Calum's POV
"Why don't we play a game?" The man's words run through my mind. A game? This guy is pulling some psychopath shit on me.
"A game?" I scoff.
"Yes, Calum. A game." The man smiles. "Now if you'd be so kind as to follow me." He turns and begins walking to a doorway within the room. "Don't even try to run because I can kill you and every person in this house with the push of a button." He holds up a remote control with a single red button in the center.
Seeing no other option, I follow the man to the doorway. I stay silent, afraid that something I say with cause him to go ballistic and press the button. I can't risk that.
The room we enter is dark and my heart beat quickens as well as my breathing. I can't believe I'm even in this situation right now.
"So, Calum, I hope you're good at puzzles and riddles." The man speaks up.
"Um, I guess?" I respond but it sounds more like I'm asking a question.
"Good because our game will have lots of them."
Oh shit.
The man walks over to a wall and flips on the light switch and the sight before me is enough to make me want to pass out.
To start off, Malia and Grace are both on seperate metal platforms. They each have their hands tied together, a rope tied around their neck and their mouths gagged. My mouth drops in shock and I stand still until I notice what is in between them. It's body, already dead, hanging by a rope. It's Ashton's body.
I feel myself wanting to throw up and cry at the same time. I feel light headed and dizzy. I don't know what the do.
"Your little friend Ashton is just there for decoration, he has nothing to do with the game." The man laughs evily. I want nothing more than to beat the shit out of this guy. "Now here's how the game is going to work. I'm going to give you a series of riddles and puzzles. You'll have to answer each one within a certain amount of time and if you don't, one of the girls' platforms is going to be lowered. If one is lowered more than once than that rope around their neck will kill them."
I stare at the man with wide eyes. What the hell is even going through this guy's mind?
"Your first riddle is on the table in front of you. You have 5 minutes for this one." He tells me then leans against the wall next to him.
I nervously walk up to the table in front of me where a piece of paper is set in the middle. I look up at the girls before I look at the riddle. Malia looks plain scared, her body is shaking and her eyes are clenched shut. Grace is staring at the hanging body of Ashton, tears streaming down her face. She's shaking as well and her eyes are blood shot. Her eyes never leave Ashton.
I unfold the piece of paper on the table and look at the riddle.
How can these two be connected?
Tree
Car
What kind of riddle is this?
"You have 4 minutes." The man tells me.
"How do you expect me to figure this out in 4 minutes?" I yell at him, unable to keep my mouth shut.
He shrugs. "I don't really."
A tree and a car. A tree and a car. They have nothing in common. One's a plant and one's an automobile. One has leaves and the other has wheels. How am I supposed to find a similarity?
