the starting line for the second round.”

When Clio did not move, one guard approached her— with the long rifle pointed at her.

“Knave!” Alice shouted in fear.

Clio stared at the mouth of the rifle pointing at her head. Her body trembled even more.

“Knave! Come here! Now!” Reneger called.

Clio was deaf for a few seconds as the brutal killings that happened just a few minutes earlier came back to her memories. She then realized— she did not want to die. She was afraid of death.

Her gaze darted to the rifle. She was afraid of death.

“All players, proceed to the starting line for the second round.”

She saw the guard’s finger on the gun’s trigger move. That’s when she felt her shaking legs take a step forward.

“Knave!”

Truth to what people say, the idea of death is what makes a human being to keep living.