Somewhere That's Green
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 12:54 am
"Oh come on, you love camping!"
"Mom, everyone in that school hates me. Can't I just hang out with my real friends instead?"
Deidre was one of the last students to get on the bus. She awkwardly clutched her sports bag as she headed to the back of the bus to sit down in one of the few unoccupied and unsaved places, feeling the eyes of her peers say "Why did she bother coming?" and "I thought she got suspended or something?"
Not that she cared anyway.
"Deidre, I know for a fact that most of your friends are in Miami."
"Well, someone needs to keep Hubert and Marissa company!"
"That's what their boyfriends are for. You're going."
Throughout most of the ride, she was listening to her iPod - hours of nonstop metal and classic rock. She was turned to absurdly high levels, and she saw the boy next to her look over at her a few times. But whatever. If he wanted her to turn it down, he could've just asked. She would've done it no problem. But nobody on the bus really talked to her too much, not even to ask to turn down her music.
Not that she cared anyway.
"So if I can get a boyfriend, I don't have to go?"
"Somehow, I don't think that's gonna happen in the next two days, honey."
"Geez, you're so mean sometimes!"
"I get it from you. Come on, Deidre. I need a few days to myself, and you love camping. I'll make you some cookies and you can share with some of the other girls. All good girls love cookies."
The playlist started repeating itself. She turned off the music and noticed how dark it was getting. Her watch read 8:46, meaning it had to be close to ten. She couldn't really figure out how to reset it herself. She was far from skilled with technology. She could've just asked the guy next to her - he seemed smart enough to figure out something as simple as a watch. Just a tap on the shoulder and a small question could've been enough to fix the stupid thing.
Not that she cared anyway.
"Selfish, selfish! Alright, if you really need the break, I'll go. Especially for you."
"Liar, you just want the cookies."
----
Deidre woke up on a bed of moss and twigs, her head pounding. Holding a cold, dirty hand to her ear, she rummaged through her bag to try and find any aspirin her mom may have packed her. After pulling out a map of an unfamiliar place, a first aid kit she had never seen, and a bat with a nail hammered into it, she quickly realized that this wasn't her sports bag. Snapping back into reality, she looked around for the slightest hint of a campground. Nothing but stumps, fungus and rocks.
This was really happening. She really was on Survival of the Fittest.
What she knew about the game was only what she was forced into watching by her friend Karen. Instead of a horror movie marathon, Karen had made Deidre and her other friends watch seasons two and three of the supposed "game." It was violent, horrifying, and as she would soon discover, very real.
At first, she felt fear. Horror. Helplessness. She was curled up, gasping for breath between sobs, cold sweat dripping from her forehead. Whispered cries of "Dear God, why?!" escaped her lips from time to time. After getting all her tears out and regaining control of her breathing, all her emotions turned to anger. Picking up her bat, she started to pound on a nearby patch of mushrooms, the colourful caps flying in every direction. With a stunning shriek of pure rage, she kicked the stems from their earthy resting place.
It felt pretty good, all things considered.
No longer feeling fear, nor anger, she failed to feel anything at all. She slumped over on a stump, staring blankly into the trees that should have been standing in front of her. What was she thinking? She didn't know. What would she do? She didn't know. Would the others try to kill her? She didn't know. She didn't know. She just didn't fuckin' know.
Looking down at her bat, still awkwardly clutched in her hand, she asked herself one more question:
Could you kill them if it meant going home?
...That question would be answered in due time. But she was gonna make clear that this game's G054 had just started.
"Mom, everyone in that school hates me. Can't I just hang out with my real friends instead?"
Deidre was one of the last students to get on the bus. She awkwardly clutched her sports bag as she headed to the back of the bus to sit down in one of the few unoccupied and unsaved places, feeling the eyes of her peers say "Why did she bother coming?" and "I thought she got suspended or something?"
Not that she cared anyway.
"Deidre, I know for a fact that most of your friends are in Miami."
"Well, someone needs to keep Hubert and Marissa company!"
"That's what their boyfriends are for. You're going."
Throughout most of the ride, she was listening to her iPod - hours of nonstop metal and classic rock. She was turned to absurdly high levels, and she saw the boy next to her look over at her a few times. But whatever. If he wanted her to turn it down, he could've just asked. She would've done it no problem. But nobody on the bus really talked to her too much, not even to ask to turn down her music.
Not that she cared anyway.
"So if I can get a boyfriend, I don't have to go?"
"Somehow, I don't think that's gonna happen in the next two days, honey."
"Geez, you're so mean sometimes!"
"I get it from you. Come on, Deidre. I need a few days to myself, and you love camping. I'll make you some cookies and you can share with some of the other girls. All good girls love cookies."
The playlist started repeating itself. She turned off the music and noticed how dark it was getting. Her watch read 8:46, meaning it had to be close to ten. She couldn't really figure out how to reset it herself. She was far from skilled with technology. She could've just asked the guy next to her - he seemed smart enough to figure out something as simple as a watch. Just a tap on the shoulder and a small question could've been enough to fix the stupid thing.
Not that she cared anyway.
"Selfish, selfish! Alright, if you really need the break, I'll go. Especially for you."
"Liar, you just want the cookies."
----
Deidre woke up on a bed of moss and twigs, her head pounding. Holding a cold, dirty hand to her ear, she rummaged through her bag to try and find any aspirin her mom may have packed her. After pulling out a map of an unfamiliar place, a first aid kit she had never seen, and a bat with a nail hammered into it, she quickly realized that this wasn't her sports bag. Snapping back into reality, she looked around for the slightest hint of a campground. Nothing but stumps, fungus and rocks.
This was really happening. She really was on Survival of the Fittest.
What she knew about the game was only what she was forced into watching by her friend Karen. Instead of a horror movie marathon, Karen had made Deidre and her other friends watch seasons two and three of the supposed "game." It was violent, horrifying, and as she would soon discover, very real.
At first, she felt fear. Horror. Helplessness. She was curled up, gasping for breath between sobs, cold sweat dripping from her forehead. Whispered cries of "Dear God, why?!" escaped her lips from time to time. After getting all her tears out and regaining control of her breathing, all her emotions turned to anger. Picking up her bat, she started to pound on a nearby patch of mushrooms, the colourful caps flying in every direction. With a stunning shriek of pure rage, she kicked the stems from their earthy resting place.
It felt pretty good, all things considered.
No longer feeling fear, nor anger, she failed to feel anything at all. She slumped over on a stump, staring blankly into the trees that should have been standing in front of her. What was she thinking? She didn't know. What would she do? She didn't know. Would the others try to kill her? She didn't know. She didn't know. She just didn't fuckin' know.
Looking down at her bat, still awkwardly clutched in her hand, she asked herself one more question:
Could you kill them if it meant going home?
...That question would be answered in due time. But she was gonna make clear that this game's G054 had just started.