Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Abby!
I was sitting outside in the dark. Alone. I was completely alone now. I reached back and took out my gun from its holster while grimacing in pain. Staring at it in my hands, I debating on wether or not to just do it. To end it. I exhaled sharply and raised the gun to my head. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. Here it goes.
My dad, everyone else and I are going to meet with another group. We encountered one of their members yesterday and they invited us back to their camp to talk trade. We brought a lot of our group with us just in case it was phony.
I thought it was weird when we didn't immediately get down to business. The leader of this group, Seth, had us eat dinner with him. It was nice and we were all pretty hungry. There were people from another group there as well. I didn't know any of their names yet.
After we ate, Seth still hadn't said anything about trade. That was the whole reason why we were there, so we were all getting a little irritated. Not to mention, it was a little uncomfortable in here with Seth's people guarding the room.
"You mind if we talk now?" My dad asked Seth. "We'd like to get back before dark."
Seth just smiled and took a sip of his wine. "We're going to start but first, I would like everyone to stand and introduce themselves. We all haven't officially met. We'll start with you down there at the end." He pointed at Daryl.
"Man, I ain't doin' nothin'." Daryl said roughly. He was sitting in front of me and my dad was next to me.
"Please." Seth smiled. "It's very important."
There was a brief pause.
"Let's just do it." My dad said.
Daryl sighed but finally he stood and said his name then quickly sat back down. It went to Michonne next who was sitting next to Daryl then to Aaron who was next to Michonne and so on. There were five people here from another group. There was an older man named Robert, two older women that were sisters named Lisa and Kim, a man named Steve and a girl around my age named Carla. Carla seemed unfriendly and I wasn't sure about her.
When it came around to me, I stood up and said, "Abby," but before I sat back down, Seth stopped me by asking me how old I was. I thought it was a little weird because he didn't asked anyone else that. "Nineteen." I replied.
"Nineteen." Seth smiled. "That's fortunate for you."
Okay? Creepy. I gave him a weird look but decided not to ask questions and just sat back down.
"Okay." Seth clapped his hands together. "Let's get started, shall we?"
"We been ready." Daryl mumbled. I think he's a little uneasy because Seth made us turn in all of our weapons before entering his home. He said he couldn't risk us hurting any of his people, which we understood because we would do the same thing. Still, it does feel a little weird being without our weapons.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush," Seth said, "I'm just going to get right to it. I know what all of you want. And…you're going to get it…one of you." Seth smiled.
We all looked around at each other.
"What do you mean one?" My dad was the one to ask.
"Well, I can't just give away things to everyone—
"No one's askin' you to give anythang away." Maggie said. "We came to talk trade." I don't know why Maggie is here. She's pregnant. She shouldn't be doing this stuff right now.
"I don't need anything from you." Seth said. "You've already given me what I need just by coming here." He stopped and smiled creepily. "And, so…we're going to play a game. A contest."
I gave my dad a weird look. What is up with this guy?
"The winner will get tons of food, fresh fruit and vegetables, medical supplies, gas, and tons of other supplies. All you have to do is agree to play."
There was a brief silence while everyone took in what Seth just said.
"What kind of game?" My dad asked.
"I can't tell you that until you agree to play. But…if anyone does not wish to participate, please speak now."
"I ain't playin' no damn game." Daryl said.
"That's fine." Seth said. "However, if you don't play then your entire group is disqualified."
"What?" I said. "How's that fair?"
"I did say only one person will win." Seth said. "I'll give you all a minute to discus and decide. Be right back." Seth left the room. The people from the other group were silently discussing.
"We need all of that shit." Rosita spoke first. "Do you realize how great this could be for us?"
"Yeah, but I'm wondering if this whole thing is legit. We didn't get to see the supplies." Michonne said.
"Well, they seem pretty well off." My dad said. "Let's just give it a shot." My dad looked at Daryl. "All of us."
There was a brief pause. Daryl looked pretty annoyed.
"Fine!" He finally said. "Still thank this is stupid, though."
"You won't when we win." I smiled at him.
Seth came back into the room. "Have you all decided?"
"Yes." My dad, Maggie and Robert said in unison.
"And what have you decided?"
"We would like to participate." Carla said before anyone.
"We would also like to participate." Maggie said.
"Excellent." Said Seth. "And last?" He looked at my dad.
My dad glanced at all of us before answering. "Yeah, we agree to play."
Seth nodded. "Great." There was a pause. "Lock the doors." He said to his people. They immediately began locking up. It made me nervous. "Now, the game we are going to play is called Would You Rather, which I'm sure you all have heard of."
I smiled to myself. This should be fun. I have played this game so many times with my friends.
"However," Seth continued, "this version is going to be a little different. These questions are going to be very very hard. It is, in fact, the impossible meets the unthinkable. This game will involve pain, humiliation and, most importantly, tragedy."
"Pain?" Henry said and looked at Ezekiel.
"What do you mean tragedy?" Carol asked.
"Well, Carol, was it? People will lose their lives today."
I suddenly felt all the blood drain from my face. What is this? We all looked around at each other in a bit of a panic.
"What?" Robert stood up and yelled. "I'm not doing this!"
"You've already agreed to play." Seth said calmly. "You can't pull back out now. I already gave you the chance."
"You can't keep us here!" Robert yelled again. "I'm leaving!" He turned and headed for the door. Suddenly, I heard a gunshot and Robert went down. My eyes widened. We all stood up. The two ladies from his group screamed.
"What the hell's going on?" My dad yelled.
"What is this?" Said Daryl. "Let us out!"
"If anyone tries to leave, you WILL end up like Robert. Don't make us do it again. You ALL agreed to play and WILL play." He narrowed his eyes. "Take. Your. Seats."
Breathing heavily, I looked around at everyone. I knew there was no way we were getting out of this. I looked up at my dad with fear in my eyes. He put his arm around me. He nodded and we all sat back down.
"Get him out of here." Seth said referring to Robert's dead body. His men dragged the body away. "Now, First thing's first, no one under the age of eighteen is allowed to play. Take those two out back and take care of them." Seth demanded. He was referring to Henry and Enid. My eyes widened.
"NO!" Enid cried.
"Ezekiel!" Henry grabbed onto Ezekiel.
"Please don't do this." Ezekiel then said.
"He's just a child." Carol cried.
"Take them now." Seth said. Two men came over and grabbed Henry and Enid, taking them out of the room.
"You don't have to do this." Maggie cried. All of a sudden, we heard two gunshots.
"It's already done." Seth said. "We're now down to seventeen people."
My eyes widened and I covered my mouth with my hand in disbelief. They just killed two kids. I listened to the cries coming from Carol, Ezekiel and Maggie.
"Let's get started." Seth said clapping his hands together.
Round 1: Electrocution
Two guys wheeled in a machine with wires connected to it. I watched as one of them put a headband like thing around Daryl's head. He immediately threw it off. One of the men put a gun to the back of Daryl's head.
"Don't make us do it." Seth said. Daryl glared evilly at Seth while one of the guys put the headband back on. Then, they went over to Michonne and put one on her head as well. My eyes widened.
Seth laughed. "So, Daryl," he continued, "Would you rather…electrocute yourself or Michonne?"
I gave Daryl a horrified look and immediately started breathing heavily.
"You have fifteen seconds to decide, Daryl." Seth said. "If you don't choose then my people will just shoot you dead." He took a sip of his wine. "The blue button is for you and the red button is for Michonne. Your time starts now." He pressed a button on a little clock. You could hear the ticking. I was freaking out with each tick. Finally, Daryl pushed a button. I tightly shut my eyes but opened them when I heard a weird noise coming from him. I watched him shake in pain as he was shocked. He didn't electrocute Michonne. I mean…I guess I knew he wouldn't.
And then it was over. Daryl sat there breathing heavily.
"Are you okay?" I asked him. I reached for his hand.
"I'm fine." Was all he said. I could tell it hurt worse than what he let on, though. The two men took the headband off Daryl and put it on Aaron then handed Michonne the switch.
"Now, Michonne, you get to decide if you want to electrocute yourself or Aaron. Your time starts now." He started the clock.
Michonne looked at Aaron.
"Go ahead, do it. I can take it." Aaron said.
"No." Michonne said then pushed the button electrocuting herself. It looked awful. I'm so dreading that thing coming around to me. What makes it worse is, I'm going to have to choose between me or Daryl. There's no way I'm electrocuting Daryl. He already got it.
Now it was Aaron's turn to decide. It was either he or Lisa. He picked himself, just like I knew he would. They switched the headbands. It was Lisa's turn to either electrocute herself to Tara. Lisa started crying and freaking out.
"I can't do it!" She cried.
"You must make a decision." Seth said. "You have eight seconds."
"No." Lisa shook her head and cried. "I can't. I can't."
"It's okay." Tara said. "Just pick me. I can take it."
"No. No. I can't." She continued to cry. I felt so bad for her. I knew she didn't want to feel the pain of that but at the same time, she didn't want to hurt anyone else. But she needs to make a decision soon because she's running out of time.
"Lisa, just do it!" Lisa's sister, Kim, said.
Suddenly, the clock went off. "Nope." Seth said. "Too late." One of the men pointed a gun at her.
"No! Please— She was shot right in front of us. Kim cried loudly. I kept my head down, staring at the table, but my eyes were wide.
They took a minute to remove Lisa'a body.
It was now Tara's turn to either electrocute herself or Carla. "I'm not going to hurt anyone." Tara said. She electrocuted herself. Carla snickered. I gave her a questioningly look. Does she care about anyone but herself?
They switched the headbands around. "Okay, Carla, would you rather electrocute yourself or—
Carla pushed the button and electrocuted Alden before Seth even finished the sentence. Yeah, I think I got my answer.
"Oh." Seth laughed. "Okay, next." It was Alden's turn. He had to pick between himself to Maggie. He, of course, picked himself. No one is going to hurt a pregnant lady. But in saying that, what is Maggie going to do now? She has to choose between herself or Carol. Carol is older, she might not be able to take it.
"I can't do this." Maggie cried. She looked like she was going to be sick.
"Do it to me, Maggie." Carol reassured her. "You have to look after the baby."
"But…you…" Maggie cried.
"Make a decision, Maggie." Seth said. "Clock is ticking."
"Just do it, Maggie!" Carol yelled.
Maggie whimpered. She was trying to will herself to do it.
"Three seconds!" Seth yelled.
"Sorry." Maggie said then she electrocuted Carol. She cried immediately as she watched Carol in pain. Hers looked the worse so far. It stopped and Carol had her head down. I think she's unconscious.
"Carol?" Daryl said. He rushed over to her and lifted her head. "Keep yer eyes open."
She finally came to but looked totally out of it. It made it so much worse for everyone else. Now I'm even more scared.
"Carol, are you able to continue?" Seth asked her. She nodded weakly. "Okay, your turn." They switched the headbands. Carol had to choose to electrocute herself or Cindie.
"Pick me." Cindie said. "Don't do that to yourself again."
"I have to." Carol breathed.
"No." Cindie said.
"Carol, she said she can take it. Just do it to her." Daryl said.
Cindie glanced at Daryl for a second then back to Carol. "Yeah, do it." She nodded.
"No." Carol said. Then, she electrocuted herself. Everyone's eyes went wide.
"Carol!" My dad yelled. She was limp.
"She's unconscious." Cindie said. "She needs medical attention. We have to stop!"
"Just stop this!" My dad yelled.
"No." Seth said. He went over to Carol and checked her. "She's not unconscious, she's dead. Take her away." He gestured to his men.
"You sumbitch!" Daryl yelled and ran at Seth.
"No, Daryl!" I screamed in horror. If he attacks Seth, they will kill him. Daryl was immediately pinned to the ground.
"You want me to do it?" One of the men said with a gun pointed at Daryl.
"No. Get him back in his seat." Seth demanded. Daryl was dragged back to his seat. "No one moves again." Seth said. "Now, get her body out of here." His men dragged Carol away. I cried while watching. I can't believe she's dead.
"Let's get back to the game." Said Seth. They switched the headbands with Cindie and Steve. "Now, Cindie, would you rather electrocute yourself or Steve?"
Cindie looked lost. She was thinking for a while. "I'm sorry." She finally said. Steve's eyes widened. I watched as he was electrocuted. I guess Cindie lost her gut after seeing Carol die.
"Steve?" Seth said. "You or Rosita?"
Steve looked up in pain and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm not goin' through that again." He pushed the red button and electrocuted Rosita. She looked pissed when it was over. She practically ripped the switch from Steve's hands. She had to pick herself or Jesus and she picked herself. I grimaced. She just had it.
"Oh! Nice!" Seth said. "Twice and still alive."
It moved to Jesus or Kim and Jesus picked himself. When it was Kim's turn, she chose to electrocute Ezekiel instead of herself. My breathing was getting faster, it was getting closer to me. It was now Ezekiel or my dad.
"Zeek, do it to me." My dad told him. "You can't do it twice."
"I have to." Ezekiel said. "I know you're not going to electrocute Abby so you'd get it twice if I did it to you. I cannot do that."
I looked down and didn't say anything because I knew what he said was true. He gave a farewell and pushed his button. I watched as he basically killed himself. He shook violently until he foamed at the mouth. And then he was dead.
"Oh God." I cried.
"Huh?" Seth said. "Must be a lot harder for older people. Take him away." I glared at him. I never wanted one person dead so much. "Alright alright." Seth said once Ezekiel's dead body was gone. "Let's get this over with. Only two more."
They put the headbands on my dad and I.
"Dad, please just pick me." I begged. "You heard what he said: It's harder on older people. Please, just pick me, please, dad."
"No." He put his hand on my shoulder. I looked into his eyes with tears. He removed his hand from me and pushed his button. I cried as I watched him in pain. It was finally over. I hugged him tightly. I'm so glad he is okay.
It was now my turn. "Abby?" Seth said. "Would you rather…electrocute yourself or Daryl for the second time?"
I looked up at him. "Do what you gotta do." Daryl said to me. "It's okay."
My eyes widened. There's no way. I pushed my button and electrocuted myself. I finally felt the pain that everyone else went through. Well…mostly everyone. It was definitely one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. I felt my whole body vibrating but I couldn't move. It was also extremely hot. I wondered what awful thing I could have done to deserve this? Finally, it was over and I couldn't move at all for a minute. I just breathed in and out. Well, I did it. And at least it's over.
"Abby?" My dad was shaking me. "Baby, are you okay?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "I'm fine. I'm good." My dad was still giving me a concerned look.
Seth started clapping. "Congratulations! You all made it. I would like to give a special Congrats to Alden and Rosita for taking it twice and surviving. People like you deserve to be here. This is to you." Seth held up his cup then took a drink. "Hmm. Now shall we move onto round two?"
"You asshole." Aaron, to my surprise, said. "We just lost our people. How about a little sympathy you, fucking asshole!"
Everything was silent for a moment. Seth finally narrowed his eyes and said, "you're going to regret opening your mouth."
Round 2: Stab or Three Whacks
"This round is really quite simple." Seth said. "We'll start with Abby this time and go backwards." My eyes widened for a second. He gestured to his men. "Gentlemen." They brought out a thing that looked like an ice pick and some kind of stick. "Okay, Abby, would you rather…stab Rick in the thigh with the ice pick or whack Aaron three times with this African whipping stick?" They laid the weapons next to me. I stared at them wide-eyed. I felt sick to my stomach. I don't want to hurt an innocent person let alone my own people. "This is a little tougher so I'll give you twenty seconds to decide. Your time starts now."
My eyes darted around in their sockets. How am I supposed to do this? I cleared my throat. "Stabbing someone in the thigh is a dangerous place." I said.
"There's a main artery there." Rosita stated.
I nodded. I can't stab my dad. Sorry, Aaron. I picked up the stick but glanced at Aaron.
"It's okay, Abby." Aaron said. "Just do it and get it over with." I slowly walked over to him. Aaron turned his chair around backwards and sat down so his back was to me.
"Now, Abby," Seth started, "this has to be hard, you know? These can't be little love taps."
A tear slid down my cheek. I breathed out. "I'm sorry, Aaron." I cried. I swung the stick and hit him. He grimaced. I saw blood seep through his shirt almost instantly. I did it two more times. Aaron cried out in pain.
"Very good job, Abby." Seth praised me.
I was sickened. I threw the stick down and hurried back to my seat. I silently cried. My dad rubbed my back.
"Your turn, Rick." Said Seth. "Would you rather…stab Kim or…give Aaron three more whacks?"
I looked up at him in disbelief.
"Oh, come on, man." My dad said.
"Twenty seconds."
"Rick, just do it." Aaron said. "I can take it. Stabbing someone is the thigh is too dangerous. No one else is dying."
My dad sighed loudly. He picked up the stick and made his way over to Aaron. I turned my head away when I saw his arm go back. I grimaced at the sound of each whack.
"Kim's turn." Seth said. The weapons were laid in front of her. "Would you rather stab Jesus or give Aaron three more whacks?"
I sighed loudly.
"Oh, I get it." Carla said to Aaron. "You called him a fucking asshole that's why he's so pissed at you." She smiled. I officially hate that girl.
Kim stared at the weapons for a moment. She picked up the stick. "I'm sorry. I can't stab someone." She walked over to Aaron and quickly gave him three more whacks. Poor Aaron.
"Are you alright, Aaron?" Maggie asked him.
"I've had worse." Aaron breathed. I could tell he was in some horrible pain.
"Alright alright." Seth waved. "Jesus, would you rather stab Rosita or whack Aaron three more times?"
Jesus sighed loudly and glanced at Aaron. "Just do it!" Aaron screamed. "And get it over with."
"I'm really sorry, man." Jesus said. He gave Aaron his whacks. Aaron fell limp. He looked like he was going to pass out any minute. There was blood all over his back.
"Rosita." Seth smiled. "Stab Steve or whack Aaron?"
Rosita picked up the ice pick without much thought. "Sorry, Steve."
"No! Wait!" Steve yelled. Rosita quickly stabbed the side of his leg. He yelped in pain. There wasn't much blood. She barely even stuck it in.
"That was for electrocuting me." Rosita said.
Seth laughed. "I like it. Revenge." He sipped his wine.
It was Steve's turn. He had to stab Cindie or whack Aaron again. He looked over at Aaron on the ground then at Cindie. "Hey, I don't wanna stab a women, but I don't know how much more that guy can take. And I mean…I just got stabbed and I'm alright. You're gonna have to take one for the team, Cindie."
"Please, no." Cindie cried.
"I'll do it quick." Steve said.
"It'll be okay, Cindie." Tara said. "Look, Aaron can't take anymore."
Cindie was crying but she nodded. "Okay, okay. Do it."
Steve raised the ice pick. "Hey," Rosita stopped him, "in and out. Don't go too deep."
He nodded. He stabbed her quickly in the front of her thigh. Cindie yelped. There was blood immediately. "Shit." Steve said. "I think I hit that artery."
"Hurry! We have to stop the bleeding!" Rosita said. She tried using a piece of material to wrap Cindie's leg.
"Oh God." Cindie cried. "Am I gonna die?"
"No no. You're gonna be fine." Rosita said.
"It's okay, Cindie." Tara said. "Look at me."
"Make sure that stays tight." Rosita said after wrapping Cindie's leg. Cindie nodded still crying.
"Cindie, are you able to keep playing?" Seth asked her.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Okay, we will skip you for now but you will get a turn later. It is now Maggie's turn. I think you know how this going by now?"
Maggie looked at Alden next to her. "It's up to you."
"Stab me. If Aaron takes anymore he's gonna die."
Maggie nodded.
"Please just stop this." I said to Seth. Cindie's hurt, Aaron's practically dead already. We lost enough people as it is. Please, just stop."
"It doesn't work like that." Seth said. "You should know that by now." He looked at Maggie. "Continue."
Maggie stabbed Alden lightly in his leg.
"Great job." Said Seth. "Al's turn."
Alden looked at Carla. "I don't wanna stab you but—
"You ain't stabbin' me!" Carla yelled. "I'm not letting that happen."
"We have to stick together. Aaron's gonna die if I do this." Alden said.
"Then let him." She spat. "I don't give a shit about him. I don't give a shit about any of you people!"
"She doesn't get to choose, Al." Seth said. "It's your decision."
Alden stared at the weapons. I wished so badly that he would stab Carla. Maybe she would die. He sighed and picked up the stick. No…
He whacked Aaron three times. He was already unconscious.
"Cindie?" Tara questioned. "She isn't looking so good."
"Cindie, can you hear me?" Steve said. She didn't answer. She was definitely passed out.
"Carla's turn." Seth said. "Either whack Aaron or…you can stab anyone of your choosing?"
Carla immediately picked up the ice pick. "In case y'all haven't figured this out yet, this isn't the time to 'stick together.' This is about eliminating people. It's all for one not one for all." She stood up. "You're probably gonna bleed to death." She said referring to Cindie. "And that guy is already dead." She started going around. "Duck," she pointed at Daryl, "duck," she pointed at me, "goose," she landed on my dad.
I was horrified. "No, please. You don't have to." I said to her.
She gave me a disgusted look. "Can I stab her anyway?" She asked Seth.
"Well…that's never happened before." Seth said. He looked like he was thinking. "Sure." He shrugged. "Why not?" I looked back up at Carla wide-eyed. She didn't waste any time. She stabbed me in my side.
"Ah!" I screamed out in pain.
"Abby!" My dad said immediately alarmed. Rosita, Michonne and Daryl were all around me trying to help me.
"It doesn't look too deep." Rosita said. "You're gonna be alright."
"It doesn't look too deep. You're gonna be alright." Carla mocked Rosita.
"What the hell is your problem?" Rosita snapped at her.
"Fuck off." Carla said. "By the way, this girl over here is dead."
Seth checked Cindie. "She's right. Take her away."
"No." Tara cried.
"Good." Carla said. "Get her out before she makes it stink in here." She laughed.
I stared at Carla. This unspeakable anger rose in me. Rosita finally finished wrapping my side and was talking to me but I wasn't listening. All I had on my mind was killing Carla. I made my way over to, slowly at first then practically running.
"What the fuck are you doing?" She asked me. She actually looked scared, which made me happy. I hit her in the face with the whipping stick. She screamed and fell to the ground. I hit her again and again repeatedly. "Stop! Please!" She yelled.
"Abby!" I heard people calling me. They didn't exactly try to stop me, though, either. Finally, I threw the stick down and picked up the ice pick. I got down on the ground next to her and raised my arm.
"No! Please!" She begged. I stabbed her in the stomach. She screamed and groaned loudly. I stabbed her several times even after I was sure she was dead.
"Okay! Okay!" My dad grabbed me and stopped me. "Enough, Abigail, stop it!" He turned me around so he could see my face. "She's dead, okay? She's gone." He pushed my hair out of my face. I could tell I was covered in blood. I felt completely out of it. Everyone was just staring at me when I looked up, even Seth. I slowly went back to my seat and sat down.
"Moving on then." Seth finally said and cleared his throat. "Tara, stab Aaron or whack Aaron?"
"Umm…I think we're done with this." Tara said.
"We are not done." Seth said angrily. "Not everyone took their turn yet. So, continue."
After a minute, Tara went for the stick and hit Aaron. It's not like he could feel it anyway.
I kept my head down and didn't look at anyone but I still listened to the background noises. They had to skip Aaron, obviously, because he's unconscious so it was now Michonne's turn. While she busy whacking Aaron, I noticed my dad and Daryl sort of communicating. "Abby?" My dad whispered to me. "Can you run?"
"Yeah." I answered.
"On my signal." My dad said. Michonne heard us, too.
We all nodded.
"Daryl's turn." Seth said. Daryl picked up the stick and made his way over to Aaron, but when he was about to swing, he hit one of the guards instead of Aaron.
"Now!" My dad yelled. We all got up and were running around. Our people were attacking their people. I somehow managed to get the ice pick and ran towards the door. I stabbed one of the guards then I ran for my life out of there. I heard plenty of gunshots behind me.
I was hiding behind a door. I looked through the window and I could see one of the guards. I quickly and quietly moved to a different place. I was searching for a way out. There has to be a way, a door, a window, something. I was desperate. If the others didn't get out, then I can go back home and get help then we can take care of these people ourselves.
I finally came across a window. It didn't have a latch on it or anything for me to open. I would have to break the glass. I briefly looked around for something that I could just throw at it and break it but I couldn't find anything. I breathed a heavy sigh.
I will just have to use the ice pick. I put my hand back and was about to hit when I felt someone grab my wrist. I screamed. It was the guard. He quickly and easily restrained me by pinning my hands behind my back. I was forced to drop the pick. I groaned in pain.
"Come on, let's get back to the game." He guided me back.
The guard pushed me through the door. My dad glanced up and when he saw me, he put his head down. I read his look, it was of lost hope. I failed.
"Glad to have you back, Abby." Seth said. "Have a seat."
I looked around, the room looked bigger somehow, probably because there are less people.
My dad hugged me and kissed my forehead. "Are you okay?"
"Where's Tara and that woman, Kim?"
"They got shot during the attack." My dad informed me. I put my head down. Our plan ended up being worse for us.
"Unfortunately, Aaron is unable to go on." Seth said. His men dragged him away. "Let's moved on to round three."
I don't know how much more I can take of this.
Round 3: Envelope or Barrel
"Here comes some real fun now." Seth said. Some of his men wheeled in a barrel filled with liquid. Then, they passed out envelopes for each of us. "So, here are the rules for Round three: each of you have been given an envelope and inside that envelope is a task that you must complete. However, you can choose the barrel instead of what's inside the envelope."
"What's the deal with the barrel?" Rosita asked.
"The barrel is filled with water, you will be held under for two minutes."
"That's almost impossible." Steve said.
"You're right. Almost." Seth said. "But…there is a catch."
Of course there is. I was so fed up with this.
"And that is, you must make your decision before opening your envelope."
I put my head down and breathed deeply. I'm going to pass out. These just keep getting worse and worse.
"So, any questions before we start?" Seth asked everyone. No one said anything. "Alright then, let's get started." He turned towards my direction. "Steve, would you like to start us off?"
"Not really but I guess I don't have a choice." He said. "I guess I'll see what's in the envelope." He began opening it. "What the hell is this? It's a piece of paper with a finger drawn on it."
"Ah, the finger." Seth said. "You have to cut a finger off. That may be the easiest one in the bunch."
"What the hell are you talkin' about? I ain't cuttin' my finger off. I'll take the barrel."
"You can't. You already made your decision. I will give you thirty seconds." He started the clock.
"Shit. Fuck." Steve said. "Is this really happening right now?"
"Where were you fifteen minutes ago, dumbass?" Rosita asked him. "It's happening."
"Fuck!" Steve yelled again.
"Make a decision, Steve." Seth pressed.
"Damnit! Who has a knife?" Steve said. Seth's men laid a knife on the table. "Oh God. Ah." He put his hands on both sides of his head. He's going to lose his mind before he loses a finger. "I can't do this. Please. Ah."
"You have to, Steve."
"Can someone do it for me?"
"No, you have to do it yourself."
"Shit!" He was freaking out.
"Ten seconds, Steve."
"Oh no. Oh God. Please."
"Five seconds!"
"Ahhh!" Steve raised the knife and brought it down hard on his finger. I saw blood squirt instantly and his finger was off. "Oh, holy shit. I did it. How do I make it stop bleeding?"
"I got a liter." Daryl said. "We can cauterize it." He handed it to Rosita.
"Oh shit. Fuck no."
"Do you wanna die, asshole?" Rosita asked him.
"Fuck!" He screamed but held his finger out.
"Someone hold him down."
Jesus and Alden held Steve down while Rosita cauterized his finger. He screamed in pain. The room started to smell like burnt bacon. I gagged.
Seth started clapping. "Well done, Steve, well done. You succeeded." Steve just gave him a dirty look. "Rosita's turn. Would you rather—
"I'll take the envelope." She cut him off. She was already opening it. I think we are just getting eager to finish the game. Everyone is sick of this guy's shit. Rosita stared at the card.
"Well, what is it?" Seth asked. She turned it around. It had the toxic symbol on it. "Oh, this is a fun one." He clapped. Rosita raised an eyebrow. A man brought out three cups of liquid and sat them in front of Rosita.
"Let me guess," she started, "I have to drink poison?"
"Not necessarily." Seth said. "Two of them have poison in them, one does not. You must pick one and drink it. And don't bother trying to exam them because there's no way you will ever be able to tell. Also, the poison will take affect immediately after consumption so you will know if you didn't pick it."
Rosita stared at the cups. She was about to go for the one in the middle then she grabbed the one on the left and drank it down without thought. We all watched her in anticipation to see what was going to happen. After about two minutes, nothing happened at all.
"Bravo." Seth said. "Looks like your safe."
I smiled at her. "Incredible."
"Lucky guess." Was all she said.
"Jesus. Your turn."
Jesus thought for a minute. "Think I'm going to play it safe and stick with the envelope." He opened it. "It's a picture of an eye."
"Oh." Seth said. "That may be the worst one, unfortunately. You must take this razor blade and slit your eye open."
My eyes widened and I breathed out. Jesus looked sick.
"Holy fuck." Steve said. "You're sick, man."
"I know." Seth smiled. "Your time starts now, Jesus."
"I-I can't do this." Jesus shook his head. "I can't."
"You must."
"But I really can't do this."
"Steve did his. Rosita did hers."
"Yeah, well, I have to cut my eye open! It's not exactly the same!"
"Hey, don't hate the players, hate the game."
"Oh, I believe me, I do."
"I never said the game was fair. But, you have ten seconds left so you better do something. Would you rather lose your eye or your whole life?"
Jesus looked like he was going to throw up and I felt so bad for him. That would be an impossible choice for me. I could not do that.
"Clock is ticking." Seth reminded Jesus. "Five…"
"Ah." Jesus looked around.
"You can do it, Jesus. You'll be fine." I said for some kind of encouragement.
"Four…"
"Oh God."
"Three…two…"
"Ah! Ah!" He picked it up and put it to his eye. Oh my God! He's really going to do it! I sat up in my seat. His hand slightly moved and then I heard him scream in pain. He covered his eye with his hand, the blood started seeping through his fingers. I grimaced and looked away.
"Good job." Seth clapped. "Abby."
My eyes widened and it felt like I was punched in the stomach. Oh God. It's my turn.
"What do you choose, dear?"
I breathed out loudly and wiped a tear away. "Well, considering the last one scared the shit out of me, I'm gonna try the barrel."
"Ah, the first one." Seth clapped his hands together. "Excellent." I stood up and slowly walked over to the barrel. I stared into the water. You used to be a swimmer, you can do this. I told myself. "Whenever you're ready." Seth told me. I started to feel nervous all of a sudden. I haven't been in the water for so long. What if I can't hold my breath for a whole two minutes? Drowning would suck. Maybe I should just take the envelope? Maybe mine will be like Steve's?
"You can do it, Abby." I heard Jesus say. I encouraged him so he's encouraging me? I guess that's how that works.
"You can. You can do it, baby." My dad said.
"You got this." Rosita said.
"Yeah." Said Daryl.
"We all know you can." Michonne said.
"You can do it!" Alden said.
They're all rooting for me. I can't let them down. I took a few deep breaths. "Okay, I'm ready." I took one big deep breath before one of the men pushed my head into the water. I heard Seth say he started the clock. The man had his hand on the back of my neck so there was no escaping this now. I either live or die. So far so good but it's probably only been like ten seconds. My ears are out of the water so I can hear when someone is talking. I need to think of something to keep my mind off of the time. I remember one time in swim club when I was little, I went down to the bottom of the fourteen foot pool they had at the school. It felt like forever while I was floating up. I remember thinking I was going to die. It felt so great when I finally reached the top and I got air.
"One minute!" Seth yelled.
What? It's only been one minute? It feels like I have been in here forever. Maybe that story wasn't the greatest thing to think about right now. Shit. I need air. Think of something else! Hurry! Uh…puppies. Kittens. Bathroom. House. Sky. Ground. Green. Black. Movies. Books. Sleep. Parties.
"Thirty seconds!"
Shit! I don't have thirty seconds. I'm getting dizzy and lightheaded! Wait, that's a great idea! Thirty Seconds to Mars was my favorite band. Start naming their songs! The Kill! Beautiful Lie! This Is War! From Yesterday! The Fantasy!
"Twenty seconds!"
Oh my God! Uh…Savior! A Modern Myth! Oblivion! I'm going to pass out! I started struggling real bad. I was moving around trying to come up but the man held my head down. I can't do this anymore! I need air now!
"You're killing her!" I heard my dad yell.
"She's almost done." Seth said. "Less than ten seconds."
This is the longest ten seconds of my life. I'm seriously about to die!
"Alright." Seth said. The man let go of me and I shot up for air immediately.
"Yes!" Jesus yelled.
I panted heavily for a long time. I fell to the ground.
"Very good job, Abby." Seth congratulated me. "What a set of lungs on you." I just looked at him while still panting. My dad ran over to me and helped me up.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." I breathed. He kissed the top of my head. He helped me to my seat.
"Let's see what was in your envelope anyway." Seth said. I picked it up and opened it. It had teeth on it, I showed it to Seth. "Oh, you dodged a bullet with that one. You would have had to rip out every single one of your teeth."
I breathed out. "I guess I did pretty good then."
He laughed. "Next. Is. Rick."
I looked at my dad. He sighed loudly. "There's no way I can do what my daughter just did." He began opening the envelope. "It looks like a lightning bolt."
Seth smiled. "Yes. it is. You are to be electrocuted three times for ten seconds each time.
"That's impossible!" I yelled slamming my hands on the table and standing up so fast that I became dizzy. "Most of the people couldn't stand it twice! How do you expect him to take it three times?" I was hysterical.
"As I said before, I never said the game was fair."
I stood there angrily and gritted my teeth at Seth. I knew there wasn't anything I could do, which just made me more angry.
"I'm ready." My dad said. They put the headband on him. One of the other men got to control the switch. "Do it." They pressed the button and my dad was instantly in pain. I was so scared. It seemed way longer than ten seconds when they stopped. My dad breathed heavily.
"He can't do it again." Michonne said. "Please, once was enough."
"That's not the rules." Seth said. He turned back to my dad. "Are you ready again, Rick?"
"Yeah." My dad replied. He pressed the button. My dad got electrocuted for the second time this round. I had to sit there and watch in horror. They finally stopped.
"Daddy?" I cried. He just nodded his head. He tried to speak but the words wouldn't come out. "Please, he can't take anymore. Two out of three is good enough."
Seth shook his head and sighed. "You people just don't get it, do you?" He turned to my dad. "Last one! Ready?" My dad nodded. He pressed the button. My dad looked like he was in the worse pain ever. Spit started coming out of his mouth.
"You're killing him!" I screamed. "Just stop!" Seth finally stopped. My dad fell to the floor. "Dad? Daddy!" I got on the floor with him. "He's going into cardiac arrest! He needs medical attention now!" Everyone was standing over us.
"There's nothing you can do for him now, except win." Seth said. I ignored him and put my ear on my dad's chest. There was a faint heartbeat. I tried giving him CPR but it wasn't working.
"Dad, please." I shook him. "Come on, daddy." He was unresponsive. I put my ear on his chest and I heard nothing.
"Well, better get him out of here before he turns." Seth said. Two men came over and started dragging my dad away.
"No!" I cried.
"Abby, he's gone." Daryl said gently. "Come on. Come on." He pulled me up.
"No." I cried. Daryl held me for a minute and let me cry.
"I hate to break up this heartbreaking moment, but there's still four people left to go. So, we better get a move on." Seth said. "Daryl's turn." He glared evilly at Seth as he took his seat. "So, what will it be?"
Daryl didn't say anything just started opening the envelope. There was picture of a red knife on his card.
"Oh good one." Seth said. "The hot knife."
"The what?" Daryl asked.
"You must get burned with a knife for ten seconds that's been roasting on a fire all day."
I heard some gasps around the room. They should be used to it by now.
"Do it and get it over with. Now!" Daryl said.
"I like the confidence." Seth said. One of his men brought in the hot knife, he had a glove on to protect his hand.
"Where am I doing this?" The guy asked Seth.
"Chest."
Daryl opened his shirt enough so they could burn him with the knife.
"Ready?"
"Yeah." He answered roughly. He pressed the knife to Daryl chest. Daryl grimaced and tried to hold back the pain. I cringed and had to look away. I could smell the burnt bacon smell again.
Finally, he let go. Daryl breathed heavily and looked super pissed.
"Great job." Seth said. "Moving on. Michonne."
Michonne stared evilly at the man. "I pick the barrel."
"Excellent. Only the second one to try it." He clapped. "Let us know when you're ready."
Michonne stood over the barrel. I heard her face hit the water and I put my head. I know how terrible that was so I don't want to watch someone else go through it.
Michonne ended up succeeding. After that, it was Alden's turn and he also picked the barrel and succeeded. The last one was Maggie. She picked the envelope and it was a bad choice because her task was to hold her breath underwater for four minutes! That's impossible!
She stood in front of the barrel with fear on her face. "Let us know when you're ready." Seth told her. Maggie nodded and went to take a deep breath but the man shoved her head down too quickly.
"She wasn't ready!" I yelled in a panic.
"It's too late. I've already started the timer." Seth said. I looked back at Maggie nervously. We all watched. She started struggling shortly after going under. This is so bad. She's not going to be able to do it.
"Come on, Maggie!" I said.
"One minute!" Seth said. It's only been one minute? She's not going to make it. We watched her struggling more and more. She started moving more violently and flailing her arms around. I didn't want to watch anymore…and soon after, I didn't have to. She stopped moving completely. It's over. She lost.
"What a shame." Seth said. "So, who's up for round four?"
Round 4: Russian Roulette
"This is going to be the hardest round yet because someone WILL die this round." Seth said. "We have a perfect number of people for Russian Roulette."
I closed my eyes and put my head down. I seriously have no hope left here. Everyone looks so exhausted. I don't know how much more they can go on. We have been through so much already.
"Here are the rules: you can either take the shot or pass. If you choose to pass, just know that EVERYONE will get a turn. Until someone dies, that is." One of Seth's men brought in the gun. "No one touches the gun. You will tell us your decision then we will do it for you, if you choose to play. Is that clear?"
No one said anything but I'm pretty sure we all understood. There was no getting out of this after we got this far. There's only seven of us left. That leaves Daryl, Michonne, Alden, Steve, Rosita, Jesus and I. If we stick together, maybe we can beat this game. Deep down, I knew it wasn't going to play out that way.
"Is everyone ready?" Seth said. "Okay, let's begin. We will start with Abby just because I find you the most interesting." He laughed. "So, Abby, would you rather...play Russian Roulette one time with one bullet or pass it on to someone else? I will give you thirty seconds to decide. Your time starts now."
I was staring at the table. What should I do? This game is so dangerous. So risky. But I'm the first one, I might get lucky and then I won't have to do it again. But if I pass, and it somehow goes around to everyone without someone getting killed then it will just make it's way back to me with a greater risk of being the one to die. I have to take to the shot.
"What will it be, Abby? You're running out of time." Seth said bringing me back to the now.
I took a deep breath. "I'll take the shot." I said with confidence.
"Excellent. Are you ready?"
Inhale. "Yes." Exhale. The gun was placed to my head. I tightly shut my eyes. I heard the sound of the trigger and…nothing happened. I immediately sighed in relief and looked down.
"Great job." Seth was clapping for me. "Let's move on to Daryl." The man with the gun moved over to Daryl. "Daryl…would you rather—
"I'll play." Daryl said immediately.
"Marvelous."
"Yeah, just do it and quit talkin'."
"Enough said." Said Seth. "Go ahead, Vic."
I waited in anticipation. If there's one person here that I want to survive, it's Daryl. I wanted to look away but I just couldn't. He pulled the trigger. Daryl was safe. I exhaled my held breath. They moved to Alden next.
"Alright, Al, would you rather play Russian Roulette one time with one bullet or pass? I should say skip rather. Hmm? I just might have to put that in the rules. Oh well." Seth shrugged. "Your time starts now."
Alden took a minute to think. "I…I can't believe I'm doin' this but…something's telling me to pass. So…I'm gonna pass."
"Alright. Pass." Said Seth. "Your turn, Steve."
Steve looked a little panicked. "Well, what the hell? If you ain't doin' it then I ain't."
"So…are you choosing to pass?"
"Fuck yeah. I ain't doin' it."
"Okay. Pass. Moving on then."
Oh no! That means it's Michonne's turn now! It's gotten riskier because two people went already.
"What will it be, Michonne?"
She looked down sadly…or angrily. I couldn't tell. "Just gimme the shot." She said.
"Great." Seth said cheerfully. "Vic." He pointed the gun at Michonne's head and pulled the trigger. I jumped at the sound of the gunshot.
"Oh God! No!" I cried. "Michonne! No!"
"Holy shit." Steve said. "I almost just died."
"What. A. Tragedy." Seth said shaking his head. "Well, that would be the end of round four, I guess. Congratulations to who are still in the game. Let's move on to the fifth round."
I watched them dragged Michonne's body out of the room. I sniffled and wiped at my tears.
Round 5: Russian Roulette or Envelope
Seth's people sat envelopes in front of each one of us. I almost threw up. Not this again.
"I think you all know what to do with the envelopes by now." Seth said. "The only difference is, instead of the barrel of water, you will choose to either pick what's inside the envelope or play Russian Roulette again but with two bullets this time."
My eyes widened. This game just gets worse and worse.
"You, of course, must decide before you open the envelope, though." Seth stated. "We will start with Rosita because that's where we left off. Is everyone ready?"
No response.
"Good." Seth said. "Vic." The man showed us the two bullets then put them into the revolver then he spun the barrel. "Let's get started. Rosita, you're up first."
She was silent for a long time. For a second there, I thought she was just not going to decide.
"Mm…what the hell." She finally said. "I'll take the shot."
"Okay." Seth said. Vic pulled the trigger. Rosita was safe. I watched her sort of relax in her seat.
"Jesus is next. Would you rather play Russian Roulette one time with two bullets or complete the task inside your envelope? Your time starts now."
Jesus exhaled sharply. "Well, considering the last time I did this, I had to slit my eye open, I'm gonna go ahead and play Roulette."
"Okay." Seth said. He seemed disappointed? "Roulette it is. Vic." He pulled the trigger and I jumped for the second time from a gunshot. More blood splattered on the table and Jesus was dead. A stray tear slid down my cheek. I sat there in shock.
"Well, that was one bullet." Seth said. That means there's still one more in there. And it is now Abby's turn. You know the drill by now, I don't have to say it. Your time starts now."
I watched them take away Jesus's body and started shaking my head. "I'm not playing Roulette again." I stated. With shaky hands, I began to rip open my envelope.
"Good choice." Seth said.
I stared at the card with a picture of a drill and a red knife on it. I felt sick already and I don't even know what it means yet.
"Well, what is it?" Seth asked impatiently. I showed him. "Ah, the drill and hot knife. You must take a burn to your back from a knife roasting in the fire all day and drill a hole in your foot."
My eyes widened. "I have to do two things?"
"Oh yes." Said Seth.
I stared at the floor for a minute then put both hands on the sides of my head. "Fuck!" I yelled.
"Don't do this to her." Daryl said. "Don't make her do this."
"Excuse me." Seth said. "All you people came here practically begging me for food and supplies so how about a little fucking respect?" He yelled. That was the first time I saw him lose his temper. He quickly recovered. "Someone will do the burn for you but you have to do the drilling yourself. What do you choose first?"
I felt sick and gagged. "I guess the burn."
"Great." Seth called two guys over. One had the hot knife and the other bent me over the table, lifted my shirt in the back and held me down.
"I'm ready." I said sickly. He pressed the knife down on my lower back. I squealed and yelled out in pain. It hurt so much more than I thought. My body started shaking uncontrollably. Finally, he lifted the knife off me and the other guy let me go. I fell to the ground panting.
"Abby?" Alden said. "Abby, are you okay?"
"Yeah." I said weakly and stood back up. I sat down. "Let's do this drill thing now." I quickly took off my boot on my left foot. They handed me the drill. "Oh God." I looked away about to be sick.
"Whenever you're ready, Abby."
I started to put the drill close to my foot then pulled it away. I gagged again. "I'm gonna throw up."
"If you're gonna be sick, hurry up and just do it then get back to the drilling."
I breathed heavily and looked down. I gagged one more time but nothing came up. I spit on the floor and took another deep breath. "I'm good." I said. "Ah ah."
"Now, Abby!" Seth yelled. Maybe he's also getting tired of the game?
I hurriedly pushed the drill down on my foot and screamed as it did it's thing. It was completely through my foot. I pulled it out quickly and cried out in pain. "It's-it's bleeding."
"Move." Rosita pushed Steve out of the way. She quickly wrapped my foot with a piece of material from her shirt. "You good?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "Thanks."
"Moving on." Seth said after a minute. "Daryl's turn."
"I'm done with this damn game." Daryl said roughly. "Just gimme the Roulette."
"Fine. Have it your way." Seth said. That scared me the way he said it. There's still one bullet left in there. They put the gun to Daryl's head and pulled the trigger. Safe. I exhaled in relief.
"Al's turn." Seth said.
"Well…I passed last time so I feel like this is my redemption. I'll take the shot." Alden said.
They put the gun to his head. My heart was pounding. I had to look away. I heard the trigger. Alden was safe. I sighed in relief again. All we have to do is get through this round. No one has to die this time around.
"And last but not least, we have Steve." Seth said with folded his hands in front of him. "What's it going to be, Steve?"
Steve looked sick and really terrified. "I-I'm not doin' this." He shook his head.
"You have to Steve."
He looked around frantically. "No. I can't do this again."
"Steve, yes you can." I tried to encourage him. "You can do it. We only have to survive this round. No one's gonna die."
"You don't know that." He cried. "There's still one bullet in there and those two both went and didn't get shot, that means there's a good chance this could be it."
"So, pick the envelope!" I yelled.
"No, I can't go through that again." He shook his head.
"Steve!"
"I can't do it! I can't choose!"
"If you don't, they're gonna kill you!"
"I-I-I…no, I—
Suddenly, he was shot in the head by Seth. I jumped. Blood sprayed all over Alden who was sitting right next to Steve. "Sorry, your time was up."
"Oh God." Alden said.
"I have to say," Seth started, "I cannot believe he lasted that long. Most people like him die within the first few rounds."
I hate to agree with Seth, but…he's right. That guy was a pussy.
"Well, we're down to the final four and I must say I couldn't be happier with who is left in the game. You all deserve to be here."
We all kept out heads down.
"Let's move onto round six."
Round 6: Poison
"I would like to give a special congrats to Abby for being the only one to choose the envelope last round and you took it like a champ." Seth said. "I believe there's a special award for you. Would you like it this round or the next one?"
I looked around the room at everyone. "I don't know? This round. I don't know if I'm gonna be in the next round." I said annoyed.
Seth laughed. "Smart choice." He cleared his throat. "So, let's explain the game for round six. In the middle of the table, there are four cups of liquid. Blue, green, red and yellow. Two of them contain poison, two of them do not. No one will know which ones have the poison and which do not…except Abby." I looked up wide-eyed and then around at everyone else. "It's your prize." He smiled. "You will be taken into another room where one of my men will tell you which ones have the poison then you will get to decide who you want to give them to. Now, you could be noble and give it to yourself but...not only would that be a dumbass decision but it would also be disappointing considering how far you've made it in the game. Plus, you would still have to give the poison to one other person and you'd be killing someone anyway. But, you know, that's up to you." Seth looked to his men. "Vic, take Abby away and tell her which cups contain the poison." Vic nodded and gestured for me to follow him. I glanced at Daryl, he shrugged. I slowly stood up and followed Vic out of the room.
I came back in the room moments later feeling sick to my stomach. I sat down without making eye contact with anyone.
"You know which are which?" Seth asked.
"Yeah." I kept my head down.
"And…so you know who you're going to give them to?"
"Yes." I said barely audible.
"Excellent." Seth said. "Well, please, do tell."
I swallowed hard. "Blue for me. Red for Daryl. Green for Al. Yellow for Rosita." My voice cracked.
"Okay." Seth said. He gestured to his men to give everyone their proper cup. I stared down at the blue liquid. I felt sick again and started to cry. "Is there anything you would like to say before you drink, Abby?"
"…I…I'm sorry." I cried. "I'm sorry." I didn't look up.
"Oh! That means you did not give the poison to yourself." Seth clapped his hands together. "Great!"
I just kept my head down the whole time. I couldn't look at anyone. I was ashamed.
"Alright, on the count of three, everyone drinks their cup at the same time. Understood?"
None of us responded.
"Good." He said. "Ready? One…two…three."
We all threw back our drinks. It was only seconds later that I heard disgusting noises. I looked up and watched Alden and Rosita seizing. My eyes widened. They started throwing up blood. I screamed. Soon enough, they were dead. I leaned over the table and puked onto the floor. That was so much worse than I thought it would be.
There was a long silence. Seth finally broke it.
"Let's move onto the final round." He spoke quietly.
Final Round: Abby or Daryl?
"Let's just get right into this." Seth said. "But congratulations to the two of you. I see two exceptional people and I would be happy with either of you winning."
I finally lifted my head. Daryl and I made eye contact. I couldn't read his expression, but I hope he's not mad at me for what I did in the last round.
"Here's how this going to go…" Seth held up a coin. "Daryl, heads or tails?"
Daryl glared at him and did not reciprocate.
"Maybe you didn't hear me correctly." He cleared his throat. "Heads or tails, Daryl?"
"Heads." Daryl said angrily.
"Heads. Okay. That means Abby is tails. Let's flip this." He flipped the coin up and caught it then flipped in down onto his palm. "Oh, it's heads." He showed it to us so we knew he wasn't lying. "That means Daryl wins and gets the biggest decision of the game."
Daryl and I shared a look.
"Let's listen up now." Seth said. He turned to Daryl. "Daryl." He smiled creepily and folded his hands. "I am giving you the chance to end this game. You can walk out of here right now. Empty handed...but alive. The only thing is, Abby would have to stay here and play more games in the future with other groups."
My eyes widened. "No." I shook my head. "I can't do this shit anymore."
"Now, wait." Seth said. "I haven't finished yet. Or…you can take this gun," he held it up, "with one bullet in it and kill Abby, leaving you the winner and you can walk out of here with your prize."
Once again, my eyes widened. Daryl would never kill me. He just wouldn't.
"Now, there's several things you can do with this gun and I'm going to go over a few scenarios with you. You probably want take it and shoot me, but because there's only one bullet, you will most likely miss, then my people will kill you and then Abby and this whole thing would have been a waste. Or if you did shoot me, my people would still kill you, then Abby would die too anyway. So, I would recommend you not doing that. It would be a highly stupid thing to do at this point. There is one other choice you can make and I think you know what that is so I'm not going to say it."
Daryl looked down.
"So…I'm going to ask you one. last. time…would you rather…kill Abby and take your well deserved prize...or...leave here, leaving her behind but with the possibly of her winning in the future? The decision is completely up to you. I will give you one minute to decide. Daryl. Your time starts now."
At first, we both just sat there. Daryl was just given an impossible choice and I felt horrible for him. I'm sure he would rather it be me to make this decision. I was the first to speak.
"Daryl…" I trailed off. I swallowed hard. "Just do it. Just kill me. You can take the food and supplies back home to everyone. It's better this way. Please."
He was biting his lower lip. I could tell how tough this is on him.
"Thirty seconds." Seth announced.
"Daryl, just do it!" I yelled. "Kill me! Do it, Daryl! Kill me! Kill me!"
"You'd better do something soon, Daryl." Seth said.
"Daryl!"
He finally looked up at me. "No." He said quietly. My eyes widened and I gave him a questioning look. "No." He said again. He put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger before anyone said anything. Blood sprayed all over my face. I blinked in confusion while taking in what just happened. I looked at Daryl's dead body, his head on the table.
I screamed. "No! DARYL! NO!" I cried.
"Well, we have our winner." Seth said. "Congratulations, Abby! And I have to say, I knew from the moment you killed Carla that you would at least be in the top three. And the way you took that burn and drilled a hole in your own foot," he shook his head, "you were destined for great things, baby girl."
I just sat there screaming and crying while Seth laughed.
And so here I am. I took the supplies to everyone back home as soon as I got out of there. I was sitting outside in the dark. Alone. I was completely alone now. I reached back and took out my gun from its holster while grimacing in pain. Staring at it in my hands, I debating on wether or not to just do it. To end it. I exhaled sharply and raised the gun to my head. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. Here it goes. I pulled the trigger…
I gasped and sat up, breathing heavily. Looking around, I realized where I was and started to calm down. It was just a dream. I laid back onto the bed. The worse dream I ever had.
I got up to join the others once it was morning. My dad, Michonne, Carol and Daryl were already at the table.
"Hey, there you are." My dad said.
"Here I am." I raised my eyebrows and forced a smile.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." I said putting some food on my plate. "I had THE worst dream ever last night."
"You always say that." My dad commented.
"But this one was." I raised my eyebrows and took a bite of my pancakes. "I have some pretty messed up dreams but this one beats them all. And everyone was in it, even Negan but for some reason, he told everyone his name was Seth." I let out a small laugh.
"Huh? Well, what was it about?"
I looked down at my food. "I really don't wanna talk about it."
"Must 'a been some dream then." Daryl said. "You don't wanna talk." A few people laughed. I smirked.
I suddenly felt uncomfortable at the table because I remembered in my dream how long I was sitting at the table. I stood up and ate the rest of my food standing.
A little later, Maggie and Enid came over.
"We should have a game night once in a while." Enid said. I stopped what I was doing and looked up.
"That sounds like a good idea." Maggie said. "What kinds of game did you have in mind?"
"I don't know. Board games?" Enid shrugged. "Life, Monopoly, card games. Oh, and we should play this one game that my friends and I played all the time."
I looked nervously at her. "And what was that?"
"I'm sure you've heard of it. It's called Would You Rather…"
I felt sick to my stomach. I just had a feeling she was going to say that. "I'm never playing that game again."
"Why not?"
"Just because." I said and walked away. if they only knew…
The End
I hope all who read enjoyed. I thought this would be perfect with Halloween around the corner! :D Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks! :)