“Go away!”
“It is also mine. Would you like to partner together?”
“Everyone wants to kill you.”
Ah. He had a point. I supposed his best option for safety would be to find a hole and hide in it. He was small, he’d fit in most places. “Tommy, if you plan on hiding for the full ten days, that will not work. You will die of dehydration. You will need water.”
“Go away.”
“Also, the agony of starvation might get to you.”
“Go away.”
“Would you like some shortbread?”
“Go away.”
Morning blared with an alarm telling us our cemetery was awaiting.
The prison was buzzing. Inmates hyped up on adrenaline skated their eyes to each other and held tight in their groups. The taste of rushing fear and leaking anticipation hung in the air.
I hugged my box of shortbread. Five pieces left.
We dressed.
For the Execution Battle, inmates wore what they had been arrested in or clothing which they had picked up in previous Battles if they had survived. Inmates went in through one door in boring red and came out through another in clothing that told a story. Thick leather boots, joggers perfect for fleeing, sports bras, sweatshirts, jeans, caps, beanies and spiked belts. Now in their clothing I saw the personality of each person.
The skin of personal clothing seemed to act like armour. Excitement. It pumped into the people as they felt over materials they had missed and soon their grins reflected onto me.
I wore my dinner dress and kitten heels.
A lovely A-line, shoulder strapped, in pearl white silk. It fell like a waterfall and shimmered into diamond.
Everyone laughed.
“Ha.” I waved with a smile. “Yes. It is hilarious. I am unprepared. I will not be able to run in my heels. The dress is absurd. Thank you.”
Tommy hugged himself in the corner donning a green football t-shirt. I made a mental note of his appearance. I wanted to wave to him and offer him comfort but thought it best not to draw attention to him since most attention was already on me. If people saw that I favoured him they might chase after him too.
I waved instead to Vil. “I love you!”
The large mountain man lost his wiry glare planted on me. Vil muttered something; “what the hell?” I think.
“My darling, Vil!” I shouted to him from across the room. “My sweetheart, my pumpkin pie, I will see you in there!”
Everyone dashed their sights between us, their eyes narrowing in on Vil.
Vil loosened his crossed arms. “Hey! I’m not with that bitch!”
“Sorry!” I touched my lower lip. “I forgot you told me not to tell everyone that we are secret lovers.”
“Shut up, bitch!”
“I miss you already!”
The crowd parted as the officers brought in the inmates from downstairs. Violence in human form.
They filed out one by one, chains clinking from their wrists, darkness brewing upon their shoulders.
