wash || alice in borderland

iii. drink me

[ language, disturbing content, and violence warning !]

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thankfully, reiko's apartment was still there when she returned from the game. there was no real reason for it to disappear, but she couldn't help but feel slightly concerned for her beloved living space. the next three days were spent sleeping, eating, and thinking of a certain blonde boy - he really did remind her of a cute cat. the whole situation was so surreal. reiko felt like she was in a fever dream, not like her regular state of mind was much different.

lying face down on her bed, reiko reached around for the phone that was somewhere between the layers of sheets. feeling her fingertips graze the cold metal, she grabbed the phone and held it up to her face. she narrowed her eyes at the phone, it was her last day. huffing, she pushed herself out of bed with much struggle. stumbling around like a zombie, she grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a plain tank top. grabbing her backpack and sneakers from the floor by her front door, she flung the door open and began her leisurely walk.

swinging her mallet around, she looked around for a game sign until she found herself standing in front of an old bar with a lackluster neon sign. reiko recognized the bar, it was owned by a greek man who moved to japan when he was in his 20's. when she moved to the area she would visit him regularly to hear his stories, her head being filled with the adventures of his life. examining the outside, she noticed that the neon sign which once read "colchis" now read "welcome players".

reiko pouted, what a shame for this place to become a host to a killing game. walking in she was met with a familiar hostess table covered in sweet messages scribbled in sharpie from the regulars. the tv in the corner of the bar flickered to life, brightly displaying the phrase "the game will commence in a moment". surprisingly, she was the first one there. grabbing a phone from the table she counted 20 other phones. huh, it's a larger game than last time. wait, does this mean i can finally go behind the bar?

she clapped her hands childishly and ran behind the bar, a place that was strictly forbidden to her. running her hands across the bottles against the wall, reiko grabbed a few at random. shaking the contents in the shaker, she clumsily poured it into a beer glass that was far too big; it tasted of cherry-tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast. finished, she placed the glass down on the table with a satisfying 'clink'. the door creaked open and three more people came in. reiko smiled and waved at them, but they all scoffed at the girl and went to sit down at a separate table.

a faint smile rested on her face despite the cold response as she killed time playing with the different bottles and taps around the bar. slowly more and more people began to fill the bar. it was an odd group of people, everyone's looks, ages, and clothing ranged greatly.

"registration is closed. the game will now commence."

immediately, everyone in the bar stiffened, some even standing up in preparation.

"game: jason and medea. difficulty: nine of hearts."

multiple gasps and sobs broke out, mostly from the younger and older players. if reiko remembered correctly, hearts meant a game of betrayal, something that would quite literally play with their hearts. much like the people, the reaction varied throughout the room. most looked nauseous and understandably upset. others were consoling those crying, some looked angry, nervous, frustrated. every emotion imaginable ran through that room.

"rules," the tv screens switched to display a list. "one person at a time will step into the bathroom." bright lights caused everyone to look to the back of the bar where the bathroom door was illuminated. "you have two choices: make a promise, or kill someone in this room."