AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A neon green hair tie was fanned in front of my face, and I glanced up to see the stoner holding it out for me. His eyes were still glazed, but upon closer inspection, I could see how focused he was.
“Thanks.” I took the offering and quickly braided my hair and twisted it into a bun. I didn’t put it past a bunch of rich kids to be hairpullers. It sounded as if the dirtier they fought, the better.
I stretched, rotating my ankles and wrists, making sure all of my limbs were limber.
“You play a sport?” Mac asked.
I shrugged. “Not really. I played basketball with a few people outside of school but never been on a team.” My temper was too bad for it, not to mention after the incident in seventh grade where I slammed the ball into a ref’s face after a bullshit call. I was practically blacklisted in my old school district.
Mac nodded. “Good, it’s going to help.”
His gaze traveled over the remaining people in our cage. Every single one of them sported a black band around their wrists. Some of them still wore their outfits and didn’t look ready at all.
“Don’t worry about them. Some of them believe that they are high enough on the food chain that they won’t be harmed.”
My eyes widened. “No one said anything about getting hurt.”
“No one said it wasn’t a possibility either,” Mac said.
Fuck my life. It just kept getting better and better by the second. “How much longer?”
Mac shrugged but did a few squats getting ready as well. “Pretty much be ready for anything.”
That gave me little to no hope. “And if we aren’t caught?”
The stoner shook his head and lifted his wrist, showing off the same black wristband as everyone else in our cage. “Tracker.”
“Isn’t that basically cheating?”
“Aw, look, the new girl has a moral code,” Nelly said.
“You got a problem with me?” I stepped toward her, but Mac got between us before I could get too close. “You take each other out, and you will be easy pickings. Nelly, stop poking.”
Nelly rolled her eyes, but she shut her mouth. I shook my head and glared at Mac. “What are you, some leaders of the expendables?”
He laughed. “Hell no. Nelly and I have been childhood friends since we were five.”
I grimaced. “My apologies.”
Mac laughed. “She isn’t always like this. Stress makes her agitated.”
I shrugged. Who wouldn’t be pissed off being locked in a cage? “And you’re used to it?”
Mac shook his head. “This is a first, but you will learn quick panicking in Aridole is like bleeding in the ocean around a bunch of sharks.”
Noted. The utopia Richard had painted for my mom was far from the truth.
“Maybe you’ll survive here,” Mac joked.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s the plan, and then I’ll get the fuck out.” It was almost as if we weren’t in a cage but enjoying a party, and I was attempting to make friends. However, that was far from the case. As the three large garage doors opened and bright lights blared our way, all laughter and chatter stopped.
The guy who’d I been talking to earlier walked in. “Welcome, everyone. In this year’s event, all of you are prized participants.”
“More like fucking prisoners!” I shouted. If there was one thing about me, it was that I hated a pompous ass.
He glared at me. I refrained from laughing in his face, I wasn’t the least bit intimidated.
“I don’t know where the fuck you get off putting me in a fucking cage but know when I’m out, I’m coming for your ass.”
