Hour Two Athena

Upon regaining consciousness, I noticed a girl staring back at me. Her orange-red hair was tied up into an elegant bun at the back of her head, and she wore an identical mask. Her dress was of a deep teal, and she raised a skeptical eyebrow at me.

"And we have another clueless player," she said, sighing deeply.

"Who are you?" I snapped irritatedly. Who was she to say that I was clueless?

"Take that attitude and park it if you want to survive." She retorted, rolling her eyes and dismissing my comment.

Try waking up with a splintering headache while being spooked by weird things that were happening.

A snarky comeback was already starting to form but decided against it.

Why am I even here?

"Glad you know when to stop. I'm Skye,"  she said, "no last name. My family weren't any good people." She flashed a reluctant smile before returning to her grumpy self.

Why is she here?

"I'm..." I struggled to recollect my thoughts, and grabbed the nearest one. "I'm Athena." I extended my hand.

Athena. Right. Not the other one.

I suddenly remember why I'm called Athena, and almost heave a sigh of relief. I didn't give myself away.

She pushes my hand away with an evident scowl on her face.

"And you're new?" Skye starts walking down the dark hallway. It's daunting and depressing, and I didn't want to go there. I didn't want to be here, period. I could list all the possible reasons why, and trust me, I could go on for hours without taking a breather.

Wait. There weren't any thorns here. I was in a safe place.

"And you're always this grumpy?" I passed off a random remark.

Almost instantly, she appeared at my front, trapping me in place. It was the wall, me, and her. "How did you..." I trailed off, staring at where she was a couple seconds ago.

"Listen, girl. I don't care where you came from before this. But now you're here, you better listen to me. You're not as experienced as I am so I suggest you to shut your trap. Got it?" She snarled menacingly, almost as if she was a lion, ready to spring an attack on its hunt.

My heart accelerated. "Crystal." I nodded. Skye ignored my reply and continued her way down the hallway.

"Are you sure you're going the right way?" I asked timidly. Great. Suffering from the Princess Syndrome, aren't you? Skye turned around, a look of exasperation on her face.

"I believe that place looks more inviting," I pointed to the opposite direction, where there was a slight glow of light.

"Sure, smarty-pants. Trust your instinct and never go wrong. If you had a death wish, you could have said so. I wouldn't have stopped you at all." She dismissed my suspicion without a second thought.

I threw a confused glance at her, raising my eyebrows. "I'm sorry, what?"

She rolled her eyes and drawled, "That's a trap. You can go there if you want to die. Those who try that never come back. Simple enough?" I nodded my head vigorously.

If I want to escape this place, and find out more information, I better act like a mouse.

"Where are we?"

"If you'd gone through the mirror, you'd end up in the Throne Room and probably wouldn't last a minute. The left wall is the dining room. Getting put on dinner duty is horrid, especially because Scumbag's such a picky eater. And you chose right, which is our rooms, really," she shrugged, slowing her walk to a stroll, like she owned the place.

"What?"

"We're in a palace - that's all I know, and you shouldn't take off your mask, which you can't unless you're alone and sure that no one's going to sneak up on you and murder you in your sleep," She said, shrugging her shoulders.

My brain was trying to digest all the information as I scrutinized her partially-hidden face. She didn't seem like she was lying.

"Why would anyone want to murder me? What are we even here for?" I continued to question her. I needed answers now.

Skye cursed and scowled. "Scumbag should've been out here and just put a bullet in your head already. Darn it, stop asking so many questions."

"But I—"

"Unless you want to die, ignorance is bliss." She backs me up against a wall, with an intimidating glare. "Just follow the rules. Don't let anyone kill you. Kill others if needed, especially if they've been murdering others." She looked around before lowering her voice, "This place drives people mad, like Anna."

"Who's—"

"Shut up and don't ask."

"Look around you, there's nothing to kill anyone with," I splayed my hands out, trying to explain to her how ridiculous she sounded.

"You'll find something. Of course, you could go rob Blecyntha, but that stupid retard's awake all the time. Besides, I've been here for a year, I know more than you do." She stared at the ground, her voice slightly quaking yet firm at the same time.

"Can't we just go?" I asked, desperate to find a way out. I didn't know why I was here, how I came here and what awaited me.

"I know that look. Don't even try, unless it's the courtyards. No one gets past the walls." She deadpanned.

She backed away, and we continued down the hall. What on earth was going on? We passed identical oak doors, with different people's names carved on the floor in capital letters.

"I'm only allowed to tell you as much as I know, and that's only because you look like a nice person. I shouldn't be judging books by their covers, but everyone does. And by the way, murderers are everywhere.

"The objective of the competition—game, whatever—is to be the last one standing. But if they find out you're killing them, they'll slice your head off faster than you can escape to the courtyards. Even there you won't be safe.

"And until you get the hang of this and stop asking stupid questions, I'll stick by you. Also because I don't have any other allies. I'm just down the hall if you need me. Don't trust Evangeline." She paused before continuing, "At least I don't."

With that, she walked down the hall and disappeared into her room five doors down.

Great. How convenient.

I looked at the name on the floor next to mine. PRINCE CHARMING, it read.

Either the people here were hopeless romantics and this was some joke or the poor dude was named after the hero in Cinderella by his parents.

On my left was ERIC. I felt sick in the stomach and didn't even feel like knowing him. I just wanted to go home.

Turning the knob, I entered my room. It had that hotel scent—of air conditioning and clean bed sheets.

A piece of paper laid on a desk at the far end of the room, past a small foyer that had a bathroom on the right and a safe on the left. Opposite it was a queen sized bed, complete with a bedside table and a lamp and phone. On its right was the closet and a balcony that looked out to a garden.

I could go there sometime to stare at the pretties...

I rushed to the phone and dialed my home phone number, but was greeted with a constant, high-pitched beep.

How could I not have realised?

Well then, it's just a decoration.

But wait... its cord could be used to kill someone, strangle him or her.

What are you thinking, Athena? You just want to go home, not kill someone.

But I guess that's what Skye meant by "you'll find something".

I suddenly realised my head didn't hurt that much any more. Maybe it was the mask.

Walking over to the desk, I pick up the paper.

Welcome, Athena. I saw your name outside the once-empty room, so don't think I'm a creep or anything.

Today's Friday, the day where new players are added if one dies. You're on kitchen duty for every alternate Monday from next week onwards, and will do cleaning duties for all our toilets starting the following Wednesday.

By the way, we should totally become allies, even though they call me Prince Scumbag, I'm a really nice person.

Love,

Winston (a.k.a. Prince Scumbag)

"Don't trust what he's saying," a voice startled me, and I dropped the paper, turning around hastily.

A girl with violet hair let down past her waist grinned and waved at me. "I'm Yvonne from downstairs. Athena Shar Breckens, eh?"

"Yeah."

"Prince Scumbag's new, but he thinks he rules the world or something, assigning duties and everything. But I guess it distracts all of us, from what we're really here to do."

"And that is?"

"To make friends," she grinned, "and then kill everyone." She replaced her innocent smile with a hardening glare.

Despite my racing heart that reminded me of a blender set on high speed, I managed to pick up the phone, and hold the cord out threateningly.

"I'll kill you if you try to kill me." I tilted my head.

Yvonne laughed, but I was pretty sure my face had been dead serious. "There's a rule not allowing us to kill anyone on their first day here. It's to form alliances with others, and to settle down."

"Why are we here?" I choked out, placing the phone back down.

Her face darkened instantly. "Don't ask that type of things, especially at dinner, unless you want to get your throat slit. Dinner's in an hour, and I don't think anyone will touch you for today unless they want to die. Get some rest, find a ball gown in the closet, and some shoes too, and be punctual."

I didn't even ask what would happen if I didn't go.

"Okay," I squeaked out. Yvonne patted my shoulder and then walked out the door.

"Be careful who you trust," she said, and then the door slams shut behind her. I can hear the invisible three words behind it.

Trust no one.