Last Man Standing
0
I am the first person to admit I am not the best author there ever was, but I get inspiration to write sometimes, and tis i my latest work. Last Man Standing is semi-based off of Battle Royale(The novel not the shitty Manga Spinoff).
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About 15 years ago, the government worrying about the large populace, and instituted the Last Man Standing Tourney. 50 people are selected at random and forced to battle it out for one week or until only one person survives. In 15 years there have been 60 tourneys on every 3 months, a total of 2976 deaths, an estimated 57% of them suicides. Out of the 60 tourneys only 24 have had a victor. Hey can be anywhere, th only thing is you know that once one ends you ave 3 months to worry if you are going to be next.
“My head feels like someone took a ledge hammer to it,” I groan as I somehow manage to sit up and look around. “Where am I?”
The place I am sitting in is some dimly lit by the pale moonlight coming into the room from outside. there are other people in here, some of them muttering to themselves others apparently unconscious. Over at the window all I can see are some city light off in the distance, the rest is too dark to make out save the moonlight reflecting off the water. Well that solved part of the problem I'm on an island. Though how I got here I haven't a clue.
I sat staring out of the window into the darkness for a few minutes, before I fell backwards blinded by a bright light accompanied by the sound of helicopter blades whirling through the air. Almost everyone was awake by now, and some panic was urging though everyone, as the door in the corner of the room burst open, and a man wielding an Assault Rifle marched in and fired a few rounds into the celling causing a fine dust to fall onto his shoulders.
Everyone sat still as a statue as then next person walked in. A Man tat looked to be in hi late 40's early 50's walked in. “Good morning,” he said as he looked at his watch. “I am sure none of you know where your are but some of you may already know what this is about.” The man paused for a second, to watch the reaction of the crowd before him. “For those of you who do not know, it is simple really, this is a contest, of survival. For one week, you will be stuck here on your own, forced to survive, hunting each other until only one survives.”
“You must be joking,” someone said standing up. “This has to be a jo...” his voice trailed away as a gunshot rang out, and a splatter of blood, brains, and skull fragments spewed over everyone behind him.
“I assure the rest of you this is no joke,” The man said. Placing a pistol back into his hip holster. “You will kill or be killed. There are now 49 of you remaining. You have one week, if there is not only one person alive at the end of one week, each of you die. You each will be given a supply bag, that contains enough food and water for 6 days, and your weapon. What you get is completely random, depending on the bag you pick. It could be anything from fragmentation grenades to a tea towel. So pick wisely.”
“Sir,” someone said without standing up. “May I ask how you know that any of us have died?”
“Very keen,” The man said clapping his hands together. “I'm sure some of you have noticed the collars around your necks by now. The Collars contain a GPS tracking unit, Biological monitors and security to make sure no one live after the seven days if no winner is declared. A Fine steel wire that will tighten and sever the head like so.” Out of his pocket he took one of the collars and placed it around a melon, and activated the kill sequence. The melon then fell cleanly in two on the floor. “It will also activate if you linger in a dead zone for more than 30 seconds.”
“Dead zone?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
“An area of the Playing field that has became off limits,” The man explained. “We are on an island, and it ha been split into 36 sections, every 8 hours another five sections will be listed and the time they become dead zone, causing the playing field to shrink. Each Zone I one Square Kilometer. After the last person has left the area surrounding this building will become a dead zone in 30 minutes. ”
The man paused as a rack was a rolled into the room containing canvas bags, presumably our weapons could be anything. All I could think about was hoping I got some sort of weapon that could help me out and not something useless.
The man that rolled the cart into the room began calling out names, one person every 5 minutes. I was glad that I was the 4th person. As I grabbed a bag and bolted out of the room. And down the hall way out into the early morning. Run and find a place to hide. It was all my mind would let me think, and thus my body followed it's orders. About 30 minutes latter I came across a row of empty houses, tis must have been a residential area. One of the houses had a small utility shed, that was wide open. I sneaked over and listened for any kind of nose and picked up a mall tone and thew it in the open door. When nothing answered I bolted inside closing the doors behind me finding a plank of wood to bar them. And at down to look inside my bag.
Inside the bag was 2 loaves of bread, and some freeze dried food, and 6 bottles of water, along with a bandanna. To my luck I found a semiautomatic hand gun and a manual stating that it was a .45 1911. The gun had a clip inside it with a round chambered, and 5 extra clips, and a box of ammo. Along with all that there was a small map of the island marked off into the 36 zone and a small brown package that had in bold black letters on it read 'Bonus.' Inside the package was a long black metal tube with a note that read 'silencer'. I quickly figured out how to put the silencer on the gun and sat there praying that if someone stumbled upon my hiding place that I could kill them before they killed me.
A Small grimy window in the back of the building began to show some signs of daylight, and I began to think of what to do next, do I hide here? Do I move? When a loud speaker system that was apparently wired to the entire island began playing O Fortuna. “Good morning everyone, it is now 8am, and it seems everyone has been busy, numbers 17, 27, 31, 37, 45, and 48, have all been terminated. Only 43 left. The Zone that are dead are as follows At 9am Zone F4, at 10am C6, at 11am A2, at noon C3, at 1pm A1, at 2pm D4, at 3pm F5, and at 4pm E1. Good luck to you all.”
A few minutes latter, gun shots rang out nearby, I ducked down, and grabbed my gun urning the Safety off. There was no way anyone knew I was here. No it was two others, blasting it out. I slowly opened the door and ran to the edge of the house near where I was hiding. There I could see what was going on. Out in the middle of the street, they both were running and dodging behind cars blasting off rounds at each other. One of them finally hi the other in the had and ended the battle, and walked over gun till aimed to look what they dropped.
“If I'm gonna get out of here alive,” I breathed as I ducked low in between houses closer to the dead person. The person who had killed the other seemed to have been busy, last night, in his hand was a large revolver, and strapped to his back a shotgun and belt of shells.
I was about 15 feet away when I fired on to him hitting him with three rounds into the back and one in the side of the head as he turned from the initial three to the back. I just killed a man, not only that someone I have never met before in my life. I fell to me knees, begging the lord for forgiveness. The other was just a kid, probably around 18 or 19 year old or so. It was cruel to see that scene, someone who's life had just barely began laying dead in front of you with a bullet hole right above there right eye.
The guns there was a the Revolver that the assailant dropped, along with the shotgun. And another semiautomatic pistol, both bag had plenty of spare ammo. Which I took along with the water and some of the food. I took the bandanna's and made a makeshift belt that I used to tuck the hand guns into. Before moving on, seeing as the gunfire would draw out anyone in the area.
Clouds started to move into the mix, as I dared quickly between houses and into a wooded area. My bag slung over my back and the shotgun in my hands. My watch said it was getting close to nine and I was on the edge of one of the dead zone, or at least I thought I was as I ran away from it. I heard someone yelling behind me, and then footsteps running behind me. I turned to look just in time so see my would be assailant as he charged at me is arms in the air wielding at looked like a sword.
Without thinking I squeezed the trigger on the shotgun blasting a sell and a loud echo through the surrounding wood's, the shell hit him in the stomach, and he doubled over on the ground writing in pain bleeding profusely.
I started to walk away when I heard some cognitive word's among his no stop moaning. “Kill me,” He said. “Go on Finish me off.”
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned on the spot, I don't know if it was the reaction caused by killing someone or what, but something inside of me snapped. “Why waste the time when you are about to die anyways?” I said as I turned back and grabbed his sword and it' sheath taking what valuable supplies he had. “This sword may come useful to me. I thank you for it.” With that I turned away and off away from there.
My thoughts as I wandered through the wood's straining to listen for any sound other than my own foot falls. What was happening to me? Was it the primal instinct of human nature kicking in? Am I just this twisted on the inside and finally letting it out? No it's this damn thin that the government put me into. I'm either going to live to see the end of this and my life go on and back to close to as normal as it can get, or I'll die trying to defend my life.
I somehow found my way out of th woods and into the front doors of a small church, where I fell to my hands and knees, before the altar. “To any Deity that will listen to me,” I said as my head flung upwards, towards the altar. “Allah, Buddha, God, Zeus, Whoever may be there listening. I beg your forgive me for I have sinned. I have been martyred and I have killed. Forgive me it is all that I ask.”
I do not know how long I sat there on my hands and knees, until someone came in and shot at me. A hail of bullets came at me one of which grazed my left shoulder causing me to jump from the initial shock of being shot and the scare that it gave me. I grabbed my bag, and bolted to the side, a jolt of pain was sent trough my left arm as my bag's weight pulled at it but it as shortly subsided by the adrenaline started pumping. The shotgun laid where I dropped it when I fell to my knees, so it was no use to me, all I had was the 3 hand guns that were fastened to my waist. I pulled out the revolver, and fired, only able to et two shots off before the sound of clicking came.
“Out of ammo are we?” A man voice said with a slight undertone of laughter. A Gun like that takes time to reload for someone not used to it, and by judging how wide your shots were, I would say you are not that used to it.”
“You know you may be right,” I said, as I pulled one of the other hand guns from my waist. “It would take me a good minute to et the box of ammo, and reload this thing, while I'm sure you have plenty. I've made my peace, I have noting to loose kill me.” There were five rounds left in the 1911 and I aimed to use them all, if I was going to die. Then my killer will be wounded or going to hell with me.
The heavy Slow and deliberate steps of the man came closer a if he was toying with me. And once I saw him I lined up my gun and blasted all four rounds all but one missing. The one that hit landed in his upper arm. Giving me some time to grab the other gun from my waist, only able to get 3 rounds off before the gun emptied. Luckily two of which hit him, causing him to drop the gun.
“You little sneak,” The man spat out in pain as he dived for the submachine gun he had.
As he grabbed the gun I had a fresh clip loaded into the 1911, and fired off the entire clip into the direction of his head. As he bean to fir upon me. Bullets flew towards each other, a few of which hit in my upper left arm and one of which taking a bit of the flesh from my arm as it impacted and exited. I sat there the feeling of pain starting to appear as I looked down a the lifeless body, of a man that just a few moment ago, had tried to kill me.
The four o'clock report stared over the loud speaker system a I moved along, towards a Clinic that the map said a on the island. The shotgun on my back and the Sub Machine gun I found to be a SA 361 as the user Manuel in he guy bag said. I thought it no mind but a fully automatic was a welcome thing to have in my injured state.
“Good Evening everyone,” the proctor said, in such a cherry voice that would churn your stomach knowing that he was enjoying all of this. “The gusto of your killings has yet to stop, I dare say tat this may end early. But here is the list. Numbers, 2, 9, 23, 42, 49, and 50. Bringing the total dead to twelve. And now for the dead zones. At 5pm A6, at 6pm E5, at 7pm, C2, at 8pm B5, at 9pm B6, at 10pm D6, at 11PM, F6, and at midnight, F2. Good luck everyone.”
After hearing that I just wanted to die, but something inside me kept me going, drudging on towards the Clinic. Some driving force, wanting me to live, would I live to see the people I know once again, would my blood stained hand find peace in society?
By the time I found the Clinic, the sun was setting into the western sky. The door to the clinic was open but there was no sign of anyone around the building. But I took the shotgun and entered the building sweeping the corners as I passed them. The sound of a revolver being cocked filled the room as I entered the last room, as I turned towards the noise I saw one of the contestant, sprawled into a chair, of the clinics living quarters. A Mexican standoff ensuing. Neither of us lowering our guard. I stood there, watching the guy, as he watched me.
“There's no point in this,” they guy said coughing up some blood as he lowered his gun. “I'm not gonna live trough this.” He moved his other hand to show a blood soaked bandage over his abdomen. “Kill me if you want, but I would like some company before I pass to the next world.”
I lowered my gun, in a wave of compassion but kept my hand on the rigger as I walked over grabbing the revolver and putting it on a table near by. “I'm sorry but I'm not that trusting, but I'll stay with you till you pass.” I took a chair near buy, and looked closer at the wound on my arm. The bandanna I tied around it was soaked in blood. “But if you will excuse me while I tend to this wound.”
Inside the clinic, there was a bottle of antiseptic, a needle and some thread, along with a mess of bandages. The best bet I would have would be to stitch the wound a best I could, and put a bandage over it. I took the supplies I found back into the room where the man was still sitting a small trickle of blood leaked from the bottom of the bandage.
“May I ask you your name?” I asked, as I took th bottle of antiseptic and poured some of it over the wound before pricing my arms flesh with the needle that I had dropped into the bottle with a medical twine attached.
“My name is Ace,” The guy said. “And may I ask you of yours?”
“Alex,” I grimaced as I clumsily stitched the wound closed.
“Well Alex,” Ace said brushing his hair out of his face. “I thank you for giving me what little more time I have left.”
“My and are stained with enough blood,” I said as I started to wrap the wound. “I see no point in killing someone who is about to die. But what about you? What was your life like?”
“Thats a strange thing to ask someone who you jut met,” Ace laughed painfully.
“Well if I make it out of this alive,” I began. “I would like to have a story of more than my own to tell.”
“I was a high school gym teacher,” Ace said coughing up more blood. “If only my student's could see me now. The standing joke was that I demanded the best of my student's till they were about to fall over, and now here I am on my last limbs, hang on to life with what little strength I have left.”
“I know how you feel,” I said. “I've stared death in the face in today, in the house of god at that. Thats where I got this.” I pointed to the wound on my arm.
“Well Alex,” As began. “I there anyone in your life?”
“My wife,” I said. “Thats the only reason I'm trying to hang on. She's 7 months pregnant, and I want to see my child before I die.”
“Well I hope you make it,” Ace said. “A kind spirit like yours ha no place in a sick and twisted thing like this.”
“That gun of yours,” I began after a long awkward silence. “Something tells me you didn't have that at the beginning of this.”
“Your pretty keen,” Ace said as he pulled out what looked like to be an blood stained wood baseball bat from beside the chair. “I brained the guy who had this gun. He shot me once, and turned thinking I wasn't going to get back up. But I did and smashed he back of his head in.” I did what could to find my way here about 6 hours ago and got the bleeding to stop but it started back up. I'm not long for this world.”
We sat there listening to the sound of the crickets chirping outside telling stories of our life of each other in the dim light of a candle that I found in a drawer as the moon crept into the sky. As the Midnight report came on. To mine and everyone else's surprise, no one had died in the past 8 hours and the easter portion of the island was now dead.
“If I don't make it to see the sunrise,” Ace said. “There is a box of ammo for the revolver in the bag in the corner.”
“If you pass while we sleep,” I said. “I would like to see you again in he afterlife, so keep it in mind, though we knew each other for such a short time. I would like to pend an eternity with someone like you as a friend.” I blew out the candle and closed my eyes, and let my haggard self drift into sleep.
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About 15 years ago, the government worrying about the large populace, and instituted the Last Man Standing Tourney. 50 people are selected at random and forced to battle it out for one week or until only one person survives. In 15 years there have been 60 tourneys on every 3 months, a total of 2976 deaths, an estimated 57% of them suicides. Out of the 60 tourneys only 24 have had a victor. Hey can be anywhere, th only thing is you know that once one ends you ave 3 months to worry if you are going to be next.
“My head feels like someone took a ledge hammer to it,” I groan as I somehow manage to sit up and look around. “Where am I?”
The place I am sitting in is some dimly lit by the pale moonlight coming into the room from outside. there are other people in here, some of them muttering to themselves others apparently unconscious. Over at the window all I can see are some city light off in the distance, the rest is too dark to make out save the moonlight reflecting off the water. Well that solved part of the problem I'm on an island. Though how I got here I haven't a clue.
I sat staring out of the window into the darkness for a few minutes, before I fell backwards blinded by a bright light accompanied by the sound of helicopter blades whirling through the air. Almost everyone was awake by now, and some panic was urging though everyone, as the door in the corner of the room burst open, and a man wielding an Assault Rifle marched in and fired a few rounds into the celling causing a fine dust to fall onto his shoulders.
Everyone sat still as a statue as then next person walked in. A Man tat looked to be in hi late 40's early 50's walked in. “Good morning,” he said as he looked at his watch. “I am sure none of you know where your are but some of you may already know what this is about.” The man paused for a second, to watch the reaction of the crowd before him. “For those of you who do not know, it is simple really, this is a contest, of survival. For one week, you will be stuck here on your own, forced to survive, hunting each other until only one survives.”
“You must be joking,” someone said standing up. “This has to be a jo...” his voice trailed away as a gunshot rang out, and a splatter of blood, brains, and skull fragments spewed over everyone behind him.
“I assure the rest of you this is no joke,” The man said. Placing a pistol back into his hip holster. “You will kill or be killed. There are now 49 of you remaining. You have one week, if there is not only one person alive at the end of one week, each of you die. You each will be given a supply bag, that contains enough food and water for 6 days, and your weapon. What you get is completely random, depending on the bag you pick. It could be anything from fragmentation grenades to a tea towel. So pick wisely.”
“Sir,” someone said without standing up. “May I ask how you know that any of us have died?”
“Very keen,” The man said clapping his hands together. “I'm sure some of you have noticed the collars around your necks by now. The Collars contain a GPS tracking unit, Biological monitors and security to make sure no one live after the seven days if no winner is declared. A Fine steel wire that will tighten and sever the head like so.” Out of his pocket he took one of the collars and placed it around a melon, and activated the kill sequence. The melon then fell cleanly in two on the floor. “It will also activate if you linger in a dead zone for more than 30 seconds.”
“Dead zone?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
“An area of the Playing field that has became off limits,” The man explained. “We are on an island, and it ha been split into 36 sections, every 8 hours another five sections will be listed and the time they become dead zone, causing the playing field to shrink. Each Zone I one Square Kilometer. After the last person has left the area surrounding this building will become a dead zone in 30 minutes. ”
The man paused as a rack was a rolled into the room containing canvas bags, presumably our weapons could be anything. All I could think about was hoping I got some sort of weapon that could help me out and not something useless.
The man that rolled the cart into the room began calling out names, one person every 5 minutes. I was glad that I was the 4th person. As I grabbed a bag and bolted out of the room. And down the hall way out into the early morning. Run and find a place to hide. It was all my mind would let me think, and thus my body followed it's orders. About 30 minutes latter I came across a row of empty houses, tis must have been a residential area. One of the houses had a small utility shed, that was wide open. I sneaked over and listened for any kind of nose and picked up a mall tone and thew it in the open door. When nothing answered I bolted inside closing the doors behind me finding a plank of wood to bar them. And at down to look inside my bag.
Inside the bag was 2 loaves of bread, and some freeze dried food, and 6 bottles of water, along with a bandanna. To my luck I found a semiautomatic hand gun and a manual stating that it was a .45 1911. The gun had a clip inside it with a round chambered, and 5 extra clips, and a box of ammo. Along with all that there was a small map of the island marked off into the 36 zone and a small brown package that had in bold black letters on it read 'Bonus.' Inside the package was a long black metal tube with a note that read 'silencer'. I quickly figured out how to put the silencer on the gun and sat there praying that if someone stumbled upon my hiding place that I could kill them before they killed me.
A Small grimy window in the back of the building began to show some signs of daylight, and I began to think of what to do next, do I hide here? Do I move? When a loud speaker system that was apparently wired to the entire island began playing O Fortuna. “Good morning everyone, it is now 8am, and it seems everyone has been busy, numbers 17, 27, 31, 37, 45, and 48, have all been terminated. Only 43 left. The Zone that are dead are as follows At 9am Zone F4, at 10am C6, at 11am A2, at noon C3, at 1pm A1, at 2pm D4, at 3pm F5, and at 4pm E1. Good luck to you all.”
A few minutes latter, gun shots rang out nearby, I ducked down, and grabbed my gun urning the Safety off. There was no way anyone knew I was here. No it was two others, blasting it out. I slowly opened the door and ran to the edge of the house near where I was hiding. There I could see what was going on. Out in the middle of the street, they both were running and dodging behind cars blasting off rounds at each other. One of them finally hi the other in the had and ended the battle, and walked over gun till aimed to look what they dropped.
“If I'm gonna get out of here alive,” I breathed as I ducked low in between houses closer to the dead person. The person who had killed the other seemed to have been busy, last night, in his hand was a large revolver, and strapped to his back a shotgun and belt of shells.
I was about 15 feet away when I fired on to him hitting him with three rounds into the back and one in the side of the head as he turned from the initial three to the back. I just killed a man, not only that someone I have never met before in my life. I fell to me knees, begging the lord for forgiveness. The other was just a kid, probably around 18 or 19 year old or so. It was cruel to see that scene, someone who's life had just barely began laying dead in front of you with a bullet hole right above there right eye.
The guns there was a the Revolver that the assailant dropped, along with the shotgun. And another semiautomatic pistol, both bag had plenty of spare ammo. Which I took along with the water and some of the food. I took the bandanna's and made a makeshift belt that I used to tuck the hand guns into. Before moving on, seeing as the gunfire would draw out anyone in the area.
Clouds started to move into the mix, as I dared quickly between houses and into a wooded area. My bag slung over my back and the shotgun in my hands. My watch said it was getting close to nine and I was on the edge of one of the dead zone, or at least I thought I was as I ran away from it. I heard someone yelling behind me, and then footsteps running behind me. I turned to look just in time so see my would be assailant as he charged at me is arms in the air wielding at looked like a sword.
Without thinking I squeezed the trigger on the shotgun blasting a sell and a loud echo through the surrounding wood's, the shell hit him in the stomach, and he doubled over on the ground writing in pain bleeding profusely.
I started to walk away when I heard some cognitive word's among his no stop moaning. “Kill me,” He said. “Go on Finish me off.”
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned on the spot, I don't know if it was the reaction caused by killing someone or what, but something inside of me snapped. “Why waste the time when you are about to die anyways?” I said as I turned back and grabbed his sword and it' sheath taking what valuable supplies he had. “This sword may come useful to me. I thank you for it.” With that I turned away and off away from there.
My thoughts as I wandered through the wood's straining to listen for any sound other than my own foot falls. What was happening to me? Was it the primal instinct of human nature kicking in? Am I just this twisted on the inside and finally letting it out? No it's this damn thin that the government put me into. I'm either going to live to see the end of this and my life go on and back to close to as normal as it can get, or I'll die trying to defend my life.
I somehow found my way out of th woods and into the front doors of a small church, where I fell to my hands and knees, before the altar. “To any Deity that will listen to me,” I said as my head flung upwards, towards the altar. “Allah, Buddha, God, Zeus, Whoever may be there listening. I beg your forgive me for I have sinned. I have been martyred and I have killed. Forgive me it is all that I ask.”
I do not know how long I sat there on my hands and knees, until someone came in and shot at me. A hail of bullets came at me one of which grazed my left shoulder causing me to jump from the initial shock of being shot and the scare that it gave me. I grabbed my bag, and bolted to the side, a jolt of pain was sent trough my left arm as my bag's weight pulled at it but it as shortly subsided by the adrenaline started pumping. The shotgun laid where I dropped it when I fell to my knees, so it was no use to me, all I had was the 3 hand guns that were fastened to my waist. I pulled out the revolver, and fired, only able to et two shots off before the sound of clicking came.
“Out of ammo are we?” A man voice said with a slight undertone of laughter. A Gun like that takes time to reload for someone not used to it, and by judging how wide your shots were, I would say you are not that used to it.”
“You know you may be right,” I said, as I pulled one of the other hand guns from my waist. “It would take me a good minute to et the box of ammo, and reload this thing, while I'm sure you have plenty. I've made my peace, I have noting to loose kill me.” There were five rounds left in the 1911 and I aimed to use them all, if I was going to die. Then my killer will be wounded or going to hell with me.
The heavy Slow and deliberate steps of the man came closer a if he was toying with me. And once I saw him I lined up my gun and blasted all four rounds all but one missing. The one that hit landed in his upper arm. Giving me some time to grab the other gun from my waist, only able to get 3 rounds off before the gun emptied. Luckily two of which hit him, causing him to drop the gun.
“You little sneak,” The man spat out in pain as he dived for the submachine gun he had.
As he grabbed the gun I had a fresh clip loaded into the 1911, and fired off the entire clip into the direction of his head. As he bean to fir upon me. Bullets flew towards each other, a few of which hit in my upper left arm and one of which taking a bit of the flesh from my arm as it impacted and exited. I sat there the feeling of pain starting to appear as I looked down a the lifeless body, of a man that just a few moment ago, had tried to kill me.
The four o'clock report stared over the loud speaker system a I moved along, towards a Clinic that the map said a on the island. The shotgun on my back and the Sub Machine gun I found to be a SA 361 as the user Manuel in he guy bag said. I thought it no mind but a fully automatic was a welcome thing to have in my injured state.
“Good Evening everyone,” the proctor said, in such a cherry voice that would churn your stomach knowing that he was enjoying all of this. “The gusto of your killings has yet to stop, I dare say tat this may end early. But here is the list. Numbers, 2, 9, 23, 42, 49, and 50. Bringing the total dead to twelve. And now for the dead zones. At 5pm A6, at 6pm E5, at 7pm, C2, at 8pm B5, at 9pm B6, at 10pm D6, at 11PM, F6, and at midnight, F2. Good luck everyone.”
After hearing that I just wanted to die, but something inside me kept me going, drudging on towards the Clinic. Some driving force, wanting me to live, would I live to see the people I know once again, would my blood stained hand find peace in society?
By the time I found the Clinic, the sun was setting into the western sky. The door to the clinic was open but there was no sign of anyone around the building. But I took the shotgun and entered the building sweeping the corners as I passed them. The sound of a revolver being cocked filled the room as I entered the last room, as I turned towards the noise I saw one of the contestant, sprawled into a chair, of the clinics living quarters. A Mexican standoff ensuing. Neither of us lowering our guard. I stood there, watching the guy, as he watched me.
“There's no point in this,” they guy said coughing up some blood as he lowered his gun. “I'm not gonna live trough this.” He moved his other hand to show a blood soaked bandage over his abdomen. “Kill me if you want, but I would like some company before I pass to the next world.”
I lowered my gun, in a wave of compassion but kept my hand on the rigger as I walked over grabbing the revolver and putting it on a table near by. “I'm sorry but I'm not that trusting, but I'll stay with you till you pass.” I took a chair near buy, and looked closer at the wound on my arm. The bandanna I tied around it was soaked in blood. “But if you will excuse me while I tend to this wound.”
Inside the clinic, there was a bottle of antiseptic, a needle and some thread, along with a mess of bandages. The best bet I would have would be to stitch the wound a best I could, and put a bandage over it. I took the supplies I found back into the room where the man was still sitting a small trickle of blood leaked from the bottom of the bandage.
“May I ask you your name?” I asked, as I took th bottle of antiseptic and poured some of it over the wound before pricing my arms flesh with the needle that I had dropped into the bottle with a medical twine attached.
“My name is Ace,” The guy said. “And may I ask you of yours?”
“Alex,” I grimaced as I clumsily stitched the wound closed.
“Well Alex,” Ace said brushing his hair out of his face. “I thank you for giving me what little more time I have left.”
“My and are stained with enough blood,” I said as I started to wrap the wound. “I see no point in killing someone who is about to die. But what about you? What was your life like?”
“Thats a strange thing to ask someone who you jut met,” Ace laughed painfully.
“Well if I make it out of this alive,” I began. “I would like to have a story of more than my own to tell.”
“I was a high school gym teacher,” Ace said coughing up more blood. “If only my student's could see me now. The standing joke was that I demanded the best of my student's till they were about to fall over, and now here I am on my last limbs, hang on to life with what little strength I have left.”
“I know how you feel,” I said. “I've stared death in the face in today, in the house of god at that. Thats where I got this.” I pointed to the wound on my arm.
“Well Alex,” As began. “I there anyone in your life?”
“My wife,” I said. “Thats the only reason I'm trying to hang on. She's 7 months pregnant, and I want to see my child before I die.”
“Well I hope you make it,” Ace said. “A kind spirit like yours ha no place in a sick and twisted thing like this.”
“That gun of yours,” I began after a long awkward silence. “Something tells me you didn't have that at the beginning of this.”
“Your pretty keen,” Ace said as he pulled out what looked like to be an blood stained wood baseball bat from beside the chair. “I brained the guy who had this gun. He shot me once, and turned thinking I wasn't going to get back up. But I did and smashed he back of his head in.” I did what could to find my way here about 6 hours ago and got the bleeding to stop but it started back up. I'm not long for this world.”
We sat there listening to the sound of the crickets chirping outside telling stories of our life of each other in the dim light of a candle that I found in a drawer as the moon crept into the sky. As the Midnight report came on. To mine and everyone else's surprise, no one had died in the past 8 hours and the easter portion of the island was now dead.
“If I don't make it to see the sunrise,” Ace said. “There is a box of ammo for the revolver in the bag in the corner.”
“If you pass while we sleep,” I said. “I would like to see you again in he afterlife, so keep it in mind, though we knew each other for such a short time. I would like to pend an eternity with someone like you as a friend.” I blew out the candle and closed my eyes, and let my haggard self drift into sleep.
