CH2: Hunted

I decide to just leave and hurry down to the first floor to the cafeteria instead of getting distracted. I know for sure there’s still some purple chests there and I am really close to that next level. I walk through the hallways and pass by the bathrooms. Now they are completely empty. I’m sure Calliope would leave someone to man it, if the players of the game weren’t so limited. At the start of the game there were 20 of us. Now there’s only 16. In a way it would be nice if more players got eliminated faster, because that would mean I would be closer to winning, but on the other hand the ones who remain are the toughest of the bunch.

I find the chairs leading to the first floor and take them and arrive near the atrium, only to find none other than Recreationists manning the atrium for some reason. I don’t think they are trying to ambush anybody as then they would be looking at the entryways, and I would already be caught. They seem to be preparing to talk about something. Now I also get a look at all of them at once. There’s Calliope, the tall dark one with her expressionless face as she looks over the others, almost like trying to make sure that everyone is accounted for. Then there’s Hope, the blonde I have shot twice already. She seems to be sitting down and looking up at her boss a little concerned – or that’s at least how it looks like. The red haired girl, Esmeralda is standing next to her with a determined look on her face. She and Calliope seem like the most resolute of the lot.

A little ways is Korina. She is examining her new weapon, which seems to be something I have not seen before. It looks like a crossbow weirdly enough. It’s clunky and weird to have in a laser tag game. I almost can’t believe what I’m seeing. Then just next to her is Grace. My heart skips a beat and I watch as she leans on a wall with her arms crossed. I can’t see her face past the rim of her hat. I also see the dark haired girl off to the side. I think her name was Catherine. She doesn’t seem to be taking part. There’s always that one person.

“Oh dear… that’s all of us. What a shame… what a damn shame.” Calliope announces and walks back and forth. “Sam is… eliminated. My second in command. You all heard the announcement. It was that Lilah. You know, the girl who spoke out against me yesterday. The one with the… the pretty dark bambi eyes, thick dark hair… she eliminated Sam!!” The Recreationists listen as Calliope lets out her speech. I listen with a frown. Yeah, that’s me, bambi eyes and all.

“It is now our… TOP priority to find her, and eliminate her! She is a danger! She is our enemy! More than the Retreaters, more than the rest…” I hear as someone interrupts her, it’s Korina: “Perhaps Sofie could be of similar importance? She did after all cause the chaos yesterday. She also… touched you in a delicate place, did she not?” Korina says with her good posture and clean, although accented voice. Calliope looks at her for an awkwardly long time and mutters: “N-no… I’m talking about the game here. Obviously Lilah is the more dangerous enemy… please, Korina.” Korina doesn’t seem to get the subtle clue and tries to argue for herself: “B-but surely you must feel embarrassed! She touched your penis… pardon, penises… Perhaps you want to pursue… vengeance?” Korina gets an awkward smile and Calliope covers her face as the others look away awkwardly.

“Forget that! That never happened! It doesn’t mean anything! Our priority is on Lilah now! We must find her! By all costs!” Calliope ends her speech and walks over to her oldest supporters and chats with them while Korina tries to join in, but seems obviously to not really fit in. Grace doesn’t even think to join the rest and seems to just hang around on her own and practice quick drawing. I would want to run to her, take her hand and just run… but with all of the Recreationists there, it would just be suicide. I give her one last look and leave before I get spotted.

The way to the cafeteria is clear and I get there quickly. I am still careful in case of random people running into me. I have been trying to make a list of names in my head and I am still missing some. So there must be some running around like me, without an alliance. I reach the kitchen but as I’m about to step in I hear a laser and I notice my hand turning red. I dive inside and take my gun out but suddenly remember. The kitchen is a safe zone. I don’t know what to do and panic a little as I crawl on the floor.

I hear laser shots and clench the shotgun to my chest and breathe heavily. The girl seems good, and runs around to cover and shoots at me. I take my submachine gun and shoot her way and hear her get closer. I crawl to a better spot behind some plants and catch them running in the dim room and shoot at her and get a couple bad hits in and she takes over again. She has blonde hair and a navy blue suit. Suddenly I realize who it is. Why’s she shooting at me?

“Hey, hey, hey! Calm down! It’s Lilah, the girl who got Sam!”

I carefully peek at the person I’m fighting as the voice comes from the kitchen. It’s Tatiana with her headband and all. “Ah! Tatiana!” I gasp relieved and she seems to realize too. I am not exactly sure why, but for some reason I have thought of her as a friend ever since the chaos at the bathrooms – there’s too few friendly faces here. “Ehh… sorry. It’s the dark suit. You look like a bad guy.” She says awkwardly and I get out on the open as someone comes out of the kitchen. I turn and see that it’s the girl with the orange hair, the one with the attitude. “Oh, goddammit. You look like everyone else from behind. Also, what the heck is up with all those weapons, girl? You look like a straight killer!” She smiles walks over to me and takes the SMG from my waist. “Heey! … don’t t-take it!” I try but she seems pretty interested in it. She herself has an SMG which I guess is the one that the pigtail girl stole from Calliope. Talking of which.

“No way! Lilah! Super cool! Super mega cool!” I see the blonde with the glasses hurry to me and hug me suddenly. I also realize how much I needed a hug. She is quite short and has a boyish smirk as she checks me out: “Action hero, huh? Right? She’s totally the main character.” She smirks and the orange haired one checks me out too and the two seem to agree. “I’m not… what are you even talking about? Tatiana… what’s going on?” I ask and the only calm one in the room sighs.

“Well, it is as you see it. We decided to come here. We scouted this place out earlier… when Wicky was still around… and Korina…” She looks away sighing and I remember how dramatic their separation was. In a way Tatiana is in the same boat as I am. I also can’t forget that I have seen a bit more of her than she knows, which makes me feel like we must be closer than we really are. “... anyways. We’re just glad you came. We don’t have any levels or guns or anything…” I hear the subtle clue and take the other SMG I have on me and give it to her and she takes it and thanks me. I still have an SMG of my own and a pistol as well as my shotgun, so I’m more than well off in the gun department.

“I just heard that they are hunting me. I thought you should know… you guys are in danger when I’m here.” I say but then feel something weird behind me as the blonde, Sofie I think, takes a hold of my hips. “You talk like a total hero too… I think that’s kinda sexy.” I turn around and see her smirking. I can’t help but blush. What’s up with her, really?

“Ah, sorry about her. She’s got crazy high libido. Don’tcha, Sofie? Come here, you little…!” The orange haired girl chases her friend down and grabs her as they both giggle. “What?” I ask and Tatiana motions me closer. “We do not mind you being here, but we should also keep quiet for a while. In the case that Calliope is after you, we should wait it out until something happens. We’re not scared of her, but let’s not be stupid either, ok? We got your back, ok?” She smiles and I feel a lot better. I wasn’t too sure about siding with anyone, but maybe the options were just bad. “Oh… ok! Yeah, I would love to be with you guys.”