Task Description:

Tributes go on a scavenger hunt for items on a list given to them by Sayuri, while they hunt they see Callisto and Attius doing something horrible.

I’ve been locked in a carnival run by murders, I’ve played a twisted game of hide and seek, I faced my worst fear and I conquered it, I’ve watched three people’s souls get ripped from their bodies and I was forced to burn someone or face death’s unforgiving jaws myself, but I don’t think anything could have prepared me for what I saw in that room. If my mentality had managed to stay in one piece up to this point, this completely shattered it. It sent the millions of shards flying in every direction, making it impossible for me to ever find them all.

It started when the female’s voice rang out through the speakers as I wrapped my now both stabbed and burned wrist with some medical tape that I had managed to scrounge up. “Tributes,” She said softly, in the tone that a mother would speak to a child in, “I’m  hungry; I’m lonely; I’m in need of a few little…. things.” Her haunting voice sent shivers down my back, making me freeze mid-wrap.

I lifted face, my eyes flitting to each of my friends, hoping that I hadn't heard her wording correctly. Their dirty, bruised faces all were scrawled with a expression of horror, their eyes wide and disklike reflecting their innermost thoughts that mirrored my own; since when had we become tributes?

“Yes,” Her voice sounded stronger now, more certain of what she wanted, “I have a few little things that I want you to fetch for me: Two items of different food, a teddy bear of some sorts, a balloon of some sorts - filled with helium, a rubber duck with the number of your birth day on the bottom - not the month, the day, and bubbles. I wish for you to bring them to me; I’ll be waiting here in the office of doom for y’all. Good luck.” The microphone shut off, leaving behind nothing but a long eerie silence.

Cleopatra was the first one to speak. “Well I think someone is on her period.” She said rolling her eyes and leaning backward against the wall of the shack we had bunkered down in after the incident with the acid.

Maxine rolled her eyes, “Why should we even oblige? I mean its not like she can force us to do it.” She said arrogantly, crossing her arms over her chest. A micro-expression flitted through her eyes, one that if you had blinked you would have missed; the expression was one of self doubt.

Arwen glowered at us, her eyes flashing indignantly, “Fuck! Have you people not realized that they are not only insane, but dangerous? We’ve tried escaping twice, and the later of the two left us almost dead. These people clearly have everything wrapped up. Our best bet at survival is to just play along until we see an opportunity to overpower them or escape. Everyone, even the most brilliant of us, will make a mistake. We just have to be ready to act upon that escape.” She said coldly.

If I had to compare Arwen to one thing I would easily compare her to a machine. An efficient engine seemed to power her brain to complete every task she was presented with brilliance and calculation. On some level I had always envied the way her brain worked. It seemed so much better than my mentality that was best compared to a Pablo Picasso painting on a good day.

Maxine nodded, looking down so her back hair fell in front of her face like a curtain that concealed her expression from view. “We should get going then… I guess.” She said, through her limbs made no move to stand up.   

I looked down, this intoxicating sense of doom crushing me. My fingers itched to write more than anything, the yearning for my small leather bound book was overpowering. It was wherever my jacket was and that had been missing since last night. I had been wearing it when I had been knocked out, and when I had awoken it was gone… so logically it had to be in that area right?

My eyes slid over to Arwen, I already knew she would flip out if I said I was going to go back to the area that I had been forced to face my greatest fear in, I didn’t want to fight with her. I knew I’d lose. Which meant that I was going to have to do it without her knowing, I hated the concept of lying to her though.

And so, I was faced with the choice; lie, or retrieve my prized possession which also helped me maintain my sanity. It was a fairly easy choice, I barely weighed the odds as much as I should have before I felt the fatal words that began of the erosion of my moral drip from my lips like a bitter-sweet poison. “Guys, why don’t we split up? Each grabbing four of each item. It would make the task a lot easier, then we can meet up in front of office in say… an hour?” I suggested carefully, gauging each of of the girls faces.

Cleo nodded, her coffee-colored eyes lighting up a little. “Yeah, that makes sense… but I think it’d be stupid to go alone. In pairs perhaps? It wouldn’t get done as fast but we could still chop the time in half.” She she said standing up. A arrogant smirk played across her lips, how genuine it was though was anyones guess. “My pair will grab the balloon, the teddy and the bubbles. Who wants to come with me?”  She looked at Arwen expectantly, her eyes seemed to dare her not to speak up.

A mixture of perplexion and concern tickled my brain, as I watched Arwen shrug her heavily bruised shoulders, looking up at Cleo with a hint of interest in  her eyes. I knew that she was planning to get to the bottom of whatever Cleo’s problem is.

“I guess I’ll go with Maxine then,” I said, rising to my feet as well. My stiff muscles ached in protest from the small movement. Max shot to her feet next to me, still moving as fluidly as she had when I had first met her. I wondered if she was an athlete, her physique certainly suggests it.

“So we are getting the food and the ducks.” Maxine said with a hint of steel in  her voice, placing a hand on her hip. “What are your birthdays?”

“The 1st.” Cleopatra quickly, as if it had been on the tip of her tongue.

I already knew Arwen’s birthday, but she said it anyway, “The 17th.” She cracked a grim, knowing smile and turned away- but Maxine stopped her by letting out a loud whoop of approval.

“Let’s hear it for the girls born on the 17th!” She flung her arms in the air and did a little dance that resembled the death dance of an unnamed waterfowl- you know, if waterfowl had death dances. “Thats my birthday too!”

“I kind of guessed.” Arwen said flatly, clearly unamused by Maxine’s display. “See you guys later.” She said shortly, grabbing Cleo’s wrist and pulling her out of the safety of our hiding spot. A huge rock of guilt fell into my stomach, I hated lying to her, but I had to get my journal back.

Maxine’s arms dropped to her sides, a scowl formulating on her face. “Bitch.” She growled, then she turned to me, her green eyes flashing. “Okay, I’m sorry, but did you just see how she snubbed me like that?”

We stepped out of the shack and into the sunlight. “No, its nothing personal. Arwen just is more of a person who prefers to lurk in the shadows, it just takes her a long time to warm up to you.” I said, memories of when I first met Arwen back in junior high floating back to me. “If it makes you feel better all through high school she used to hide in lockers, or behind walls, or wherever and try to trip me as I walked past.” I shrugged, still unable to figure out why me falling flat on my face amused her so.

Maxine raised an eyebrow critically, “You were friends with her?”

l tore my eyes from her and scanned the empty booths for food or ducks. “Umm… We have an interesting relationship.” I said hesitantly, my eyes focusing on a chipping trailer that had a bright cartoon painting of a peanut holding a bag of its brethren, popping one in its mouth. “We can probably find something she can eat in there.”

Maxine nodded her head, a blank expression on her face. An uncomfortable silence instilled as we walked over toward the peanut stand, “So…” I said, prying open the door of the trailer and stepping inside; the entire structure shifted under my weight.  I felt the question that had been at the back of my mind since earlier slip out.“Do you know why Cleo was so determined to pair up with Arwen?” I asked cautiously, glancing over my shoulder at Maxine.

Maxine looked down, her black fringe hiding her face from sight. “Umm… Yeah. I guess I should tell you.” She said slowly, her eyes raising to meet mine. “Keep in mind that I like Cleo, and honestly I can’t blame her for thinking this….” She trailed off, her eyes looking away from me.

I felt dread wind itself up in my stomach like a jack-in-the-box. “What…?” I asked reluctantly, knowing it was too late to take back my question. My mind wheeled with all the possibilities, trying to pinpoint one that added up.

“See…. Cleo’s just worried about you and Arwen teaming up and backstabbing us, its clear you two are really close…. And I mean if it came down to it; choosing between your lifelong best friend and two strangers- its pretty obvious what choice you’d make.” Maxine said rubbing the back of her neck uncomfortably. “Basically she didn’t trust you two to be alone, so she decided that Arwen would come with her. Well at least thats my guess anyway. She talked to me earlier, after the acid horror, about her fears.”

I nodded, knowing she was right. “Yeah….” I felt horrible for admitting it, but I would choose Arwen over Cleo or Max in a heartbeat. “But… lets make sure it doesn’t come to that.” I said weakly, turning around and grabbing some chocolate covered peanuts and some regular unsalted ones. “There. They are technically different, right?” I cracked a strained smile, hoping we could move past this rocky conversation. I tossed a few bags to her.

Maxine shrugged, though her movements were strained. “Well, if not the bitch will just have to be a big girl and suck it up.” She let out an uncomfortable laugh as I jumped from the trailer beside her.

We started walking again, “I know where the duck game is, I was playing it with my brother before I decided to take a ride on the rollercoaster of death.” She said bitterly, clenching her fists as if it was her deepest desire to punch someone’s face in.

I looked down at the ground that was strewn with hay, “I’m sorry. This really sucks…. This shouldn’t have happened.” I was overwhelmed with a sense of grim disappointment for all we had lost, our future, our dreams, our life- no. We hadn’t lost it yet.

“Yeah.” Maxine whispered, looking downwards. She let out a determined sigh and her entire demeanor hardened up. It was only then that I realized that I had seen a weak side of a strong girl that might never show its face again. “So. You got any family?” She asked, changing the subject.

I let out a sigh, of all the questions she could have asked. “No.” I admitted reluctantly, “Well technically I have a mother and father out there somewhere, but I never met my father and my mother was a druggie who liked to sleep around.” I paused, a mixture of relief and shame simultaneously lifted me up and dragged me down. “I had some great brothers though, Corwin, Drew, and little Bobby. Bobby was such a sweet little infant, I swear he’s probably one of those perfect children who gives his allowance to the food bank and helps old ladies cross the street.” I laughed, a little warmth flooding my heart.

Maxine smiled, though it was clear that she was only doing it to be polite. She would never understand my world because she hadn't lived it, and likewise I would never understand hers. “So what about you?” I asked, my eyes focusing on the booth with the ducks. It was really more of a flimsy wooden pavilion, actually, with a little tub full of multi-color rubber ducks underneath.

“Oh…. Well I live with my brother.” She said distracted as we reached the pool of ducks and I dunked my hand into the chilly water, grabbing a duck and turning it over. “I hate my parents.” She declared setting aside a duck with the number seventeen on it.

I was tempted to ask her why, but I didn’t want to pry. I figured that if she wanted to she would tell me, though it just made me feel like a enormous moron for spilling as much as I did about my past.

“When’s your birthday? You never said.” She asked, sliding her hand through the water causing a wake that overturned a few ducks.

“My birthday was yesterday actually, Arwen brought me here to celebrate. So yeah, I was born on the thirteenth.” I frowned, plucking out a duck that had a sloppy number one etched on the bottom with sharpie. This was Cleo’s birthday, I set it aside and plucked out another duck that had a seventeen scrawled on it.

“Well this must rank #1 on your list of bad birthdays.” She laughed, flipping around a duck displaying it’s number thirteen. She pocketed the duck and beckoned for me to follow her.

I ran a couple of paces to catch up to her, “So, Max, I actually lost my jacket the other day. We have some extra time, do you mind if we try to find it? I have a general idea of where it is.” I said, nervousness mounting inside me. I mean what If she said no? Would I seem like a maniac if I declared that I was going to go find it on my own?

Luckily Maxine simply shrugged, glancing up at the bright noonday sun. “Yeah, I guess we have time. Lead the way.”

We walked through the eerily silent carnival, the only sound was our footsteps; our only company was our shadows. “Where do you think all the bodies go? What do you think they do with them?” She asked suddenly, as we passed a huge patch of bloodstained earth.

I adverted my eyes from the discolored dirt, “I don’t want to know.” I said, my imagination painting a picture of a huge factory in which the corpses were ground into meat and then molded into hot dogs to be sold on the streets by vendors…. Sometimes I really cursed my imagination.

We turned a corner onto the main path that led to the foreboding wrought iron gates that sealed us into our doom. I looked around, a nervous tremor running down my spine like a raindrop of water down a windshield. Even though everything looked different in the daylight, less sinister and foreboding, I was able to easily pick out the building I had backed up against before I had been knocked out. Cast over by the sunlight, I could see that it appeared to be a storage building.

I looked over at Maxine, “Thats the building… I’m assuming my jacket is inside.” I forced the words from my mouth as if they were glue. A cloud of dread seemed to surround my heart, squeezing it as if it was trying to strangle it. I stared at the building as I forced myself to walk over to it, memories of my near demise flashed into my skull. Honestly, even though I was with Maxine, I was terrified at the prospect of what I might find in the building. My desire to reclaim my journal though throbbed in my chest, overriding any fear that froze within me.

I should have left my journal. It wasn’t worth it.

I was about to place my hand on the doorknob when I heard it. I heard the long, drawn out laugh from within that made my blood go cold, so cold I swore it froze. I looked over at Maxine, her bright green eyes were as wide as disks. A knot formed in my heart as I leaned closer to the door, the chilling voice penetrating my ears.

“My, Aitius, you are a genius.” A masculine voice said crisply. “I had no idea…” I strained my ears trying to hear what he said next. “.... I never would have thought of this.” A disturbing slurping noise teased my ears, a morbid curiosity forming within me. I reached for the cold handle, turning it slowly in my hands.

Part of me screamed not to do it though, I had seen what these people were capable of. It was like my mind was waging a war between common sense and curiosity, each side fighting for dominance in my brain. Maxine hovered over my shoulder tentatively, she shook her head fervently, though she didn’t make any move to backup.  I froze, she was right.

More laughter broke out from inside the room that tantalized my imagination, daring me to just take the smallest peek. After all, one little glimpse couldn’t hurt me. I exchanged a glance with Maxine, she lifted her hand and held her index finger directly over her thumb. ‘Open it just a little.’ She mouthed, revealing that her curiosity was tormenting her just as much as mine was me.

I will never be quite sure what drew me to open that door, surely curiosity alone was not enough for one to risk their life for just one small, innocent peek. Perhaps some otherworldly spell had been cast upon the room in order to draw its victims closer and closer until they were entwined in the spider’s web- however a realistic (though much more boring) explanation is that it is more likely curiosity is stronger than I give it credit for. The only thing I am sure of though was that I never should have opened that door.

I opened the door laboriously, never letting go of that gelid handle. Fear flooded my mind, washing over every inch of my being like a raging flood as I leaned forward apprehensively, peering into that room.

What I saw in that room would burn in my brain, scratching at my sanity until the day I die…

A dim, flickering light illuminated the room, the sickly yellow light was cast over a table that was covered in blood, the mauled corpse of a small child with long golden-brown hair. Everything about her face had been left intact- except for her eyes which were gouged out, leaving nothing but bloody black abysses. In life she must have been pretty, but in death her porcelain-like beauty was simply chilling. Her stomach had been slit open, various entrails and organs were spread out on the table  between two very familiar silhouettes. Each held a hand of cards that were covered in bloody fingerprints.

My stomach heaved as I stared at the tall stacks of bodies that were cast in huge piles near the walls. Most of the bodies were torn open, their entrails spilling out on the floor. Blood dripped from cracks on the wall and piled into puddles on the concrete floor. It looked as if their had been a massacre in here…. My eyes focused on the face of the  blue eyed boy who had begged for me to save him. I stared in horror at his ghostly white face. The black of decay ringed his empty eyes and lips that were curled upwards into a frightening grin. My body went numb as I continued to look around the room, recognising others who had been on the coaster with me, full of life and glee. All that life had been sucked out of them though, drained until they were no more than corpses.

My eyes flitted over to our scarlet-headed captor smile, showing his roux stained teeth. “Who knew it tasted so good?” He cackled, throwing his cards on the table and reaching his arm into the girl’s corpse. I watched fixated with horror as he pulled forth a bloody organ that hung limply in his hand, veins hanging downward as small drops of blood dripped from it. “I guess the heart is mine then, Aitius.” He grinned gesturing to his cards.

Aitius, the man with the golden-brown hair and the charm of a snake, shook his head smugly, dropping his cards into the bloody puddle on the table. “No, dear Callisto, no one ever beats me when I want something.” He laughed arrogantly, ripping the bloody organ from Callisto’s outstretched palm. His tongue reached from his mouth, running across the organ as if to savor the very taste of it. “You know?” He said pulling it away from his mouth, “The heart has always been my favorite- You know why? Not only because of it’s rich sweetness, mixed with that scrumptious metallic taste. Nor because of the way it squishes beneath your teeth as you bite down, its many blood vessels collapsing as your teeth slice through its tissue. No, I do believe I love it because of what it represents, everything that makes humans weak; our love, our kindness, our mercy, our feelings that so often seem to delude us.” His voice echoed through the near empty room in a haunting monotone, sending electricity crackle up my spine.

I stared as he lifted the heart to his lips and bit down, blood cascaded down his chin as he turned his head a little, ripping the hearts tough flesh. He let out a low hum of pleasure as he chewed, the heart squishing loudly in his mouth. His adam’s apple dipped as the  lump of heart made it’s way into his stomach.

Vomit curled up my throat, scalding it as I forced it back down. My heart raced in my chest, it throbbed in my ears and my head felt light. I shuddered and glanced over at Maxine who still stared, her face a sickly shade of viridescent, “God.” She choked looking down at the hard packed dirt upon which we stood.

I looked up again to see Aitius swallow the last bit of heart and lick the organs bloody remains off of his fingertips. “Shall we play for the liver?” He asked, cheerily looking over the corpse at his friend. My eyes suddenly focused on a small lump of leather crunched up in the darkest, most shadowy corner of the room; my jacket, in which my journal was tucked away.

A sickening feeling choked my throat- was I that crazy? I looked over at the table upon which the cannibals sat with their meal, playing cards for their next taste of the child's blood. I looked over at Maxine who started to back up. ‘Wait here.’ I mouthed, opening the door just a crack wider and slipping through before I could stop myself. I dropped into a crouch, moving with the elongated shadows that dipped and bended in the flickering light.

I felt my hands begin to shake as I inched forward, every nerve in my body screamed for me to turn and run. All I wanted was to wake up in my bed and find this was all a dream- I knew better though, I don’t believe even the most twisted mind possibly conjure this nightmare up.

The smell of blood overwhelmed my senses as I crawled through slimy puddles of decaying organs and pools of blood, the freezing sensation with each touch sent shivers up my spine.   I glanced over my shoulder to see Maxine’s face torn between horror and rage, she flipped me off with both fingers, as she mouthed, ‘You freaking idiot!’, her eyes blazing. Should I double back and make a run for it while I could? I turned away from her, pushing everything besides my precious journal from my mind. I just had to get my journal. That was it.

I continued to inch forward, fear and panic stabbing my brain like knives. I had to calm down, by now I had it down to an art.

I feel it mounting,

Slowly, steadily building,

As I am creeping forward,

Every little thing adds to the shivers,

I feel,

That slowly rises,

From my stomach,

To my head,

Creating an ever growing black mist,

That clouds my mind,

And so forward, I creep.

Heart thumping I reached forward and grasped my sticky leather coat, instinctively feeling for my journal- I felt nothing but an empty pocket. My heart jumped into my throat as I frantically checked the other one. This couldn't be right. I was about to turn and retreat when I felt a cold, wet hand on my shoulder. I breathed in sharply, my body stiffening as the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. No… no…. this couldn't be happening.  

“Looking for this?” An amused voice drawled behind me as a chilling laugh ricocheted off my ear drums.

Heart in my throat, I slowly turned around to see my two captors towering over me, their faces smeared with blood and sadism. I saw the one with the chestnut eyes that gleamed with something absolutely mad clutch my journal. My heart thrummed like the panicked flapping of a caged bird as I shot to my feet ether to grab my journal or run for my life- I had no idea. It was like my consciousness was in auto pilot. Before I could do anything I felt arms yank me backward into a bear hug, crushing my ribs and arms against his chest.  I cried out, the anxiety ripping from my throat as I kicked and struggled, desperate to get free. Why the hell did I have to be so short? And skinny? And detest working out? Curse you, shitty genetics.

“Relax.” Aitius chuckled, flipping through the pages of my book nonchalantly. “Its not like we’re going to eat you.” He cracked a grin as a coy laugh wound from his throat like a snake from a jar. The redheaded man, Callisto, laughed as well, his chest heaved, shaking me with it. Beads of sweat began to formulate on my forehead as I watched in horror, my fate begin to unfold before my eyes.

“You know, I actually read through this.” Aitius continued, his eyes flitting across the pages. I felt my heart drop more if that was even possible. “You’re really quite a morbid fellow, not very happy I take it? Mommy problems?” He cooed mockingly, as if he was talking to a small child.

I felt the unfamiliar sensation of rage grasp my heart in it’s steely fist, it fused with the fear sending a cold wave of new energy coursing down my spine, before I fully was able to conceive what was happening I felt venom begin to drip from my lips,  “How dare you fucking read that? How DARE you? How dare any of you- all of you! How dare you fucking lock a  bunch of innocent people in a carnival and force us to play your games- They aren’t games! They are just you- you cowards way of entertaining your sick minds! You know what?” I was screaming now, my voice tore at my throat until it was hoarse. I locked eyes with Aitius, who looked quite taken aback by my outburst. “You know what? In 6 months nobody will remember you. They won’t care. You freaks will be nothing but a quickly fading faint memory.”

Aitius’s face fell, I felt a smug smile reach my lips as I realized I had hit a soft spot. Some small spot in the back of my mind screamed at me, screaming that this wasn’t me. My mentality was collapsing under itself as I spoke. Aitius’s fallen face was short lived, it transformed into a beast before my very eyes. “You know what? Nobody is going to remember you either.” He yanked out a knife and stared at the serrated edge for a second. “I’m going to make your death very long and painful….” He said and maniacal smile playing across his lips. as he turned to face me.

I felt any bravery I had in the minutes previously quickly erode as he advanced toward me, lifting up the hem of my shirt exposing my stomach. I felt the gelid blade press into my skin, sending shivers shooting up my spine. I felt my breathes rack my chest raggedly as I stared in horror as blade pierced through my skin like it was nothing more than cloth. Pain riveted through my body as it sliced deeper, a blossom of blood running down my pale skin.

The fear winding around my throat like a chord and choking me, I lashed out, kicking his stomach. The towering man crumbled to the ground the ground, landing on the decaying corpse of a black haired boy, whose ribs cracked under the impact. I saw the blade clattering across the cement floor. I tried to wrench free again, striking my heel against Callisto’s knee cap.  He swore, bending forward a little but managing to keep his grip. I kicked him again and grunted, collapsing to one knee. I twisted myself free from his grasp and broke into a run. Pushing my legs downward with as much force as I could summon. Cold fingers grasped my ankle and hit the bloody ground hard, all the air was forced from my lungs. I kicked blindly at the iron-like grip that had fastened itself around my ankles. I felt another hand dig its nails into my calf.

The body pulled itself on top of me pressing my body into the ground. I wanted to scream, but it felt like something was blocking my throat, strangling me. It was like a nightmare, cold sweat and blood leaked from my skin. The only problem was that this nightmare was not one I could wake up from. The person on my back yanked a clump of my hair, forcing my head backward.  A cold blade was pressed up against my neck, the razor sharp blade pricking the derma. I closed my eyes, feeling my body tremble.

Suddenly I heard a loud smacking noise as the weight was knocked from my back. I spun around to see Aitius on the ground clutching his scalp and screaming, blood dripped from his head, running down the side of his face and mixing with the blood on the floor, the blood of his victims. Above him I saw Maxine holding a bloody shovel, she brought the shovel down again for good measure.

She ran over to me and yanked me to my feet, stuffing a thick leather book in my hands. “Thanks.” I gasped, glancing over my shoulder to see Callisto charging us, covered in blood and limping like he was undead, a look of rage was smeared across his features as he yanked out a silver gun.

I froze in horror for a second  before my brain caught up to me. “Run!” I yelled as the first shot fired, exploding into a pile of corpses beyond us. I pulled Maxine forward as she glanced over her shoulder and gasped, breaking into a sprint through the stacks of decaying corpses and entrails.

A shot whizzed past my head, slicing  my ear. I cried out  as blood gushed from the new wound. Maxine reached the door first, she flung it open and bent over to grab something just around the corner.  “What are you doing?!” I yelled as a bullet grazed her back.

“The fucking ducks! Grab the stupid peanuts!” She shrieked, breaking into a run. I fumbled, trying to grab all of the bags, I glanced over my shoulder. I saw Callisto close one eye and take aim. I threw myself on the ground, I ignored the pain that crashed through my body as I grabbed the last bag. I rolled to my feet and broke into a full out sprint.

My breaths came raggedly as I pushed myself as hard as I could, trying desperately to catch up with Maxine and not drop any of of the food in my arms. Everything hurt, my head was dizzy, I had to keep going though. We spun around a corner, the landscape blurring past us, fusing into one long impressionistic muriel.  I closed my eyes, counting my steps, one, two, one, two…

The problem with running with your eyes closed is that you are likely to hit something,  or someone. And in this case I did. I pummeled into a small body, I opened my eyes in alarm as I tumbled to the ground, an explosion of pain electrifying my body on impact. Everything throbbed…. I looked over to see Arwen staring at me with wide eyes.

“What happened?” She demanded, her eyes wide with horror- then her eyes focused on the journal that lay a few feet from me. She sigh,  “You’re okay, right?”

I forced a smirk onto my face. “Depends on what your definition of okay is.” I groaned rather than actually said. I knew that I was literally anything but, like to the point part of me was genuinely concerned that my liver was going to fall out if I stood up.

She stood up brushing herself off, “Well I’m glad you got your girly diary back.” She grinned devilishly, “But seriously, in the future don’t take unnecessary risks like that.” She frowned offering me a hand, I took it and pulled myself to my feet. If I had been feeling better I think I would have had a smart comeback for her, but I felt like I was on death’s doorstep.

I glanced over to see  Maxine was talking with Cleo, a little nervousness rippled through me as Maxine’s words came back to me from earlier. I realized I was just as concerned about them being alone together as they were of us…. What's to say they wouldn’t backstab us?

“You guys want to get this over with?” Arwen called beckoning the two over, Maxine and Cleo moved over like they were wading through deep mud. I looked over at the striped tent that had been pitched on the side of the path. It had obviously seen better days, its colors were faded and ragged holes could be seen in the material.

“This is the place?” I asked slowly, a ripple of nervousness washing over me, a feeling that had become all too familiar with me. Perhaps the girl had chosen this tent that was merely a shadow of its former self- a skeleton if you will- to remind us that our end was near as well.

Cleo nodded, staring upward at the looming structure. “We saw a few others go in here… though… none of them came out.” She trailed off, as I picked up the food and my journal.

I took a deep breath, “Lets do this.” I said mustering up the courage to step forward. The other’s followed me, swallowing any anticipation that plagued us.

And so we walked into the lioness den….