Page 14 of Bleeding Hearts
Fuck.
Grabbing my phone, I think about what they sent. There has to be a hint, a clue. Maybe the first test is to figure out the location. That has to be it.
There were bubbles at the end. It didn’t fit the rest of the video.
What could it mean?
Gnawing on my lip, I begin to pace again. Bubbles . . . Water. There’s a swimming pool at the school, but that shit will be locked down with heightened security after the attacks. There are private pools, but again, that would be risky. No, they clearly want to remain anonymous and need to fit a lot of people if the crowd is anything to go by.
There’s only one other place I can think of—the abandoned beach on the south side of town. It’s chained off because of the epic riptides that killed four people last year alone.
It has to be there.
I take a taxi, but the roads to the beach are all blocked off by cars or fences, so I’m dropped two miles away and have to wade through the tall grass, but when I crest the final hill, I find the usually locked gate to what used to be called Crystal Beach open.
People cover the sand near the water, the moon glinting off the surface. A red flag is propped up, the warning sign for the tides, spray-painted with a smiley face and the Risk logo.
Well, I guess I was right.
I walk down to the sand, sliding and almost slipping, but I right myself and head through the gate to the throng of people.
I recognize some of them. Most are students at Pine Valley. I wonder what the host is getting out of this, but I don’t really have the time or audacity to question it. I need the money. There’s a possibility it is a trick, but I’m at rock bottom, so I don’t have much choice.
I’m in this mess because of my reckless, antisocial behavior. It’s almost fitting that being irresponsible will get me out of it . . . or get me killed.
Either way, this will end.
“So, what do you think we have to do?” I hear people asking, talking loudly. Some are drinking, and others have even pulled up in trucks, lying in the backs and observing like it’s a sport. I guess it is for those who aren’t competing. It seems like there’s an even mix between those taking part and those just here to watch. The anticipation in the air makes my adrenaline pump as I weave through the crowd, looking for any sign of what we need to do next.
I walk closer to the water to escape the building crowd, my boots getting wet. I’ve heard horror stories about how strong the riptides are here. There used to be a dare for first years to see how far out they could go before the school found out and locked up the beach. It’s been empty and abandoned for years.
Turning back, I move through the crowd once more, seeking answers, but then at exactly nine, a gun goes off, startling everyone. I duck reflexively before standing and scanning the area, but no one seems to know where it came from. It did the trick though.
The beach is silent.
Light suddenly floods the crowd, and we turn to the hills and shore to see the big, stadium-sized lighting. At each base is a speaker, and that mechanical voice comes from within.
“Welcome, players, to Risk.” There’s a moment of silence as the crowd shifts nervously. It’s all becoming very real. “Tonight will be the first game. There will be ten in total, and the one who has the most points or is left standing at the end will win the grand prize. Points are determined by your rank at the end of each game. The winner will receive four, second place will get three, and third place will earn two, while the rest will get one. If you fail to finish a game, you are disqualified. Your phones will now become a beacon so we can track you. If anyone tries to involve the police, we will publish all your private information. Every sin will be exposed, so it is in your best interest to keep quiet.” A glitch sounds. “Do not test us. If you want to win, you must risk everything. and that begins here. Tonight, we have hidden three objects in boxes somewhere in the water. You must find them and return them to the beach. The first to do this wins. Beware of the waves, for they will try to consume you. Players, are you willing to risk your lives?” The speaker becomes silent, and the lights cut out as I turn to the water.
Fuck me. They didn’t start with something easy, did they?
“What the fuck is this shit?” some meathead at my side snarls to his friend. “This is stupid. Who is going to do that? I thought it was going to be some board games or some shit.”
“I mean, it’s literally in the fucking name, dumbass. You must risk,” I retort. “If I wanted to kill myself, I could just grow as big as your ego and then jump back down to your IQ level because you’re dumb as shit.” Shaking my head, I turn away. “Fuck, if these are the type of people I’m against, they might as well just give me the money now.”
A gunshot sounds again, and I know what it means.
It’s time to play.
CHAPTER SIX
No one will do it, right?
I scan the churning water. People have died here before. I know the name of the game is Risk, but this isn’t a risk. It’s stupidity. It seems everyone around me thinks the same because they are hesitating. The big lights are off, and I fade into the crowd. My black hoodie obscures my face and hair, hiding me in plain sight. I didn’t want Lally to spot me, or anyone else for that matter. I’m supposed to gather information. I took some pictures and videos and texted them to the Silent Rose chat before the announcement started.
They are trying to control everyone through fear and money, and I think it might actually work, especially if what Leo said is true and they have the ability to do so. It means I’m basically declaring war on them, but I don’t care as my eyes find her again. She stands at the front, looking good enough to eat, and all the eyes on her tell me I’m not the only one who thinks that. Lally has a beautiful, untamable aura. She looks like a pop star but acts like a rock star. Under it all, though, is a kind, scared, and scarred heart, and that heart will belong to me if we survive the night.
“Fuck it.”
