Page 14 of Kortlek

I toss on a smile and turn to her. “Yes. Did you need anything?”

Blair’s eyes flicker from Cove to me a couple of times, but she doesn’t comment on the situation. Instead, she glances at me and shakes her head. “Well, maybe. I got hungry, so I came to see how snacks were coming along.’’

My mouth parts a little, and I nod. “Sorry to have kept you waiting, here,’’ I grab the plate with fruit for her to take, whilst I grab the bowls with crackers and chips.

My entire body shivers as I follow Blair out of the kitchen, Cove’s intense gaze on my retreating form. But I know this will be just like everything else.

Tomorrow, he’ll act like it never happened.

CHAPTER SIX

Of course the location of the Kortlek is a fucking forest.

It’s a piece of land Dad purchased for Mom around a decade ago. The original plan was to build a hospital there, a free one at that, but given the location and how secluded it is from the city, it fell through. During the winter, the roads here aren’t the best; hence, it would take an ambulance a solid hour to reach the hospital from the city, and that simply wouldn’t work out.

Then, Mom’s idea was to turn it into a retirement home, and why that never happened is something I don’t know to this day. But the land is spacious, and given how my mother genuinely cares about the environment, I just think she didn’t want to cut down all the trees and ruin the forest for the sake of the retirement home.

It’s between ten and fifteen acres of pure green. They did put up high fences all around it back when they originally purchased it, with a gate that is opened with a fingerprint or a passcode. If someone were to try and sneak in and get the passcode wrong, loud alarms would blast. Sure, since it’s far from the city, no one would hear, but for the Kortlek games? Perfect. That way, Arlo and the rest can ensure that no one can leave.

There is a clearing somewhere in the middle of the forest. The grass is freshly mowed to perfection, and the scent is just beautiful since it rained last night. It’s a chilly night, and although I’ve a thick hoodie on, chills still creep up my neck, causing the smallest hairs to sit up straight.

All of the prey are on their knees.

They have a shirt each with a number between one and thirty-eight, signaling which one they are. No names, no personal information, just a number. Each has received a weapon of their choice. Some went for the obvious; guns, rifles, and even silencers to add on. Others went with less good choices; machetes, knives, daggers, and even a baseball bat.

There are many, many cameras all around, not a single spot left with no surveillance. A couple of reflectors were put in the clearing, but the rest of the forest is pitch black, with no light in sight. This is a game of survival, and Arlo isn’t stupid enough to give them a chance to sneak their way out of it or hide in the forest, so he opted against giving them anything but a weapon of their choice.

I’m in the same position as the rest of the prey, on my knees, head hanging low. The only difference is that somehow, I managed to find a spot where the reflectors don’t cover, so it’s pitch black. The hoodie, my leggings, leather gloves, and my boots are all in a rich black shade. I even snatched a couple of Mom’s daggers in the same shade, carefully tucking them under my hoodie.

My face is covered with the hood, eyes locked on the ground. The game is going to begin in less than ten minutes, and I feel excitement start to ripple through me. It’s stimulating, consuming, and downright exhilarating. A smile is on my face, my fingers itching for the game to finally start. My heart is racing in my ribcage, the thrill overwhelming my bones.

I could’ve come as a hunter. However, their masks and clothes are made specifically for the event, and given how late I found out about the location, I wouldn’t have had the time to get the same for me. And if somehow I did get the clothes and the mask, Arlo would’ve tied me to a chair, just to ensure I’m nowhere near this place.

Which is why I’m here as prey.

Is this the smartest decision on my part? No, not even close.

The only other dumb decision like this one I can think of that falls into the same category would be when my best friend, Rose, admitted to having sex with a clown at a carnival. It was held yearly in New Orleans, and the carnival was adults only. In one of the terror houses, she met a clown, who looked fucking scary, and she ended up losing her virginity to him.

Come to find out, the blood on his clown mask was real because the motherfucker was a serial killer.

Oh, but it doesn’t end there, no, no.

The killings went on for three years, every single time on Halloween. Rose managed to convince me to go with her so she’d see him again, and I agreed. I actually agreed to go and help her find the serial killer she’d fucked once. Clearly, the dick was good; otherwise, I’ve no understanding as to why anyone in their right mind would do that.

Oh, it doesn’t quite end there, either.

When I took her to New Orleans last year for the carnival again, the bitch managed to get herself kidnapped by the clown. It took me two fucking weeks to find her, and when I did, I found out that the clown was someone we both knew.

That being said, the fact that I’m now acting as prey in the darkness, hoping Arlo’s keen senses haven’t picked up on me via the cameras, does slightly top the New Orleans shenanigans, not by a lot, though. The latter is still far more dangerous because we went to that fucking carnival blind. We had no idea what to expect or how things would turn out.

This one? I know exactly what will happen.

Sometime during the night, Arlo’s bound to discover me. But if I play my cards right, it will happen around dawn. Now, the games don’t exclusively last one night only. The previous one stretched for three nights, since one of the prey was sneaky as fuck and managed to successfully hide within the forest.

Arlo could’ve left him there; eventually, he would’ve died since the previous playground was also very tightly secured. But no, that would’ve meant that Arlo had to give up on something. My brother is many, many things, and the biggest one? He’s stubborn beyond belief.

Which is how I know that eventually, I’ll be discovered. However, I can stretch it out for a while and have some fun. I have enough time to prove that I deserve to be here, that I can be helpful, and that I’m genuinely perfectly capable of taking care of myself.

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