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“Hurry up and do it, you fucking pussy.”
Ignoring them, I try using my senses to get out of this mess. There’s definitely some moisture in the air, which leads me to believe we’re by the water—likely the river. One of them told Steven to push me in.Oh god!Did he mean into the river?
I flip over again, now on my back. I can feel my flannel bunched beneath me, so it’s still tied around my waist. That could come in handy if I need to choke them with it.
“We’re wasting time. We’ve only got six more minutes or we lose the game.”
The game?
If this is a game, then whose game is it? Theirs, mine, or all of ours.
“Five minutes, guys.”
Someone touches my shoulder, and I jolt. My legs kick together, and I swing my arms up, trying to hit whoever is near me. “Get off me,” I try to say, but my words come out as gibberish against the sticky plastic substance covering my mouth.
“All right. All right. I’ll untie her.” His loud voice drops to a whisper and I can’t make out what he’s saying.
That’s right. Untie me, fuckers. Give me a free hand or a free foot, so I can shove either up your asses.
Seconds later, I’m being lifted to my anchored feet while someone holds my waist from behind.
“Go.”
The tight hold on my legs loosens, but it’s replaced by strong hands holding them in place. Same with my arms. I squirm endlessly, trying to free them, but I can’t do it.
Suddenly, I’m shoved from behind, my feet leave the ground, and before I can think or react, I’m dropping into freezing cold water. It streams up my shirt, cuts through my nostrils, and chokes me. But I can’t cough. Anxiety rips through my body like a sharp knife, leaving me debilitated and unable to think logically.
You can do this. You will not be another casualty in their fucked-up games.
I remember my hands are freed and I use them to swim up as I push my feet off a rock, giving me the surge I need to get my head above water.
“Got it,” I hear one of the guys say. “Leave the note and let's get the hell out of here.”
Two fingers pinch the side of the tape on my mouth and I rip it off,immediately coughing up the water that went straight to my lungs. I sputter and flap my hands, still unable to see.
The blindfold is hanging now, only covering one eye, and I pull it over my head. I blink my eyes a few times. It’s dark. No. It’s pitch black. My heart pounds in my chest as I swim through the ice-cold water, unsure where I’m going or how I get out of here.
It’s so cold I can barely feel my limbs as they move.
“When I find out who you…” I attempt to shout, but I start coughing up more water. Between my heart racing and my shortage of air, I can’t get the words out. It’s no use anyway. They’re long gone by now.
I’m moving at a steady pace when I catch a glimpse of light up on the riverbank. It flickers, much like the ones in the tunnels. I head toward it, eventually finding an out.
It’s a small climb, but slippery over the rocks. I’m thankful I didn’t hit my head on these when I was pushed. My body would float down this river, never to be found. No one would look for me because The Elders would silence my disappearance.
Quit thinking like that, Scarlett. Just get the hell out of here before you catch hypothermia.
I manage to get over the rocks, and I breathe out a heavy sigh of relief when my feet are on solid ground. Wasting no time, I go straight for the lantern, thankful it’s here to guide me out of this place.
Water drops in plentiful amounts from my clothes and I untie my flannel that’s making the trek heavier, and I toss it to the side.
As I approach the lantern, I see an envelope with my name printed on it. Bending down, I pick it up and slide my finger along the seal.
I’m not surprised to see a note inside, considering I heard one of the guys mention it.
With bent knees, I crouch down, my soaked jeans straining against my skin. Using the light from the lantern, I open the note and read it out loud…
“What’s harder to catch, the faster you run?”
