The Reaping Games

“Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” I hear over and over. My eyes fight me as I try to open them. I feel like I’ve been hit with a truck. As everything begins to focus I take in everything around me. The space is small like a plane or train and there are at least a dozen people in this little room with me. A blonde guy holds his hand out and I grab it. He pulls me up and I can see more around the room. I can see windows and there are trees passing by so I think it is safe to assume I am on a train. The weird thing is I don’t remember getting on a train. I don’t remember anything from today at all.

“What’s going on? Where are we?” I ask. The blonde guy shrugs. Everyone else is the same as me. They have no memory of the day. Everyone is freaking out and trying to understand what is happening. The lights turn off suddenly and a black light comes on revealing hidden words. Three words in latin are repeated all over the walls. IUDICIUM TUUM VENIT.

“It’s Malthael!” One girl screams. “Who’s Malthael?” Someone calls out. Malthael? I recognize the name. Who is it? Why can’t I remember it exactly? “Don’t you watch the news? He’s a serial killer.” That’s right! I remember hearing a story about a girl who was murdered by him in the cruelest way possible. He attached a camera to a helmet that could withstand deep pressures. He tied the girl down to a heavy block and before tossing her into the ocean he tied an oxygen tank and taped a breathing mask to the girl’s face. He activated a light on the camera and threw her into the waters. He then livestreamed her descent into the ocean where she eventually imploded.

A bright light flashes from a large screen and in a moment there is a figure in black on the screen. He is wearing a black and red face mask with his hood up. “Hello everyone and welcome to the Reaping Games. For those streaming for the first time ever, I host these games once a quarter for all the contracts that were of medium to low value. We have twelve players tonight and five of my reapers for a total of seventeen players. By now my dear contestants you have probably realized you are on a train. This is my special train called Charon. Tonight's game is quite simple, there are five coins hidden on the train. If you can find a coin and get to the engine car of the train then you will win and survive but all five coins must be put into the collection slot and player types must match in order for the game to end. Five of the players are reapers as I said. They will pick you off one at a time but don’t worry, the game is designed to be fair so they won’t just slaughter you all at once. Even my reapers have rules to follow and I don’t abide cheaters. Be warned, each car has deadly traps and tricks. Find the coins, evade my reapers and get to the end and you will live. Goodluck and tempt not the fates.” The screen cuts off and the lights turn back on.

The Reaping Games. I remember the news talking about the streams. The authorities could never pin down where these games were. They were always different. The last ones were held in an underground maze. There were robotic minators that hunted down the people. Only the Reapers survived. They are the only ones who ever survive. If I’m in this game then I’m dead. How am I going to escape if no one else ever has?

“Hey, are you ok?” The blonde guy asks me. “Yea. I’m just scared. We’re going to die. No one wins these games.” I say with despair. “No! We’ll get out of this.”

Everyone in the car is panicking. Obviously everyone has the same thought as me. The blonde guy walks away from me and climbs on top of a seat to get higher. He yells for everyone to pay attention. “We can’t panic! We have to work together if we want to escape this game. There are five Reapers and as long as we are all together then we don’t have to worry about them killing us. I’ve watched these games a lot and the Reapers only ever attack when someone is alone.”

Everyone keep muttering to themselves but his words seem to bring everyone to a calmer state of mind. I know I feel better. He jumps down and comes back over to me. “I think that worked! I’m Kol by the way.” He extends his hand out to me. I smile and shake his hand. “Jason.” I say. Kol flashes a smile. “Under different circumstances this could have been the beginning of something magical. If we make it out alive maybe it still can.” He says. Is he flirting with me? Normally someone of his attractiveness would have my heart pounding but the prospect of death already has it working overtime.

“Maybe. Should we begin?” I ask. Kol nods and asks everyone to follow him into the next car so they can start looking for these coins. “What happens when we find all five and there are still seventeen of us?” Someone shouts. Kol sighs. “We’ll worry about that later.” I think everyone is defeated because of the knowledge most of us will be dead by the nights end.

Kol leads us into the next car and everyone looks around for a coin. I think about what it is that got me here. There is only one person I can think of who could have put a hit out on me. My psycho ex girlfriend. I realized I am gay while being with her and she didn’t take it well. She promised to make me pay for humiliating her and possibly giving her the gay. Which if you follow that logic then I would have made her like guys which would mean she was saying she was a lesbian while dating me. These are the kind of remarks that get me looks of annoyance.

Kol looks around the car with me and he tries to lighten the mood. That is a tall order considering the mood currently is impending death. As we continue to look around a girl shouts she found one. We all turn and as she picks up the coin a contraption is activated and two sharp spikes on rods fall down and impale her on either side of her head. Blood spurts out and splashes on people nearby.

Someone else grabs the coin from her dead hand and walks away. This causes everyone to get angry and start arguing about who deserves the coin. Now there are only four coins left. Everyone starts to split up and go in different directions which Kol shouts at them to not do. One coin is found and everyone forgets there are Reapers who are going to kill us all. I stay with Kol. The odds are he isn’t a Reaper.

We go into the next car and look for the coin. I hear a series of screams. What Kol predicted has happened. We move to the next car and luckily I find a coin. Kol notices a wire around the area. He helps me get the coin and we quickly get out of the car before anyone else comes in. Our hands touch and I blush. Kol smiles and squeezes my hand. I pocket the coin. “Jason, if we survive this, want to get dinner?” He asks me. I smile. “Definitely.” I say. He is attractive.

I suggest we move on but Kol stops. “Wait, before we move on. We might die and I was hoping I could have a kiss.” I am taken back at the request but I get it. I don’t want my final memories to be of fear. I smile and get close to Kol. He leans in and kisses me. I feel a fiery burn in the kiss. A good burn! Wow he is a great kisser!

He pulls away after a few more moments and looks away with a blush. “Thank you.” He grabs my hand and we head to the exit of the car. A part of me is wondering if something will come out of this if we survive. As we walk into another car a dagger comes swinging down. Kol blocks and grabs the arm. He forces the attacker to the ground. He rips the knife from the attacker’s hand and stabs him multiple times. More screams can be heard as Reapers kill other players. “How are they so good?” I shout. Kol chuckles while searching the pockets of the dead Reaper. “Reapers have special contacts that allow them to spot other reapers and players. They also get all the information they need to know how to manipulate other players. Special technology that Malthael has developed.” He explains to me. He exclaims in excitement when he finds a coin in the dead guy’s pocket.

We continue to move forward to the front of the train and run into five people. Based on the screams I have been hearing I assume these are the last of the players. “Well there are seven of us here. At least one Reaper is dead, that leaves only three of us as players.” Kol pauses and looks at everyone. He grips the dagger in his hand tightly. “Who has coins?” Two players hold up their hands and another reaches for her side. Kol throws the dagger into the skull of the girl reaching for her side.

“Oh my God! What makes you think she is a Reaper?” One of the coin holders shouts. Kol walks over and pulls the knife out. He searches her pockets and claims another coin. He holds it up. “She had a coin and was reaching for a weapon she had strapped to her leg.”

One of the men not holding a coin reaches for their side and pulls out a knife. He moves quickly and stabs one of the coin holders and then goes for Kol. He moves out of the way and falls down. The attacker goes for Kol and I run to the man and tackle him to the ground. The last coin holder takes off running and the only other person grabs me and pulls me off of the Reaper.

The one Reaper holds me and the other smiles as he thrusts his knife towards me. I close my eyes. I hear a grunt and open my eyes to see Kol holding the Reaper’s arm. He forced the man to stab himself in the gut. Kol shoves the man to the ground and then throws the dagger he slid into his pocket into the face of the Reaper holding me.

I let out a sigh of relief and walk to Kol and hug him tightly. The Reaper on the floor looks at us pleadingly. “I just wanted out . . .” He says before going quiet.

“What did he mean?” I ask. Kol looks at me as he pulls the knife out of the man. “Reapers are only in the game because they disappointed Malthael or want to leave his service. Once someone joins they can’t leave except by winning a game.” How does he know all of this? I wonder. I’ve seen a few of the games but none of this was ever revealed in the games.

Kol searches the pocket of the dead coin holder and takes it. He laughs a little. “Imagine if everyone had followed what I told them. We’d all be here alive and escape at once.” He says. He begins to walk towards the door to the engine car. “How do you figure? Malthael only said five could leave.” I ask. The blonde boy turns around. “Did he? I heard him say that if all five coins were put into the coin slots then everyone in the engine room would survive if they were matching player types. Meaning all Reapers or all victim players. It’s a game. Malthael is fair.” He says. Kol turns back to the door and opens it. The girl is inside waiting. Kol holds up his hands and tells her it is ok.

I follow him into the car. Kol puts his three coins in. I put mine in and the girl puts her in. She pulls the lever and the train begins to slow down. “Congratulations players. You have survived, however if any Reapers are left you have to survive a little longer. Until the train fully stops the game is still active. The train will stop in approximately five minutes.

“At least it is over.” The girl says. I wonder though. Everything seems off. I don’t get how we are the first players to ever win the game. “Are we sure all five Reapers are dead?” I say aloud. The girl and Kol look at me. I look at him. “You knew who the Reapers were. You said everyone could have survived if we all made it to the end of the game. You knew things about the Reapers that were never explained in the games.”

The girl looks at Kol who holds up his hands defensively. “I told you I watch the games. I know lots of things about the games. Because of me you’re alive! Are you really going to turn on me now?” Kol says. I step forward. “I’m sorry! I just want to live!” I exclaim as I grab a knife off the floor. I hold it up and point it at Kol.

He sighs. “Disappointing.” Kol says. He uses the knife he has and stabs the girl in the throat. She clutches her throat and falls down. He comes towards me and I slash at him. With his free hand Kol grabs my wrist and squeezes hard. The pain makes me drop the knife. He puts the knife to my throat. “It’s a shame really. I was looking forward to the date.” Kol whispers into my ear.

“I knew it! You’re a Reaper!” I say with venom. Kol dramatically gasps and pulls away far enough so I can see the fake look of offense on his face. “Not at all. I am so much more than those Reapers. They are just advanced players. You have the privilege of talking to the game master.” His words soak into my mind. Is he? No, it can’t be! Kol steps forward and grabs me again. He puts the knife to my neck and caresses me gently with the knife. He smiles and slides the knife from my throat and stabs me in the gut. “I’m Malthael. I was paid a pretty penny to join in on the game and make sure you had the false hope of winning.”

I am disgusted with him. How could anyone do this? I look at the timer on the monitor above the coin slots. It hits zero as the train comes to a stop. Malthael pulls the dagger out of my gut and holds it high. I cough up blood on his face. “Wait! You can’t kill me! The rules, you said once the train is stopped then I win.” Kol sighs. “You’re right. I am a man of my word.”

Kol moves me closer to the door of the engine car door. He opens it and a gust of wind hits me. The train is still moving! Kol looks at me. “It’s amazing how stress, a timer on a screen, and some slight brake application makes your mind believe things are happening that aren’t. This train never stops.” Kol says before shoving me out of the train.