Florence covered her eyes from the blinding lights.

Suddenly, a gust from behind pushed her into an enclosed stadium. Her face slammed into the smooth and dense cheesecake floor. A mouthful of sweet and cheesy tingled on her tongue. An uproar of cheers rang in her ears. She lifted her head up with chunks of cake stuck on her face. Aisling clenched her abdomen, eyeing the chocolate-themed chess board with each piece carrying a rifle on top.

Florence turned to the right, where Yuze took a bite off the waffle wall.

Stella screamed, holding the four packaging boxes over her head. She dove under a black candy skull at one end of the chessboard. A white skull, also made of candy, stood on the other side.

“Please welcome our new contestants,” someone said from above. “Apparently, it looks like a bunch of Players to me.”

Florence tilted her head up. A television monitor hung on the ceiling, showing a rat with a pink ribbon tied on the tail holding a microphone. The crowds with various features, ranging from animal to machine to stone qualities, whistled and clapped. They sat on waffle seats, celebrating as a radio-headed bloke climbed up the staircase escorted by two guards with dog ears towards the jelly-like guillotine.

“I want to say to all of the NPCs here that our champion is still not here yet,” the rat said. “Idiot cat. Before I forget, please do not say rifles go boom, and also remember to give your bet on who will win today.”

Florence waved at the screen. “Where is the exit? I am in a bit of a rush.”

“Of course I do. But you’ll be competing.”

“Could I not.”

The crowd booed, throwing desserts at Florence. A few splattered on her.

“What was that for?” Florence wiped her face.

“You can’t leave… or else,” the rat said, pointing at the radio-headed bloke beside the guillotine. “This will happen to you.”

Those guards with dog ears secured the radio-headed bloke into a pillory of this jelly-like guillotine.

“Wait,” the radio-headed bloke said. “I’m innocent.”

Florence pointed at the jelly-like guillotine. “Pardon me, how are you certain this works?”

“Shut up, traitor,” the rat said. He gave a thumbs down.

The radio-headed bloke screamed. “Wait, give me a minute.”

Those guards pulled the lever, releasing the blade. It sliced through the radio-headed bloke’s neck with a single and clean pass. The head squashed onto the cheesecake floor below.

Aisling salivated, dripping onto the cheesecake floor as she stared at the chocolate chessboard. “I think you got your answer, Florence,” she said. She wiped her mouth and walked to Florence.

Florence cleared her throat. “I think… I would rather not.”

“You shall not exit until you play in this chess tournament,” the rat said. “But if you fail to win… I guess you’ll be next on the guillotine.”

Behind Florence, a wind burst into the stadium, propelling Sam forward. He flipped in the air and landed on his paws.

The rat raised the microphone in the air. “Finally, our champion has arrived.”

The crowds burst into excitement, jumping out of their chairs and shouting.

Inside, Florence’s brain clicked, remembering what Sam told her about him being a chess player. “I thought he was joking this entire time,” she said.

“Nope, this was not a joke,” Aisling said. She smacked Florence on the back. “To be honest, he was kinda telling you the truth.”

“Now, if all of you on the field could stand next to the massive candy skull on the opposite end of the chessboard,” the rat said. “That would be nice.”

Aisling pounced, ripping a handful of the chocolate chess board and taking a bite.

The rat slammed his head with a microphone. “Stop eating it.”

Aisling shook her head with a handful of chocolate stuffed in her mouth.

“Whatever,” the rat said.

Sam hissed. “Give me catnips.”

“I don’t like this.” Stella peeped through the eye socket of the black candy skull. “I do want to… I mean, I don’t want to be here.”

“I don’t have catnip,” the rat said.

“Fine, I’m not playing.” Sam rolled to his back, clawing the air with his paws.

“I think we might have to do it,” Florence said.

“Today’s main course will be the guillotine,” the rat said. “If you really refuse to compete in this chess tournament.”

Sam meowed, dilating his pupils as he eyed the rat.

“Fine,” the rat said. “I guess I’ll give you some.”

A compartment winded open underneath the television, dropping the catnips. The catnips floated down. Sam wagged his tail, opening his mouth to get as many as possible. He sniffed, chewing the herbs. His pupils dilated even more.

“I think he might be intoxicated,” Florence said.

“More.” Sam rolled and rubbed his body over the catnip. “Give me more.”

“Great,” the rat said. “I guess I’ll give you more catnip and one hundred thousand dollars if you win.”

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“Florence, you see why I don’t wanna get to District Nine in such a hurry,” Aisling said. “Mainly because of this. If we lose, we’re dead, and Sam will win us one hundred thousand dollars. But if we win, we’re kinda dead, and I guess it’s time to say goodbye to the prize.”

Florence scuffed. “This is ridiculous.”

“She knows.” Yuze stuffed bits of the waffle wall into her mouth.

“I kinda hate reading tournament arcs,” Aisling said, folding her arm. “It’s unbelievable that now I’ve gotta participate in one.”

“What is a tournament arc?” Florence asked.

Aisling turned her head, dropping her jaws open. She stared blankly at Florence.

“Old,” Yuze said.

“Florence, you really haven’t heard of it,” Aisling said. “Are you my grandmother or something?”

“Rude.” Florence’s heart sank, pointing at herself. “I am not that old. I am still young.”

“Seriously, all of you should get into your positions,” the rat said.

“Who?” Yuze asked.

The rat crosses his paws, remaining silent.

Yuze pointed at herself. “Us?”

“Of course, I’m talking about you and the other contestant,” the rat said.

Florence trudged to the black candy skull, but no one else did; they all kept doing their thing.

“Hello? Are any of you deaf or what?” the rat asked.

“Nope.” Aisling waved at the television monitor hanging on the ceiling. “I could kinda hear you nice and clear.”

“Oh, really. Then why aren’t you moving to your position at all.”

“What?”

“Great, now you decide to be deaf.”

Yuze burped, pressing her abdomen. She slumped to the floor, hugging herself to sleep.

“Yuze?” Florence trudged to Yuze’s side and poked her cheeks. “Wake up.”

“Too much.”

“Too much of what?”

Florence tilted her head up, patting Yuze on the forehead. Now, she had found a caved-in hole in the waffle wall.

“I see,” Florence said. She glanced over her shoulder.

Behind her, the television monitor flashed, displaying a bar chart, with the white bar significantly higher than the black one.

“It seems our audience had given their bets,” the rat said. “Now, let our chess games begin.”

Sam pounced onto the white candy skull. “Pawn to E-Four.”

The white pawn moved forward two spaces, scraping her feet against the chocolate chessboard.

“Pardon me, I need a minute,” Florence said.

The rat squeaked. “For the love of god. Stop stalling.”

“Catnip,” Sam said.

Florence tucked her thighs under Yuze’s head.

The rat growled. “There are literally three of you going up against one cat. Couldn’t any of you play or what?”

“Is actually four,” Aisling said.

A loud bang reverberated inside the black skull as Stella yelped. But as quickly as it came, she fell silent.

“Whatever.” The rat rolled his eyes. “You just have to play these chess games. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s as simple as that.”

Aisling paced around the enclosed stadium as an eerie silence grew. Florence turned her attention back to Yuze, checking the temperature on Yuze’s forehead. It was burning hot to the touch.

“Guards,” the rat said.

The two guards marched away from the guillotine, going down the staircase.

“Pawn to E-Six,” Florence said.

However, the black pawn didn’t budge.

“Why is my pawn not moving?” Florence asked.

The black pawn wheeled around. “Did you think that I’ll move there?”

Florence blinked. She froze, completely speechless as to what happened.

“If I move up there, I’ll literally get blocked by her,” the black pawn said, pointing at the white pawn.

“Is it me, or is that thing just talking to me,” Florence said.

“Unbelievable, this is some interesting turn of events.” The rat sneezed, slapping his chest. “Bless me.”

“That’s really interesting,” the black pawn said. “Apparently, none of you have ever seen a magnificent lady like me.”

Florence squinted, staring at the black pawn.

“What are you looking at?” The black pawn clicked her tongue. “Haven’t you ever seen a lady before?”

Florence shook her head.

“Good, continue to remain quiet,” the black pawn said.

Sam sniffed a line of catnips on the white skull. “Pawn to D-Four.”

This time, another white pawn shifted her weight forward, moving two tiles up.

“Pardon me, it should be my turn,” Florence said.

“Sorry, lad,” the rat said. “Chess got an update. So, a few rules have been changed… more or less.”

“Since when?”

“A few years ago. Wait a minute, how did you never hear of it before?”

The muscles within Florence tightened, glancing over to the jelly-like guillotine. She could imagine her sister laughing at her because Florence died in this ridiculous manner.

Sam reached into the eye socket of the black skull, withdrawing a card from within. “I call forth my Black Forest Dragon.”

“How are you certain this is chess that we are playing?” Florence asked.

A roar rumbled throughout the sweet air. From the television, it winded opening, releasing a dragon. The crowds cheered, throwing whatever they could find upwards. A wind blew over Florence as the dragon flapped its wings, descending towards the center of the chocolate chess board. Its scales shimmered in a sponge-like texture under the light. A whipped cream and cherries decor was spotted along this dragon’s spine.

“It should be my turn,” Florence said.

“Didn’t you hear what I said previously?” The rat snarled. “Unbelievable.”

Aisling ripped another chunk of the chocolate chessboard. “Florence, aren’t you surprised by this stuff?”

“What do you think I am trying to do?” Florence asked.

“Hey, what’re you doing?” The rat threw his microphone.

The eardrums of Florence rang. She winced, cupping her ears. Then she pointed at herself.

“No, I’m not talking about you,” the rat said. “I’m talking about that one Player who is eating the game itself.”

Aisling took a bite out of the chocolate chessboard.

“Hey, stop eating it right now,” the rat said.

The lump of chocolate dropped to the cheesecake floor as Aisling raised her palm above her head.

“As my Black Forest Dragon is on the field, I’m allowed to summon one more piece to the field.” Sam meowed, waving his tail. “I shall summon forth my Sachertorte Hydra.”

A dense chocolate melted out from the maw of the Black Forest Dragon. A puddle formed below, morphing into a separate with three heads coated with dark chocolate icing. A thin layer of apricot jam ran between the upper and lower half. Spikes of whipped creams ran along from its nose to tail.

Sam purred in a low pitch from his throat. “I’m not done yet, pleb,” he said. “Now, Black Forest Dragon and Sachertorte Hydra attack.”

“Is it me, or is this borderline unfair?” Florence asked. “Why does he get to move this many times?”

A stream of fire burst through the mouth of those dragons, incinerating the ten black pawns. The chocolate melted.

“Please, someone tell me this is not chess,” Florence said.

“No,” the rat said.

Florence bit her lips, slamming the black candy skull. She slumped down to the cheesecake floor, hiding her face between her knees. She lifted her head and discovered Stella with her eyes closed. Stella slumped over the stacks of packaging boxes.

“Rifles go boom,” Aisling said.

All the chess pieces pulled out their rifles, lining the rear sight on each other’s heads. They pointed the barrels at each other, and clicks echoed throughout the enclosed stadium.

An eruption of cheers exploded from the audience, waiting for what would happen.

A chess piece pulled the trigger. Bang. A bullet exited the muzzle, flying through the air.