In the other box is Maria, Juliana Gibbs, Betty Morgan and Reggie Rivera. I don’t know where Mr. Fuse or Mr. O’Shay are, but their sons are with Parker and Roman who are in the box with my grandmother, along with Rafe. The grief on their faces is visible from here but I don’t feel it. I still can’t see Red though.
The main attraction in the room is literally a pyramid of fighting rings. Three going up both sides with a final one on the top. That one is set back from the crowd with something covered in front of it. There is someone in each ring except the final one. Is that where I’m supposed to fight?
Before I can try and run different scenarios through my head, the tap of a microphone rings out in the air drawing everyone’s attention.
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us here today, for this special occasion.”
Barbette Dietrichson greets the room, that fucking name fuels my fire.
“It isn’t very often a new addition is added to The Games but it is with our greatest honor here at the Academy to run the trials when the time does come,” she says so sickly sweet I want to vomit. I think I hear West make a noise beside me too, but I don’t turn my gaze away.
“In previous years, the Academy has allowed people to put themselves forward to be a part of such an event, but this year we decided to take a different approach. If a student pulled a wild card, it entered them into the trial. Today we have eight students who were lucky enough to pick those cards, and I’d like you to give them a round of applause please.”
She doesn’t even clap herself. I wish she would just get on with whatever it is we’re supposed to be doing here.
“As you can see we have a pyramid formed out of rings. In the three rings either side of the pyramid you will find a student present, and behind the curtained top is another ring which is currently empty.”
Get to it for fucks sake.
“We have two additional students who are standing towards the sides, I’d like to introduce Miss Luna Steele and Mr. Tyler Bishop.”
At the sound of my name my back straightens.
“The aim of the game is for both Luna and Tyler to make it past the three rings to fight it out at the top, the winner there must complete the final act before winning The Death Pyramid,” she shouts with glee.
Death Pyramid? The gasps around the room are audible even to me, trapped inside my shell of a body right now. I’m glad I’m in this current state of mind otherwise I don’t know how I would approach all of this. Instead I let it wash right over my head and crack my neck ready to go. I don’t bother looking to Tyler, that’d be pointless.
“In each ring they must battle to the Death or at minimum one of them must be unconscious before they can move on to the next ring. The third ring is where their weapon of choice will be coming into action and not a ring before. If a pupil who is already in the ring defeats our main runners, then they will continue the trial for survival instead. Everyone’s lives are literally at stake. Isn’t it fantastic?”
She begins clapping but very few follow suit, even those who do aren’t sure why they are following her lead, likely out of fear. Looking over to the boxes I see Rico and my mother clapping profusely, and I’m not even surprised.
A bang sounds from the other box gaining everyone’s attention. It’s Parker, red in the face, screaming and yelling but I can’t hear what he’s saying, but it’s most definitely to me or about me. Rafe has to pull him back and calm him down. The smallest part of me registers that he’s hurting right now but I don’t care enough in this state and look back to the bitch.
“To add extra incentive for the main runners to win I would like to now remove the cover from the top of the pyramid,” she pauses, waiting for them to drop the sheet.
A few screams sound around the room and I reluctantly raise my eyes to see what was hidden.
These vile pieces of shits.
I’m going to fucking ruin them.
Tied up to a pole is Red and Becky. I couldn’t give a fuck about the latter but the fear in Red’s eyes fuels my anger. All I can see is Red, both literally and figuratively.
“The final act I mentioned earlier is to save someone who matters to them. We pulled both Jessica and Becky from our runners’ rooms earlier today, in the exact state we found them in, and would you look at that Wren, Becky was naked in your boyfriend's room. Aren’t you glad they were fucking behind your back, so you didn’t have to take to the stand?”
Looking at Wren she’s white as a ghost, but she nods along with her mother's joy.
She’s an evil bitch.
“As the battle commences below the two girls at the top will slowly start to be hung. They must reach the top and cut the rope in time. Now I think I’ve covered everything. Shall we begin?”
I take one last glance at the box where everyone is and Rico catches my eye, blowing me a kiss and a wink like he had some involvement
