Survival Of The Fittest

With the soundtrack of the Pink Panther playing in her head, Beth tip toed around the tress and all the way to the outskirts of the mall. She saw two guys walking in the distance, and figured they were the camera crew, so she didn't want to distract them. As she was nearing the mall, Beth approached two more bodies whom she assumed were more models to make this place more spooky. It made sense to her to try and go to the headquarters, seeing as they'd have her script so she'd know what to do.

The mall was along the way, and she couldn't help but want to stop in for a moment and see what they had. She neared the doors, peering in before opening them. She was in the main hallway still secretly hoping that she'd run into Adam Dodd.

He's soooo cute!

"Hello?? Is anyone around here?"

I hope someone will help me out...

From: In the darkest of times

Penelope ran through the island. Searching. Searching for someone, anyone. After she lost Mathias in his frantic search to find his sister, she didn't know what she was going to do. She hated being alone like this. She wised she could go back to how things used to be. She wanted to go home! Everything was so wrong!

She found herself back at the mall, where she'd killed that boy. It was spooky, but she was tired, and she wanted to rest.

She stalked her way inside, being sure to make as little noise as possible. She passed a store that looked as if it had been blown up. She found herself back at the site of Anthony Ainsworth's murder. She looked over the body briefly before hearing a noise in the distance. It was the voice of a girl. She made her way closer to the sound. Mace at the ready. The girl passed the corner. She had a gun!

Penelope quickly assumed she was hostile, and charged, swinging her mace at the girl, screaming.

"I won't let you kill me!"

"AHH!" Beth screamed as she held her gun up in defence. What ever it was that spooked the girl, sure was convincing in her eyes. Infact, she could have sworn that the girl was running right at her, almost trying to hurt her! Beth quickly jumped out of the way, to avoid being in the path the stranger must have been taking for the sake of the camera shot.

Maybe they're in the middle of a scene... ooooh I hope I didn't mess anything up!

"Sorry.." She whispered to the girl. It didn't seem like she was in the wrong spot as she let it sink in as to what was going on. The more she thought about the look in the girls eyes, and the detail to the bodies she had passed, she could have sworn that this was almost real.

Can't be.

Beth wasn't sure if she should play along for the sake of the viewers entertainment or if she should run away and hope she wasn't caught on film. Anything she was in, they could just edit anyhow.

Does seem alittle odd they didn't ask me first...

She decided to play along, hoping she looked alright, and atleast seemingly appeared like she knew what she was doing. Quickly Beth drew the gun again and held it out pointing to the girl's head.

"Don't make me... cause.. I will.. If I have too!"

good one..

Penelope cursed when the girl dodged the hit. She turned sharply to be staring down the barrel of the girl's rifle. She was prepared to shoot her. Oh god. Penelope began to visibly shake and tears started to well up in her eyes, slightly fogging her glasses. She slowly backed away from the girl. She had to be brave.

"F-fuck you! Sh-sh-shoot me then! I dare you!" She yelled.

Penelope held the mace defensively, hoping the girl wouldn't kill her.

Projecting her voice, hoping that she was speaking loud enough for the speakers to pick up, Beth continued to go along with the scene.

"That's right! I'm.. I'm gonna shoot! You better watch it!"

Her hands were shaking on the handle of the rifle as she tried extra hard to stay in character. She wasn't ever really good at improve, but if she wanted to impress Adam, she'd have to give it all she had. Assuming there were blanks in the weapon, Beth pulled the trigger, closing her eyes tight at the loud sound of the gun. She had aimed at the strange girls' chest when she fire, but the recoil made it impossible for her to know where the thing actually fired.

That... that was a real bullet!

She opened her eyes faster than shutters on a window to see what she had done. Sweat formed along her hair line, as the sensation of what might really be going on flooded over her mind.

OH MY GOD! What have I done!?

Penelope screamed as the bullet tore through her stomach, causing her mouth to fill with her own blood. She puked it out and fell to her knees, dropping the mace with a loud clang. She gripped her stomach tightly and gave in to the second wave of blood that spilled from her mouth. She cried out and found that he glasses had fallen off of her when she fell. They were now in front of the other girl's feet.

"Why?! Why play? I just wanna go home!" She cried, tears and blood spilling from her.

Beth put her gun down, kneeling beside the girl who was now wounded. She never would have guessed that they used state of the art effects on this show. Sure it looked real on T.V., she would never have guessed it would look so real in person.

"Are you really okay?" She whispered to the girl. She put her hand over the girls, thinking it would look more sincere for the audience. The blood was warm as it trickled over her fingers. It frightend Beth and as she pulled away she felt something that she was for sure would leave her nightmeres for the rest of her time she'd have alive. Flesh ripped apart and the

"I.. I .. Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I.. It was.. the gun.. it.. you're.. oh my god!"

Penelope didn't even acknowledge the girl as she knelt next to her. She was in too much pain. She couldn't fell her legs anymore. She was losing blood fast. What about Jodeen and Mathias? Would they be okay? She had… had no choice. She had to ask her.

"Please… please do this for me… there's a little girl here, her name is Jodeen Kovelanko… help her… please… I won't be able to…" she coughed up more blood and fell to the ground. She could no longer hold herself up.

"Mom… Dad…. Big bro… I'm coming… wait for me." She smiled as she saw them; they were reaching out to her. She slowly slipped away. She was home now.


Female Student #66 – Penelope Withers - Deceased

"NO.. NO!" Beth screamed as she shook the shoulders of the now dead girl. "This isn't supposed to be real! It's a stupid TV show!" Tears streamed from her eyes as she slowly moved away from the body. Her arms and legs shook as she stood up, picking up her rifle and bag and backing away slowly from the girl.

"I'm sorry.. I'm.. so soo sorry!"

Beth turned quickly and ran out of the mall, hoping to escape the image that was now burned into her memory, of an innocent girl dying because she was too stupid to understand.

((continued elsewhere...))