AUTHOR'S NOTE

I apologize in advance for spelling and grammar mistakes. I still have to go through it again, but for now, I just wanted to pitch this story out there. I was watching the first movie of Saw when this idea came to mind. Reviews and feedback are both appreciated and returend. Enjoy the game. :) Ammom

PART ONE: School Starts

The morning of August 31st showed the return of expecting students. Children across the globe cursed Summer's shortness. The two months of bliss in the town of Landry had been filled with parties, barbeques, and swimming. In the small town, for those going into seventh grade, it was the summer of change, adventure, and adolescence. A new sense or pride and privilege filled them, as they were no longer part of the 'elementary' group.

Eight graders were filled with excitement and expectancy. At the end of this year, they would emerge from Spring as new people in the eyes of the world. High school would be their chance, their time to discover themselves. Through the coming education, they would develop into teens that would later, after four years become adults.

However, the rules to the game of life are complicated and often misinterpreted. The children of Landry Middle High after all, were still people. They shared the same ambitions, fears, and greed as the rest of the world. Junior high school didn't change views on racism, sexism, religion, or diversity.

Analysts say that Summer is not enough time to change a person's opinion on one of these topics after years of exposure to what they originally thought. But, the rules of life are complicated, and not even professionals can understand how one man's perspective of the world can change through a single event. Whether it's the trauma, expense, or necessity that drives him to drastically change his outlook on life, is not for them to judge.

There is a man for that.

Sitting at a newly polished, metal desk with a slip of paper taped on it showing his name, Conner Height observed the newspaper clipping he held in his hands. The title read in large, bold letters:

The Puzzles' Pieces Are Not in Place

This is what lay carved into the latest victim of the renown-mass murder, Jigsaw. For two years now, families were able to shut their eyes in peace, but now the world is on alert again, as a strange death has eyebrows raised.

What was suspected to be the mingled corpse of Hugh Lawrence was later diagnosed as the man's brother, Kyle Lawrence. Kyle Lawrence, formal diagnostic at Landry Town Hospital, was found in several pieces, lying on the floor of an abandoned, rundown warehouse in the state mountains.

What as most peculiar about this man's death is the missing—

As a sudden hand slammed down on the thick, gray paper, Conner turned an angry gaze towards the intruder, snapping, "Hey, I was reading that!"

The smile that tall, fair-haired Diana Teal held made the boy shy back in his plastic chair. Voice remaining light as she yanked it from his grasp, the woman said in clear voice, "I could see that." Turning on her black high heels, she added as she strode briskly down the aisle, "But this is my class, Mr. Height…" Turning around as she stepped behind her desk, smile gone, Ms. Teal added firmly, "And you will pay attention when the announcements start."

Frustrated with his eighth grade teacher's interference, wishing he had read the article earlier, Conner protested, "The bell hasn't even—"

The teacher held up an index finger to the ceiling as the late bell suddenly rang overhead clearly down the halls and through the classrooms. Looking at her gathered students expectantly as they began to seat themselves, Ms. Teal directed her attention from Conner to them as she said in a light, crisp voice, "Now, be silent for the morning announcements."

Pressing her hands to her gray, knee length skirt, Ms. Teal sat down in her rolling, gray seat cushioned chair as the intercom rang static into the room. There were several protests and groans from the sound, but the gathered eight graders kept their mouths shut. They had had Ms. Teal all seventh grade and she was eager to hand out detentions.

Sitting back grumpily in his seat, arms folded before him, Conner stared at his teacher darkly, hating the way she simply ignored him as she reviewed her planner. He felt like saying something, but as the boy opened his mouth, a voice came on clearly and grimly from the speaker beside the round clock planted high on the ceiling near the opened classroom door.

With a grim tone to his voice, Principal Pallette told listening ears, "Hello, students and faculty. Let me welcome you to another year at Landry Middle High. And for you seventh graders, let me congratulate you on pulling through those rough seven years to this point." There was a pause, and many expected faces leaned forward as if the principal were merely whispering and not being silent.

Conner was about to pull out his Ipod, putting the small headphones in either ear to be hidden by his drawn up sweatshirt hood, when Pallette began again. This time, his voice seemed weaker.

"I am sad however, to start out this year by reporting the tragic death of a student that was a seventh grader in this school." Many mutters and gasps erupted, and worrisome glances exchanged. It was another minute before the man continued, clearing a trouble throat, "Emily Anderson was a sweet, nice girl to us all, and her death, which details have been asked to remain discreet, I'm sure has come as a shock to us all."

From the back of the room, a loud groan of protest caused aisles of heads to turn. Sitting in the last seat of the second row on the left, a buzz-cut boy threw his hands in the air in defeat, protesting, "Ahh man, the details are the best!"

Ms. Teal's eyes narrowed to slits, and with hardly a warning, she rushed to her feet. Slamming a hand palm down on her sycamore desk, she pointed her towards the open door, yelling clearly, "David, office, NOW!"

Many of the students in the classroom looked away quickly, adverting their eyes as David Marriot blinked unexpectedly at his teacher. Then, with an open scowl, he snatched up his books and strode down the aisle. Conner watched him pass, loops chains on his baggy pants jingling as he strode out the door and out of sight.

Another moment of silence passed, Ms. Teal attempted to regain her composure. Brow still narrowed as she stared in rage after where David had disappeared, the students could see her shaking. Mouths shut firmly, the eight graders raised their heads again as the principal called out, "Thank you," and the intercom shut off with a soft click.

Another minute passed before Ms. Teal threw herself down in her chair, saying in a loud, irritated voice, "We missed the moment of silence!"

The students looked at each other with interested looks. In truth, very few had even recognized the name. No one in Ms. Teal's class apparently had had a strong connection to the dead girl, so the event went unnoted for periods one to four.

When the bell rang for lunch, a great clutter filled the halls as the sounds of hard beating feet and hungry students filled the school. Stirring suddenly from his light slumber at the bell overhead, Conner threw himself up in the seat. Students shifted past him, chatting amongst themselves as they hurried towards the doorway.

For a moment, Conner's eyes caught on a pretty, brown haired girl on the other end of the room. She was laughing and talking happily with a couple of other girls as she slid out from her seat. Conner's eyes caught on the way Diana's skirt lifted with her movement, and his heart beat faster as their gazes caught for a moment.

As she passed by with her two friends on her left, it looked for a moment as if Diana was going to say something to him. Instead, her hand rested lightly on Conner's desk as she passed, and they were gone a moment later.

It wasn't until Ms. Teal called out to him that Conner broke from his trance. Raising his gaze now, he prompted, "What?"

Sighing, Ms. Teal said irritably, hands folded on her desk, "I said…would you please tell Mr. Marriot that he can come back to class as long as he acts in a civilized manner." Conner had to strain himself to not tell his teacher to shut up as she pronounced every word. It was as if she thought he was too stupid too understand what she was saying.

Instead of opening his mouth to land him in the same trouble as David, Conner ripped the headphones from his ears. Standing in the aisle, he slipped the Ipod and headphones into his front sweatshirt pocket, and ignoring Ms. Teal's calls, headed out the door into the empty hallway.

The white walls loomed down on the boy as she strode his way slowly towards the principal's office. A few distant voices could be heard from the classrooms as he passed, but nothing overly interesting. Conner was still raging on the inside from the morning's encounter with his teacher. Ms. Teal hadn't given him back the article, and he doubted she was planning to. He would have to wait until after school to be able to read it himself.

Just as he suspected, as Conner sat down with the same friends for the last four years every lunch, his friends were discussing the new development in the Jigsaw murder cases. Excitement and wonder filled their voices as they went over the gruesome details of Kyle Lawrence's death, and the disappearance of his brother. Five days had passed, and the detectives were still unable to locate Hugh Lawrence's body. In the article, they claimed, "body", because anyone who encountered Jigsaw and remained away that long, surely wasn't alive anymore.

Under any other circumstance, Conner would have been joining his friends in the discussion. However, still disgruntled and angry that he hadn't been able to read or research the event himself, he instead sat there in silence.

It wasn't until round-faced, big-eyed Sam turned to him that Conner raised his gaze. "Hey, Conner, why are you so quiet man?"

Paul, the tall, tussled haired boy sitting to Conner's right at the round table in the noisy cafeteria looked at him as well, adding, "Yeah, what's the matter? Don't you have anything to say? Come on, you foretold this day like…since when Jigsaw disappeared dude."

Nodding, Conner muttered, "Yeah, I know."

"Then what's the matter?" Paul persisted, slamming a hand on the table as he leaned down to look Conner straight in the eye.

After a moment, the youth sighed before relenting to his three interested buddies, "It's Ms. Teal. She's been busting my chops, took the article before I could read it."

The sitting across from Conner, the one they just called Jiggs, pulled a face of disgust. "Augh, that sucks man. Glad I dropped her class."

Snorting at the end of this comment, Paul sat back in the plastic chair, tipping it onto its behind legs as he noted, "Dude, you didn't drop anything. You were kicked out from that class cause you're not smart enough."

Narrowing his brow at him, Jiggs responded indignantly, "Was so! I just…" At this he leaned back, saying more calmly with a slight shrug of his shoulders, "Didn't feel like being in her class anymore is all…"

Scoffing as he redirected his attention to Conner, still rocking his chair, biker gloved hand on the table, Paul muttered, "Yeah, you were kicked out…"

As Jiggs opened his mouth to protest, Conner shook his head. Pushing himself to his feet, he told them, "I'm gonna get something to eat."

Turning, Conner slammed straight into a shorter student. Food went spilling over the pair as the smaller boy was thrown backwards. The metal tray went sliding over the grimy, tiled cafeteria floor. Several eyes turned towards the pair, and laughter erupted at the sight of Conner's spaghetti streaked sweatshirt.

Disgusted, shocked, and embarrassed, Conner turned to the huddling boy, snapping, "Watch where you're going Collin!"

From beneath scattered bangs, and behind large framed glasses, the boy nodded quickly. Standing up, Collin attempted to rub the mess off of Conner's shirt, saying in a quick, trembling voice, "I-I'm sorry…I-I d-didn't mean—"

Pushing the boy away with a scowl, Conner shouted, "Get out of my sight!"

Fearful eyes widening, Collin stepped back clumsily before turning and heading out the double doors to one side. Sam and Jiggs joined Conner at his side, watching the retreat of the boy with shaking heads.

"Such a little nerd," Jiggs noted. Then he laughed, seeing Conner's shirt, adding, "But that was fun to watch!" At his friend's glare, Jiggs turned his laugh into a cough, saying nervously, "I mean…what a jerk?"

Shaking his heads at Jiggs statement, Sam ignored him before turning to Conner, saying, "At least it's only your sweatshirt."

"Yeah," the boy muttered, looking down at his favorite hoody with a grimace. "But still…" Turning around suddenly, face plastered with anger, Conner slammed his hand into Jiggs shoulder, saying, "And you! Why'd you laugh?!"

Conner met his friend's uneasy look placidly as Jiggs muttered, "I uhh…thought it was funny?"

Pulling a face at him, Conner turned and headed for a side door leading to the hall with the bathrooms. Jiggs blinked after him in confusion, turning to Sam, saying, "What'd I do wrong?"

All Sam did was shake his head as he sat back down. Peeling away the wrapping to an ice cream sandwhich bar, Paul answered matter-of-factly, "You were stupid, that's what was wrong."

Storming into the hallway away from staring eyes made Conner feel better. Slowing to an easy stride, he was relieved to see the boy's bathroom door ajar a little. It was unlocked, which meant he wouldn't have to go back through the cafeteria to the one near the nurse's office.

Nodding back uneasily to a quiet, vaguely familiar mascara-wearing girl, Conner was relieved to find he was almost home free. He could take the sweatshirt off inside a stall; maybe even try to clean it. Folding it up until he got back to Ms. Teal's room would hide the horrible and embarrassing incident.

Pressing the hand to a door, Conner came to a sudden stop at the sweet, familiar voice behind him. "Hey, Conner!"

Heart pumping in his throat, the boy glanced over his shoulder to see a smiling Diana standing respectively a few feet away. Heart fluttering in his chest, Conner forgot his position and cause as he turned to her, smiling as he said, "Ohh, hey, Diana. I didn't see you."

Her smile broadened into a smirk as she nodded towards him, hands behind her back as she noted, "Had a little accident?"

Blinking at her in confusion, Conner looked dumbfounded down at himself. Seeing the spaghetti beginning to ooze down the smooth fabric of his sweatshirt, he scowled in disgust. Raising his eyes to meet the polished, rosy face of Diana Sears, Conner said uneasily, "Well, yeah, you see…"

Giggling lightly, Diana told him, "Ohh, you don't need to explain."

Slumping his shoulders in relief, glad someone could mind their own business, Conner muttered, "Oh, good…"

"I saw it happen."

At this Conner gave a loud groan, eyes rolling. Giggling more, Diana began walking towards the cafeteria side door. Still smiling at him, she gave him a little wave as she said, "Well, bye."

"Bye."

Grimacing as the girl of his dreams disappeared into the resettled din of the student body, Conner turned and used his torso to push his way through the doorway. Emerging ten minutes later with a thoroughly drenched sweatshirt, with Ipod in his loose pants' pocket as the bell rang overhead. Raising his gaze to the ceiling, a vague memory of the morning passed in his mind.

Remembering that he was supposed to retrieve David from the principal's clutches, Conner hung his head, muttering loudly as students began to fill the halls again, "Ahh, shit…"

Deciding the jerk was on his own, Conner folded the sweatshirt beneath his arm, and followed the shifting crowd. Feeling the water start to soak the side of his black t-shirt, the boy stepped from foot to foot impatiently as kids stopped in the middle of the hall to talk and depart. Girls hugged each other as if they'd never see one another again, giving sickening cries that rang down the hall to each other.

Rolling his eyes, Conner managed to slip back into his classroom and sit down at the front desk nearest the door before the late bell rang. Ms. Teal turned just as he sat down, and closed the door, deafening the remnants of the clatter outside.

Surveying her students, fresh stick of chalk in her hand, Ms Teal told them as she headed towards the black board, "Now…the first thing you're going to learn in History this year is the American Revolution, and how it—"

The woman stopped suddenly, lips pursing as she watched the room more closely. Resting chalk filled hand on her hip, Ms. Teal turned stern, green eyes on Conner, saying abruptly, "Where's David?"

Having expected this, Conner sat up in his chair, saying, "I-I forgot Ms. Teal."

Raising an eyebrow at him, she prompted, "You forgot?" Giving a dry chuckle that made many of the students shift uncomfortable, Ms. Teal strode around her desk now. Tracing the side of the finely honed wood, she stared down at the desk with a dreamy smile, saying, "Well, see the thing about forgetting Mr. Height…is that it can happen at any time." Raising her gaze, hand straying with index finger tip pressed against the desktop, she asked, "Isn't that right?"

Giving a slight shrug of his shoulders, Conner told her slowly, "Well…yeah, I guess so."

Nodding, Ms. Teal said more heatedly, smile gone, "Well then…I guess I just forgot to give you a grade for today. Guess you get a zero, huh?"

Conner glared at his teacher's back as she strode towards the chalkboard again. Every day the students were given a daily grade, and at the end of the week, they were sent home with a report on how they were doing. The paper had to be returned with it signed from their parents. Since school started on a Friday, they would all be receiving one today, which meant Conner's parents weren't going to be very happy. They already didn't believe him about Ms. Teal.

After ordering a forceful, large girl to go and retrieve David, Ms. Teal continued with her lesson. The rest of the day pretty much droned on as students waited expectantly for the final bell to ring. Despite what they had come into school thinking and feeling, they were more than ready to head home.

Outside the school building as the crowds of students drifted apart to the buses or sidewalks, Conner was happy to see Paul's head towering over a group of seventh graders. Hurrying over to where his friends were gathered, he gave a relieved sigh, saying, "Hey guys, how was your day?"

Smiling broadly at him, eager that someone had asked, Sam plunged into a story starting with the details of his waking up. Conner pulled a face at this, and turning slowly towards Jiggs, decided to drone out Sam's voice, asking instead, "So…what's up?"

Giving a shrug of his shoulders, Jiggs half strode, half skipped on the edge of the sidewalk, saying, "Not much. Don't have any real plans for the weekend." Shifting long locks of tarnished hair from his face, he turned to Conner suddenly, wide eyes gleaming, saying, "Hey…wanna come over Monday?"

Giving him a skeptical look as they said goodbye to a waving Sam and Paul, Conner questioned doubtfully, "On Labor Day?"

Stepping around to his friend's other side, glancing down at the short youth, Jiggs proclaimed more enthusiastically, "Yeah! My Ma won't bother us. Holiday or not, she still has to get things prepped at the restaurant."

Favoring Jiggs' mother's cooking, hoping maybe there might be leftovers in his friend's fridge, Conner gave a slow nod of his head. "Yeah, sure, why not."

"Cool!" Stopping before two freshly painted lines running to the other side of the road, Jiggs added, "Then I'll see you Monday."

Nodding as his friends jumped onto the walkway, Conner muttered, "Yeah, see you Monday," before turning and heading alone down the sidewalk.

After a couple minutes of silence, a prickling feeling on the back of his neck made him stop and gaze around him. The distinct feeling of being watched overcame the youth, but after a couple minutes of searching, he found nothing. Shaking his head, telling himself he was paranoid, Conner continued on, humming a Linkin Park song to himself lowly.

When the feeling of awareness didn't go away, his footsteps hurried, feet beating against the uneven cement of the sidewalk. A car speeding past made Conner jump and turn to watch it as something flashed in the sunlight. The flash was gone though, and the little cruiser was already disappearing over a hill towards the center of town. Stepping back uneasily, Conner's mind rushed with thoughts of kidnappers and killers. Turning, he ran the rest of the way down the street, heart pumping in his ears as thoughts of Jigsaw and his victims drifted through his head.

It wasn't until he was inside his house, and had slammed the door behind him, that Conner felt safe. Breathing heavily, he turned and locked the door anyways, before trudging up the stairs towards his room, dropping his backpack, sweatshirt, and shoes as he went.

Plopping down tiredly on the unmade bed in his messy room – walls covered in posters of bands, clothes piled in heaps on the old, beaten rug, and dishes lying with food crusted on them everywhere – Conner closed his eyes in weariness. It had been a long day, and now he just wanted to spend the weekend resting.

But life's rules are complicated. Under normal circumstances, Conner would have gotten his wish to relax. However, when someone is chosen by Jigsaw to fulfill an act of atonement, the only rules that apply then, are the ones he decides. If Conner had known what his actions over the Summer would had led up to, maybe he would have been more careful about going through with those plans.