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I went to bed aching and needy, refusing to give into my body’s needs when Mack was on my mind - I would not give him that sort of satisfaction.
Chapter Eleven : Jumping Through Hoops
Marissa
Iheldmybreath- a natural reaction I had to being in the dark. I knew they would do something like this - had calculated every risk when it came to being at this exact point in my life.
I chose this university knowing full well that The Society used it to scope for newcomers that might fit the bill they were looking for. I ensured that my marks were always above average, my makeup well done, but not too well done. I presented myself as a diamond in the rough - not perfect, but someone that could be easily molded. I was polite and well mannered, even when the pleases and thank yous felt like acid on my tongue. My clothing was always a little too tight for my liking - as if I reveled in the attention my clothing seemed to draw. In truth, my wardrobe bordered more in the tacky than classy category, but they needed to think that they could fix me - spruce me up and make me theirs; otherwise this wouldn’t work.
And here I was, at the last hurdle. I was only in the running for that one coveted spot. I hadn’t won yet. The advantage I held over the other girls was that I actually knew what The Society was about - knew that they were the Illuminati, a devil dressed in god-like clothing.
I wasn’t going into this blind. If anything, I had orchestrated this entire thing, and knowing that I had manipulated The Society made me feel powerful.
Still, I didn’t like being in the dark - didn’t like being blinded by the unknown. The girl who stood next to me whimpered, and despite feeling uncomfortable, I was already starting to formulate a plan on how to eliminate my competition. Accidents happened all the time in these kinds of settings, and while I may mourn the loss of some, those feelings would be nothing compared to the rage and guilt I would feel if I failed.
We stood there, lined up for The Society’s perusal in some large hunting cabin that they had carted us off to. They probably thought themselves so clever, with their ability to scare some college girls, but I wasn't an ordinary college kid. I had scraped into this place on my own merit, winning a scholarship and competing for additional funding that covered my books and accommodation. I was the epitome of prepared, and as I reminded myself of this fact, I exhaled slightly, allowing the calm I fought so hard for to settle in my veins.
I could hear the girl to my right breathe heavily as if she were psyching herself up for what was to come. She would be a problem. I was sure her name was Jenny, or was it Jessie? Fuck, now I didn’t know, and honestly, it didn’t serve me to make friends with my competition, not when they were salivating at the prospect of landing a rich husband and being welcomed into the fold that was The Society. I even overheard one of them telling someone that if she landed the coveted spot, her aim was to get knocked up as quickly as possible.
Shit like that made it difficult for me to feel anything other than utter disdain for them.
A breath coasted the back of my neck, and I felt movement behind me as the body moved on to do the same thing to one of the girls next to me. She squealed, as expected. It was pathetic, really, the college bullshit they were pulling for this when I knew what they were truly capable of - what monster really sat at the helm of their ship.
I strengthened my legs, knocking my knees as I stood unsure of what was to come, but wanting to be prepared all the same.
“There’s something hidden.” The voice was distorted, coming through some sort of sound system, only serving to add to the creepy atmosphere that they had purposefully created. And not two seconds after I mentally sorted through all the sounds, the echo kicked in, bouncing around the room, all carnival style. “Hidden….hidden….hidden…hidden.”
The Society certainly had a flair for drama. I felt as if I were in a live game of Clue, only I was about to be the murderer and I needed to ensure that I wasn’t caught with the murder weapon.
Something hit the back of my legs, and thank fuck I had locked my knees because, otherwise, I would be face first on the floor. By the sounds of it, some girls weren’t as lucky.
Good, the less of them there were, the less work I had to do.
“There is only one bag…. one bag… one bag….” The echo distorted again, and this time I felt fingers dance along my collarbone as they dipped into my cleavage. One girl further down the line broke into sobs, and it sounded as if she chose to flee the building.
I wasn’t sure how many of us were left, only that there were less.
“In the bag is a diamond choker.” The echo seemed to be scaled back this time, but the voice still caused the hairs on the back of my arms to stand on end. “The first girl to walk back into this room with those pearls around her neck will be awarded a place within The Society.”
The gasps of shock were amusing, as if the girls surrounding me were only now realizing how feral The Society truly was. I supposed The Society expected them to be surprised, especially considering that, up to date, we had only been schooled in etiquette because god forbid we embarrass our husbands through a social faux pas.
The lights came back with a blinding ferocity, each of us forced to take a minute to adjust to the new lighting. It was done as much to keep us disorientated as it was to allow them their escape without us truly realizing where they were going. Not that anyone here would go after them. If I didn't need to get into one of their basecamps as badly as I did, I might have gutted one of them now, but alas - it did not serve my purpose.
There was a fine line between eliminating those that hindered my end goal - those who were cruel and filled with malice, allowing that elimination to create some sort of justice in the world - and being labeled a mass murderer. These were the thoughts that kept me awake at night.
I had no doubt that the people The Warden sent me after were shitty humans that deserved their early deaths, but the knowledge that each of them had families - had someone that missed them, still weighed heavy on my soul. Because even shitty people were still somehow wanted - loved - in the world.
That reality only made me feel more lonely - more fucked up than I already was - because I knew without a fathom of a doubt that if something happened to me, I would leave no one behind that would mourn my loss. Sure, my mom might - in her few lucid moments she might question where I was, but that was about as far as it would go.
Such thoughts were not helpful in this manor, especially as one of the girls shouldered past me in a rush, elbowing me in the face in the process. Fucking bitch. I didn't have to look twice to know that it was my sorority sister, Kylie. She had been panting after Society cock as long as I had known her, and under different circumstances, she certainly would have fit in there far better than I would.
But I wasn’t winning my place simply to fit in, I was going in to eradicate them.
I scanned my surroundings, noting that there were only four of us left. It was like the wealthy version of The Hunger Games, where we were all pawing after a diamond choker. Even before I pushed off of my spot, I knew that not all of us would make it out here alive. I boasted the kind of skills that didn't see survival as a challenge, the problem was I needed to ensure that I didn't showcase my skills too well, lest The Society begin to question why I was so adept at killing.
That's what this was, it was a killing contest dressed up in a pretty manor with diamonds as the grand prize. They wanted to know that we had what it took to get our hands dirty when necessary - that we wouldn't choke. The girls who fled earlier were the smart ones because, here, I would be the only victor - the only survivor.
One girl darted towards the kitchen downstairs whilst another hammered upstairs after Kylie. I made the snap decision to follow the girl to the kitchen. If she found the diamond collar, she would make a quicker escape back into the foyer, and I couldn't risk her winning. At least with the amount the stairs had creaked, I would know if Kylie and the other one were on the move.
