40 students remaining

"My, my you children have been busy. Another four students to cross off your lists. Of course you are saved the hassle of that thanks to your computerised maps. Those of you alive to hear this message should be pleased to know you have survived the first half of day one. I would advise not getting caught out in the open as those of you who are playing will take advantage of your lack of shelter. It is very likely and unfortunate for those involved that two more children will die straight after this announcement. I am not going to reveal the location they are in until it is about to become a forbidden zone therefore insuring their demise. You may think this is unfair but bear in mind that there are many more students in this game than normal. I shall now read out the zone that is to become forbidden..."

Vinny looked at Tom with eyes that held no blame. They both sat dumbfounded on the shop floor. There was no way for them to leave the area before it became forbidden. Any second now and Mr Henderson would read out the zone which contained them. They had no doubt that they were the two students who were to be eliminated. After all, who else could it be?

"… It is A1" continued Mr Henderson. "That is all. Goodnight children. Sleep well."

Sarah let out a wail. It had started. The dull thump that told her that her stomach was gone had happened. Now she and Kelly had an agonising fifteen seconds before they blew apart. Kelly grasped the sword in front of her. She was not going to explode. This twisted game was not going to dictate her final moments in the world. She was determined not cry out as she plunged the sword into her chest. Mercifully the blade penetrated her heart and she died instantly before her lips could betray her. Sarah, now with tears streaming down her pale cheeks, reached for the sword herself. Just as she reached it a high pitched beeping emanated from inside her. "Not like this" she whispered before orange flame blossomed from her stomach and ended her suffering.

Billy Auty sat unmoving by a tree stump. He had seen the explosion and felt deeply sorry that two more souls had departed from this world. He crossed himself and then kissed a crucifix hanging from a chain around his neck. The blessed father had spared him from painful death. He had no intention of actually harming them. The very thought of inflicting pain on another of Gods creations was just a notion implanted in his mind by the devil that was the game itself. This game signified all that was evil in the world. Human sin was brought forward in all of its malice and intensified. Even a follower of the one true faith, like himself, was tricked into thinking of doing sinful deeds. Some of his classmates were doing sinful deeds. They were killing, driven by a basic instinct to survive. Perhaps some were just killing because they had the opportunity to. He looked towards the hilltop in front of him. How easy it would be to just walk forward and end it all. But, if he did that he would be denied eternal bliss in the kingdom of the lord. He must fight the temptation. This was Gods way of testing him, just as God had tested countless people over the centuries. He spoke to himself to soothe his beating heart, "Blessed father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name" the rest of his words were lost on the wind. It was not a good omen.

38 students remaining

Tom breathed out a sigh of relief. That had been close. Too close. Momentarily forgetting his gunshot wound he reached for some water. He winced with the pain. The sooner he got his arm treated the better. He motioned to Vinny. "We have to get to the hospital soon. Let's take stock of our equipment. We have my shotgun and your rifle. Bullets aren't an issue with them so we're ok. What about her revolver?" he indicated at Lois's dead body on the floor.

Vinny checked her bag after prying the revolver out of her fingers. Rigor mortis had started to set in and he was afraid he would have to break her fingers to get the gun but he managed to remove it without doing so.

"Her revolver doesn't have many bullets when you compare it to our weapons but it has enough for around twenty shots give or take a few."

Tom came to attention, "Give a take a few could mean the difference between life and death. If you run out of bullets in a fire fight because you still think you have some you're dead. Pull it together man."

"Ok ok there are twenty two bullets."

"That's good. Should it come to close range weapons I'll take the revolver since I can't use the shotgun because of my arm."

Despite the fact that he was receiving the shotgun from Tom for the time being Vinny felt the need to protest. "You used it fine before."

"Yes but that was in a controlled situation. If a player attacked us I wouldn't be able to use it properly. Pressure does strange things even to the experienced mind.

"Fine ok. When you talk about players what do you mean?"

"A player is a term people use to describe people who play the game. In this case it is people who kill lots of other people."

"So we aren't Players then."

"No not unless you have killed other people. At the minute you have only killed Mat Sutcliff and I've only killed Lois. I wouldn't say we are players. Besides I have an escape plan.

"You're kidding me. How can we escape when we can't see our collars to deactivate them?"

"I can't tell you now. When we reach the endgame I'll tell you then. We have to be the only ones left alive. That's the only way this is going to work."

"Oh I've just remembered we also have the Semtex you left on the island the last time you were here."

"Good. We can use it later. Right now we have to get to the hospital. Pray to god its still here."

Tom set off into the night towards the hospital with Vinny trailing behind with the bulk of their equipment. Due to the fact toms arm was injured he was only carrying the revolver, ammo, his food and water and a map. Vinny was carrying the shotgun, rifle, Semtex and his own food, water and map. The only trace that they had ever been to the shop was the body of Lois. As they stole away into the night Vinny muttered, "But I'm an atheist."