Rowan Kline Zorida

DAY THREE

I need something to distract me from the growing worry running through my head, but I’m in an empty room. My hands shake just enough to be noticeable, and I quickly slide them into my pockets. 

They dress most of the men in absurd clothing. Currently, I’m wearing a corset-like vest with a dress shirt underneath, dressed in head-to-toe black. 

Despite the need for dis...

Oakley Ruby Oriana

DAY THREE

The fact that I am out and about before noon is a miracle in itself. There are a few hours before the last celebration, so we are dress in “Uniforms” which consist of a fitted T-shirt and loose jeans. The watcher still sticking to my side informs me that most other players are  likely in the common rooms. I decide to join, the awkwardness of being alone enough to ...

Rowan Kline Zorida 

DAY TWO

“Welcome! If you have made it this far, you have nothing to worry.” An elbow jabs my side, and I know this is Oakley's way of saying she was right. 

“While most of you know me only from the hallogram in the testing rooms, few may recognize me from brief face-to-face interactions. Unfortunately, not everyone got that opportunity.

“As you all know, each of you were ind...

**Chapter Seven**

Oakley Ruby Oriana

DAY TWO

I’m wrestling with latex—half of my energy is spent dragging it up my body, and the other half is spent keeping myself steady. It’s a black bodysuit I found in a wardrobe stationed near the foot of the bed.

The room is small, just a twin bed crammed into a corner, a table beside it, and a wall dividing the space. On one side, the bed and wardrobe. ...

Rowan Kline Zorida 

DAY ONE

Where the _hell_ is Oakley? 

I don’t remember waking up; I only remember going out. 

I pound against each wall, listening for the sound each permits. I got in here somehow, and I would get out the same way. There has to be one hidden latch, false wall, or escape route. 

_There. _One of the walls feels different, and I don’t waste a second, shouldering into it. I’ll t...

Oakley Ruby Oriana

DAY ONE

_Kicking. _

_Screaming. _

_A blur of color, then none at all._

The room I wake up in is not my own. White light is the first thing I see, so bright I’m almost sure my irises have been bleached of color. 

A little man is living inside my head. That tiny man is pounding against my skull, desperate to escape. I want him to leave quite badly, actually. 

My limbs are log...

Rowan Kline Zorida 

ONE DAY BEFORE 

She is laughing. Of course, she laughs; she always laughs. 

“What was that?” she is looking around curiously, trying to get a sense of what the sound was. 

“Not good.” I grab her hand, carefully pulling her to the ground. I hold her closer to me, and we slide under the table of the booth. 

For a moment, I question whether it was just paranoia —a moment of mi...

Oakley Ruby Oriana

ONE DAY BEFORE

I’m jolted from sleep as something lands square on my stomach. The air leaves my lungs, and I sit up in a second, pressing my hands into my gut.

Getting something thrown at me Isn't my favorite way to be woken up, but my sister tends to do it often.

I roll my eyes and drop the shoe on the floor beside my bed, before turning my back to her.

I harbor a strang...