Page 189 of Deviant

“I knew I’d be your first,” he half laughs half cries.

We pull away from our hug, wiping our tears with our sleeves, knowing exactly what we feel for each other.

Rowen slides beside me, her eyes swollen red, just like Harper’s.

“Are you pussies about done? Can we start now?” David mumbles aggravated.

“You ready?” I ask Andy.

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” he replies, gently kissing away Harper’s tears. “See you on the other side, brother.” With a finalsalute, he and Harper wave us goodbye before opening their white door and stepping inside.

I take Rowen’s hand and follow Andy’s cue.

When we step into the black room, it’s clear how it got its name. All four walls are painted black, and the only source of light is a single chandelier hanging overhead, casting a warm glow over two lounge chairs and a small table. There is a circular dartboard perfectly centered on the wall opposite the lounge chairs, and as we approach, we notice two boxes beside the table, each containing five darts.

When our watches start to vibrate and ring out, I remember that somewhere in this dark room are those pesky cameras that just fucking love to watch us. When I glance over to the watch and see the text, I throw both my middle fingers in the air.

The first to hit bullseye wins.

Play well.

“We have to play, Elias. All the challenges have to be done before they unlock the doors, remember?” Rowen reminds me, sounding absolutely exhausted as well as defeated.

“We tried,” I grumble, picking up a dart and handing her one.

“I know.” She bows her head.

I grip the dart tightly, my hand trembling as I aim for the board, hating that I don’t know what’s happening in the next room. Rowen stands beside me, her eyes darting between the dartboard and the door, the tension in the air thick enough to cut. With every throw, I can’t shake the dread pooling in my stomach. We both know our friends are fighting for something far more important than this fucking gameThe Scourgehas us playing. It almost feels like they are taunting us. I steal a glance at Rowen and find her just as dejected as I feel.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat.

And ifThe Scourgeis all about torture and mind games, then they sure have us beat.

This is a fucking doozie.

Playing a fucking bar game while our friends fight for their lives disgusts me.

“How long has it been?” Rowen asks, her heart just not in it to even pretend she wants to play this stupid ass game.

“I don’t know. Half an hour? Maybe a little more.”

“I can’t lose another friend. Not like this,” she whispers.

“Hey, hey, hey, come here,” I order softly, wrapping my arms around her. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it. Together, okay?”

She nods and lets me kiss her, even though it’s not enough to ease her worry.

“Elias, can you just hit the bullseye already? Please?”

I nod and throw the dart right at its center, causing the dartboard to flip around, announcing the end to the game.

I bring her to sit on my lap on the chair as we wait for the sound of the door unlocking.

“Elias,” she says, her head nestled on my chest. “I just remembered something.”

“What did you remember, baby?”

“I remembered that when we played truth or dare in the red room, Mackenzie and David played the same game in this very room. The only difference was that their game had no real consequences to it even if they lied. Meanwhile, Lucas and Lucy played another version of truth or dare, and their stakes were even higher than ours. I guess what I’m asking is… if we just played a game of darts… what sick game are our friends playing?”

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