Nine
~The Game Of Grim~
It's like a game. It's like a game of charades. People act like someone or something not their own and never talk about it, while others try and guess who or what they are. Many players are spotted right off the bat, others are acting for a long time before they are spotted, but they are eventually spotted. Then, there are other players. Players who chose their role, act, then disappear. Players who are never spotted, nor accused of acting in this dangerous thrill ride. Players like me. I'm one of them. No one knows I am, nor will they ever.
Now, the three types of players have names. The first one, which is the player who is always spotted, is called a Burlesque. Define Burlesque you ask? Burlesque: an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something. Synonym: Act. Burlesques are common. They always act and you always know that they are who they are since they commonly change their lives at least twice a week.
The second type of player is called an Anarchist. Define Anarchy? Anarchy: a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority. Synonym: Chaos, Turmoil. Anarchists are common, but not as much as Burlesques, you can know that they are Anarchists since they change their lives to the most, ten times a year.
Then, the bitter most violent player is called, a Grimmer. Define Grim? Grim: 1.) Forbidding or uninviting 2.) Depressing or worry to consider 3.) Unrelentingly harsh; merciless.
That's what I am. Merciless.
So, you might be wondering, what about friends? What about your family? Yes, I have a family. No I do not have friends. The closest friends I have are fellow Grimmers. But, being a Grimmer is a confusing role. You are unsure of who is a fellow Grimmer. Once you are a Grimmer, you can't talk about The Game, you can't ask or ever find out about who is a fellow Grimmer. You can only assume.
I do not know about the other two roles or the rules about them, but one thing is for sure, you cannot talk about The Game or ever suspect anyone to be a Player. You can, actually, suspect someone to be a Player but you must not be one yourself, you must be a Watcher. Watchers are Players prime enemies. Watchers hunt and be on the look out for Players. What do they do once they find Players? I really don't know. I always assumed that when Watchers find Players, they just strip them of their powers. But no, I remember seeing this one Burlesque, I only knew it was a Burlesque since she changed frequently, who suddenly disappeared. I could tell many people were looking for her, but no one said why. That gave away their cover. It was pretty obvious that they were all Burlesques.
Now, I know I'm telling you a lot about The Game and Players but,nit's only because I'm a Grimmer. I'm really not supposed to know about all this, but I have my ways. What are those ways, you ask? Well, you'll find out later.
I am a Grimmer. This is where you should gasp, widen eyes in shock, freeze in mortal terror. Why? Because, I can do things that normal humans can't. Burlesques and Anarchists are humans, but just completely change their lives multiple times. Grimmers? They are humans, just with abilities to do things that humans cannot. What are these abilities? You'll find out later. Grimmers are also introverts. You can occasionally get a word out of them, unless they completely trust you. Oh no, I talk just not in public. I can NOT let a Watcher know my voice, identity, or DNA. It would just lead to disaster. Well, what happens if a Watcher finds a Grimmer? You may be asking, jumping up and down excited as all get out. But, I may not tell you. You hopefully will never find out.
Well now, what type of powers or abilities beyond the human race do you have? You may ask. Well, that is for me to know and for you to find out...
:...:...:...:...:
Have you ever been so scared to let someone into your life because you worry if they are really not who they say they are? What if they were someone different? What if they were someone who was supposed to be against you? What if they were something out to get you?
I skated from my house, riding as fast I could iPod in hand listening to my favorite music. It was an early Wednesday morning and I really did not want to got to school today.
The sunlight was cool in the morning breeze, but I knew it would be burning against the asphalt soon.
Finally, I arrived at school. I flipped my board up to me and pulled the headphones down around my neck. I walked inside, head low trying to blend in and look casual. From how long I've had to live like that, it practically came naturally now. I walked up to my locker and slid my board inside, grabbed a book for Math. Just then, I felt a presence behind me.
"Hello." she muttered, voice deeper than most girls'. She didn't sound like someone you'd want to mess with. She was strong, confident but very small. I turned with a small smile. It was Kim.
Some people say that to have a great friendship, you need communication but we barely even talk to each other and we were so very close.
We walked to the first period of the day that wasn't a really go subject to start with, math. Yes I know, you're probably thinking, Jack! sYou're not human though! You're smarter! Yes, and no. Yes, that's right I'm not human and no, I'm not awake yet.
Finally, the bell rang and we walked out of the classroom and to our lockers. I was fully awake now and my senses were at full power. This was the only place I knew of that I regularly visited that I needed to keep fully alert to not be discovered. It was easy since I was a Grimmer but hard since I was Jack Brewer. Why, do you ask, is it hard because I am Jack Brewer? I don't know why. He told me so. So as the other Grimmers. When we all transformed, we were told our weaknesses and strengths. I was told that the normal High School life like bullying, popularity, and parties were all things that were easy for me to reject, but I was my own weakness.
'You're not like normal Grimmers Jack, your weakness is yourself. Don't fall because you are eating yourself alive.'
His words always echoed in my head as recharging strength.
When we walked away, hand in hand, from our lockers, someone caught my eye. She looked so familiar. Her bright red locks were wavy and flowed to her waist. She had on a black jacket with the hood over her head. The old, torn ripped jeans she wore were obviously too big for her tiny body. Then, her piercing blue eyes met mine with an ocean of fright, guilt, confusion, anger. It was Donna Tobin. She was a Burlesque. My own eyes started to widen and I felt the, starting to shine abnormally brighter but I turned away from her before I would let my cover be taken away. Kim's grasp on my hand tightened and I looked down at her. She looked confused. I nodded and she gave me her notebook. I wrote down what I wanted to tell her since I couldn't talk right now; we were by too many people. Two many people I suspected. I wrote:
'.4 / .20 / 19.9 / 1 / ..2'
After she read it, her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she smacked me with her note book. I laughed and pushed away from her.
'21.15.25 / / / 21.15.25 / / 4.9.5'
She wrote back. I nodded in disbelief. I then felt a scorching pain in my chest and as I did, Kim looked at me. I pressed my hand agains tmy chest and tried not to eye anyone. Anyone. Whenever a Grimmer was in pain, their cover will free flow from their eyes and everyone will know that you're a Grimmer. I closed my eyes relaxing then opened them again when the pain subsided.
What's up with all the random letters, Brewer? You may ask... well Kim and I created our own language type thing so that no one would know what we were saying. What you do, is take the letter number of each letter, create a word with it, then flip it around. So we made a graph like this:
5...
E...
And if we wanted a word it would look like:
10.1.3 . 11
J A C K
Then flip it around:
So, my message to her was: 'Donna Tobin is a Burlesque'
And hers to me was: 'You know that you will die'
I didn't officially believe that I would die. Grimmers can't die unless a Watcher drugs you with their drug poison. Something we won't get into since it gives me chills just to think of it.
Well then, what's up with the pain? You ask. I get it frequently. Like if I give too much information out about The Game, I could get caught. So, pain is like a warning. Excruciating sometimes, other times, I can barely feel it. But it's still there.
I then looked at Kim and she nodded. I didn't even have to message or tell her to dispose of the paper properly since she could read my eyes pretty well. Why couldn't we just talk to each other through our eyes then? Because, Grimmers can't do that with other Players. Not even Grimmers, their own type. I, of course, talked of nothing about the game with Kim except for accusing people of being Burlesques, since it wasn't life threatening...only if you were a Grimmer. This is so confusing, just hang on, you'll get the swing of things soon.
"Come over?" I whispered. She nodded. She came over after school usually, that's how we created the language anyways.
Today I felt much more reserved and didn't want to be around anyone. I was shocked at myself to start feeling like that towards Kim at the end of the day. I never told her though. I usually talk a lot to Kim and only Kim but I didn't today and I could tell she was suspecting something wrong with me.
Finally, it was the end of the day. I walked up to my locker and I grabbed my board. I turned in feeling a presence, that is not Kim's, and I watch as Donna Tobin walks slowly by me, not jumping out from the other students crowding hallways. Her icy blue eyes shot a glare that almost made me lose my composure. She then whipped away so quickly and I gasped turning back to my locker.
I then feel another presence and I whip around, acting a little too jumpy. It was Kim and she looked like she was uneasy.
"Let's go." I whispered so that only she could hear it. Her board was in her hand, falling against her side. I grabbed mine and we walked out of the school, or as I like to call it, the hell hole where Grimmers are caught. But hey, my name for it is way too cover spilling for Watchers. I could never get caught. If I did, who would protect Kim? And what about what others think? They would know that I am a Grimmer...if I even come back, much less alive. What am I saying? No one. No one can permanently kill a Grimmer. Not even the maker of The Game.
I don't even want to think about my life. It's miserable. But after being a Grimmer for over 98 years already, I know how to take care of myself.
Whoa Jack, how old are you then if you've been a Grimmer for almost 100 years? You may ask...again. Well, unlike Burlesques and Archaists, once you become a Grimmer, you stay that age forever. Forever. I need to tell Kim that I'm not a Watcher. I am almost for sure that she thinks I am. The scary thing is, she's been closer to me than we ever had. What if she's a Player, but what if she's not? What if she's a fellow Grimmer. But, what if she were a Watcher?
See how I have to live? Of only suspicions. Not absolutions.
:...:...:...:...:
In a normal game like charades, you can play it for as long as you would like to, then stop. It's not like that. It's for eternity. You can't stop playing who you've become. You must change so many times so that Watchers won't find you. Even for some, you must hide away and not give your identity to no one. That's what kills me. I gave mine to someone and I don't know what role in The Game they take, nor will I ever. Even if you're about to tell someone what role you take, it will never come out. It's as if the whole Game turns against you and your body doesn't have the communications it's supposed to have as a Player and you die with shocking pain. But, they do give you life again, but it does only matter on if The Game has mercy on you or not. That's why Burlesques and Archaists are being pulled out of life so fast. Grimmers? They are pulled sometimes. But as for me? Well, that's for The Game to decide. If they pull me, they just lost their most valuable Player. Why am I the most important one? Because, I'm Jack Brewer, the Grimmer who's weakness is themselves, the oldest Grimmer, the one who hasn't fallen yet. But even though I was named all those things, I still had to make a choice. One choice that would change the way I lived forever.
So, what would you do if you were faced with this question:
Life or Death forever, make your pick.
Most all people chose life not knowing what was going to happen to them, like me. What happens? I must not tell you, for I already have. It' your decision to remember that. Now, most all the people who chose life wishes they chose death, like me. Why? I must not tell you, for I already have.
So, it's your turn to pick. Which one do you chose? You better pick fast or The Game will pick for you. Who's The Game? Well, I've already told you. But if you absolutely need the answer, choose the right way.
What's your pick?
Suspense: Jack and Kim
R&R
~Lee :]