Saw: The Next Generation 2

Chapter 3

Maya and Maddie enjoyed the rest of their lunch together in their usual spot. Before Maddie could ask about Kellina, Maya asked, "Hey, could I hang out with you after school?"

Maddie paused before answering. "Oh. Uh... I don't know. I mean my parents don't let me have friends over on a school night."

Maya looked away. "Oh. Okay."

Maddie looked at her new friend. "But maybe we can walk home together. I live near the school. And there's a park- maybe we could hang out there for a little while."

Maya gave a smile. "That would be great."

Jade and Daniel played a few theater games in the theater classroom between their free period. She had an hour before her next class, and he had an hour and a half. This was one of few times in the day when the classroom wasn't being used for a course. The professor invited theater students to use it as a safe space to hang out, have lunch, or simply take shelter in the rain. A group of theater students would come visit during this time to play theater games, such as charades, park bench, ships and sailors, etc.

Ivy joined them in a game of "Baby I love you." In this game, one person is in the center while everyone else sits in a circle. In this version, everyone sat in a chair. The person in the middle has to go up to someone and say, "Baby I love you. Won't you smile for me?" Until someone smiles.

One student went up to Jade and she began laughing before they could say, "Love."

Jade got up and looked around the circle. She went up to Ivy. "Baby I love you." She kneeled next to Ivy. "Won't you smile for me?"

Stone faced, Ivy said, "Nope."

Jade gave her a look.

"You gotta ask someone else," a student said.

Jade went back to the center and looked around. She didn't know anyone else, except Daniel. Everyone looked poker-faced. She only knew these students through Daniel and theater. Jade took a deep breath and marched over to Daniel.

"Baby I love you," she said. She could see his serious expression and decided to up the game. She leaned over and sat on his lap. "Won't you smile for me?"

Ivy tried not to smile at them.

Daniel tried too, but a huge grin grew on his face.

"Aha," Jade said.

Daniel and chuckled and Jade laughed, leaning into him.

Amelia lied on a couch in the laboratory and thought about the last game. Specifically Sarah. Amelia thought about the time she told her to be brave. And then she reflected on Sarah's death...

Amelia watched from the control room as the players faced the second challenge. Heather pushed Sarah towards the trap. Amelia's eyes glued on the screen.

"I. will choose. Which one I. will do." Sarah said.

Amelia smiled at Sarah's comment. Her dad was in the room too.

"That Heather girl really is a bi-" he said.

"Shh!" Amelia said quickly. She turned up the volume on the cameras.

"It's your turn Sarah," Heather said on the screen.

Amelia shook her head. "No it's not! It's your turn!"

Her dad looked at her. "It's a game, sweetie. You know not everyone survives."

Amelia bit her nail as she watched Sarah on the camera inch closer to the trap. "It's not meant for her. She won't-" she stopped herself.

"And the other players with figure that out, after the fact." He said.

On the screen, Sarah pressed the button, triggering the trap. A large mechanism full of needles infused with drugs cane slamming down on Sarah.

Amelia looked down and closed her eyes.

Back in the present, Amelia sat and blinked a few times. Her eyes felt funny. She sat and looked at the screens in the laboratory. Still silent and empty. "It's time." She said.

Jade walked across campus to her dormitory. Danika called after her. "Hey. Jade!"

She turned around waited for him to catch up. "Hey."

"I uh, I wanted talk to you." He said.

"If it's about auditioning, I told you I haven't decided-" she said.

"It's not about the production," Daniel said. He paused after that.

Jade's eyes wondered for a moment. She look at him and raised her eyebrows. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Right. Uh," he cleared his throat. "I wanted to ask you out. To dinner this Saturday."

Jade blushed and tried to hide a smile. "Okay." She said.

Jade was still smiling when she made it to her dorm room. Ivy was there playing a game in her phone.

Jade sat and her bed, huge smile on her face, waiting for Ivy to notice. Ivy glanced at her and went back to her phone.

"Ivy," Jade said.

Ivy glanced at her again. Her eyes narrowed. "What's got you so excited?" Ivy put her phone down. "You're doing the play?"

"Better," Jade said. "Daniel asked me out."

Ivy giggled, "it's about time. Oh, I'm so happy for you." She got up and grabbed her hamper full of clothes. "I'm off to the laundry room."

"They close in an hour," Jade said.

"Then I Better hurry." Ivy said. "See you later."

"Bye," Jade said. She put Netflix on and watched 'Nailed It.'

Some time later, Jade woke up in her bed. She looked at the clock. 10:24pm. She fell asleep for about 2 hours. Jade sat and looked at Ivy's bed. It was empty.

Jade texted Ivy, "Where are you?"

She waited a few minutes before getting up leave their room. There was something off about all of this. Sometimes Ivy would stay out late at a party or with friends. But she left to do laundry. She would have brought the clothes back before leaving with friends. She wouldn't leave her clothes behind. And the laundry room is closed now. And the clean clothes aren't here. Nor is Ivy. Where else could she be?

She walked down the hallway, noticing how quiet it was. The walk to the laundry room seemed longer than usual. Maybe it's because it was night time.

Jade got in the elevator and made her way down to the second floor. She looked at her phone again. No reply.

She walked to the laundry room. There was a closed sign on it, but the door was wide open. "Ivy?" Jade called. She peeked inside. Ivy's pile of clothes were still there. Jade slowly walked into the room. "Ivy?"

Meanwhile, across the state, Kellina was at her home. She turned over in her bed. She opened her eyes and saw that she was alone in her queen sized bed. Usually Sofia would come in her room.

Kellina sat up. It took her a few moments to realize Sofia was there when she fell asleep. She was right beside her. Her door was closed all the way. It's never is.

Kellina got up and opened her door. From where she stood, she could clearly see the bathroom door was open and no one was in it.

Kellina peeked in the room next door - Sofia's room. She wasn't there either.

Several blocks away, Maya was sleeping soundly, until she heard a clanging at her door. Someone kicked it. Maya sat up and looked at the shadow at the bottom of the door. There were 4 feet on the floor-2 people. She heard grunting sounds.

Maya stared at the door, panting. A minute later, the grunting stopped and the two figures went away. Maya slowly got up off the bed and peeked underneath her door. She head the front door close. They were gone.

She opened her door and checked on her mom in her room. Her mom was alone, and asleep. Maya sighed with relief.

As Jade got closer to the pile of unwashed clothes, she noticed something on top of it. It was a package. Confused, Jade slowly grabbed it. It had her name on it.

Kellina walked into her sister's room and found a similar package in her sister's bed with "Kelly" written on it.

Maya found her package on the floor outside her mom's room. She almost stepped on it.

Heart racing, Jade opened it. She let the item slide out of the wrapping and into her hand. It was a VHS tape.