Samantha (Girl #8) stared up at the sun in the sky between the buildings around her. It surprised her every time she glanced up at it, because when The Program had started nearly eight hours before at midnight, Samantha had been sure that she would never see the sun again. And yet there it was in the sky. She had lived to see the light of day.

The horrific image reentered her mind. She was walking. She saw the fire first – the smoke rising in the sky had drawn her to the scene. However, she soon noticed that something was wrong. The air stunk of burning…burning something. Whatever it was, there was something wrong with it. She saw the bodies next. Samantha froze upon seeing the bodies. One lie on top of another and an arrow poked itself out from both sides of their heads. Her thoughts for a moment went to those ancient practical jokes she had seen before. The headsets where it made it seem like an arrow had gone through the person's head, but in reality it just went around the back. Just a practical joke. The bodies weren't joking.

Samantha had sprinted away as fast as she could. There was someone close by who had taken those contestants out. She had run until she couldn't breathe. And after falling down from her own exhaustion, Samantha stared up at the sun between the buildings around her. Slowly her breathing calmed and the welcomed silence set in. There was no one nearby, no one chasing her. She was fine, for the time being.

She stood, brushing the dirt from her clothes and noticing an average sized office building off to her side. With a quick check to the compass and map, Samantha determined she was not in the danger zone that was about to become active soon. She walked over to the edifice and walked into the lobby.

The lobby was a giant atrium with a glass ceiling that allowed an open view of the morning sky. Two elevators sat at the far end that took a person up to the designated floor and opened up to a balcony overlooking the atrium before extending further back into the floor where cubicles and offices sat.

Samantha walked over to the elevator pressing the up button. This building would be the perfect place to hide. It was large enough that it was doubtful that she'd run into anyone, even if there were more people residing in it. A soft bell was heard as the elevator slowly made its way down to the bottom floor. Samantha watched the numbers above the silver doors light up as the elevator descended. Finally the "L" for lobby lit up and the doors opened for Samantha to enter. She was shocked to see that someone was already inside it.

"Samantha?" Joshua (Boy #1) looked surprised. Fear paralyzed Samantha. She wanted to run, to escape the person who stood in front of her. She wanted to reach into her bag and pull out her weapon, a box of tacks, as some form of protection, but even that was useless. Samantha found herself crying softly, the tears blurring the boy who stood in front of her. She crumpled to the ground, her hands in front of her face. She waited for the deathblow that would eventually come. When nothing happened, Samantha pulled her hands away and stared as Joshua held his designated weapon directly in her face.

Only two of his friends still remained in Bruce's (Boy #23) house after their usual meetings. Justin (Boy #18) had volunteered to drive Genevive (Girl #21) home and so they had left. Molly (Girl #9) had to get home early thanks to an unusually unfair curfew, and Derek (Boy #2) had work the next day, which meant he needed to get home and get some sleep before the early shift. Only Kara (Girl #24) and Jeff (Boy #22) remained. Bruce's father and stepmother had gone out for the night. The three teenagers had the house to themselves.

Bruce wasn't even sure why he started talking, but it was probably because of the company he was in. It was always easy to talk to Jeff, since he never interrupted. And while his expression sometimes appeared disinterested and apathetic, his eyes held untold compassion and concern. And Kara, well…Bruce particularly enjoyed her company above everyone else's, though he'd never admit that to his friends. He kept them all equal, as far as they were concerned, but Kara had always been special to him. Whenever they were alone, he always found himself on the verge of telling her his true feelings for her, but fear always seemed to hold him back. He'd never compromise his friendship with Kara for something that may not even be there. If only he knew what she felt about him.

After some time with idle chat, Kara asked, "So your parents are out tonight?"

"Yeah, Dad and Meghan went to dinner and some sort of theater show. They won't be back until really late tonight."

A silence.

"I don't think they like me very much."

Bruce was surprised he had said that. He looked over and saw Kara leaning forward in her chair staring at him with puzzlement. Jeff hadn't reacted at all, except that he was merely focusing all his attention on Bruce.

"Why would you say that?" Kara asked.

"I feel like I let them down a lot." Bruce broke eye contact with his friends and continued talking, "My dad especially – I think he wanted me to turn out differently."

"I don't think so." Kara responded immediately, "I see how proud he is of you when he's nearby. Especially when you show off your martial arts training. Why would you think something like that?"

It wasn't something Bruce could explain. There was something in the house, in the interactions he had with his dad and stepmother, in the way that everything just existed that made him feel inadequate. Made him feel like he was in the way. He wished he could describe it, but it never came out the right way. Everything seemed normal to everyone else, he couldn't make them see that he felt unwanted.

"Is that why you cherish us so much?" Jeff finally spoke, "Because you think your family doesn't love you?"

Kara glanced over at Jeff with some surprise and Bruce joined her.

How did he realize that so quickly? It's like he saw right through me.

"Are we your family now because you don't think you have any other?"

His barriers completely and utterly decimated, Bruce looked from Kara to Jeff and then buried his face in his hands, his tears slowly running down his cheeks.

"They…no, he – Dad – he doesn't care about me anymore, not since Mom died." Bruce wiped his eyes as more tears blurred them further, "I'm his reminder of Mom's death, every time he looks at me, I know it!"

Kara came at sat next to him wrapping him in a hug. Bruce leaned up against her, grateful for the support. And he continued to let his insecurities and worries flow out of his system along with his cries.

"And Meghan hates me! I tried to include her as my family, but she sees me as only baggage that came with my dad. They hate me…they both hate me."

"Bruce-" Kara began. She was cut off by the normally silent Jeff. He stood from his chair and approached his two friends sitting on the couch. He crouched down until he was on eye level with Bruce.

"Bruce." His voice was soft but firm. He immediately drew Bruce's attention and locked onto it with an intense stare, "I can't speak for your parents. Even though I think you are mistaken, there is a chance you are correct and I'm not going to pretend I know what things are like here all the time. That aside, you've chosen us as your family now. And none of us – me, Kara, Derek, Molly, any of us – will ever be disappointed in who you are. We all value you just as much as you value our companionship. We have no expectations and no prerequisites for you to meet. All we want is for you to be happy."

And Jeff uncharacteristically loosened his tense face and revealed a warm smile – something that his friends had seen him rarely do. Both Kara and Bruce stared at the boy smiling at them, his eyes, for once, matching the expression on his face.

"As long as you want us…me around, I'll be here."

Bruce exhaled deeply allowing the memory to leave him completely. He stood from his resting spot deep in the western part of the forest, ready to resume his search.

My friends. No, my family. They are all I have. Until my dying breath, I will protect my family.

Samantha looked up at the beautiful red rose staring her in the face. She was confused, examining the object in front of her and determining it to be a rose before looking up at Joshua who smiled kindly down at her.

"I was thinking my weapon was going to be useless." He told her, "But I'm glad I was wrong."

"What?" Samantha gasped, finding the strength to stand.

"I've noticed you around school. You're always hanging around with your group of friends, talking and laughing about something. And…for some time now, I've been meaning to talk to you, but I'm a real coward. It's really tough trying to introduce yourself to someone you don't know, but would like to know better. I asked around, tried to see what you were interested in, so we'd have something to talk about."

Samantha was shocked at the boy who stood before her. She could honestly say that she had never noticed him before, but that obviously wasn't the case in reverse. A pang of guilt struck her, as she became fully aware of the situation at hand. He was out here, in the middle of this hell called The Program, and even so he had placed his trust in her, to tell her his true feelings for her. And all she could do was stand there like some sort of statue.

"I…I-" she began. She reached out and took hold of the rose, "It's very beautiful."

"Just like you are." Joshua said and then blushed noticeably. Samantha turned a little red too, but slowly she could feel her fear leaving.

"I love you." He said it without warning and Samantha stepped back in pure shock like she had been hit in the stomach. A crush she could handle, but love? Love was taking things a little too far.

"Uh…listen…um…"

"Joshua." He said with a wince.

"Right, Joshua. I appreciate the rose, but you see…" she trailed off.

"I understand." Joshua hung his head and grabbed his duffel bag, "You can keep the rose if you want, it didn't do me any good."

"You don't have to leave." Samantha said, although she secretly wished he would and relieve the awkwardness.

"No, it's fine. I don't want to –" he stopped. Joshua and Samantha both looked over at the doors to the office building. Someone new stood in their midst. Someone holding a bloody hand scythe.

He struck without warning, rushing at Joshua swiping his scythe horizontally. Joshua stepped back just in time across his chest. The handle of his duffel bag that hung around his shoulder was cut cleanly and fell to the floor. Another strike with the hand scythe, this time stabbing deep into Joshua's gut.

"No!" Samantha shrieked. A twist of the sharp object and a quick pull spilled Joshua's entrails all over the lobby floor.

"Samantha! Run!" Joshua cried out, launching his sliced body at his attacker. Pain wracked his body, but any head start he could give Samantha would be worth it. He had meant it when he had said he loved her, and he wasn't going to let anyone hurt her if he could help it.

Samantha raced to the elevator and entered it, hitting the button for the top floor. The boy with the scythe ignored Joshua and raced for the elevator compartment. Samantha frantically hit the "door close" button and it slammed shut before the attacker could get inside. She nearly hyperventilated as the elevator rose and her thoughts went to Joshua who had risked his life to save her. If things had been different, maybe…

The boy watched as the numbers lit up above the silver doors, and it stopped on the top floor – the seventh. He turned to see Joshua attempting to rush him again. But Joshua tripped over the body parts that hung from his open gut and he fell over screaming in pain. The boy walked over to the bleeding contestant. He leaned over glaring down at him. The boy took his scythe and slowly cut into Joshua's throat, letting the blood pour all over the lobby floor.

"Feel my pain."

He stood letting Joshua die and making his way over to the elevator. There was still one more person in this building that needed to suffer.

Current danger zones: 15, 28, 41

Pending danger zones: 2, 21, 24, 64

(38) Contestants remaining