Page 26 of Backstroke

“Yeah,” Rowyn replies, her voice barely audible. “Maybe it’s just a power surge.”

I glance at the window, but the streetlights outside were steady. “Or maybe it’s a sign,” I say with a nervous chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “The game is about to begin.”

Rowyn laughs, closing her notebook with a snap. “Alright, are we ready?” We all nod in agreement, our competitive spirits igniting. I turn off the lights, plunging the room into darkness once more. We make our way outside, and the cool breeze gives me goosebumps. Maybe I should have brought that hoodie after all.

“So, where are we supposed to meet?” I ask, checking my watch.

“Um, let me check the paper again.” Rowyn pulls out the flyer from her back pocket, scrunching her eyes to read it in the darkness.

“It says to go to the old library building and wait outside,” she finally reads aloud. “That’s where everyone is meeting up.”

Lyndsy shivers slightly, whether from the cold or the mention of the old library, I can’t tell. I didn’t even know there was an old library here. “That place is creepy as hell at night,” she says, her voice tinged with excitement.

“Why did they shut it down?” I ask.

“I think there was a fire there several years ago. They didn’t want to tear it down, because it was the first library built on this campus,” Rowyn chimes in.

“Perfect for hide-and-seek then,” I reply with a grin. “Let’s go.”

We walk briskly, the anticipation building with each step. The campus is eerily quiet, the only sound is the crunch of leaves under our feet. As we approach the old library, its dark silhouette looms against the night sky, adding an extra layer of thrill to our adventure. The library is at one end of the campus, brushing up closely with a forest. The air feels charged, every rustle of leaves sending a shiver down my spine. The shadows of the trees blend with the darkness of the library, creating an almost surreal landscape.

There is a small group of people gathered, whispering to each other when we arrive. It doesn’t seem like anyone here knows what to do, because we all stand just looking at each other.

“So, who actually set this game up?” I ask Rowyn, since she was the one that signed us all up.

“I’m not sure,” she shrugs.

“Listen up!” I look around until my eyes fall on the guy that made my new key card. He stands tall in the middle of the students.

“I have numbers for everyone to wear for tonight’s…game,” he shouts. “When I call your name, come forward to get yours pinned to your shirt.” He goes through the names one by one until he finally comes to mine.

“Fallon Monroe!” his voice booms over the chatter of everyone around. I make my way through the crowd to where he’s standing.

“I’m Fallon,” I acknowledge, as I step forward, feeling the eyes of the crowd on me. He smiles as he hands me the last number card.

“Here you go, Fallon,” he nods, pinning the number to my shirt. I glance down and see the bright white number 13 staring back at me. My mom always said that whenever the number thirteen appeared, it meant something powerful was about tohappen, or new opportunities were on the horizon. The air around me feels charged, like static before a storm.Interesting.

“Alright, everyone has their numbers,” he announces.

Before I can inquire further about what tonight entails, I hear people gasp. As I turn around, a group of people approach, all of them wearing black masks with different colored neon faces on them. The masks are creepy as fuck, but also intriguing. The neon stitching around the eyes and mouth seem to enhance their effects.

The tall masked figures come to a stop in front of our group. They stare without speaking, heightening the anticipation flowing through the crowd. The silence stretches on, making my heart pound in my chest.

Finally, the pink masked figure steps forward and speaks in a distorted voice, “Welcome, freshmen. Tonight’s game is more than just hide-and-seek…” he trails off, building the suspense.

“We are the seekers,” he gestures to the group of people around him. “You better run fast and hide better, because we will hunt you down. The only rule for you is you have to stay outside.” I hear muttering behind me, but I can’t turn my face away from the pink mask. He seems to have zeroed in on me as well, making a shiver run through me.

The pink masked figure continues, “You have ten minutes to find your hiding spots. After that, the hunt begins. Remember, this is not just a game.”

How is this not a game?I want to ask, but I also don’t think I want to know the answer.What has Rowyn gotten us into?Before I can think of my next move, a whistle blows.

With that, the seekers disperse, and the crowd erupts into a flurry of movement. The forest looms ahead, its dense canopy casting long, twisted shadows on the ground. The air is thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the only sounds are the rustling leaves and our frantic footsteps.

Rowyn grabs my arm, pulling me toward a heavily wooded area.

“We need to split up,” she shouts urgently. “They can’t catch us both.”

Before I can protest, she veers off to the left, disappearing into the shadows. Lyndsy runs in a different direction completely. My heart pounds in my chest as I run as fast as I can, stumbling over roots and ducking under low branches. My breath comes in ragged gasps, and every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves makes me jump, convincing me that one of the seekers is right behind me.

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