Desirae POV
I cling to the side of the cage, paralysed as the bodies of other children slam against my own.
My teeth chatter and I'm crying, whimpering. Everyone seems to have gone mad, throwing themselves against the side of the cage and crying and screaming and God, I can't take this.
Without a single thought for the others, I let go of the cage and swing my fist, hitting someone. I can't even hear the cry of pain—it's too loud. "Shut up! Just shut up!" I scream. My voice is drowned out.
I'm a Bug. A normal human being. I'm normal in every sense except for the fact that I was born to be hunted.
Actually, I wasn't even born like a normal human being. I was created by the LESCS (Living Entity Spawn Computing System), a computing system used to design a human. It would decide my appearance, the age of which I was spawned and to some degree, my personality.
I was designed by a Centipede. Centipedes are these crazy psycho people who pay a huge sum of money to participate in the Bug Extermination, where they are dropped into a hunting ground where they hunt down Bugs … like me.
Bugs are children ranging from ages eight to eighteen. Each Centipede gets to design ten of them. Since there are ten Centipedes, there are a hundred of us. Centipedes are given that name because they have a hundred of us to deal with, just like the common myth that centipedes have a hundred legs to deal with. I assume we're called Bugs because centipedes eat bugs.
The Bug Extermination takes place quadrennially. It takes place in the Centipedes' Grounds, the hunting grounds. It's called that because the Centipedes dominate this place.
This place that I'm going to die in.
It's quite beautiful, actually. We're in the centre of a massive garden? Park? Meadow? To my left is a huge mansion and to my right is a thick grove of cherry trees. There are so many that I think they should be used for commercial purposes. Further away, beyond the cherry trees, is a neighbourhood with a street and houses and a hospital. Behind the mansion I think I see more houses with a carnival or a fair. The whole place looks perfectly normal and no one would think these were the grounds of multiple massacres.
I push through the crowd, stumbling through all the people. I struggle to get to the other side, where the doors of the cage are. Soon, they will open and we will all get out of this cage. I see neat rows of brown paper parcels close to the door of the cage. There are a hundred in total; each of us is supposed to take one, but I know there will be Bugs taking as many as possible. I should grab at least two. If everyone grabs two, then half the Bugs won't get a parcel. But I mustn't bother about them.
It won't be easy but I have to be selfish and look out for myself.
Each parcel contains some food, a knife, water, rope and a little special goodie. They can be anything from guns to bombs to extra food. No parcel contains the same goodie as another. I hope I will get something good.
After we grab the parcels we won't be allowed to simply run off before the Centipedes come. I can see the electric fence surrounding us, cutting us off from the mansion, the cherry trees and the rest of the Grounds. After the Centipedes enter the Grounds, the Countdown starts. That is when we will be allowed to run. We only get thirty seconds to flee. After these thirty seconds, the Centipedes are free to pursue us, and the Bug Extermination would have begun.
No, it can't begin. What can I do, what can I do, what can I do. I'm going to die and there has to something that will make me not die; I can't die, I won't die. There has to be something.
I'm going to die. Little eight year olds are going to die too. And there is nothing we can do!
The only way I could live would be to kill all the Centipedes. But how? There's no way. They're too well-armed. If we kill all of them, then we are technically freed and we will be put into orphanages. But how could we fight them?
I choke on my tears. "There must be something!" I slam my fists against the cage doors. "Isn't there something I can do?"
My nose is runny. I have only lived for a week. I am supposed to be fifteen years old but I'm really only a week old. I'm like a newborn. Newborns shouldn't die.
I grasp the cage doors and rattle them. "I shouldn't die!" I scream till my throat is raw.
That is when I notice the cage doors are slowly opening. "It's going to —" I am cut off abruptly as the other Bugs start pushing against me and I am pressed against the slowly moving cage doors. "S-stop!" I cry. They're mad! They're all mad.
The cage doors open enough to let me through. All the Bugs in front (including me) fall to the ground. I try to pick myself up but people are already scrambling over us, running towards the paper parcels.
Distracted by the mini-stampede, my fear of the Centipedes gives way to my fear of not getting a parcel.
Terror seizes me. They're going to get all the parcels. What if there are none left for me?
"No!" I choke out. I grab at whatever is above me for support. I end up grabbing someone's leg and the Bug crashed to the ground, yelling. Without even looking at the person, I jump up and dash for the parcels. Quickly, I grab a parcel.
I find myself rolling on the ground, fighting with another girl for its contents.
Holding the parcel with one arm, I lash out at the girl with my arm. I beat her face with my fist and she attempts to turn away. Her fingernails scratch at my arms and I feel beads of blood on my skin.
But I don't feel the pain. Instead, I pull at the parcel as hard as I can. I hear the paper rip, just as I had planned.
The food, water, knife, rope, goodie falls out. The other girl gasps and we scramble for the items.
I'm too late. She grabs the goodie and the knife. I can't fight her. Instead, I turn and grab the nearest two parcels.
I pick it up and hold the two parcels close to my body. They're my only hope now. Them and my team. If I can find one.
Without a good team I cannot survive. I turn to the girl I was fighting earlier. "That was a good fight you put up. Do you want to join me?"
The girl looks stunned. She scrunches up her nose, which makes her look weird, since her nose looks as if it has been broken before. Then she shrugs, tossing her short, tangled red hair. "Why not?"
I smile, relieved. Someone to cover my back. "Oh good. I was worried you'd reject."
"Nah, I wouldn't. I was worried that I wouldn't find anyone to team up with." She sticks out her hand, struggling to hold her goodie and another parcel. "I'm Cat, short for Catherine. Nice to meet you."
I shake her hand. I hope she doesn't think I am a wimp because of the tear stains on my face. "I'm Desirae. Nice to meet you."
She nods and goes straight down to business. "We need to find some other people. Without a team we can't survive. Let's find a small team with strong, smart people."
Turning away, I look for strong-looking people. Then, all of a sudden, I see someone running towards us, swinging a knife.
Letting out a choked scream, I realise he wants our parcels. That is the only explanation. "Run!" I tell Cat, stumbling back, prepared to run. Just as I turn around, I hear a startled cry.
I look over my shoulder. The boy is swaying back and forth with a dazed look on his face. A red dart is lodged in his shoulder. Finally he closes his eyes and falls backward like a felled ox.
Cat stands there, starting at the dart gun in her hand. It must be her goodie.
I look at the boy. "Is he … dead?"
Dropping down to my knees, I reach over and grasp his wrist. I can feel a steady pulse.
"It's a tranquilizer," Cat says. She looks stunned.
I shake my head. "That's amazing. Thanks Cat. I'm glad we didn't kill him though."
"No problem. But we've essentially killed him anyway. I really do doubt he'll wake up in time to flee the Centipedes when they come."
I leap to my feet. "What?" I cry. "He's going to die and it'll be our fault."
"No, it's his fault for trying to attack you. We acted in self-defense. He'll die anyway, with or without us shooting him. He's obviously too dumb to survive. He was stupid enough to attack a pair of Bugs on his own."
"Isn't there something we can do? I am not going to leave a poor boy to die!"
Cat laughs humorlessly. "What do you expect to do — drag his unconscious body along as we run? We'd never make it."
She's right. I hate to say it but she is right. "Fine," I mutter.
We walk around the area, looking for a team to join. Many Bugs are still fighting over parcels. Some have brought out knives and goodies they got from the parcels and are threatening the others for their parcels. More than half the Bugs don't have a parcel.
"Desirae! Look," Cat exclaims all of a sudden, pointing in the direction of the cherry trees.
I turn to look. A muscled boy, a lanky boy and a freckled ginger are pummelling the life out of three younger Bugs. The younger Bugs are clinging to their parcels, wailing and crying for help. The muscled boy manages to rip the parcel from the boy he is beating up and takes the knife out of it. He starts yelling at the Bug he was fighting and the poor Bug flees.
"What! They're such bullies!" I cry. They are not fighting over the parcels. They are beating up other Bugs for their parcels. It is very different from what Cat and I had been doing.
I start towards them but Cat pulls me back quickly. "No! Don't. They're doing it to survive. Besides, I think they would be good teammates. They are strong, resourceful and smart."
"Hah! They'll beat us up on first sight."
"No they won't." She starts to jog towards the team, stopping only a few metres from them. She eyes the freckled boy, who struggles with his victim. The girl he is fighting starts to claw his face. The ginger raises both arms to protect his face involuntarily, and the girl leaps to her feet and begins to flee.
"Phil! Get her!" the muscled boy screams as the ginger.
Phil and the muscled boy (who seems to be the leader) run after the girl, but Cat is faster. She drops her parcels on the ground and whizzes past them and tackles the girl. The girl falls to the ground with a surprised "oomph" and Cat snatches her parcel away, raising it above her head victoriously.
The leader runs at Cat but she points her tranquilizer gun at them. "Back off," she snarls. The leader freezes.
I start towards them, holding Cat's and my parcels, and Phil gives me a nervous glance. "Cat, what are you —"
She waves me off. "Let my buddy and I into your team and I'll give you five parcels, including this."
The leader glares at us. "That would mean I have eight people in my team. That is two too many."
"She's fast and strong, you already saw. We're small-sized, so we won't eat much," I tell Ryan. They're our best hope at survival. Forget morals, I want to live! I don't mind teaming up with horrible people if it means I get to live.
"Okay, but why should I let you into my team?" the leader replies, pointing his knife at me. "What's stopping us from beating you up and letting only your friend into our team?"
I shoot Cat a frantic look. The lanky boy finally defeats his victim and steps towards us slowly. We're surrounded.
"T-the fact that the darts in my gun are tipped with poison!" Cat shouts, her voice laced with fear. Her voice quavers at the end.
"We don't believe you," Phil snarls. "Your voice is quaking."
"Will you take the risk?" I question. "Why would they give her a dart gun that doesn't have poison or anything? What's the point? What is the use of a simple dart? No, there's poison."
The leader looks at the other two boys and they shrug. "Fine," the leader says reluctantly. "You're in. But if you're too slow, we ditch you. Got it?"
"I assure you, we won't."
The leader cracks his knuckles and the boys walk toward three other Bugs, who must be their teammates. There's a mousy-haired frail-looking boy, a shaking redhead and a tall, beautiful blonde girl.
The blonde girl throws her arms around the leader. "Ryan! I was so worried you were going to be shot!"
Ryan laughs. "You know nothing will stand in our way, Diane."
Cat and I exchange looks. Are they … flirting? At a time like this?
Then I understand. Diane is using Ryan. She wants him to be attracted to her so she can command him around. She's smart.
Phil and the lanky boy glare at Ryan, and I realise Diane has all three of them around her little finger.
The redhead walks towards us. "H-hi."
"Hello," I say. She is so scared that I'm beginning to feel terrified myself.
"I'm M-Myrtle. Our leader i-is Ryan, the girl he's w-w-with is Diane, the ginger is Phil. The t-tall boy is John and the mousy-haired boy is … is Theo."
"I'm Cat and she's Desirae. Nice to meet you."
Myrtle flashes us a timid smile. "They isn't really any poison in your dart gun, is there?"
Cat and I glance at each other. "Yes," I say, but Cat says "no" at the very same time.
"Oh well. I … I won't r-rat the two of you out," Myrtle reassures us. "It was pretty smart. You think fast. And —"
Myrtle is cut off abruptly when a booming voice fills the area through what I assume are hidden speakers. "Greetings, Bugs!" The voice echoes throughout the entire area and it is too loud, too loud. Cat's mouth is moving but I can't hear her as the announcer continues to speak.
"I assume you have all gotten a parcel each?"
Some Bugs smirk while others mutter "no".
"Good, good! For those who don't have a parcel, well, this is your chance to shine with the little resources you have! Now, I am Magnus Sonor, and I'll be kickstarting the Bug Extermination!" He whoops loudly.
"Yay," Cat mutters unenthusiastically during the pause.
"Are you all excited? This is going to be fun! Our wonderful Centipedes are going to be coming very soon!"
There were cries of outrage. "He's making a mockery of this!" I exclaim. He's cruel. He's taunting us.
"What do you expect?" Cat sighs.
"Burn in hell, Centipedes!" I hear someone scream.
There is a stunned silence. I think Magnus can hear whatever we are saying, because he has fallen silent too.
"Burn in hell!" a different person yelled.
"Burn in hell, Centipedes! Burn, burn, burn!" another Bug screeches.
That's when it begins.
"Burn in hell, Centipedes! Burn, burn, burn!" the Bug repeats, and another Bug picks up the chant.
The energy and anger is flowing through all of us now, and more and more Bugs pick up the chant. I'm usually self-conscious but this time I am chanting along. I chant till my throat is raw. Cat looks at me and begins to chant as well, albeit quieter.
Magnus Sonor says something but I can't hear a thing — it's so loud.
"Burn!" a Bug's voice is louder than the others and most of us can hear it. "Hurt them, kill them, don't let them die slowly!"
There is a rousing cheer and the Bugs start chanting, faster, louder. We stomp on the ground and soon I can't make out what the Bugs are saying. Some Bugs are speaking slowly while others scream out the words in a crazed, fast manner. I don't think even they are saying the same words anymore. Many Bugs trail off, confused, while others are yelling louder and louder.
Cat looks at me nervously but I ignore her, yelling the original chant. It is pure chaos — people screaming all sorts of things, stomping, pounding their fists against the ground.
Suddenly a high-pitched sound that must be from the speakers explodes — yes, explodes — through the area, ending the chaos. I drop to my knees, covering my ears. It hurts badly, and I feel something warm and wet trickle from my ears. I pull my hands away and see blood. I'm not the only one.
My ears are ringing.
We stumble to our feet. Cat's mouth is opening and closing and I can hear Magnus Sonor's muffled, angry voice, but I can't decipher what he's saying. Slowly I begin to hear again and just in time to hear him say, "Put your hands together to welcome the Centipedes!"
The Bugs gasp and a few run towards the electric fence. "They're coming? They're coming!" Cat cries, white as a sheet. My heart leaps so much that I choke on my saliva.
There is a theatrical boom and clods of dirt and grass fly out from the cage. The force pushes Cat and I back and we fall flat on our backs. A cloud of dust billows around it. I scramble to my feet, hauling Cat up. I dash towards the electric fence. I fall down halfway because I am still disorientated, but I manage to make it there. Every Bug flees from the centre of the explosion, running till everyone is all standing right in front of the electric fence. I am careful not to touch it.
When the dust clears, I see ten adults in black camo standing in a glass cylinder where the cage used to be.
The Centipedes.
No, no, no. No no no!
The Centipedes!
I let out a strangled scream. Some Bugs stumble back. Someone pukes. I hear a "zap" somewhere to my right as a Bug falls into the electric fence. I don't have to look at him to know that he is dead. My vision swims all of a sudden, swirling towards the left and I stumble. Cat grabs my arm.
The adults press against the glass excitedly. There is a crazed-looking ginger who is slamming his fists and a knife against the glass, screaming incoherent words and excitement. There is a woman and a man with sleek black hair who look very similar. Then there is the impatient plump woman, who taps on the glass furiously. There is the tall, beautiful woman who smiles at us calmly as if she is not about to murder us all. Amongst all of the Centipedes they stand out the most.
I clutch Cat's arm and whimper. Magnus Sonor laughs heartily.
Without warning, the crazy ginger launches himself at us, screaming "Buggies!"
I subconsciously flinch away. He slams against the glass hard and crumples to the ground. But he doesn't react in pain. He simply sits on the ground, laughing hysterically as the woman with the sleek black hair grabs his curly hair and slams him against the glass wall hard enough the make his nose bleed. His blood smears all over the glass, but he just continues to laugh.
"Claude! You … you annoy me!" she yells.
Claude licks his blood and I shudder. "Red ink!" he croons.
The woman kicks him and he falls, but he still looks happy. "That's not nice of you! But since I'm nice, I'm forgive you," he says.
Ivana draws her leg back to kick again, but the man who looks like her puts his hand on her shoulder. "Let's deal with him later."
"Ivan's right," the plump woman says. "Let's not make a scene."
"Brace yourselves, Bugs, and get ready! The Bug Extermination will begin in a few minutes," Magnus Sonor says.
I crumple to my knees weakly. "We're going to die. We're going to die. We can't face them."
Cat kneels next to me. "We can. Hurry, we don't have much time." She takes my parcel and tears it open. A knife, a flask of water, a jar of pills, a coil of rope, a folded-up backpack, a two vials of green liquid and various items fall out.
"What is this?" I half-scream, half-cry. "What do I do with this?"
Frowning at me, Cat grabs the vial and inspects it. "I know this. It's a type of poison. It numbs paralyses the victim when it enters their body. In small doses it acts as a painkiller but it makes the person sluggish. In large doses, it kills them."
"Yeah, o-okay. I guess that's … that's good," I sniffle.
I tuck the pills into the backpack. They are food pills, meant to fill and nourish me in the place of food. Cat opens the other parcel while I stuff everything into my bag, except for the knife, which I tuck into my boot.
The next parcel's goodie is a pack of grey cylinders which fit in my hand snugly. They are smoke vents, and if I pull off the cap of one of the cylinders, it sends grey smoke into the air. Good for getaways, I suppose.
I try to stuff more food and water into my bag but I leave the extra sleeping bag and rope. I hold the second knife in my hand. I have to run soon, but my legs are going to buckle. I can't run.
Diane stood by, taking a deep, shaky breath.
"Don't worry, D-Diane. I'll protect you," Ryan says, but his voice shakes. Diane doesn't seem to hear him.
Theo is lying on the ground, sobbing. He's only nine. I don't know why Ryan let him into the team. I wonder if it was out of pity. I guess Ryan does have a heart.
"Well, Bugs, the time has come." Magnus Sonor sounds more serious.
"No. No," I whimper.
Bugs are crying, screaming.
"You get thirty seconds before the Centipedes come after you, so use that time wisely! Holes will appear in the electric fence, but it'll still be active, so be careful."
It's madness. I can't take this.
"The Bugs have a thirty-second head start. And the Bug. Extermination. Begins. In three …" Magnus Sonor began.
Hyperventilating, tensing, crying.
"Two."
He basks in our fear. Magnus Sonor loves suspense.
"One." Cue the screams.
"GO!"
