When Katie got to class the next day, she was more than thrilled to realize the class has grown to twice its previous size. Instead of the dozen or so original students, there were at least fifty teenagers in the class.
Katie walked to her seat. A boy was sitting there, right in her place. Katie didn't waste another word before snapping out her Walther handgun and slamming it on the top. Half the class turned. Some of the original classmates turned away as quickly as they turned over. Nothing surprising there, given the person doing it. But some of the new students were obviously disturbed.
They just entered the games yesterday. They had no idea what they would go through.
The boy looked up in surprise.
“What?”
“You’re sitting in my seat. Get out.”
“Wow chill girl.” The teenager threw his arms up. His eyes lingering on the black handgun. The firearm made him flinch, but his pride kept him from backing down. He didn't even need to look to know half the class must be observing.
Katie sighed before suddenly wacking the boy across the cheek with the butt of her gun.
The boy yelped and collapsed on the table. His face covered with blood. Katie casually pushed him out of the seat before sitting down. Her gun spinned around her palm. The boy looked as if he wanted to say something, but a friend of his walked over and helped him move away.
Katie finally sat down inside the seat she fought so hard to get. Mr. Isaac hasn’t arrived yet, which meant one thing:
“This is so booorrrrrrriiiiinnnnngggggg! Someone do something fun!” The brunette growled, and she didn't even bother to keep it down. No one answered her, but a few did look at her as if she was a madwoman.
Slowly, she glanced across the classmates and counted them. 1. 2. 3. 36. 55. 56.
That’s 56 different ways to die. But her eyes suddenly lingered on one blonde.
Make that 55.
The door snapped open, and one undead teacher walked in. Mr. Isaac tilted his head. First, he looked at the newcomers.
“For the new students, Mr. Stein has entrusted you all to my care. I know a transition like this can make some of you uncomfortable, but rest assured that I will take very, very good care of you.”
The room was pen-drop silent.
“Now, what should we do today?” The undead scanned the room. Most of the students stood up straight, not wanting to give the monster any idea or attract his attention. There was only one exception.
“What? You forgot to prep for the class?”
Katie sat back, crossed her legs, and tilted her head. She was anxious, but not because she was afraid the games would be deadly. Nope. She wanted the games to be fatal. She wanted blood to be spilled and bodies to be dropped.
She really wanted to get her girl back, no matter the cost.
“Well, here’s the thing,” Isaac’s eyes landed on Katie briefly. “I watched a movie a while back, it’s called Cabin in the Woods, and it had some really interesting content. For example, there’s one part where the kids picked out some toys from a stack, and the toys they selected represented the monsters that would come to kill them.”
“This, sounds fun.”
“And I, would like to re-enact it, with my best students.”
“Yessss!” Katie held her fists tight in excitement. Cabin in the Woods? Ok. Never saw it. Don’t know how it is. Don’t care. But monsters! Monsters! She didn't give a crap about fighting monsters. No one could beat her in a war of attrition. What she was worried about was a game that relied on intelligence and wits. She would rather break the back of ten wraiths than solve a puzzle.
And the more monsters she kill, the more Caitlin would realize who she really loves.
Most of the original classmates didn't even turn. They have gotten used to Katie’s maniac outbursts. But a lot of the newcomers silently shifted further away from the brunette.
On the side, Caitlin and Zach exchanged troubled glances. Caitlin had a Walther handgun, a gift from Katie. Zach had nothing. He was too busy sticking to Caitlin to go buy a gun.
Mr. Isaac waved his hand.
“It’s a bit crowded here. Let’s go to the football court, shall we? That will allow things to be more entertaining.”
The class, whether they wanted or not, stood up and marched out of the classroom. They didn't want to do what Mr. Isaac instructed, but they didn't want to die either. Obey, and they might live to see another day, another game. Refuse, and they might as well shoot themselves in the head for the quickest way down.
The entire way down, the fifty or so students encountered more than their fair share of fellow students and teachers, but no one bat an eye. This continued until everyone was standing in the football field a distance away from the main school building.
“So,” As the students were getting in place, Katie walked to Isaac and tapped his shoulder. “how are we choosing who’s fighting? Is it an all-in battle where we all charge in? Or do we get to volunteer? Or! Or you can just assign who goes...or even better! Maybe you give the choice to someone else, and they get to choose who goes! A bit less fun at the first glance, but just think about what people will do to not get selected! Don’t you think that’s gonna be halirious?”
Isaac glanced at Katie’s hand as if he wanted to bite it off. Finally, he hissed something.
“This is not your playground, Katie Lockwood. Don’t think, just because you are more mentally twisted than everyone else in the class, that you get to do whatever you want...”
“Ok. Ok. Just making a few suggestions. That’s it. No need to be such a jerk about it.” Katie shrugged and stepped back.
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Mr. Isaac reached inside his pockets and pulled out a stack of cards. He turned to a girl near him and held the stack out with its back facing the girl.
“You, choose.”
“I…” The girl gulped. She was one of the newcomers. Just thrown into this chaos, she was still working really hard to adjust to this. She could almost feel tears coming down her cheek.
What if she chooses an extra mean monster and people get killed because of that?
“Choose.” Mr. Isaac repeated in a hissing voice.
“Ok. I’ll choose! I’ll choose!” The girl stepped forward, closed her eyes, and reached forward to pluck out a random card from the stack. She turned it over and gave out a slight yelp.
On the front of the card was the portrait of a creature so vile just its image could make the girl step back. Its furry legs spread across the entire card. Distinctly, the girl suddenly saw the legs on the card reaching out, crossing dimensions and bringing itself to the real world. She screamed and tossed the card as far away as possible.
Yet her arms were shaking like tree branches in a tornedo. The card landed just a few feet away from her legs. She turned and returned to the rest of the students as quickly as possible. Her legs didn't fail her the same way her arms did. Good for her.
“Ahhh...the Spider Queen.” Mr. Isaac watched as the creature slowly climbed out into the football field. It got larger and larger until it was the size of an SUV.
“Oh god…” The students gulped.
Katie licked her lips. The Spider Queen looked big and bad...and it probably is, but she should be fine...right? She rested her hand on her sidearms in uncertainty.
One thing for sure. Whether she wins or loses, things would be really, really fun.
Mr. Isaac started explaining the rules.
“I will select three of you to fight the monster you selected. You can use anything you have. The game will only end until either the students or the monster is dead.”
“Oh...my condolences to the unfortunate souls.” Katie immediately had a followup question. “So, what happens after that giant spider kills the entire trio? Do we send in another squad of sacrificial lambs?”
The students nodded. They didn't quite like the way Katie asked the question, but they did find a point in her words. If the students were just constantly sent in three by three, then they could see the entire class eliminated in a single day.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Isaac grinned, a sight menacing enough to shut up crying children. “No. You will select a new monster everyday. If the trio of the day goes down screaming, then that’s it.”
Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief. She guessed so. From what she and Zach discussed, Mr. Isaac wanted to drag all the games out. He had the ability to slay everyone in the class, including Katie, but he stuck with these so called “games” instead and picked the students out one by one.
But things weren’t over just yet. There was still a giant spider on the side, ready to devour a trio of unfortunate teens.
All the students had their eyes trained on the undead as he announced who would be in the fight.
“Sara. Brandon. Frank.”
All the students relaxed. They might still die tomorrow, but at least they would be set to drink and party for another day. Well, all except three.
Brandon and Frank were two newcomers. This was their first real game, and they had no damn idea how they would fight a spider the size of a car. Seriously? Was this really something for amateurs like them? They almost wanted to complain and ask Isaac to give the privilege to be heroes to the other class.
But none of them said it, not because they were concerned about PR, but because they knew it would be useless.
Sara was paralyzed as well, but she quickly had an idea. Her head snapped to Isaac.
“Mr...Mr. Isaac, can we give the chance to someone else? If they also agree?”
Some students smirked. How naive was the girl? The fear of death must be pushing her mad! Who does she think Mr. Isaac was? Some sort of saint? Plus, who would be foolish enough to take the chance and replace the girl in death? Some idiot boy, perhaps? Blinded by the desire to be a hero? Maybe her boyfriend.
But some wiser student turned and glanced at Katie. You don’t say! So that was what Sara was trying to do! Not bad. Even better, it might even work!
Mr. Isaac knew it as well.
“Normally, I will say no, but given some of our students are extra...motivated, I will allow it. As long as the other person also agrees, you can give the opening to her.” He didn't even bother to hide it with the pronoun.
Sara’s mouth curved up. Her tears of sorrow turned into tears of joy as she practically ran to Katie.
“Save me! Please!”
Katie grinned, stretched her arms, and tapped Sara on the tip of her nose.
“Well, you are cute, so…”
Suddenly, her eyes lingered on Caitlin and the boy beside him. And at the moment, her heart was filled by a wave of blinding anger.
What am I? Some sort of tool? All of you treat me like some sort of psychopath normally, and when it comes to stepping in and saving the day, you come running back to me? Do I look stupid to you?
She could never hurt Caitlin. Not in a million years. This Sara, on the other hand...
“Nope.” She turned back to Sara with a cruel look. “This is the captain speaking. The weather is looking extra spidy. There are some signs of severe acid, as well as a forecast of trapped and melted in a corrosive net. Now, please sit back and strap in and enjoy the one-way trip to hell. Thank you for choosing AirIsaac. Your suffering is our pleasure.”
“What?” Sara’s eyes widened. She has already zoned out after the first word Katie said. What the fuck? Why would Katie say no? Why? She was about to say yes!
“Please! I will do anything!”
But her desperate attempt was cut short when Isaac snapped his finger, and Sara and the other two boys were teleported to in front of the Spider Queen.
As the slaughter unfolded, Katie casually walked over to Caitlin.
“You could’ve saved her!” Caitlin growled, her eyes trained on the battle and not on Katie. After what Katie did, she couldn’t bare to look at her.
Caitlin knew all too well why Katie did what she did. Katie said she would show Caitlin the way, and this was her way of doing it.
Katie shrugged.
“My life is a life too, Caitlin. If I get cut, it hurts like hell too. If I lose my head, I die too...I think. Why should I risk killing myself for someone who would leave me for the first dude she sees?”
And she wasn’t talking about Sara.
“I wasn’t leaving you!” Caitlin could feel tears forming in her eyes. “I...I just wasn’t prepared to tell you that. I was going to, but...but that is not an excuse to take things out on Sara! You wanna beat me up, fine! But Sara! What did she ever do to you?”
That was when the gravity of the situation suddenly hit Katie. Right! What did Sara do to her? Nothing! Sara didn't betray her for a man. She didn't leave her hanging. She was just an ordinary girl who came to her for help!
She didn't deserve to die like this, especially not after Katie mocked her so cruelly.
Katie snapped around to Isaac.
“Hey! I volunteer…”
Her mouth went shut when her eyes landed on Sara, or rather what was left of her.
The poor girl’s limbs were no more than green puddles of acid dissolves. At the first minute of combat, the Spider Queen spew acid across all three students. Frank was straight-up melted. Brandon lost half the skin on his face and was stuck on the ground screaming for the rest of his time. Sara was a tad quicker, but she lost her entire left hand as well.
None of the three students was heavily armed. Their best weapon was a revolver that Sara brought, and only a fool would think those small caliber bullets could as much as dent the Spider Queen.
Sara tried to shoot a couple of times, and the results matched the expectations. When she tried to run, it was already too late. The Spider Queen leaped forward and, with a single swipe, parted her head with the rest of her body.
Her body collapsed right then and there, but her head flew across the air before landing right beside Katie’s feet.
Katie looked down and found herself staring straight into Sara’s still open eyes.
For the first time in the day, Katie Lockwood was dead silent.