Elsewhere 4: Game On

Beneath Kappa house, in the strangely-complex sewer system of Northwoods, the chamber beneath the sorority has been prepared. Kenneth sits on folded legs, eyes closed and concentrating on the center of the ritual circle, while Eva and Andy stand by, making sure not to disturb it. Strange bones, spilled fluids of unnatural colors, handfuls of dry twigs and leaves dot the chalk-drawn pattern he focuses near the center of, an old, black, white, and red box the subject of all these arcane efforts. The candles positioned at key points flare before Kenneth slowly opens his eyes, then signals to the two young women that it’s safe to enter now.

He reverently opens the box, placing the lid beside him, then reaches inside. Delicately, sure not to accidentally damage its contents, he lays the base out on the floor. Thin strips of paper are neatly checked and stored, ensuring everything is in its place. Everyone present is well-aware this is incredibly dangerous work. If they don’t perform this correctly, if they falter, hesitate, it could well mean the end of not only their friend, but all the girls of Kappa house Atlee’s brought under her sway. Andy leans over the box first, regarding the glinting, metal objects inside.

“There’s no dog,” she voices, annoyed. “Why is there no dog?”

“Dog wasn’t added until after the first production with metal pieces,” Kenneth explains wearily. “I would have gotten the one with wooden chess pieces, but I couldn’t find one. Besides, iconography matters.”

“It does, so why the hell did you pick one without the dog?” Andy continues, picking up the lantern token. “It’s the best piece.”

“Age matters, too, Andy,” Eva cuts in before Kenneth has to speak again. “First print run with metal pieces is a great find.” She nods to Kenneth, who does so back. Things remain tense between them, but he appreciates the gesture. “What they are keeps changing, so that there ARE metal pieces matter, but it being authentic is more vital than which ones. Does that make sense?”

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t use it. I’m saying it’s stupid.”

“It’s Monopoly, Andy. Of course it’s stupid,” Eva allows with a little exasperation.

“Doesn’t have the dog, what kind of fucking Monopoly board doesn’t have the dog?” she grumbles to herself as she sits back down.

“Off to a great start!” Kenneth sighs as he picks the shoe.

“Come on, we have to make this work,” Eva tells him, grabbing the top hat and placing the pieces at Go.

“Wasn’t sarcasm,” he explains as they each roll two dice to see who’s going to start. “This needs to be contentious, unpleasant. We’re trying to disrupt something that’s jamming things together and making them work when they shouldn’t. Down here, we have to make something way harder than it really is.”

“So lost money to Free Parking?” Andy asks as she wins the right to go first. “I mean, if we’re going to come correct here, kind of have to.”

“Exactly. No watermark for winning, just winner-take-all bloodbath,” Kenneth begins. “Land on Go, double the money for it. No auctions. Everything we can think of that reminds of us the ugliest kind of family game night. Clear?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Eva answers. She skips the top hat down the board, immediately buying the first railroad she lands on. “It’s like a sickness, I just need to have them …”

“See? That’s good, because it’s an AWFUL DECISION!” Andy teases her while Kenneth takes his turn. “Y’know, I never thought me being a nightmare to play games with was going to be an asset. But here I am. World’s funny.”

“Why, exactly?” Eva asks with some trepidation.

“I get way too competitive, then I end up yelling and arguing for entirely too long,” she answers with a shrug, taking her second turn and quickly snapping up a second property. “Only thing I need to not do is my usual finishing move, which is breaking the board over my knee and trying to eat the game pieces.” Kenneth and Eva both stare at her wide-eyed for a moment. “I was a troubled child.”

While things continue in the right direction, Andy quickly falling behind Kenneth as Eva amasses enough poor investments to keep her afloat in spite of herself, all of them try to suppress their worries. Even Kenneth feels the horror, deep down inside him, that it won’t be enough. The ritual should focus all this at Atlee, which, ideally, should weaken her … but this isn’t a science. And even with Kenneth’s near-century of experience doing things like this, there’s always room for mistakes.

‘Be safe, baby,’ Eva thinks to Jaq as Andy stands up, screaming over the precise nature of hotel rules. Her stomach is still twisted at the idea her emotions aren’t her own … but she knows she felt like this before the bite, before the blood, before all this insanity. She’d just been too chickenshit to say anything about it. ‘Too late for that now … God, and she would have been into it, great move,’ she reprimands herself, thinking back to Jaq’s weak tone telling her she had to treat her like her judgement was skewed. ‘Should have just said it earlier. So many times I could have. Move-in. After that last break-up she had. When we did truth-or-dare with the girls in the hall. Shut up, Eva. Doesn’t matter now. She’s dead if you fuck up. Don’t. Fuck. Up.’ She nods, forcing herself back into the game, allowing a relieved grin as she hits Free Parking, which also draws frustrated groans from the rest of the table.