I plunge into the water, and the creature plunges down on top of me, its weight pulling me down. I can’t tell if it’s alive, or if it’s just its weight dragging me down, and as I plunge deeper into the blackness, I still don’t know if I am dead or alive.
N I N E T E E N
I slowly open my eyes, wondering if I’m dead or alive. My head is killing me, feels like it weighs a million pounds, and as I look all around, blinking, I struggle to figure out where I am.
I spot Bree sitting beside me, Charlie by her side, and Ben beside him. We are in some sort of cell, but it is different than the cave. It is a small metal cell, protected by metal bars, leading to an outside tunnel. It is just the four of us in here.
I wonder if I’m awake or dreaming, until Bree suddenly sits up and looks at me.
“ Brooke?” she asks.
She leans over and gives me a huge hug. My head is splitting, but I still try to hug her back. Charlie runs over and hugs me, too. Ben kneels down, looks at me, and places a gentle hand on my face.
“ You’re alive,” he says with relief.
He leans in and kisses me on the forehead, and despite everything, I am electrified by the feel of his lips on my skin.
He looks at me with such love, as do the others, and I realize, finally, that I’m alive. We made it.
“ What happened?” I ask.
“ You killed the monster,” Charlie says.
“ And then you passed out, under the water, and Ben dove down and saved you.”
“ When the monster died, they called the game,” Ben says. “They ushered us all away, to this new cell. I think no one’s ever killed it before. I think they’re trying to figure out what to do with us. I don’t think they could’ve killed us right there, in front of everyone. I think the crowd wanted more.”
I sit up, rubbing my head, trying to remember. I remember jumping off the cave, stabbing the monster, plunging underwater…but then nothing.
“ You’re very brave,” Ben says.
“ How long have I been here?” I ask.
“ You’ve been out for hours. It’s nighttime now. They brought us to this new cell. I think something different is happening. I don’t know what. But I think we really pissed some people off.”
I hear the distant sound of a metal door opening, then slamming. There’s the sound of dozens of marching boots, and we all sit up and look.
Several slaverunners appear. They open our cell door, and standing in the center is their leader. He’s taller and bigger up close, a shoulder length above all the others, and wears a long green cape. He is holding something, and I am amazed to see what it is.
“ Penelope!” Bree screams.
She squirms and barks in his hands, trying to get away; but the leader holds her tight against his chest with an iron grip, practically suffocating her.
“ This is your dog,” he says to her, in a deep, twisted voice. “Or should I say, was. It’s our property now.”
Penelope whines, and I can see the disappointment on Bree’s face.
The leader turns to me, and his smile drops to a frown.
“ You have defied me,” he says. “I’ve never seen anyone do what you have done. You have made a fool of me in front of all my people.”
I swallow, wondering what’s in store for us. I pray there are no more arenas. My body can’t take another day.
“ But vengeance will be mine,” he continues. “Tomorrow, I will have the four of you publicly executed, on top of our highest knoll, for everyone to see. We will send a message to all the others who try to defy our rules.”
He takes a step forward, and smiles at me.
“ In the meantime, for your final night on earth, I will grant you one last wish. I’m going to allow you to choose one person of the four of you who will live. The choice will be on your head. All the others will die. You can choose yourself if you like.”
He looks down at me with an evil smile, and I realize that this is the cruelest of all the things he’s done. How can I choose one of the four of us? Of course, I would choose Bree. But that would be so unfair to Charlie, and to Ben. Choosing one would be a death sentence for the others. And Bree would be torn by guilt. I know her. I can’t do that to her. I can’t have all of our blood on her head.
I think quick, wracking my brain-and I get an idea.
“ I choose our dog, Penelope,” I say. “Allow her to stay with us for our final night.”
The leader looks down at me as if I’m crazy, stares at me wide-eyed, in shock. Then he leans back and breaks into loud, mocking laughter. He reaches back and hurls Penelope, and she goes flying through the air, landing hard on the floor.
“ You’re stupider than I thought,” he says. “I shall enjoy watching you die tomorrow.”
He turns and marches out the cell, and his people follow, slamming the metal door behind him and locking it. I listen to their boots march away.
Bree clutches Penelope, kissing her, and Penelope whines back.
Immediately, the others turn and look at me.
“ Why did you do that?” Ben asks sharply. “Penelope? Seriously? Of all of us? You could’ve had one of us live. Bree. Or Charlie. Anyone. Why did you do that?” he asks, his frustration rising.
“ I have a plan,” I say to him. “See there? On the far wall?”
Everyone turns and looks. There, down the corridor, about fifty feet away, are the keys to all the cells, hanging on hooks.
I turn and look back at Penelope.
“ She’s the smartest dog I’ve ever met. She’s our ticket out of here.”
I look at Charlie.
“ Charlie, you said you know the way out.”
“ I do!” he insists, defensive.
“ I believe you,” I say. “If we get out of this cell, can you lead us out?”
Charlie nods back vigorously.
“ I’ve seen the tunnels. I know where they go. There’s a way out, a back way. To the river. There are boats on the river. We could take one.”
Ben shakes his head. “It’s risky,” he says.
“ Got any other ideas?” I ask.
He looks at me, long and hard, then finally shakes his head. “Let’s do it.”
I turn to Bree.
“ Bree. Talk to Penelope. She listens to you. Command her. Tell her what to do. Tell her to get us the keys. The ones that we need.”
Bree carries Penelope to the edge of the cell, and we all follow. I look both ways, and see no one.
Bree pulls Penelope close and whispers in her ear.
“ Penelope, baby. We need your help. Please. You have to get us those keys.”
Bree points to the far wall, and Penelope looks over with her one good eye.
“ Do you understand?” Bree asks. “Fetch those keys, and bring them back. Go!”
Bree takes a knee and inserts Penelope’s skinny body between the bars, and shoves her into the hall.
Penelope takes three steps, then stops and turns and looks back at Bree.
Bree points to the far wall.
“ Go!” she hisses.
Penelope hesitates, then suddenly turns and darts off to the far wall. She runs down the hall, snatches the
