Chapter 4

5:00-6:00 AM, Day One. Game Initiate.

Dante couldn't believe it. The man that students had feared and despised, the man who had so vigilantly pursued academic perfection from his class was dead.

He had once been the feared teacher who sported a shiny, bald, head and a furrowed brow, making him look like the most commanding of animals, the bald eagle. Now, as Dante looked at him, he was a mass of tangled and bloody flesh, a horror of skin and bone, an abomination of the government's insanity.

Students were running about, trying to find ways to escape. They pounded frantically at the windows, screaming and crying. The man at the front beckoned for his soldiers to take Mr. Rogers away, which they did. Although Mr. Rogers was gone, the sickening odor of death and blood reeked in the air, causing poor Peter Orwell to vomit a third time in the corner of the room, which was, throughout this whole mindless rampage of terrified students, avoided. Knowing this let Dante think his class had some amount of sanity left, which comforted him, though he still felt terrible.

"Alright! You can stop now! The bad man is gone!" The man at the front of the room called sarcastically at the frantic class with a wide grin on his face. The soldiers behind him laughed, and, after no response from the students in letting up, the man beckoned for the soldiers to do something.

The soldiers fired warning shots throughout the room, which sent bullets ricocheting of the roof and floor.

"Fuck!" Dante looked over at Ike, who was clutching his left arm.

Dante reached over and tried to find some sort of way as to comfort Ike. As this happened the rest of the class finally managed to calm down, and they sat down in the different parts of the class, with sorrowful expressions upon their face, as though each any every one of their young souls had given up hope.

Ike seethed through his teeth, and clutched his bloody arm, which had been penetrated by a bullet. The man at the front diverted his attention from Ike and looked over the rest of the class.

"Well, now that he's gone and that you've calmed down, we can try and get things started," he said.

"Yes. Now that that's over with, there's nothing left to do but put on your collars and start the game."

The same soldier who had called for Mr. Rogers corpse walked through the door and called for The Hawk eyes. The soldier then received some sort of tray bearing what looked like many silver bands, which he pushed into the room on its wheels and set in front of the counter, which the man was behind.

"Alright everyone. Now, one at a time, you're gonna get those collars clipped on, then you're gonna pick up the bag you took from home, you'll get the supplies bag from one of these soldiers (as he said this, the same soldier received a rack full of the same bags as the woman had shown), and you'll leave through the door. This is, after I call your name of course. Alright, and without any further delay, let the game begin! Boy # 1, Cedric Rodriguez!"

Cedric stood up, his normally brown face incredibly pale; his blob-like black hair perched uncomfortably on his fine head. He quivered as he picked up his bag, his thin golf shirt clinging uncomfortably to the sweat coating his body. He went over to the collar table, where another one of the soldiers grabbed a collar and pinned it around Cedric's neck. Cedric grunted and frowned, reaching behind to feel the collar.

"Oh, and one more thing kids. Don't screw around with those; if you try to take them off, then BOOM!"

A few kids in the class gasped, though Dante had suspected this.

Cedric then jogged towards the exit, had a supply bag tossed at him from a soldier, which he awkwardly received, then he left. The game had begun.

"Girl #1, Alex Jeffery!" Alex had been sitting beside her friend, Ryan Dick. She hugged him, retrieved her bag, received a collar, got a bag and left after waving to everyone else.

"Boy #2, Jesmund Bosworth!" Jesmund stood up, his purple football jacket making him look even more bulky than he already was, bent down for a kiss from Nicole, retrieved his bag, then he got a collar, after which receiving he grunted uncomfortably. He left after retrieving his supply bag and exchanging lengthy glances with Nicole.

"Girl #2, Brianne Brianson!" The normal girl bid goodbye to her circle of friends, retrieved her things and left.

"Boy #3, Sid Algar!" Sid let out a screech of victory, skipped to his collar, which he gladly received, although Dante could've sworn Sid winced as the collar snapped around his neck. They must've been tight. Sid laughed maniacally after retrieving his supply bag, and then as he stood at the exit, yelled, "You're all dead. Know this; Sid Algar'll be the last thing any of you see!" Sid laughed once more and sprinted out through the hallway, out of sight. The rest of the kids exchanged nervous glances. Although Sid was known as a loner, people hadn't expected someone to go nuts so early. Though, Dante had changed his mind about Sid's mental stability. He was perfectly normal… This was Sid Algar.

"Girl #3, Jennifer Penray!" The leader of the delinquents stood up, licked her lips, and retrieved her things. She glanced at her cronies, then left.

"Boy # 4, Clayton Peticlerc!" Nervous Clayton Peticlerc, the class artist, stood up, clutching his personal bag. His face trembled with fear, as did his knobbly knees which shook uncontrollably. Clayton whimpered as the metallic collar clipped around his neck, and he stumbled clumsily to receive his supply bag. He caught the bag awkwardly and fell onto his side. Whimpering once again, he stood up and suddenly sprinted through the hallway.

"Girl # 4, Hayley Campbell!" Jennifer Penray's friend hurriedly retrieved her things and exited the class quickly. She and Jennifer were obviously going to meet up, which was convenient with their close exits.

"Boy # 5, Dante Zolianis!" Dante gasped, looked up at the man, and sighed. He sat, staring in front of him, for a few seconds, then, stood up bade goodbye to Ike, then got his collar. It was increasingly uncomfortable, snapping around his neck and squeezing everything. The painful feeling in his throat had still not subsided, and, coupled with the compression from the necklace, was quite an aggravating feeling. He picked up his day bag after, then, proceeded to get the green bag. The soldier chucked it at him, which Dante caught in the stomach, knocking him off balance and winding him. The soldier laughed, and as Dante looked back, he exchanged glances with Ruby. She was teary-eyed, sitting with Vanessa Mosolf and Erin. She smiled at him amidst her damp complexion, and Dante returned the smile. He then took one last glance at Ike, nodded, and left.

The hallway in front of him was long, with dim lights spanning the distance, each placed about a meter apart. His footsteps echoed throughout the thin hall, and he thought he heard the man back in the classroom call the name of the next student, Beth Bournes. Knowing this, he hastened his steps and sped into a steady jog. The weight of his supply bag was immense; he wondered what weapon he had received. He continued running, finally reaching the end of the hallway. As soon as he reached the end of the hallway, the left route took him outside.

Upon arriving outside, he was surprised to see there was no commotion regarding Sid. Dante figured he would've just killed anyone who came out… He must've got a crappy weapon. Dante reached into his bag and grabbed what felt like a wooden stick, though it was immensely heavy. Upon lifting it slowly out of his bag, he marveled at the wonder which was his weapon. It was a spear. Long and slender, the tip on the end shined in the moonlight, reflecting its light into the foliage surrounding Dante. Dante realized there was another piece to the spear; he reached into his bag and pulled out a small handle. When screwed together, the two pieces made a 6-foot long pole. Dante examined the initial piece; it was bearing a red strap, which he figured must be a way to carry it. He snapped the strap unto his shoulder, and it lay comfortably along his back. He looked around his surroundings; the building was surrounded by several pine trees and trees which had swooping branches decorated with leaves. The ground was covered in dirt, with patches of grass jutting upward in a few spots. Dante went over his options; he could wait for Ike… and maybe Ruby, too, or assume he would run into those two later in the game. He figured it was unlikely he would run into them both later, but he knew hiding in the bushes waiting for someone while there were still 21 students waiting to come out. Upon hearing footsteps behind him in the hallway, Dante sprinted into the trees and hid behind a low bush, his spear dangling about as he moved.

Beth Bournes stood exactly where Dante had just been standing and looked around her surroundings. She had been crying earlier, as well. Her brown hair which was tied back into a ponytail was now unkempt, and her makeup was running. She sobbed and ran down a path which led west.

Dante felt sorry for the girls; they had much to look forward to. Graduation in two years, boyfriends, sports, academics and their families… Hey, his family, too. Upon realizing he had a 1/48 chance upon surviving, Dante slid back onto his rear and sat in the dirt, burying his face in his hands. How he missed his parents and brothers, especially Kevin. Would Dante ever see him again?

More footsteps ricocheted throughout the thin hallway and outside. Upon looking back to the hall, Dante saw that the building must have been an old abandoned school. Also, when he focused his attention to his surroundings, he noticed that they were near the ocean. Wow… near the ocean? They took us from Cochrane, to, well… Vancouver? Those bastards.

James Crabbot exited the school, panting horribly. For a boy as bulky as James, all this must be hard on him. James was overweight, choosing to not participate in future gym classes at school. He was more into literature and political science; both of his parents were lawyers. James, too, took the path to the west, so Beth and him were likely to encounter each other. He scampered hurriedly down the path and out of sight.

Checking his watch, Dante realized it was 4:47 AM. He exhaled and laid his head upon his hands, continuing to watch the school's exit.

Dante had always been a frontrunner in the class' athletics. While Ike was scrawny and small, Dante was somewhat taller and more muscular, though he was still pretty skinny. He had excelled in basketball and volleyball, sports where his height aided him most exceptionally. Ike had only been good at baseball. He played it when he was younger but quit when they reached junior high. While Dante excelled in most of the sports Class 1 participated in during gym class, there were others who specialized in athletics. Shane Appleby was always the fastest runner in Class 1, though Sid Algar, Jesmund Bosworth, and Michael Ratcliffe were also very skilled. Sid was superior in most sports which required patience and accuracy, like golf and archery, though Shane could still outrun him. Jesmund was good when the class played touch football, and Michael was fast and small, making him good at dodge ball. Nick Palagian was a skilled fighter and a strong weightlifter.

More footsteps, and Lindsey Bartholemew exited the school. She quickly pulled out her map, then scampered off through the trees to the south. Dante figured she and Brianne, a good friend of hers, must've been planning on meeting at a designated area.

Dante then realized how tired he was, and how his head ached from falling on the bus. He rubbed it with his left hand, then rested back on the ground. His eyes tried to close themselves, though, no matter how tired he was, Dante would not let himself fall asleep. No way.

Dante waited as more students passed; Devin Gryznatch, the irritable drummer, was actually the first one Dante saw who pulled out his weapon on the spot. It was a can of mace, which Dante figured could prove quite useful in fights. Dante sighed as he imagined the sight of his fellow classmates killing each other…

More students passed as time did with them; Whitney Sabourin, who, Dante must've figured, was left behind by her delinquent friends. She wasn't as quick as Hayley when it came to exiting the building. Instead, she went along the side of the school and headed north. Ryan Dick then followed, moving very quickly. He obviously was looking for Alex Jeffery. Michelle Smith, upon exiting the school burst into tears, and took to moving through the foliage, heading east. Miles Templeton tripped on his way out of the school, dropping all of his things. His supply bag split open and out came his food supplies and flashlight, as well as a 50-dollar bill, which, to his inconvenience, must have been his weapon. Miles, being slow to the uptake, first thanked the gods for letting him find a 50-dollar bill. Then, realizing his situation tore it to pieces and swore, and then he gathered his things and proceeded northward. Erin Hill, one of Ruby's friends then followed. Upon realizing Erin was friends with Ruby, Dante figured he should ask her if they had any plans. He stood up and got Erin's attention.

"Erin," he called.

"Huh!" Erin turned around to face Dante. Her normally fair complexion which was complemented beautifully with make up looked panicked and sinister.

"Hey," Dante began. "You and Ruby hooking up? I'm waiting for Ike, I figured it'd be easier to travel in pairs," Erin backed away from Dante against the school wall, panting heavily. "Look," Dante stepped forward with his arm extended. "I don't wanna fight. I'm just asking, are you and Ruby planning on meeting?" Erin said nothing in return, but instead, reached into her supply bag and pulled out her weapon. It was a CZ-75 pistol. Dante crouched down and ran back into the bushes, but upon turning around, smashed his face into a tree. The objects in front of him went out of focus, but he squinted and blinked enough to regain full consciousness, upon which he ran into the foliage. He heard a shot from behind him, and then felt as though someone had poked him in the back with a branding iron. He yelped and fell forward on the ground, seething with pain. The bullet had hit him in the back, in the right side, just above his ribs. His face covered with mud, he stood back up and turned around to where Erin was. She was gone. Dante figured she must've run after thinking she might've just killed someone.

The pain in his back was unbearable. He blinked back tears as he rubbed where the bullet shot him, and then brought his hand in front of his face. There was less blood then Dante thought, though the pain about made up for it. He went back to his original position, hating Erin. What a bitch! I wasn't fucking planning on attacking! Fuck! I hope she dies! She'll get hers!

More students followed, poor Peter Orwell, who was a sickly pale had retreated hurriedly to the east, then small Evelyn Teegan came out. She checked her map, hoping that she would eventually run into her friend, Beth Bournes. She sobbed, sniveled, then took the path to the west, which was, coincidentally, the same path Beth had taken.

Tom Shelton then followed. He was holding his supply bag on his shoulder, wielding a machete in the other. His personal bag was gone. Dante assumed he had discarded it due to its obvious lack of usefulness. Tom took the path to the west, then disappeared into the bushes.

Stephanie Mitchell proceeded after Tom, her long blond hair reaching her waist. She was small and annoying, slowly walking out of the school. Dante scoffed and hoped she would leave as fast as possible. Tom looked quite shady; he could be playing the game. Her mouse-like complexion trembled with fear as she analyzed her plan of action. Dante thought he saw her glance his way. She eventually decided to take the same route as Tom, which, incidentally, was covered with footsteps. "How could she be so stupid?" Dante thought. "It's 5 AM and even I can see the fresh steps from here!" She then sprinted full speed into the foliage, leaving Dante to his lonesome.


Stephanie Mitchell, Girl Number 11, walked through the bushes after sprinting with all her speed. She had freaked out after seeing Dante Zolianis hiding in the bushes, with some sort of blade above him. She stopped her movement, thinking she was safe.

"God… why did I get put in this game? I haven't done anything to anyone!" She sat back against a tree, then took out her weapon from her bag. It was a belt. She sighed, thinking that such a useless weapon had pretty much decided her fate; she had no chance of surviving. There was no hope that someone as small, weak, and unintelligent as her could win this game. She wasn't even that beautiful. She had been made fun of by her peers throughout junior high school for being small and annoying. People often called her Mouse Girl or… well… pretty much any other name with any reference to a mouse. She sobbed and felt tears slide down her bony cheeks. God, if only she could see Ike Ferdez one last time. She had loved him since the beginning of the first semester. He was always nice to her; he had never insulted her. Though, when she thought about it, he had never actually spoken to her anyway.

Knowing this, she cried harder, letting it all out. She whimpered as more tears rolled down her cheeks, ruining her extensive makeup. She thought of home; her small cat Mr. Carrey, who was named after her favorite actor, her piano, which, unbeknownst to anyone aside from her small circle of friends, was quite a talent of Stephanie's, and of her room. Decorated with posters of beautiful woman and men alike, all of which she idolized. How she wished she was beautiful. She'd give anything.

The more and more she dwelled upon her home and past life, the more she cried. She cried and cried and cried, until finally something happened. A bush opposite the tiny clearing she was in rustled. She thought saw a face peek up from it, but she figured it was just a… a dog or something. She sighed as she silently cried against the tree. She buried her face into her hands, then saw another bush rustle, this time closer to her. She looked in its direction, but saw nothing. She sighed again and decided to have some water. She reached into her bag and pulled out a 591 ML water bottle (which was titled Coalition Water Supply), filled with crystal-clear goodness. She unfastened the lid and let it flow into her mouth. It tasted bitter, though it was still good. She cheered up after her refreshment, but then she heard another bush rustle. This time, it was right beside her. She stood up, belt in hand, as the bush rustled slightly once more. "W-… Who's there?" She called out.

"Hello? Anyone…?" She stared into the rustling bush, then, deciding it was nothing, sat back against the tree. Suddenly, she felt as though a person was behind her. She quickly turned around and saw the face of Tom Shelton, Boy Number 11. He had a long blade in one hand, which was raised high, while the other hand was clenched into a fist. This fist came crashing into Stephanie's jaw, sending her to the dirty ground (This is gonna ruin my clothes!). Tom then plunged the knife into Stephanie's side, watching as the blood flowed from the small gap between the hole his knife had and the surrounding flesh. Stephanie whimpered and gritted her teeth as the life she had flashed before her eyes…

Learning the piano…

Cuddling Mr. Carrey…

Seeing Ike Ferdez …

Her first recital…

And finding true friends.

Tom Shelton relinquished his grip on the knife, and panted heavily as he watched Stephanie's eyelids close. He sighed heavily, contemplating what he had just done.

He was a murderer.

Knowing this fueled his taste for the outside world; he wanted to be free again. How could a game be so fucking sinister? He took the knife from Stephanie's side, and swung it around so as to fling the excess blood off. Stephanie's corpse lay on its side in the middle of the small clearing, the moonlight highlighting her features. The knife had ripped a small hole in her white t-shirt, though no internal organs were visible amidst the flowing ruby liquid that was Stephanie's blood. Tom wiped the remaining blood on Stephanie's shirt, and then exited the clearing to try and find more people to eliminate.

GIRL # 11 STEPHANIE MITCHELL DEAD, 47 TO GO.