The Game

“Athena, don’t forget to heat the kettle for the tub!” My mom yelled across the kitchen. “Yes, I’m doing it right now mom”. I finish pouring the rest of the water in the tub when I see Jack, my younger brother sprint into the living room. “Guess what, Athena!?” Jack exclaims, jumping up and down.

Keeping my eyes on the water, I ring out the rag. “What, Jack?”

Jack squeals “The choosing process for the southern region will begin tomorrow!”

“Oh, that’s… nice,” I say, trying to hide my lack of enthusiasm.

Jack frowns. “Can’t you at least pretend to be excited?” He asks.

“I am,” I mutter.

Jack rolls his eyes. “I don’t get you. You’re the only person in the whole world who doesn’t care about this.”

I sigh “It’s not that I don’t care. I just don’t see the point in being excited about it since we could never afford to go.”

Jack glares at me. “Whatever.” He spats, before storming off.

“Where are you going? Your bath is ready!”

No response. I throw the rag in the tub and go to my room. I sigh while looking at my reflection in the mirror. I hated how I looked. I had black circles underneath my eyes and heavy eyebags. I was thin. Too thin. I see girls from the magazines I find on the ground and envy them. I wish I could look like them. I never realized it was possible to be so beautiful. Full face, clear skin, no eye bags, and the most gorgeous clothes I have ever seen. I guess you can’t expect too much when you’re living in poverty. Jack has been obsessing over the choosing ceremony, ever since it was first talked about, and he's ecstatic that the choosing is going to begin on his birthday. Basically, the government's committee created this high-tech, intense game for people to try out. Everyone and their brother are trying to sign up for it. It costs $1,000 to sign up, and even then it's unlikely you'll get the spot. The committee will only pick 20 people, 5 people from each region to enter. Apparently, this game is the new future. If you win a spot in the game you are promised not only a chance to go to the northern region, the richest and most luxurious region in the whole country, but you get the chance to play the most advanced, fun, and intense game that was ever invented. The game is so intense, it lasts for 24 hours, and if you win the game against all the other contestants you are granted a lot of money. Too bad my family and I can't afford to enter, though honestly, I'm probably the only person in the world who has some doubts about this game. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about it. I continued to gaze in the mirror when I heard my mother crying. Concerned, I follow her weeping to her room. "What's the matter mom?" I ask. Mom wipes her tears with her fists while handing me a little black Moleskine notebook. I read the notebook which is from my father who I never met. According to the page he wrote, he's dying and wanted to leave us some money. It was emotional, reading the notebook. I was so mad at him for leaving, especially at a time when mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, but after reading the letter I felt less resentful. My mom explained that he left us $20,000 which was A LOT. for us I couldn't believe it. We could actually afford to buy a cake for Jack's birthday now. We could actually get some shoes that didn't make our feet ache or buy clothes so we have more than two outfits to our name. My mom didn't have to worry about giving most of her food rations to Jack and me anymore. Mom explained she was going to sign Jack up for the choosing ceremony, but he's too young to enter. She knows how bad Jack wants someone in our family to go, and if it couldn't be him he wanted the next best. My mom or me. My mom couldn't because she has too many things to take care of, so she talked to me about going. She thought it would be a good birthday present for Jack, and also a great experience for me. I was hesitant at first, but with some persuading, she finally convinced me to give it a try. It's not like I was going to get a spot anyway. The chances of that happening are nearly impossible. The next day at 7, everyone gathered around outside by the speaker waiting for the results. Everyone was crowded together. I couldn't get over how many people were outside waiting and how anyone in our region could even afford a ticket. Finally, the speaker went on gaining everyone's attention. People farther than I could see, were in groups huddled together waiting for the speaker to announce the winners. It was so congested and crowded, that you couldn’t even walk without touching someone. I could hear the murmurs of everyone talking. Everyone was smiling and laughing. They all seemed so happy. I must have been the only one with a straight face. Then suddenly a loud noise on the speaker gathered everyone’s attention. “Hello everyone, and thank you for submitting your tickets. We have just finished counting all the tickets and will now be announcing the 5 winners of the southern region.” “1st pick winner is…” I felt my heart race, and suddenly it was only me and the speaker, no one else. “Cynthia Garcia.” I took a sigh of relief. You could hear the majority of the crowd awe in disappointment, but from the distance, I could hear faint cheering. “The 2nd pick winner is… Samantha Brown”. Everyone reacted the same to every name that was being drawn. I was focused on the excitement of everyone’s faces. The winners all seemed so thrilled. The more it got closer to the end the quieter and more serious the crowd got. I was so lost in thought that I barely even realized what was happening. “And the 5th and the final winner is… Athena Jones.” Suddenly my heart dropped.

The next week was nothing but chaos. Paparazzi were constantly invading our privacy and asking me idiotic questions. It felt like a strange dream. The week went on like that. Me trying to avoid them and do my chores. Jack and my mom were thrilled for me. Even friends I barely knew acted happy for me. Before I knew it, it was time. Today was the day I'd be leaving home and going to the northern region to compete and possibly win the money. I was seated in a fancy vehicle, with 4 other strangers. 2 men, one little girl, and a teenage girl who wouldn't shut up. After what felt like hours, we finally arrived at a humongous building with tall pillars. I've never seen anything like it. When we were invited inside, my mouth dropped. This place was at least 800 times bigger than mine. There was a square box with people taking inside it. I heard one of the contestants calling it a TV. There must have been 10 of them in the building. It was truly amazing. Then after the introductions and after we got to know each other better, we were seated in big black seats. We were all given a paper. “What is this for?” I asked. The tour guide grinned. “Each and every one of you is given a paper of highly important information on it to help you survive. You will all be given only 10 minutes to read it. The information on this paper is crucial to survive. You will not be allowed to have this in the game, so I hope you guys have a good memory.” Everyone groaned. The tour guide smiled. “Your time begins now.” He says while starting a timer on the wall. “Great,” I thought to myself.” I quickly flipped the page and started reading…

Tips

The speckled blue berries are poisonous

The tiny red berries are safe to consume

The purple berries are safe but will make you fall asleep after consuming

Lake water has blue-green algae, parasites, bacteria, and saltwater that can be lethal.

You will find water near wildlife, and vegetation

Manuka honey treats ulcers

There are poisonous snakes and spiders on the ground

Beware of the monkeys that travel through the trees. They are extremely dangerous. They travel during the day.

Fish are attracted to shiny objects

Tinder is flammable

Bears follow sweet smells

Don’t use honey on areas such as the hands, face, feet, or groin area.

Cactuses contain water

Hemlock plants have water inside

Hemlock plants are toxic when ingested

Manchineel plants are deadly when touched

Aloe vera plant heals first and second-degree burns

Beep… Beep. Beep…. The timer goes off. “Everyone, put your papers down face over.” Everyone did what was asked. The tour guide began walking around the room, giving injections to one person at a time. People were gasping. I don’t think any of us were expecting that. “This serum will make you fall asleep, and when I say a word, your minds will be transported into the game.” “Now there are many things you should know before we begin. First, it’s survival of the fittest. There can only be 9 survivors and winners, so unless there are only 9 of you left, you will all be fighting each other. Everything you do, see and hear in this game is an illusion. None of it is real. Don’t forget that.”

“What’s the goal of the game?” One kid asked.

“Good question. The goal is simple. To survive. You will be met with difficult tasks and almost impossible choices. Only the best will survive. One other thing, there’s a gold medal sphere in the game. This sphere controls life and death. It’s what controls who dies and survives. You die by your choice, but the sphere tracks these deaths. Whoever has this golden sphere will be indestructible, and impossible to kill. This sphere is what makes the game. It’s what programs the deaths and all the data. It’s like a hard drive. Without it, there wouldn’t be a game, the game would be over without this sphere, which is why it’s crucial to find this piece. Whoever has it in their possession will be guaranteed immunity along with 8 people of their choosing, that’s if you can keep it that long without someone stealing it from you. The golden sphere is also indestructible itself. No human or person can destroy it.” Everyone looks at each other with uncertainty. Some people seemed eager and excited, while others had that look of “what did I get myself into” face. Then the man cleared his throat. "Remember, nothing is what it seems. There's one goal, and one goal only. To survive. The last 9 standing wins the game. Based on your actions and your choices, the judges will decide the winner of the 9 people left. Most likely the one with the sphere will be the winner".

I heard one person yell "What happens if we want to leave the game?"

Then the man gave him a sinister scowl. "There is no escaping."

“Wait, I don’t think I want to do this anym…” Before I could finish my sentence, I felt a sharp pain on my arm. “Oww.” I wince in pain. The man just stares at me “Have fun.” I was angry and wanted to yell at him, but before I could get the first word out I felt drowsy. My eyes fluttered shut, and I drifted off to blackness. Suddenly I open my eyes and I’m brought into another world. Everything felt so real. I could even feel the wind brush past my face. I didn't understand how something like this was even possible. Where was I? I was outside surrounded by trees, rocks, and grass. I could feel the heat from the sun beating down on my neck. I walked straight, not sure where I’m going or what I’m supposed to do. I suddenly hear a cry for help. Instinct took over and I immediately ran, following the cry. It sounded like a little girl. I approach a young blonde girl with pigtails sitting on the ground, sobbing. That’s when I saw her leg wound. It was bleeding, and looked painful. “What happened!?” I exclaimed.

The little girl looks up at me in tears ``Please don’t hurt me.” She begs.

I shake my head “No, don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me even though I would better your chances at winning if you left me?”

“Of course not. Here let me help you up.” I reach for her hand, and she accepts it. I lift her up from the ground. “How did this happen?” I asked.

The girl frowned. “I was all alone and scared when a boy tried to shoot me with his gun. I ran, and then I fell down that hill and injured my ankle. It really hurts, and it was hard to move..” She whimpered. “I didn’t think the game would be scary like this. If I knew, I would have never done this. I’m just a girl, I don’t know how to defend myself.

I caress her cheek. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll protect you.” I assure. She smiles back at me “Thank you. I’m glad it was you who heard me and not someone else.” From the distance, we hear gunshots. The girl cries frantic “Oh no, they’re killing more people!” She screamed.

I put my finger to my lips, trying to quiet her. “Shh… It’s okay. It’s just a game, remember none of this is real. It’s like a dream. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” I say.

The girl fiddles with her bracelet “But it feels so real. I even felt pain.”

I smile gently “Here, come on. Let’s find somewhere else to go. It doesn’t seem safe in the open like this.”

The little girl nods. “Okay.”

We begin walking. We didn’t know where to go and where would be safer, so we just went deeper into the forest, hoping to be secluded from everyone else.

“What’s your name?” The little girl asks.

“I’m Athena. What about you? What’s your name?” “I’m Molly.”

“That’s a pretty name.” I say.

“Really? All my friends make fun of it. They say it sounds like a dog name.”

“No. Molly is a beautiful name, and people who would make fun of your name aren’t real friends.”

Molly tilts her head “What is it like to have a real friend?”

I raise my eyebrows “Honestly. You're asking the wrong person. Back in the Southern region, you spend more time cleaning than making friends.”

Molly gasps “You’re from the Southern region!?”

I nod “Yep. Unfortunately.”

“Is it true you guys don’t have toilet paper?” She asks.

I laugh “Where did you hear such a silly idea like that?”

Molly shrugs. “My brother. He told me Southerners lack hygiene and don’t bathe and can’t afford toilet paper to wipe their butts.”

I shake my head, laughing “Well the hygiene part may be true, but no... We can afford toilet paper.”

“But you don’t smell?” She asks.

I smirk “Thank you. I try my best.”

We continue to walk, when I hear Molly’s stomach grumble. “What was that? Is there a monster living in your stomach?” I tease her.

“I’m sorry. I’m just so hungry.”

“We’ll try to find food for you.” I say.

“Thank you.” She smiles.

While we were walking, I noticed a shiny silver object on the ground. Curious, I pick it up. “What’s that?” Molly asks. I furrow my eyebrows. “I.. I’m not sure. It looks like a whistle.”

“Why don’t you try whistling in it?”

I shake my head “I would, but I don’t want to make a scene.”

“Smart move.” Molly says. I tuck the whistle in the back of my pocket, hoping maybe it would come in use somehow. As we were walking, we began to hear voices yelling. I quickly took Molly’s hand, and we hid behind a tree.

“What are we doing?” She asks.

“There are people over there.” I whisper.

We stare out, and three people come into the forest from the outside. One older boy, an older girl and another boy standing across from them. By the way they were dressed I could tell two of them were northerners. The one boy yells in pain “Why did you do this!? I thought we made a pact!”

The other two teens' northerners scoff “Like we’d really consider keeping you. You’re worthless. You can’t even shoot a gun. You’ll just slow us down”

The boy steps back “But I’m the one who found the golden sphere. Without me, you wouldn’t even have it! I gave it to you, so we could be a team.”

They laugh. “Yeah, that was your first mistake. Lesson number 1. Never trust strangers, especially northerners.”

The boy looks at them in fear. “Please, please don’t do this.”

The guy rolls his eyes. “This is a game. It’s not like we’re really killing you. Besides, if you want to win you have to have what it takes to make the tough choices.” He then raises his knife and stabs the boy. He screams in pain and begins to glitch. Then like magic, he was gone. The two teens smile in satisfaction. “That gets rid of one competitor. Let’s keep looking.” The girl teen nods, and they walk off. When the coast is clear, Molly whimpers “D-did you see that!? They just killed that boy like nothing.” I sigh. “I know, we have to be careful with who we trust. This game is more complicated than I thought, but don’t worry no matter what happens we’ll be safe. Remember, no matter how real it seems, it’s all fake.”

The girl takes a deep breath. “You’re right.”

We stand up and walk in the opposite direction where those two kids came from. As we were walking we came across a big tree. Molly exclaims “Athena, berries!” In the trees, there are red berries. I look around and see blue and purple berries in bushes. Molly takes a handful of berries and is about to eat them. “No!” I yell.

Startled, Molly drops the berries. “What’s wrong?” She asks.

“They can be poisonous.” I warn.

Molly groans. “I’m starving. What are we going to eat?”

Then memories start to flood back. I remember on the paper it mentioned something about berries. I think I remember which ones are safe to eat.

Here’s your first choice. Pick wisely…

Choice 1) Eat the blue berries

Choice 2) Eat the purple berries

Choice 3) Eat the red berries

If you chose choice 1 read-only 1A. If you chose choice 2 read-only 2A. If you chose choice 3 read-only 3A.

1A)-

“I’m pretty sure it was the blue berries that were safe to eat.”

“Okay, here.” She hands me a handful of blue berries, before popping some in her mouth. “They’re delicious!” She exclaims.

Hesitant, I take a deep breath and eat them. Everything seemed fine. We continue walking. We share stories about each other's regions. I tell her about the Southern region, and how poor, but nice the people are, and she told me all about the Eastern region. Apparently, the Eastern Region has money, not too much like the northerners, but enough to get by. Molly tells me how they are all into farming, and learning how to preserve food. I never knew it, but according to Molly most of the food every region gets is made by the Eastern region. Without the Eastern Region, we would all starve. We continue to talk, when suddenly Molly stops walking. “I don’t feel good.” She says. I look at her, and can tell something’s wrong. She’s paler than usual, and her eyes look so tired. Then I start to feel weird myself. “Yeah, me too.” I say. It gets harder and harder to walk. It feels like the whole world is spinning. Molly says breathlessly “I can’t walk anymore.” She leans over and vomits on the ground. I pat her back gently, trying to keep myself from falling over. “Everything...i-s-ss going t-too be okayyyy.” I slur. We both can’t walk any further. Mary collapses to the ground, I catch her fall, but am too weak to stay standing, and end up falling with her. I stare up at the blue sky, the sound of birds chirping. It was so peaceful, yet so painful. GAME OVER. Scroll down to the bottom of the story and read the last paragraph that says game over, or start all over.

2A) -

“I’m pretty sure it was the purple berries that were safe to eat.”

“Okay, here.” She hands me a handful of purple berries, before popping some in her mouth. “They’re delicious!” She exclaims.

Hesitant, I take a deep breath and eat them. Everything seemed fine. We continue walking. We share stories about each other's regions. I tell her about the Southern region, and how poor, but nice the people are, and she told me all about the Eastern region. Apparently the Eastern Region has money, not too much like the northerners, but enough to get by. Molly tells me how they are all into farming, and learning how to preserve food. I never knew it, but according to Molly most of the food every region gets is made from the Eastern region. Without the Eastern Region, we would all starve. We continue to talk, when suddenly Molly stops walking. “I feel so tired.” She says. I look at her, and can tell something’s wrong. Her eyes are barely open, and she’s leaning forward like she’s about to fall over.. Then I start to feel weird myself. “Yeah, me too.” I yawn. It gets harder and harder to walk. It feels like the whole world is spinning, and we have cement glued to our shoes. Molly says breathlessly “I can’t walk any further” She then falls to the ground. I begin to feel extremely drowsy. I try my best to stay standing, but eventually the exhaustion takes over and I fall to the ground next to Molly. “Let’s take a nap.” She suggests.

I shake my head slowly “No...we need...to keep… moving…” I slur. I glance at Molly and she’s already sleeping. “Maybe...one little…nap...won’t h..urt…” That’s the last thing I remember, before waking up. When I wake up, it’s nightfall already. My eyes jolt open, and I look to Molly next to me. That’s when I see a knife plunged into her stomach. “Molly!” I yell. I try shaking her, begging her to wake up, but she’s not responding. “She’s already dead.” I hear a deep voice say. I realize I’m not alone. I look up and see 3 people crowded around Molly and I. “Wh-what are you guys doing? What did you do to Molly!” I scream.

They stare back emotionless. “We were just passing by when we saw you two passed out on the ground. We needed to eliminate competition, though I’m not sure if you guys even count. She barely put up a fight, since she was half asleep. It’s not very smart to sleep, when there are people trying to kill you, you know.”

I ignore him, and continue to shake Molly. “Molly, wake up!” I yell, tears forming in my eyes. “What part of dead don’t you understand?” The man hisses.

I feel rage take over. I scowl at him. “Why… Why spare me!?” I snap.

He scoffs “We didn’t. You just happened to wake up right when we were going to take you out.” My eyes widen in fear.

He smirks “Sucks for you, you couldn’t stay asleep. Then you’d feel nothing. Now you’re going to feel everything. Oh well... more fun for us.” He looks at me with a sinister grin. Then he yanks the knife from Molly's stomach, her lifeless, limp body falling all the way to the ground. The man then turns to me “Nighty night.” He says before plunging the knife into my chest. I scream in agonizing pain, while he and his friends just watch. I feel myself slowly start to drift, then blackness. GAME OVER. Scroll down to the bottom of the story and read the last paragraph that says game over, or start all over.

3A)-

“I’m pretty sure it was the red berries that were safe to eat.”

“Okay, here.” She hands me a handful of red berries, before popping some in her mouth. “They’re delicious!” She exclaims.

Hesitant, I take a deep breath and eat them. Everything seemed fine. We continue walking. We share stories about each other's regions. I tell her about the Southern region, and how poor, but nice the people are, and she told me all about the Eastern region. Apparently the Eastern Region has money, not too much like the northerners, but enough to get by. Molly tells me how they are all into farming, and learning how to preserve food. I never knew it, but according to Molly most of the food every region gets is made from the Eastern region. Without the Eastern Region, we would all starve. We continue to talk, when we hear a man cry for help. “Help me!” Molly and I look at each other. Our instincts are telling us to help the man, but we’re a little hesitant in case it's a trap. I sigh. “You stay here where it’s safe. I’ll check it out and see what’s going on.”

Molly clings to my arms. “No, please don’t leave me.” She begs.

“I won’t leave you, but I can't risk your safety if it is a trap.”

Molly shakes her head. “No please, let me go with you. I promise, I’ll be careful.” She pleads..

I look into her blue eyes and sigh in defeat. “Fine, but if anything goes wrong, you run. Far away, even if that means leaving me behind.”

Molly suppresses her tears “I can’t do that to you.” She cries.

“If you don’t promise me this, then I can’t let you come.”

Molly groans “Okay, okay. I promise.”

I look at her in the eyes, trying to read her. She looks honest. “Ok, come on.”

Molly follows me, as we approach the screaming that’s getting closer and closer. We spot an elderly man stuck underneath a thick net. “Help me! Someone, please!” I take a deep breath and turn to Molly. “Remember what I said. Stay here.”

Molly nods hesitantly. I walk over to the man trapped under the net. He sees me. “Help me! Hurry, they’re going to be back any minute!” He exclaims. “Who’s going to be back?”

“Us.”

I slowly turn around. There’s 2 men with tattoos standing across from me. They seem to be in their mid 30’s. They had buff muscles, and two guns. The odds of me getting out of this alive, was slim. “Look George, it seems like we caught the jackpot.” He laughs.

“Yes, it seems so.” The other guy smirks.

I put my hands in the air. “Please. I mean no harm. I was just helping this guy from the net.” They both laugh. “Why? That old fart couldn’t even walk 5 feet without needing a stop to breathe. He’s not worthy of being one of the winners. You actually put your life in danger and sacrificed winning so you could save him? You must either be an easterner or a southerner, and by your clothing I assume southerner.”

I scowl. “And you must be a northerner or westerner, and by your stupidity and lack of morals I assume northerner.”

They glare at me, taken aback by my response. “You’re brave. I’ll give you that.” He loads his gun, and aims it at me. “Southerners are always the first to die. You know why? They’re weak and let their emotions get in the way. Your region is so pathetic. Like what good do you do? You offer NOTHING. The northerners have the money, the easterners have the food, and the westerners have the weapons. What do you contribute? Nothing. You guys are worthless, poor, waste of oxygen.”

My teeth grit and my fists clench. “Take that back.” I demand.

The two men just chuckle. “No. We aren’t afraid of no southerner.”

I stand there my eyes still piercing through their souls. “You’re going to regret that.” I spat.

They roll their eyes. The taller one puts his hand on his hip. “And what are YOU going to do about it?”

I see Molly just a few feet behind the men, hiding behind a tree. She didn’t run as I told her! “You’ve wasted our time long enough.” He says while aiming his gun at me. I was out of ideas. I had no plan. I didn’t know what I was going to do, then I remembered the whistle! I prayed to god this would work. There was a high chance it was pointless, but I was desperate. I didn’t know what the whistle did, but I’m pretty much at my lowest point right now. It can’t get any worse than it is now. He puts his finger on the trigger, getting ready to shoot. I quickly grab the whistle from my back pocket and blow into it, making a small quiet noise. They both snort. “Is that your big plan? Blowing a whistle?” They both burst into laughter. “Oooh that really scared me.” He teases. I roll my eyes. Of course it wouldn’t do anything. How could I be so stupid? I sigh, defeated. The man points his gun at me once more getting ready to shoot. I can see Molly in the distance. I can tell she’s about to scream. I gave her death glares, demanding her not to make one single sound. I hear the gun click. I take a deep breath. Remember, it’s just a game… I keep telling myself. The two men smirked, while aiming their guns at me. This was it. Then suddenly the ground began to shake, like an earthquake. The two men no longer had their smug grins. Their faces dropped. They were scared. I didn’t know what I just did. If I released hell on earth. All I knew is they were terrified, and I was enjoying it. Then something underneath the ground starts to move and swirm. Whatever it was, was going towards the two men, The dirt and ground was moving, and whatever it was it stopped right underneath the two men. The men dropped their guns and stared at each other terrified. Then suddenly the grown opens up. A huge wormlike monster emerges from the ground, rising to the sky. This thing was terrifying, I almost shit my pants. It slithered around the men, trapping their legs, so they couldn’t run. They started screaming. The worm-like monster threw one guy up with his mouth devouring him. The other guy tried to run, and escape through its grip, but failed. The monster screeched, causing my ear drums to explode. Then it took its tail and threw the man against a tree, instantly killing him. Everyone was terrified. The thing starts squirming towards me. I stand there in fear. It rises up to the sky and snatches my whistle, before taking it and going back under the ground. I stood there frozen. When it left, I turned around to the old man under the net, and took a deep breath processing everything that had just happened. I use my hands to break open the net. I help the man up. “Thank you. I can’t thank you enough. It’s kind people like that restore my faith in humanity.”

I smile. “No problem.”

From a distance I see Molly sprinting to me. She runs into my arms, hugging me. I pull her into my embrace. “I was so scared. I was afraid something was going to happen to you.” She says. I pat her back. “Nah, I’m fine.”

“Do you mind if I tag along?” The old man asks. “I know I’m not the fastest, but if something bad happens I’m fine with you guys leaving me.” He says.

“Of course you can tag along with us.” I say.

“Thank you. I’m Tom ” He replies.

“Hello Tom. I’m Athena, and this is Molly.”

“Nice meeting the both of you.”

Tom starts coughing. “Excuse me. My throat is so parched. I could really go for a drink.”

I nod “Yeah now that you mention it, I’m starting to get a headache.”

“Let’s find water. ” Molly suggests.

We begin searching for water, but have no idea where to look. We approach three things. A cactus, a Hemlock plant and A Manchineel tree. I remember this being on the paper too. Only one of these are safe to drink from. Which one was it?

Here’s your second choice…

Choice 4) Cactus

Choice 5) Hemlock plant

Choice 6) Manchineel tree plant

If you chose choice 4 read-only 4A. If you chose choice 5 read-only 5A. If you chose choice 6 read-only 6A.

4A)-

“I believe the cactus is safe to drink from.” I say. “Okay, I can try first, since I’m old.” Tom reaches for the cactus plant and breaks it open, taking a small sip. We all watch in fear of something happening. “Seems okay to me.” He says. We all take a couple of sips. Though it wasn’t much it was enough to keep us hydrated for a while. READ 4B

.

5A)

“I think the Hemlock plant is safe to drink from.” I say. “Okay, I can try first, since I’m old.” Tom reaches for the Hemlock plant, breaks it open, taking a small sip. We all watch in fear of something happening. He scrunches his nose in disgust. “Well it certainly tastes horrible.” He starts to vomit. “Tom!” I ran to him. “Are you okay?” I ask.

He stays bent over, breathing heavily. “I don’t know…”

Then he collapses to the floor coughing. Molly starts crying. “How can we help him?” I panic, trying to sit him up, but his coughing was worsening. It was getting louder and more powerful, until he just passed out. His body was limp and lifeless. I killed him... It started to rain. “Oh great! What are we going to do now?” Molly exclaims

. “I think I have an idea.”

Molly looks at me curiously. I gently take Tom’s hat off him. “Molly I’m going to need you to collect as many leaves as you can. We can catch water with his hat if we have something to prevent it from absorbing.”

Mary nods. “Okay.” When she leaves I stare down at Tom’s body. The guilt was eating me up, but I had to remember this was just a game. None of it was real. Mary comes back with leaves and I spread it across the hat, catching the rain water.” Mary and I take turns drinking from the hat. READ F1

6A) “I think the Manchineel tree is safe to drink from.” I say. “Okay, I can try first, since I’m old.” Tom reaches for the tree grabbing what looks like a green apple. Before he could even open it he starts breaking out in blisters. “Tom!” I ran to him. “Are you okay?” I ask.

“I think I’m okay.. Probably just a small allergic reaction.” He assures.

“I don’t know. It seems pretty bad.” I say.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” He says.

“If you say so.”

We walked along the gravel path. We were all very hot and dehydrated. We haven't had anything to drink, and I could tell Tom wasn’t feeling like himself. Molly is barely walking, dragging her feet along. That’s when I stop. “Okay, we need water.” I suggest.

Tom says through heavy breaths “But, where are we going to find water that’s safe to drink from?”

I shrug “I don’t know.”

Miraculously, it starts to rain. “Great, now we're hungry, thirsty and wet.” Tom groans.

“No, that’s great! We can drink rain water!”

They both give me quizzical looks. “How?” Molly asks.

I bite my lip “We need something solid that can catch the rain, like a bowl.” I say.

“That’s not a bad idea.” Molly answers.

“Not bad for a southerner huh?” I tease.

“Where are you going to get something like that?” Molly asks.

“Tom’s hat!” I exclaim.

Molly’s face twists in disgust “eww”.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s just a game, it’s not like we’re really doing that.”

Tom slowly gives me his hat. “Here.” He looks extremely weak and fatigued.

“Are you sure you’re okay Tom?”

He doesn’t answer. “Molly, why don’t you stay with Tom. I’m going to gather leaves to put inside the hat to prevent it from soaking it all up.”

Mary nods. “Okay, try to hurry.”

“I will.” I run off in search of leaves. I start gathering fallen leaves from the ground. I grab a bunch and put them in my shirt that I folded like a pouch.. I debate whether I should get more, when I hear Molly scream. I quickly ran back. “What’s wrong!?”

Molly cries. “He’s dead.” I checked for a heart beat, but there wasn’t any pulse. I’m sure I picked the wrong plant to drink from. If he never touched that damn plant, he’d probably still be alive. I glance at him. His face and arms were filled with blisters.

I sigh. “Come on, we have to keep going.”

“What about Tom?” She asks.

“What happened to him was unfortunate, but if we want to win this game we have to keep going.”

Mary frowns. “Okay…”

I spread the leaves around the hat, and successfully managed to catch the water.

“Here drink.” Mary’s hesitant at first, but brings the hat to her face, sipping the rain water. After she drinks I too take a few sips. Scroll down and READ F1

4B) - As we’re walking, we start to hear deep growling. We all freeze, slowly turning around. Right in front of us was a huge black bear. We slowly start to walk back in fear. This thing was getting ready to attack us. We stand there frozen in fear. Then suddenly it springs forward and attacks Tom. Molly and I scream in horror. It’s biting Tom, tearing his flesh. “Help me.” He begs. I was just about to help him, and distract the bear when I hear Molly scream. I quickly turn around. One girl is holding a knife to Molly’s throat. “Let her go!” I yell. The girl shakes her head. “No. I need to eliminate any competition!” There I was standing between two friends. Tom, who was about to become bear food, and Molly who was about to get killed. Who should I choose?

Here’s your next choice

Choice 1B) Save Tom

Choice 2B) Save Molly

If you chose choice 1B read-only 1B. If you chose choice 2B read-only 2B.

1B) I run to Tom, leaving Molly defenseless. I throw a rock at the bear as a distraction. The bear spots me, and lunges on top of me. It bites me. I hear Molly scream in the background, and silence. She’s dead. Tom doesn’t help me. He runs off to save himself. The bear sinks its sharp teeth into my skin, and this is when I know.. This was it for me. GAME OVER. Scroll down to the bottom of the story and read the last paragraph that says game over, or start all over.

2B) I ran to Molly, letting the bear maul Tom. He screamed. I knew it was wrong, but he was already gone the moment the bear attacked him. There was no way I could save him, but Molly, and I still had a chance. I could still save us. I take Molly’s hand and we run off away from the attack. READ F1

F1-

Molly and I wander through the endless woods. Soon it was nightfall. “Where should we set up for camp?” Molly asks.

Here’s your next choice…

Choice 1C) Camp somewhere on the ground

Choice 2C) Camp up on the trees

If you chose choice 1C read-only 1C. If you chose choice 2C read-only 2C.

1C)-

“Let’s camp on the ground.” I suggest. Molly nods. We find a secluded area, kind of hidden. We lay down on the ground and stare up at the sky. “Isn’t it strange how beautiful nature is yet how terrifying the world can be?” Molly says.

I smile “Yeah. The world is strange.”

Right when we were starting to relax, I suddenly felt something sharp pain on my leg “Oww!” I yell.

Molly gets up. “What’s wrong!?” She asks.

I examined my leg, which was now swollen red. I suddenly start to hear the sound of hissing. I look to my right and see a big sea snake. Crap I was bitten by a snake! Molly throws a rock at it, scaring it off. I rest my head back in exhaustion. I should have camped up by the trees.

“We need to get you help!” Molly cries. I try to get up, but I can't because I'm paraylized. “I-I can’t move my leg.” I panic. Molly just sits by my side, and cuddles against my chest. We both knew that wasn’t just any snake. It was poisonous, and I can’t even get up to run. I feel myself getting weak. “Molly, you should go up in the tree. It isn’t safe on the ground at night.”

“I’m not leaving you.” She yells.

Too weak to argue, I slowly close my eyes falling into a deep sleep. GAME OVER. Scroll down to the bottom of the story and read the last paragraph that says game over, or start all over.

2C) -

“Let’s camp up in the trees.” I suggest. Molly nods. We climb up a tall tree, where we rest our legs and admire the sky. “You can’t get views like this in the Southern Region.” I say.

I look over at Molly, who’s already fallen asleep. I eventually fall into a deep slumber, waking up to the sunrise. The next day we decide to explore outside the forest. We come across a few younger boys. I could tell they meant no harm. In fact, if anything they seemed afraid of us, because when they saw us they ran. As we were walking we heard laughing. We followed to laughter and approached a woman who had a spear, talking to a man who was on the brink of death. “You deserved everything you got!” She yelled at him. “Now I have the golden sphere, and there’s nothing you can do about it!” She snickered.

Molly and I immediately looked at each other in shock. She had the golden sphere! I turn to Molly. “If we get that, we can win this.” I exclaim.

Molly nods. ‘But how are we going to get it from her?”

“You stay here. The best way to go about this is just to ask if we can join her team.”

Molly shrugs “You think that will work?”

I sigh “It’s worth a try.”

“Be careful.” Molly says, touching my shoulder.

“I will.”

I carefully approach the woman. So far she didn’t see me. I had to be smart about this… I step closer to her, when I accidentally step on a tree twig, making a snap. The woman instantly turns around. “Who are you!?” She demands.

“I-I’m Athena. I heard you had the golden sphere, and wanted to know if my friend and I could join your tea…”

The woman laughed. “Absolutely not. I’m only accepting northerners. It’s a miracle someone like you didn’t die.” Then she smirks “Yet.” She starts to slowly walk towards me.

I stumble back. “Please, we just want to be a part of your team.”

“No. I already have chosen my 8 winners. I don’t know how there’s so many of you left, but I’ll eliminate all of you guys, starting off with you” She snarls.

“You don’t have to do this.” I plead.

She rolls her eyes. “You southerners are so pathetic.” She walks closer and closer until I’m backed up against a brick wall.

“Any last words?” She smiles.

“Yes,” I say suppressing my fear. She gives me a look of bewilderment, Then I smirk. “Duck” She furrowed her eyebrows confused. I immediately duck. Molly flings back a tree branch and lets it go, hitting the woman right in the head making her fall to the ground. If she weren’t holding the sphere she would definitely be long gone. The woman drops the golden sphere right at my feet. I kneel down and pick it up. Oh my god… I was so close to winning.

“That’s mine!” The woman yells lunging at me, trying to take the sphere away. Then suddenly I hear Molly scream. I look up, someone’s throwing bombs at us! One bomb goes right by me, blowing up killing the woman fighting me instantly, but since I was holding the sphere I was fine. I scream at Molly “We need to leave now!”

Molly nods. She starts to run , but a bomb hits the tree. It starts to slowly fall, but Molly doesn’t see it. “Get out of the way!” I yell.

She looks at me confused, when suddenly BAM. The tree falls, hitting her. I instantly ran to her. Molly passed out on the ground. “Are you okay!?” I yell.

Molly flutters her eyes open. “This is it. You have to leave me.”

I shake my head. “No. I’ll never do that.”

“You don’t understand, I’m trapped.” She points to her leg, and that’s when I see it. The tree trunk has fallen on her leg, pinning her to the ground. I tried to move the trunk off her leg, but it’s too heavy. “We’ll get you out of here!” I say grunting.

Molly smiles sweetly “It’s okay. I’m used to this. I’m not even real.”

I raise an eyebrow “What are you talking about?”

Molly says barely able to speak “I’m part of the game. I’m just a simulation. A lot of us here are just simulations… designed for this game.” She rolls over the golden sphere to me. “Take it. You can do it. You have one last test. If you make the right choice you’ll win.”

I sit there stunned, having a hard time processing what she’s saying. Was it true? Was Molly part of the game the entire time?

I take a deep breath. “What’s the final test?” I ask.

Molly gently smiles. “The sphere. You can either keep the sphere here with us. You will win, and I will stay programmed into this game, but everyone else dies in the game and loses. Or you can choose to leave and take the sphere, save 8 people of your choosing, but in the process, I will be erased from this game.”

“But you aren’t even real, how is that a hard choice to make?” I ask.

Molly caresses my arms. “It may seem like an easy choice, but it’s harder than you think. Pick what you think is right. I know you’ll make the right decision.”

I bite my lip. “What do you mean if I leave, you’ll be erased?”

Molly sighs “It means they will delete my programming, and I won’t exist in the game anymore.” “That’s awful!” I yell.

Mary says softly “It’s okay. I won’t feel anything.”

Then I remembered something. I remember before starting the game, the man said the sphere controls and tracks all the deaths. Maybe if I destroyed it, everyone can live and be saved, but he also said no human could destroy the sphere.

“Dammit!” I yell.

Then an idea hits me. “Molly, that’s it! You’re the key!”

Molly looks at me confused.

“The man said no HUMAN could destroy the sphere. You aren’t human.”

Molly furrows her eyebrows. “I don’t understand?” She says.

I give her the golden sphere “Here, slam it against the ground and break it.”

Molly starts to glitch. “I don’t understand what you’re saying? No one’s ever done that before.” “Just trust me.” I say.

Molly tilts her head, unsure. “Okay.” She slams the sphere to the ground, breaking it into pieces. My mouth drops open. I was right. It could be destroyed. Then all of the sudden everything started shaking. The ground was shaking, the trees were falling, people were screaming… Everything went black. When I open my eyes, I gasp for air. I look around my surroundings. I’m in the same chair I was in when I started the game. I sigh in relief. It was over. I won. I actually did it. I looked around at everyone else looking like they were just awakening too. Then the head guy from the committee walks over my way.

His face was in utter shock...“How...how did you do that?” He asks.

“Do what?”

“You… you saved everyone. No one died. How were you able to destroy the sphere?”

I shrug. “You said no HUMAN could destroy it. That doesn’t mean AI can't.” He looks at me baffled, not able to say anything. He was speechless. He didn’t seem like the type of person to be easily shocked or impressed. He whispered something in his ear mic. Then he gave me a strange look. “The boss wants to see you. Follow me.”

I follow the scary man to another even scarier-looking man, who I assumed to be the boss. He’s sitting in his chair, smoking a cigarette. When he sees me, he immediately puts it out. “You must be Athena.” He says.

I can’t read his facial expression. “Yeah.” I mutter.

He squinted his eyes “I don’t know how you thought of such a ridiculous thing, but you managed to do something I’ve never seen done before. “ He pauses. “You not only saved yourself, and Molly the virtual AI. You managed to revive everyone else that died. I-I don’t know what gave you such an idea, but it was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. You managed to surprise me, which doesn’t happen often. For your truly out of the box thinking I want to reward you.”

“What do you mean. I thought I just got the money?”

He grins. “Yes I’ll give you the half a million you won, but I also want to do something special for you. How does a brand new car sound? Or free education? I can even get you a new house? .” I sigh. He looks at me strangely. “You don’t seem too happy?” I shake my head “It’s not that. I’m very grateful for your offer. It’s just… My mother, she’s dying from breast cancer. Though I don’t assume all the money in the world can fix that.” He frowns. He studies me, trying to figure me out. Then he finally speaks “Wait right here.” He says before leaving the room. I sit there awkwardly, curious to know what he’s talking about. He then returns with a paper, which he hands me. “What’s this?” I ask. He smiles. “No one knows about this, because it’s top secret. It hasn’t even been released to the public yet because we’re still experimenting, but the results are pretty phenomenal. It’s a cancer treatment facility. So far there's a 96% success rate. Test subjects have come in with stage 4 cancer and have walked out completely cancer-free. I’m not saying it’s 2 million dollars, but I’m confident we can find a way to squeeze your mom in.” I don’t even finish listening to what he has to say. I run and hug him. He freezes in shock. I smile. “It’s better than any amount of money in the world you could give me.” I didn’t care about the money, or a fancy house… I just wanted my mom to live, and that’s exactly what happened. GOOD JOB YOU WON!

READ THIS IF YOU DIED AND IT WAS GAME OVER

Suddenly my eyes jolted open. I find myself in the chair that I first started the game out in. I see familiar faces of the people I met in the game around me too. I had a huge headache. Then the head of the committee walks over to me. “Not bad.” He says. I groan. “Did I win?” He laughs “Not even close, but hey cheer up. You did good.” I roll my eyes, sinking in the chair in defeat. “We will escort you back to your home in a couple of hours. Do you want anything to drink or snack on while you wait?”

I shake my head. “No. I just want to sleep.”

He laughs, before walking away. When I return home, Jack runs to me hugging me. “I missed you so much!” He exclaims.

I smile “I missed you too.”

I see mom on the couch coughing. “How was it, Dear?” She asks.

I rolled my eyes. “You don’t want to know.” We all talk and catch up. Soon everything went back to the same old routine. Life went on like this for 2 years, until mom died from breast cancer. It was extremely hard for us, especially Jack. I work hard cleaning and doing all the chores in the house, playing my mom's role now. Jack was maturing, and life was moving on. I still sometimes think about that game. I sometimes wonder, how different life would be now if I won. I guess I’ll never know.