A/N: Another really long chapter so I apologize if it's draggy or anticlimactic. I tried my best. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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It's the day of the tournament and I think I just shat my pants for the third time this morning.
Topher, being the eldest (he's 20 and turning 21 soon), took the responsibility of waking us up. The first thing I saw after being shaken out of a very comfortable sleep was his asymmetrical brown hair and his brown eyes crinkled at the corners. He seemed relaxed as if being pushed into an arena to fight was part of his daily routine. But then again he was out there to face the Things for a much longer period than I was ever required to.
Instead of having only one of us take a shower, we decided that it was a special enough day for all of us to take care of our personal hygiene. We each had someone time our showers so there would be enough time for the five of us to bathe. I was last so I only had 3 minutes. And since I am Dexter Young, luck was definitely on my side when the water stopped as I was shampooing my hair. Lovely.
I wiped off the soapiness in my dark quiff with a towel before stepping out to grab my uniform. Rox was leaning against my bedpost, clearly examining my hair. I thought she was going to say something about it but she just kept quiet. When I've finally donned my uniform, we all gathered into a huddle in the middle of the room, Chuck grasping his arms around my neck as he wiggled to find a comfortable spot on my back.
"Alright, when we step foot out there, there will be chaos. But remember, stay together and never lose each other's sight. We don't need to win this, guys, we just need to do our best and that would be enough. You guys ready?" Rox spoke. We all nodded in unison and it was time to go.
She was right.
The minute we opened our dorm door, we saw teenagers in military uniforms scurrying around the army base, each having a bewildered look on their face. I held on to Chuck's knees, making sure he was safe on my back. I turned to Rox and she grabbed a handful of my uniform sleeve. We walked our way across the sea of panicking cadets toward the arena. We weren't allowed to go there before and to tell you the truth; I didn't even know it existed until after the tournament was announced. I snapped my head from left to right, looking for Topher and Stuart but to my dismay, all I could see were a bunch of strangers. I could tell Rox was getting nervous because her grip on my sleeve was tightening by the minute.
Alas, we reached the arena. I thought the field was huge but this was almost twice as big. I didn't think the army base would be this enormous the first time I saw it but then again, I was a completely different person then; all oblivious and vulnerable. But my time here has taught me that oblivion and vulnerability is the number one killer ever since the Plague, not the Things themselves.
The double doors were wide open as we stepped foot into the arena. There was a silver box at the top of the arena where I assumed Chief Commander Joy and the other veteran soldiers would sit to deliberate. There were about 20 people in that box and that was a small number compared to the hundreds of cadets entering the arena along with me. Looking at the well-built guys around my age, I felt very insecure and apprehensive. I was no comparison to them. I was skinny, awkwardly tall and a bit of a wimp. I could only cower at their tough physiques and the murder in their eyes.
"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the first Killers Tournament. This tournament will test not only your skills but also your perseverance and determination. The winners will be sent out to fight for the freedom and safety of humanity. This prize will be given to only the best and the most deserving squads. This prestigious honour must be well carried out for we will be counting on the winners to fulfil their duties out in the real world. Now, cadets, find your squad members and line up at the middle of the arena because the tournament will be starting momentarily" Chief Commander Joy spoke over the loud microphone.
Everyone started to move toward the centre of the arena and only then did we see Topher and Stuart pushing their way through the crowd to get to us. We were then standing amongst so many other teenagers whose once joyful and carefree lives were taken so abruptly away from them. We may all differ in size or hair colour or gender but we all share the same story; a story that included the death of our own parents, a story that included the horrifying image of the Things, a story of a broken life.
When all of us had settled down, three middle-aged women with clipboards separated us into several groups. I was in group number 20 which was the last group to compete against each other.
The first group was out to battle while the remaining 19 were anxiously waiting in a tent beside the arena. We could hear the cannon that signalled the beginning of the tournament. We soon heard gunshots being fired, screaming and dozens of profanities. It was all very unnerving. Rox had Chuck in her arms as she stroked his brown hair with her long and gentle fingers. Everyone was quiet in that tent, probably scared shitless. I wonder how we're going to cope with what's out there when what's in here scares us to the point of a mental breakdown. And the thing that was most unfair was the participation of kids, some even younger than 10. How were they going to manage? How were they going to survive? I guess the selfish bastards didn't think of that, did they?
Topher started to hum a tune that was very familiar to me. It was apparently familiar to a lot of other people too because the moment he started to hum, heads turned to face him. Topher was unaware of all the eyes and ears that were paying attention to his mindless humming so he continued and soon replaced the humming with actual singing.
"Skinnamarinky dinky dink,
Skinnamarinky doo,
I love you.
Skinnamarinky dinky dink,
Skinnamarinky doo,
I love you."
And like fucking High School Musical, everyone started to sing along.
"I love you in the morning and in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening underneath the moon,
Skinnamarinky dinky dink,
Skinnamarinky doo,
I love you."
Everyone laughed when the song was over, most probably because it was amusing to be singing when we're about to be shoved into the arena for battle. I could see the adoring eyes of the girls in the tent, gazing at Topher. I couldn't blame them. He diffused the tension and for that, we were all eternally grateful. After the tent went back to its original quiet state, Chuck decided that he was bored. Topher agreed to play rock, paper, scissors with him just so he could stop his seemingly never-ending yapping.
Rox moved to sit next to me and unexpectedly held my hand. I contemplated with myself on whether I should tell her how I felt about her. The little Dexters in my head were arguing and pulling at each other's hair before finally coming to a decision. I opened my mouth to say it before she placed a finger on my lips.
"Don't say anything. Don't ruin it" she said. So, I didn't.
Time was moving swiftly and after a while I got lost in my own thoughts that I completely blocked out the screams and the slow fading of groups in our tent. After a while, I felt someone shaking me. I shook myself out of the trance I was in and blinked my eyes, seeing Rox looking at me with a trace of fear in her usually calm brown orbs. Her mouth was moving but I couldn't hear her, my ears failing to send the impulses to my brain. I slapped myself once and focused hard before all of my senses came rushing back.
