Star-crossed Rivals + Ray of Hope

Yuzuko woke up to the sight of cobwebs glistening in the window. The spiders habituating them seemed pleasant. She never understood the fear of spiders - they were just lowly creatures passing by, trying to make a home for themselves.

She rolled out of the bed, staring into the cracked mirror. A thought came to her, was she, a humble member of society any different to the spiders? The spiders build their cobwebs: people brush them away. Immigrants face the same problems. A horrid choice between life on the run or stay and watch your homes and loved ones being destroyed.

Every strand of litter was another step back. Climate change was not considered the emergency it was fifty years ago, but there was still a long way to go. The fact there were more trees on this island than the Amazon Rainforest terrified Yuzuko.

Sia's gun weighed down her pocket. She tried to pretend that it wasn't there, but the building pocket stood out from her fragile frame. Grabbing her sword, she hoped he would never need to use the gun. She cringed, fighting the urge to go in her pocket. How is she finding a gun so attractive?

If she was back in Kyoto, she'd be on her phone taking selfies for Sakura. For now, she had her gun and sword to look at. She steered her hed closer to the gun and found that her name had been engraved in Japanese.

Sia had made the gun for her. She scurried for the map in her bag. She needed to know where she was. Sweat trickled down her forehead. Peering out of the window, comparing her views to the map, she knew she was in the mansion. The main question that got her heart pounding was where the other contestants were. Who was still alive?

Sakura...

She heard two voices behind the wooden planks. Tiptoeing back on the bed, she gasped at the bloodstains on the bed. They looked fresh. Between her thighs felt wet. She rubbed her stomach as she searched for something to clean herself in - not a sink in sight.

Yuzuko muttered under her breath, "Why do I have to start now out of all days."

The menstrual mess reminded her of the man she killed three days ago. The only thing she knew about him was that he was dutch. It was done in self-defence, but it didn't shake the guilt away. Leaning own towards the floor, she listened to the conversation downstairs, peeking into one of the holes on the floor.

Lavender was strutting about in her underwear as her partner, Christian was pumping weights at the dinner table. Yuzuko had assumed they had an argument. All happiness seemed sapped out of the room with their straight lips and drooping faces.

"I can't believe we're in bottom place," Lavender hissed.

Christian threw the weights on the ground. "Take the scores with a pinch of salt. They change all the time."

Lavender threw herself out of her seat. "I don't want to be a loser!" Lavender's concerns made Yuzuko relate. Yuzuko didn't want to lose either, but Lavender didn't seem to understand that they could all be winners if they make it out of the show alive.

"We could all be winners," Yuzuko whispered to herself.

"Don't think like one then," Christian snapped. "The scores fluctuate all the time."

"We need to win. Even if it means killing everyone."

Yuzuko gasped, shaking her head. Christian peered over at Lavender with looks that could melt ice. "Come on Lavender, I thought you were over this."

"I'm sorry," Lavender screamed. "I just can't trust them. I can't even trust you."

"You're still mad at her for sleeping with Alfie?" Christian shrugged his shoulders and made himself a coffee. "You never had any issues with me sleeping with those women. I didn't complain about you when you sleep around."

"I can't believe you slept with that autistic weirdo."

Yuzuko's fists clenched. Her heart pounded against her chest. If she was in Christian's place, she would have given her a slap.

"There's nothing wrong with Alfie!" Christian declared. "He's out of his comfort zone. We all are. We're all doing and saying stupid things. But you, you need to snap out of it!"

"Snap out of what?"

The coffee cup in Christian's hand was smashed onto the floor. "I'm not talking to you until you start making sense!"

"Fine!" Lavender folded her arms. "Be that way." When Christian left, Lavender's smile made Yuzuko shiver. "I might have to kill you too. At least I don't have a crappy weapon anymore." Yuzuko was mortified to see Bobby's sledgehammer being pulled under the table.

Yuzuko flew to her feet, took all that she needed then hacked the door open with her sword. It was time to stop Lavender on her path to madness.

By the time she reached the kitchen, Lavender had slipped on her shorts and crop top. "Hah! Yuzuko, just the person I was looking for."

Yuzuko waved her sword. "I'm not letting you kill anyone."

"Just 'cause you're Sia's granddaughter, doesn't give you special rights."

"Wait! How do you know?"

"Honestly, the only one who didn't know was you!"

"I looked up to you, you know?" Yuzuko said with tears in her eyes. "I used to watch your vlog every day. It made me feel beautiful. We had so much in common. I have a little boy at home and you have young children too."

"Not anymore I don't!"

"I thought those were rumours," Yuzuko cried. "I always believed in you when you said you raised your children and your cousin babysat them."

"Whatever you've heard...the truth is a lot worse. Now it's nice to stay and have a girly chat. There are times to talk, times to fuck and times to fight. Right now, this is a good time to fight." Lavender got the sledgehammer ready. "It's kill or be killed!"

"So this is how it's got to be. Do I really have to kill you to ensure the others live..."

Aron watched Todd and Sook-Jo hold hands on the beach. They needed to make the most of the tranquil moments while they had the chance. Chaos was about to shake everything up again. It could be within a few seconds or a few hours, but they all knew the riots would come. He wondered how Todd and Sook-Jo could fall in love over a few mere days where for him it took years.

He considered the fact he may have been in love the entire time, but it took a reality TV show to realise that. He rubbed his hands together. He was not religious, praying felt strange to him. For Rós, he would do anything.

"Aron!" she called. "We need to get going."

"Oh yeah. To Mt. Ivan?"

"Have you even been listening?" Rós rolled her eyes and walked in front.

"Rós!" Aron yelled. He never meant to yell or put his hands out. He shook as if he was in an earthquake.

Rós turned around. "Yes?"

"There's something I need to tell you."

"Can't it wait?" Rós bent her knees. "We have robots to get rid off."

"No." Aron dashed towards her. "I should have told you a long time ago."

Rós smirked. Her lips curled into a malicious smile. "You love me?"

Aron stood back. "How did you know?"

"Well, I love you too."