Battle Royale

[THEBIRD]

Battle Royale

Based on the Japanese book by Koushun Takami called Battle Royale

Rated R for L V SC

Prologue

A man with a buzz cut in a green army suit sat at the end of a long table in a small room. His veteran hat was on his head, and he looked straight ahead with cold, amber eyes. Eventually, there was a knock on the door. ?Come in,? the war veteran said gruffly.

?Ah, Mr. Hart,? a portly man greeted, opening the door. ?I see you are prepared for our meeting then.? Damien Hart nodded and issued with a large, strong hand for the stubbly man to sit. Though he did not take his eyes off of the cream colored wall. ?So, shall we get started?? the man asked, smoothing his gray hair and fixing his spectacles.

?What color wall should we get?? Damien asked, not moving in the slightest, not even blinking.

?Hm...? What was that, sir??

?I asked you... What color walls should we get??

?Oh, well, I don?t know. This white seems fine I guess??

?It?s custard yellow,? interrupted Damien Hart with slight agitation hinted in his voice. ?And you can tell a lot about a man by the colors of their rooms.?

?Hm,? the portly man replied, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He attempted adjusting his blue suit, but it wouldn?t smooth out.

?What do you think, Mr. Russe?? Damien asked once again. ?A true dictator needs a strong, patriotic color, and perhaps a banner to fill up the space.? His eyes finally fell on the scared Mr. Russe, who just nodded his head.

?Er, I guess so, sir.? Damien looked at the scared little man and gave the slightest hint of a smile.

?Well then, enough about colors!? roared Damien. ?I assume you are here to talk about my new... project.? Damien smirked with his last word, staring right into Mr. Russe?s eyes.

?Ah, yes, well, then,? stuttered Mr. Russe. ?On to business... Eh??

?My plan... Well, it?s quite simple. Now that the democratic system in the US is out of the way, it?s time to do what we should have done a long time ago.?

?And... What is that, sir?? Mr. Russe croaked.

?Did you realize that the population has steadily increased each year? And the 2012 incident barely dropped numbers,? Dictator Damien Hart growled.

?I-Isn?t that g-good, sir?? Mr. Russe asked, not understanding the Dictator yet.

?No, you fool!? the Dictator roared. ?With so many people, that makes more darn mouths to feed! We need the numbers to decrease! Even after the Great Wars, not enough people died!?

?O-Oh, sir!?

?Yes... yes... Do you understand me now, Paul? That?s why I?ve come up with a Program. Number eighty-three...? Damien slid a folder marked ?Confidential? across the table for Paul Russe to look at. ?Number eighty-three has all the information you need. Use it well.?

?W-What exactly do you want me to do with this info?? Paul asked, skimming through the documents.

?I want you to organize a Program for next year?s High School Freshmen. A Program that will decrease numbers, and continue to for the rest of this new Government?s lives.?

[THEBIRD]

Table of Contents
Prologue is in above post
1
2
3

[THEBIRD]

[THEBIRD]

Character List

Blake Letti- Star Varsity Soccer
Ashley Porter- Captain of Girls Varsity Soccer
Kevin Dunn- Captain of Boys Varsity Soccer
Jena Fisher- Star Varsity Soccer

Amy Shall- Captain of Girls Varsity Tennis
George Myer- Captain of Boys Varsity Tennis
Darlene Magen- Star Varsity Tennis
Stewart James- Star Varsity Tennis

Martin Vasquez- Captain of Boys Varsity Baseball
Lilian Tart- Captain of Girls Varsity Baseball
William Miller- Star Varsity Baseball
Michelle Courter- Star Varsity Baseball
   
Samuel Smarts- Star Basketball Player
Belle Hop- Captain of Girls Varsity Basketball
Christopher Chomp- Captain of Boys Varsity Basketball
Chloe Chang- Star Varsity Basketball

Mary Harp- Captain of Girls Volleyball
Joseph Means- Captain of Boys Volleyball
Christine Frank- Star Volleyball Player
Steve Martin- Star Volleyball Player

Michael Win- Captain of Boys Varsity Track
Jessica Sheen- Captain of Girls Varsity Track
James Venter- Star Track Team
Destiny Arne- Star Track Team

Charlie Bates- Star Heavy-Weight Wrestler
Mandy Shore- Captain of Girls Varsity Wrestling
Daniel Bing- Captain of Boys Varsity Wrestling
Beyonce Bunch- Star Light-Weight Wrestler

Chad Vertigo- Captain of Boys Varsity Football
Patricia Dupe- Star Football Player
Bruce Spring- Star Football Player
Molly Rigg- Captain of Girls Varsity Football

Andrew Weston- Captain of Boys Varsity Boxing
Shelly Mink- Star Boxer
John Wanner- Star Boxer
Chelsea Martin- Captain of Girls Varsity Boxing

Milo Vertigo- Captain of Boys Clubs
Madeleine Carter- Captain of Girls Clubs
Patrick Dupe- Model Student
Juno Shark- Model Student

Mandy Crapper- Captain of Girls Band
Mark Celesta- Captain of Boys Band
Vanessa Carlson- Star Musician
James Denton- Star Musician

[spoiler]*This list has strikes through the dead characters*

Blake Letti- Star Varsity Soccer
Ashley Porter- Captain of Girls Varsity Soccer
Kevin Dunn- Captain of Boys Varsity Soccer
Jena Fisher- Star Varsity Soccer

Amy Shall- Captain of Girls Varsity Tennis
George Myer- Captain of Boys Varsity Tennis
Darlene Magen- Star Varsity Tennis
Stewart James- Star Varsity Tennis

Martin Vasquez- Captain of Boys Varsity Baseball
Lilian Tart- Captain of Girls Varsity Baseball
William Miller- Star Varsity Baseball
Michelle Courter- Star Varsity Baseball
   
Samuel Smarts- Star Basketball Player
Belle Hop- Captain of Girls Varsity Basketball
Christopher Chomp- Captain of Boys Varsity Basketball
Chloe Chang- Star Varsity Basketball

Mary Harp- Captain of Girls Volleyball
Joseph Means- Captain of Boys Volleyball
Christine Frank- Star Volleyball Player
Steve Martin- Star Volleyball Player

Michael Win- Captain of Boys Varsity Track
Jessica Sheen- Captain of Girls Varsity Track
James Venter- Star Track Team
Destiny Arne- Star Track Team

Charlie Bates- Star Heavy-Weight Wrestler
Mandy Shore- Captain of Girls Varsity Wrestling
Daniel Bing- Captain of Boys Varsity Wrestling
Beyonce Bunch- Star Light-Weight Wrestler

Chad Vertigo- Captain of Boys Varsity Football
Patricia Dupe- Star Football Player
Bruce Spring- Star Football Player
Molly Rigg- Captain of Girls Varsity Football

Andrew Weston- Captain of Boys Varsity Boxing
Shelly Mink- Star Boxer
John Wanner- Star Boxer
Chelsea Martin- Captain of Girls Varsity Boxing

Milo Vertigo- Captain of Boys Clubs
Madeleine Carter- Captain of Girls Clubs
Patrick Dupe- Model Student
Juno Shark- Model Student

Mandy Crapper- Captain of Girls Band
Mark Celesta- Captain of Boys Band
Vanessa Carlson- Star Musician
James Denton- Star Musician[/spoiler]

[THEBIRD]

1

A young boy of about fifteen years of age was leaning against an old oak tree, glancing at his watch every fifteen seconds. He had messy, jet black hair that was slightly curly with hazel eyes. As another fifteen seconds went by, the boy glanced at his watch again, impatiently. He seemed excited because his entire body seemed to be trembling and his green eyes were gleaming. Against the oak tree on the side of the road, he seemed to be about five feet and eight inches. His legs were skinny yet muscular, while his arms were just scrawny.

Blake Letti was the star Varsity Soccer Champion at his High School, and the fastest runner. Today he wore his dark blue jersey with the white lettering that read ?Letti? with his number, 16, underneath. With that he wore a pair of baggy jeans that went down to his knees. He had a black Adidas bag slung over one shoulder, and it seemed to be packed full with necessities for a long trip.

Blake seemed about ready to leave, when soft footsteps could be heard in the distance. He smiled and turned toward the direction where the sound was coming from. A girl looking the same age as Blake was walking towards him. She had brown hair that went down to her shoulders with yellow streaks down the back, dark brown eyes, and long eyelashes. The girl, Amy Shall, wore a white tank top with a tight light pink sweatshirt over it, and matching pink sweat pants.

?What took you so long?? was the first thing to come out of Blake?s mouth. ?I could have ran to Virginia and back by now.? The Virginia he was referring to was the place that he and Amy were both heading. A bus was coming to pick them up, along with forty-two other students, to participate in a week-long trip that was going to end the school year. Blake and Amy were friends living in Vermont, so the chance to leave their small home town to see a place like Virginia was more exciting to them then having a small end of the year party back home.

?I?m sure you could have,? Amy replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes and giving a chuckle.

?Well... I would have missed the bus if you took any longer,? Blake replied. Just as he finished his sentence, the coach bus could be seen turning a corner and coming towards their path. ?Hah, see? Here it is now.? The bus would be taking them on the long trip to Virginia. It stopped and opened its doors for Blake and Amy to get on. The pair walked onto a completely filled bus, it seemed they were the last stop.

?Blake, over here!? called out a young male. ?Saved you a seat!? Blake smiled and waved at his good friend, Samuel Smarts. He gave Amy a polite nod before walking over to Sam.

?Hey man,? Blake greeted his friend, sitting down in the aisle seat next to him. Samuel was a good basketball player, and had short black hair, brown eyes, and dark skin. By his looks, Sam seemed to be multi-cultural. He seemed a little Asian, a little African, and perhaps some Middle-Eastern all mixed in.

?Buddy!? Samuel called out, giving him a pat on the back. He seemed hyper for some unknown reason and Blake gave him a quizzical look. ?Dude, man! I brought soooo much food, man! You want some?? His eyes were practically twitching, and he revealed a half-empty bag filled with sweets.

Blake laughed and commented, ?How can you eat that without getting as fat as Charlie?? Samuel Smarts always had candy in his hand, and as far as Blake knew, Sam spent his days either playing Basketball or playing videogames.

Charlie, the heavy-weight wrestling champion who often got jokingly picked on for his size, replied, ?Hey! I?m right here you know!?

?And don?t forget he could pummel you with just his pinky!? Amy shouted from the front of the bus with some of her girlfriends. She had apparently been listening, and some of her friends giggled at her comment. Amy stuck her tongue out at Blake who copied her in a rather gay fashion to emphasize how stupid she looked.

?He knows I?m only jokin?, right Charlie?? Blake replied, turning and giving a questioning look at his friend with the short mousy brown hair and light brown eyes.

?No offense taken,? he said with a nod. ?And she?s right. I may be ?fat? but it?s all muscle!? Blake laughed, knowing that wasn?t completely true. Charlie constantly bragged about his muscles hidden under his shirt, but he never took the skins side whenever they played a soccer or basketball match.

After things had begun winding down, and the sugar they had all consumed was beginning to tire them out, Blake scanned the bus for all his classmates. Amy was at the front, talking to Madeleine Carter, Ashley Porter, and Christine Frank. They were the prettiest girls of the group, or that?s what Blake thought. Madeleine was the only girl with red hair, and her freckles were in all the right places to make her look innocent and angelic. She was as smart as she looked with her glasses, and started most of the clubs the school had.

Ashley had long black hair and dazzling hazel eyes. She was captain of the girl?s soccer team, so Blake spent a lot of time hanging out with her and talking about their rivaling games. Ashley was daring, and about as carefree as a butterfly. Christine was the blonde of the group, and though no one would actually call her dumb, she had her own unique ways of viewing things. But, she made everyone laugh with her different thoughts, and her light blue eyes were enchanting. Plus, she was great at volleyball.

Blake considered him and his boys, Charlie, Samuel, and James Venter to be the boy version of the girls. He scanned the scenery for James, who was sitting on the other side of Charlie, looking out the window. James had messy black hair with bangs that stopped at his blue eyes, and was rather scrawny. He was the best runner, second to Blake, and was a star on the track team. Although James was the quite type, Blake was really good friends with him.

His eyes moved towards John Wanner, a boy with the build of a boxer, stubble on his chin, and a buzz cut for a hairstyle. His brown eyes were always narrowed, and he always seemed angry at something or someone as he took drags from his cigarette. John sat alone at the back of the bus, and Blake always wondered why John even bothered participating in sports. He didn?t even seem like the type to join in on a school trip.

The rest of the Boxing Team were a few seats ahead of John. Chelsea Martin, Shelly Mink, and Andrew Weston were all buff. Blake always found it disgusting when girls were as ripped as guys, and had so much muscle that their breasts didn?t even show. He shuddered as the images came into mind. Because of that reason, he didn?t associate himself with boxing chicks.

Mandy Crapper, a girl who was constantly dying her hair, sat in front of Shelly. She was rather large, and was part of the Band Geeks. In fact, Blake was positive she was the captain, though he didn?t pay too much attention. Even though Blake played Guitar, and quite well, he didn?t really hang out with the Band Geeks. He didn?t have anything in common with them. They sacrificed their social lives to play music on trumpets, drums, and saxophones. Blake hung out with friends and played music, but he wouldn?t go to the extremes of going to competitions. Unless he formed his own band. Mark Celesta (the boy captain), Vanessa Carlson, and James Denton were all the other Band Geeks. They sat together, taking up two seats, and talked about their music scores and things of the like.

Milo, a handsome Italian with a pompadour hair cut and dark brown eyes, sat with Patrick Dupe and Juno Shark. They were all model students, trustworthy and nice. They weren?t seriously into school, they just had the common sense not to goof off when the teachers were watching. Plus, they were smart. Though, Milo had explained to Blake once that he didn?t study, he just had very good memorization skills. Blake had been jealous of him ever since. He had the looks, and he didn?t have to try that hard, either. Milo was one of those nice guys who did everything right, but didn?t even brag about it later in the locker rooms. Blake just assumed the others were the same, though he didn?t talk to them too much.

The girls that scared Blake the most were the Football girls. They played football to prove that they were just as tough as any guy, and Blake bet his life that they were dykes. Patricia Dupe and Molly Rigg were the only Freshmen on the Football team. Blake wasn?t sure whether Molly was a feminine activist or a lesbian. She didn?t seem to play for her own team, yet it had been proven again and again that girls who played football liked other girls. Just as it was proven with Patricia. Blake had heard Patrick saying that he caught his sister with a girl from another school, but that?s as much as Blake had let himself hear.

The guy football players were Chad and Bruce. They were the most arrogant and annoying guys in the Freshmen class. Blake had once associated himself with them, but quickly disconnected their ties. Blake rolled his eyes now as he watched the two Californians chat it up with Molly Rigg, the lanky girl with the face of a model. ?No doubt their trying to find out of she?s a lesbian or not,? Blake thought to himself and smirked.

?Hey, Blake,? a young boy with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes said, giving Blake a light nudge.

?Hm?? Blake turned forward to look at the Captain of Blake?s soccer team, Kevin Dunn, who was sitting in the seat in front of him. The captain flashed Blake a shimmering smile and pointed towards Amy and the others at the front of the bus.

?They?re trying to get your attention,? Kevin explained. Blake nodded and looked over at the four girls, giving them a questioning look.

?Come on over here!? Amy called back at Blake.

?Why? I?m talking with?? Blake was about to point at Samuel Smarts, but as he looked over, he realized Sam was asleep. Blake smirked at Sam before turning back at Amy and nodding. He got up and walked towards them, stumbling slightly as the bus made a sharp stop at a stop sign. Then stumbling again as it lurched forward. He stepped on Jena Fisher?s foot, the other soccer player with the well-defined, sharp face and brown hair, accidently. He apologized quickly before moving on, she didn?t seem to mind too much.

?That took you forever and a half,? Amy giggled, flashing a look over at Jena.

?Stupid bus,? Blake muttered. ?So what is it that you want??

?Well, Ashley and I are the only ones left awake. We were bored so we called you over,? Amy explained.

?Yeah, thanks for the entertainment,? laughed Ashley. ?On your way back, could you step on George?s foot? Maybe it would stop him from whining about his broken arm.? Ashley was referring to George Myer, the captain of the tennis team, who had broken his right arm and could no longer play for the rest of the school year.

?Will do, Ashley,? Blake replied, giving a salute. ?Perhaps I should just wipe out the rest of the Tennis Players? Darlene Magen and Stewart James?? Amy and Ashley laughed. ?You shouldn?t be laughing, Amy,? Blake warned. ?These are your teammates we are talking about!?

Amy shrugged and stated, ?I?m allowed to have some fun, right? If they?re my friends they?d let me laugh if I find a joke funny. Besides, I know you won?t actually do it.? Blake raised an eyebrow, hearing what sounded like a dare.

?Looks like he will.? Ashley smiled wide, giving Amy a sideways glance.

?Don?t Blake,? Amy said, sounding as if she was issuing a simple command to her dog.

?Alright, I will,? Blake retorted, getting back up and heading back. ?I?m sure everyone will hear about how you laughed all about this.?

?Blake, you little?? but she never finished the end of that sentence. Whether it was because the teacher was right next to her, or because they had hit another speed bump, causing her to fall off her seat, Blake would never know. He just remembered turning around and laughing hysterically. Then, he ended up tripping and landing right in the middle of the Baseball team. To be more exact, Martin Vasquez, Lilian Tart, William Miller, and Michelle Courter.

?Ugh, sorry,? he apologized, getting up and sitting down in the nearest seat. He ended up next to Belle Hop, captain of the girls Basketball team, who was talking to Chloe Chang, her Basketball teammate, right behind her. He didn?t listen to their conversation, instead his mind wandered and he looked for the last Basketball player that was supposed to be on the bus... somewhere.

Christopher Chomp, the Captain of the Boys Basketball team, was rather sullen and kept to himself. Blake had tried to crack his shell on numerous occasions, but it never once worked. Blake figured he stayed home sick, until he saw something he never expected. His eyes opened slightly wide, and he quickly moved back over to Amy and Ashley again, still watching Christopher.

?Guys, do you see that?? he hissed, nudging Amy and Ashley and pointing in Christopher?s direction.

?What?? Amy asked before gasping. ?Oh my god! Since when has Chris been going out with Mary Harp?? Ashley raised an eyebrow and looked over. Sure enough, the captain of the girls volleyball team was making out with Christopher Chomp.

?Isn?t she dating Jo?? Ashley began, but was quickly interrupted by another voice.

?What the hell do you think you?re doing!?? the voice sounded like no one other then Joseph Means, another volleyball player and Mary Harp?s boyfriend. Christine Frank and Steve Martin, the two other volleyball players, were watching intently from a seat nearby. It looked like a fight was about to break out, until the track and wrestling team walked over towards Chris and Joseph.

?Hey guys, settle down,? Michael Win, captain of the boys track team, ordered. His teammates, Jessica Sheen, James Venter and Destiny Arne, nodded their heads. Blake whistled to get James attention. James looked over, and Blake beckoned him to come over.

?What?s going on?? Blake asked.

?Didn?t you hear Belle and Chloe talking?? James asked before continuing without giving a chance for Blake to respond. ?They were being really loud about it. Anyway, this is what they were saying: Mary and Joseph have been having problems ever since he began getting better then her. She was the one who taught him what he knew, but he never admitted to it. And, well, she likes the quiet type, I guess.? James blushed slightly at the end. Blake wondered why James seemed flustered about that. ?Maybe because Mary chose the sullen quiet type over the quiet but nice, James? Or maybe James likes Mary?? Blake wondered, but he didn?t care enough to venture further.

Blake nodded and looked back towards the scene as Amy questioned James further. Mandy Shore, Daniel Bing, Charlie Bates, and Beyonce Bunch from the wrestling team were stepping in between the two guys. It didn?t seem like there was going to be a fight after all. The two guys had been ushered into seats, and they were having a talk. It looked like things were going to be solved. But, strangely enough, it seemed that he, Amy, Ashley, the track team, and the wrestling team were the only ones awake. Blake noticed this because he had thought that more people would have interfered, or been pointedly watching. But, as he looked around, everyone seemed to be hunched over in their seats, fast asleep.

Blake realized that the wrestlers had ushered the two guys into seats because they fell asleep, not because they had worked things out. ?How strange,? he thought with a big yawn, ?Who falls asleep in the middle of a big fight??. He looked over and to his amazement, Amy and Ashley were asleep now, too. He was about to say something about girls to James, but realized he was asleep on the seat next door.

?What,? Blake yawned, ?...the?? He noticed everyone else was asleep now, too. ?Why is,? he yawned once again, ?everyone... asleep?? He looked towards the driver, and realized he was awake. ?Thank God.? But, the driver was wearing some sort of mask. Before Blake could fully process this information, he too fell asleep.

[THEBIRD]

2

Blake woke up in a daze. He yawned and stretched out, his eyes still closed. At first, he thought he was in his own bed at home. But then he remembered he had been on the bus for his school trip. That?s when he noticed he didn?t seem to be sitting on the soft bus seats, but a cold desk. His eyes slowly fluttered open at this realization, and he blinked a few times.

Blake Letti was sitting on a desk in a dimly lit room. He looked around and saw that all his classmates were sitting in desks all around him as well. Most of them seemed to be asleep, but it looked like a couple of the students had come to. Blake noticed James Venter was waking up a few seats nearby.

?Psst! James!? Blake hissed. James turned around and looked at Blake. He seemed like he was still groggy and hadn?t fully processed any information yet. Blake pointed at the front of the room, which had a teacher?s desk and a blackboard on it. It seemed they were in some sort of classroom. ?Do you see that? We?re in a classroom!?

James nodded, his eyes suddenly wide, and he croaked, ?Look.? James held up his left wrist, which had a watch on it.

?So?? Blake asked, raising an eyebrow.

?You have one too,? James replied. He swiftly looked around before adding, ?We all do.? Blake looked at his own left wrist, and realized he had an identical watch on. He touched it, and it was cold and hard, like metal. Blake examined it further, and realized it had no latch to take it off. He shrugged and checked the time, which read two o? clock in the morning. That was when Blake noticed the windows in the room were all boarded off with metal sheets.

More people began waking up, they all seemed as clueless as Blake and James were. As more and more people woke from their sleep, frantic chattering ensued. Blake heard people shouting, ?Where the hell are we?? or ?What are we doing here?? and ?I don?t remember getting off the bus! Do you??. It was making Blake nervous, and he shuffled his feet to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.

Finally, the door to the strange classroom opened. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the open door. The hushed room made the place seem eerie. Then, a portly man walked into the room. He was almost completely bald with some gray hair, and wore thin rimmed glasses over his brown eyes.

?Hello class,? the cheery old man greeted. His eyes scanned the class before he began humming and reached for a piece of chalk. ?Welcome to your new class.?

?N-New class?? one girl, Lilian Tart, piped up. ?But, it?s so close to the end of the school year... And I never signed up for a new class.? There were many nodding heads and agreements from the other students.

?Yes,? Madeleine Carter agreed. ?I don?t think any of us did.?

?This is a required class of all of you,? the man, Paul Russe, told them, still sporting that cheery smile. ?Now, if you?d all be quiet, I?ll explain.? There were some utters from some of the classmates, until it was all hushed once again.

?First of all,? he began once again, ?my name is Paul Russe. You may refer to me as Mr. R or Mr. Russe. But never Paul.?

Blake rolled his eyes and asked, ?So why are we here, Paul?? There were a few smirks and laughs from the guys, but most of the girls gasped and gave Blake a fearful look.

Paul gave Blake a cold stare before repeating what he had last stated, ?Never call me Paul, Blake Letti.?

Blake?s eyes widened slightly and he asked, ?How did you know my name?? Paul Russe did not reply, instead he continued humming cheerfully and examining all the pieces of chalk. Blake repeated his question very slowly, as if Paul were a dumb animal.

?I know everything,? Paul replied simply, choosing the biggest piece of chalk from the bunch. ?I?ve studied all of your histories. It was a tough choice... choosing which class to use for this prototype. But, I decided to choose one that was most into sports.?

?For what prototype??Milo called out, followed by some other students yelling, ?Yeah!?.

?Patience. I will explain,? Paul replied, beginning to write something on the board. In neat, white letters, the words ?Battle Royal? appeared on the board. ?Battle Royale,? Paul Russe repeated what he wrote. ?That is the name of this class.?

?Are we... learning how to battle?? James Venter asked, looking scared.

?In a way, you will,? Paul replied calmly. ?Any other questions before I continue??

?Yeah,? Blake said and pointed at his left wrist, ?what are with these watches?? Most of the students had not noticed their new sporty metal watches until just now. There were some calls of surprise, and many people attempted taking them off.

?Don?t try prying them loose,? Paul warned. ?Unless you want to face the consequences...?

?What consequences?? Blake had began to ask, before a cry from Charlie Bates stopped his sentence. Blood was pouring steadily from Charlie?s wrist where his watch was. Blake turned his head to get a better look, and noticed spikes had come out of the inside of the watch and were digging into Charlie?s wrist. Blake looked angrily towards Paul for an explanation.

Samuel cried out, ?What the hell just happened!?? before Blake could even think of words to say.

?Those watches do many wonderful things. And that isn?t even the half of it,? Paul began. ?First of all, that?s what happens when you attempt taking them off. Thank you Charles for that wonderful demonstration.?

?Make it stop,? Charlie whimpered, clutching his bleeding wrist.

?It can?t,? Paul Russe shrugged. ?Once you?ve activated it, it will stay like that. And if you move the watch anymore, the spikes will dig deeper.?

?Well... Can?t he just cut off his hand?? Christopher Chomp piped up, it sounded surprisingly cavalier, and Blake gave Chris a nasty look for seeming fine with the pain his friend was going through.

?Sure, he can,? Paul replied. ?If he wants to explode, that is.?

?What do you mean?? Samuel asked, the color draining from his brown face. Blake heard Charlie whimper again. He caught his friend?s eyes, and saw that Charlie had gone as white as chalk. Blake attempted giving his friend an encouraging nod, but it wasn?t too effective.

?Well, we?ve planted a chip in your skulls... Go ahead and look for it, we kept it near the top.? Blake gave a quizzical look before running his hand through his head. Sure enough, his fingers touched a scabby bump that was never there before. From the murmurs and cries from his classmates, it seemed the others had found similar ones planted within their skulls as well.

?Don?t try digging it out,? Paul warned as a few students had frantically begun to. ?Or else it will explode.? Everyone completely stopped, most kids, the ones who hadn?t already, turned white. ?You see, if either the chip or watch is removed from your body, the chip will explode. They are working off of your pulse. In fact?? Paul Russe turned to look at Charlie, and before he could finish his sentence, there was a giant explosion noise. Screams came from every direction, and people were darting away from the area of the explosion.

When the red mist cleared, Blake looked over at Charlie and gasped. He fell onto his knees and cried out, ?No, Charlie!? His good friend, Charlie Bates, was lying on the ground, his head no where to be found. His neck wept blood for its lost comrade, and parts of skin and purple lumps of something could be found lying all over the room. Blake noticed he had some blood specks all over him, even though he was on the opposite wall from Charlie. ?Oh... God... No...?

?Ah, yes... You see,? Paul began to explain, ?his watch could no longer pick up his pulse from his wrist, so... Well, the chip deactivated.?

The whole room smelled like fresh blood, and many students were on all fours, gagging. A few actually vomited, making the room mixed with the smell of blood and puke. This made Blake gag even more, and he looked away from the mess, huddling by the white wall.

?Hm... Well...? Paul Russe seemed to be thinking what he should explain next. Then his face brightened up, seeming like he knew just what to do. The portly man took a bag from under the desk and put it on the table. ?You see these bags here?? No one seemed to be looking at him. Most girls were crying, some were staring at the dead Charlie, and others were in fits of fury.

?You bastard!? Daniel Bing, one of Charlie?s wrestling friends, shouted. ?You intercourse ing bastard! I?ll intercourse ing murder you! I?ll intercourse ing do it!? Paul Russe smiled at Daniel and opened the bag. Inside was some bread rations, a water bottle, a map, a pencil, and an M16 Rifle.

?You see this?? Paul asked, looking at Dan. ?Every bag has some bread rations, the same map, a fully sharpened pencil, and a water bottle. Then, they each have a special surprise inside. Every bag has a random weapon, if you?re lucky you?ll get a gun like this one.? Many students gasped, and some of the weeping girls began sobbing even harder.

?Fuck you!? Daniel screamed. Paul was pointing the gun at Daniel Bing and smiling maliciously.

?Oh, come now, Daniel. Someone was going to have to kill him eventually.?

?W-Why?s that?? Madeleine asked between tears.

?Well, as I was saying earlier?? But Paul couldn?t get a word in between sobs from girls and the shouts coming from some of the other guys. Daniel seemed to be in the lead, cursing out Paul. Finally, it seemed that Paul Russe just snapped. He aimed the rifle at Daniel Bing and fired away. Three shots were fired, and one went into Dan?s head, the second into his chest, and the third hit his leg. He tumbled to the floor, blood oozing out of the holes in his body. No one needed to ask, they all knew he was dead.

[THEBIRD]

3

Silence filled the room. Not a person moved. Paul gave them a cheerful smile before continuing, ?Now, as I was saying, those watches you have on do more then just check your pulse and monitor who is alive and who is dead. They also pinpoint your exact location. Isn?t that great? It means that I?ll always know where you are at any given moment! And it means I?ll know who is alive and who is dead.?

?W-Why do you need to know that, sir?? Madeleine spoke up. As the girl class representative, she must have felt it was her job to ask what everyone was thinking while keeping a cool head.

?Oh, I?m so sorry, did I forget to mention that part? Well then, onto the objective of this fun little game!? Blake narrowed his eyes at Paul Russe. ?Fun little game? What kind of sick, twisted person are we dealing with?? he thought angrily, still huddled in the corner and not facing Paul. He decided he would never look at that grimy old face again. ?I?ll avenge you, Charlie... I?ll avenge both you and Daniel. And anyone else who falls victim to Paul. I?ll avenge you all!? The faces of the dead flashed through Blake?s mind. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to get the images to go away.

In his mind, he saw the heads of Charlie and Daniel dancing around his empty mind. They were laughing, but suddenly, Charlie?s head exploded and a hole went through Daniel?s. An unrealistic amount of blood poured out, and sadistic laughing echoed in the background. Paul, holding the rifle, was standing in all the blood, laughing hysterically at the dead.

?Bastard!? Blake hissed out loud, clutching his fists so hard his entire body was shaking.

?The objective... Is to kill each other,? Paul finished, giving his cheerful little smile. More gasps followed, but Paul held up a hand to let himself finish explaining. ?You see, this is to... thin the numbers. The Dictator also thinks we need to learn some military skills, so... Yes, well... That?s what leads to you all having to kill each other.?

?That?s it?? Milo spoke up, looking angrily at Paul Russe. ?You want us to kill each other to... Thin numbers!? And to learn military skills!?? Paul nodded and hummed another soft melody.

?Yes, yes. That?s it.?

?But why?? some shot out, and others went with, ?It?s not our fault there are so many people living in this country!? Paul pressed his hands together and put his chin over them, listening to each complaint.

?Rules are rules,? he responded. ?But, don?t worry. One of you will have to survive.?

?Oh, is that supposed to make us feel better?? Milo shouted angrily.

?Why, yes. It should make you feel like there is hope... for one of you,?

?Why?? Madeleine whispered, she was rolled into a small ball, sitting against a wall, tears streaming steadily down her cheeks.

?Well, hang on now. I?m not done explaining. The winner will receive a gracious pension for participating, and a draft to join the US Military Army. What an honor!?

?What if we don?t want to join the army?? Mark Celesta blurted out. Blake knew he was probably thinking about becoming a musician of some sort instead.

?Too bad,? Paul replied dryly. ?Now, anyway. Let?s see... What else? The watches, the... Oh, that?s right! We are currently on an island that has been completely evacuated. Each of you have a map of the island. On this island is this school situated somewhere in the center, a residential area nearby, and other places all marked on your map. No where is out of bounds... Except this school, of course. This is where I?ll be staying with most of the US Military Army.?

?Are we allowed in here?? one girl sniffled, Blake couldn?t tell who, neither did he care at this point.

?No,? Paul said. ?As soon as we get all of you out of here, those chips will be activated to explode if you come anywhere within 50 feet of this school.? Not as many people gasped as the last times news like this was told to them. The reality of things was beginning to sink in. Paul continued, ?Also, at six o? clock each night I will come on and list all of the people who have died. That way you can keep track. On the back of these maps are a list of each student, you can use your pencils to cross out the names to see who is left to kill.?

Silence followed this new announcement. Paul gave them a cheery smile, stood back up from his desk, and clasped his hands together. ?Great, then! I?ll let you out one by one in alphabetical order. As I call your name I?ll hand you a bag, then go straight out. The Military will be ready with their guns if you attempt to dawdle.?

Paul was stroking his smooth chin now, his eyes facing the ceiling. He sighed, ?I?m sure I forgot to mention something... Oh, wait, I remember! If you do not kill each other... Well, there will be a small problem. You see, if no one dies in twenty-four hours, I?ll just press one button on the computer and... Boom! You all die.? There was no reply from his audience other then a loud sob from a girl on the other side of the room from Blake.

?Yes, yes, very sad,? Paul Russe agreed. ?Anyway, you also can not escape this island. Not only do we have guard ships around this island in all directions, but I always know where you are, remember that. And at any time, I can press a button and any one of you can die.? The sobbing had stopped now, and Blake could hear some rushed words of comfort coming from one boy to the girl who seemed hysterical.

?If I?ve forgotten anything,? Paul concluded, ?I?ll bring it up on the loud speaker at six o? clock tonight. Or, of course, I?ll just let you find out for yourselves.? Paul had a wicked smile on his face as he clapped his hands together and walked in front of the desk. ?I?ll go by rows. You, Steve Martin, can go first. Then, the person behind, Mandy Crapper, can follow along when I signal it. You know, like a domino effect.?

Paul beckoned the jamaican boy forward with a hand signal, and Steve got up clumsily. Paul handed him one of the dark green sacks and let him leave the classroom. You could hear his steps walk unevenly for a few moments, before rapidly increasing in speed. It seems he had broken into a run before getting out of the door.

This process continued for the next few people. Blake sighed, he was in the last row, and would be the second to last person to leave. ?At least I?ll have some time to figure out what the hell I?m going to do... I can?t actually kill my classmates. And I?m sure no one else here would want to do that, either. No... I?ll just have to get everyone together so we can rationally think of a way off of this island. Besides, this is a prototype, right? That means there will be sure to be flaws that the government didn?t even think of putting in! We?ll have a chance to escape... I just know it!? Blake Letti smiled slightly. He felt confident that they?d get out of this mess quickly, besides, there were plenty of bright minds in his class. ?We?re going to be okay.?

Behind Blake was Kevin Dunn. They had always been friends in school, but weren?t the type to hang out after school. Blake turned to face his soccer teammate.

?Hey, Kevin,? Blake called in a whisper. Kevin, who had been looking at Paul with rage, turned to Blake now.

?What?? he asked, still looking steamed.

?You?re not going to actually try to kill anyone, right??

?What? Of course not! I?m getting out of this poop hole.?

?Great!? Blake exclaimed. ?That makes two of us. We should get together and try and round up as many others as we can to get out of here.?

?Like who?? Kevin asked. ?I don?t think I?d be able to trust everyone.?

?Hm... How about Samuel Smarts? He?s a good friend of mine... And Amy, Ashley, Christine, Madeleine, James Venter...? Blake stopped and his eyes began to sting. The next name in mind was Charlie Bates, but... It was impossible for him to ever see his friend?s face again. Blake turned and looked at his decapitated friend, who laid in a pile of his own blood.

?I?m sorry about Charlie,? Kevin whispered, lowering his head.

?I?m going to get revenge for him,? Blake stated, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth.

?Me too,? Kevin agreed. ?For all of us.? Kevin had always been the determined, quiet type. He?d always sit quiet and analyze the situation, then come up with the best ideas.

As Blake and Kevin had been talking, more students began to leave the classroom. Blake looked up and realized he missed Amy go. His heart sunk slightly, he had wanted to get a chance to signal to her to wait for him and Kevin. But he saw Ashley go, and their eyes locked for a moment before she walked out with her pack slung over her shoulder. ?Please Ashley... You got my signal, right?,? Blake prayed silently.

Soon, Blake and Kevin were the only left. Paul Russe beckoned for Blake, who got up and gave Kevin a curt nod. He walked over to Paul, his eyes narrowed.

?Good luck,? Paul said cheerfully. Blake just grabbed the pack with such force that Paul lost balance for a second. Then, Blake stomped out of the room and walked towards the exit. He noticed a few soldiers by the door, yawning and paying him no attention. Blake walked passed them and out of the school.

Blake gasped, the scenery took him by surprise. Only ten feet from the entrance was a bloody, dead body. ?Oh God,? Blake whispered. He sidled towards it, looking back and forth as he did so. Then, he knelt down by the body and turned it over. Joseph Means blank stare looked back at him. Blood was running down his forehead, and it looked as if the top of his head had gotten chopped.

?What the hell? Who is that?? came Kevin?s surprised voice. He ran over by Blake and looked at Joseph. ?Oh my god... Someone... already died??

?But... This means...?

The game had begun.