10 PM.
Takano Shrine, a large and fairly new wooden construction and we were the first to have found it. Our supplies were pretty much replenished and our hunger wasn’t doused but it had to do. Other than that Numi had stopped talking to me several hours ago. Kiyoko on the other hand would not stop clinging on to my shoulder at every possible moment.
Morale was low and this jealously between the two girls would have to stop.
It had been dark for a while now and I was yet again on look out duty, I had heard the rustle of disturbed branches from out of shadows, I raised my gun, wiped the sweat from my forehead and then aimed. The night had been humid since dusk and I couldn’t help but feel tired in this heat. Maybe my blood was too thick for this climate.
And suddenly, bout from the shadows a pair of young boy classmates both of which fell to the ground in front of my barrel. One had taken a shot in the gut and the other was supporting him. Numi bolted from inside the shrine steadily followed by Kiyoko.
"Kiriyama, Yaneda!" Numi shouted.
Comoto Yaneda was of a sluggish build, reasonably large but not muscular. Kazuo Kiriyama was tall with hair like wild fire. Yaneda was the one with the wound.
Kiriyama stared me in the eyes. "< Kazuo, that’s the transfer student! >" Shouted Yaneda. The fiery hair one continued to stare. I smiled back at him deflecting his intimidation.
The wounded boy was brought in. Numi tried her best to clean his damaged stomach but became hysterical when faced with the act to save his life. Kiyoko stepped in coldly and took a look at the boy’s wound.
"< Bleach... a needle and some string. >" Despite my lingual handicap, I understood that she had the situation under control. More pain-felt cries and vomiting blood soaking the wood’ red as I watched her sow the wound shut but despite her efforts the boy died.
"Fucking get that body out of here... it’ll attract flies!" I barked.
Numi cold hearted a look at me as she dashed off into another room, I heard her cry and I felt bad. Kiriyama sat on the opposite side of the room with the corpse of his best friend.
Kiyoko huddled next to me before I disturbed her by walking to the body of Yaneda. Kiriyama jumped up to me.
"Fuck off kid... sit down." I cocked my pistol, which seemed to enforce my order. He sat down when Kiyoko armed with my shotgun then pumped it and aimed at the boy. I smiled at her and she smiled back.
I disposed of the body in a near by stream and for the first time probably ever, I prayed. It was so peaceful out here. I prayed that I could escape. Numi had followed me, she carried a floating candle she had found. I told I was sorry and she said she understood.
"I don’t trust Kiyoko." She uttered softly.
"I’m going to have to." I replied.
She looked at the soft dirt floor, "Kiyoko tried to kiss you didn’t she... you kissed her back. Why?"
"I thought you were asleep?" I asked.
"I opened my eyes and that’s what I saw!"
"Maybe you were dreaming or something..."
She cut into what I was saying with strong prejudice. "I wasn’t dreaming Ewan, I saw it! Stop treating me like a child... you’re not much older than me!"
"Why are you acting like this?!" I shouted.
Before she thought the words just leapt out of her mouth. "Because I love you."
Oh, fuck... I thought, things had just gone from bad to worse.
Kiriyama was being coerced to where we were by Kiyoko with the help of my shotgun. "< What’s going on Numi? >" Said Kiyoko, she gave a fake warm smile.
"< I was going to put this floating candle in the stream for Yaneda. >" Immediately ignoring the entire argument. Numi placed the lit candle in the stream. She watched it for a moment as the light floated round a bend and out into the shadows.
I hadn’t known Carlson too long but he seemed a reliable source, but just before he ditched me in this far eastern country he said, "Don’t worry Ewan, I’ll be back shortly." He left his baggage behind in the car. I hadn’t seen where he ran off to so I had a peek in his bag, and there must have been over ten kilos of heroine in it. That’s about the same time that a large black Range Rover thumped my white Escort’s tail. I got out in retaliation only to find three large Yakuza sorts climbing out all brandishing guns. I threw them the bags and slowly climbed in my car. It was about that time that the whole area came ablaze with police sirens. They had spotted the guns.
The worst possible thing that could have happened and it happened right in front of my eyes. One of the Yakuza shook violently as he was pelted repeatedly with machine gun fire. I was forced out the car and held at gunpoint to shoot at the incoming police. I tried hard not to hit any of them but obviously I did. I shot the Yakuza holding me right in the foot he fell down and I ducked just as the repeated gunfire ripped his torso open. I jumped in the Escort and tired to make a quick getaway. I made about five yards before my tires burst under spikes.
DAY TWO.
6 AM.
Fog drifted from the ground as rain began to pelt in sheets, it was dawn now and Takahashi’s voice rang over the tannoy system. His voice had yet again filled me with anger and bitterness. It was also the first time that I had openly held Kiyoko in front of the others much to Numi’s jealous disapproval. I don’t know why but maybe I was attracted to the negative traits of Kiyoko. I had never been attracted to Numi though I saved her from a grim fate.
I had in my mind a possible scenario where Numi would have threatened Kiyoko only for me to have to kill Numi. I don’t know what I would do if that situation ever aroused so I prayed it wouldn’t.
We left Takano Shrine shortly after Takahashi declared it a danger zone as of seven o’clock so we didn’t want to stick around. He had reported that only four people had died last night including Yaneda.
A young classmate jumped me from the bushes only to flee in fear when he realised I wasn’t alone, Kiyoko took aim, but I gestured her not to take the shot. He was scrawny, his glasses were broken and his arm was bandaged. While I had the comfort of at least being in the company of females he had endured a lot more than me. And now he was about to die at the hands of another male classmate.
"< Kobe! >" The geeky looking kid shouted as the kid named "Kobe" slashed at him with a machete. I ran up to the pair of them. Kobe went to stab me so I shot him in the gut, he collapsed. The other one fled but before he had to chance to make five yards Kobe had impaled him on his machete. No survivors just two stupid kids.
19 down 23 to go.
The four of us walked for what seemed miles, at least the weather had cleared and we had a nice bright and sunny day. Numi was talking to Kiriyama, Kiyoko had her arm round me and I was becoming increasingly suspicious of the boy with the fiery hair. It didn’t take a genius to notice that they were talking about me. If only Kiyoko could speak English I thought.
This continued for a while until the tension broke when Kiyoko defended me in anger.
"< You two shut up about Ewan... if it wasn’t for him. You’d have been raped Numi. >" She smiled maliciously.
Kiriyama went crazy at Kiyoko. "< Who are you... one of Takahashi’s spies? >"
"< Yeah... actually, I am! That’s why my life’s in danger as well! Idiot. >" She shouted in sarcasm.
Suddenly I was stuck in an argument that started with me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I didn’t even know what they were saying.
"Numi!" I shouted. She paused; everyone stopped arguing and looked at me.
"Face it Numi, I’m attracted to Kiyoko and there’s nothing I can do about that. But you said that you loved me..." I was lost for words, I tried to piece together a sentence that made sense but it was hard for me. I have never been that good with relationships.
"This jealously has got to stop..."
Kiyoko cut it. "< We can infiltrate the classroom... I know a way. >"
"Numi, what did she say?" I asked.
"She said, she knows a way in... That we should attack Takahashi."
I smiled, "Why not. I have nothing to loose. Absolutely nothing."
DAY TWO.
12 PM.
I didn’t even have rations anymore, but it didn’t matter. Soon we would be at the headquarters once again. But this time we were armed, dangerous and full of issues. Kiyoko allegedly had knowledge of a hidden access tunnel. It was a "Panic Tunnel" in case of an incursion by the students. We were going to use it to take Takahashi hostage, shut down the defences and have our damned necklaces removed. If anyone had any other plans we’d shoot the bastard.
Our necklaces were going to cause a problem though; we would have to act fast, as soon as we were near the headquarters we would have to start running before they had a chance to activate the detonators. Our chances weren’t high and Kiriyama had other plans.
Since the Takano Shrine we had stripped him of his weapons, he had no choice but to follow us. I told Numi to ask him if he was with us or not. He shook his head.
"< I’d rather commit suicide thank you. >" Was his reply, I handed him his weapon and had Numi tell him that he may leave.
He cocked the pistol and aimed at me. "What are you doing?"
"< What are you doing? >" Repeated Numi in Japanese to Kiriyama.
"< Doing what I should have done a long time ago. >"
She translated Kiriyama’s sentence for me.
"Suit your self, you dumb fuck... you kill me, you’ll kill Kiyoko... and you’ll kill every single fucking survivor on this island because I’m going to be everyone’s last fucking chance."#
I looked at Numi, she looked at me. "You asked if I was here to save everyone... well, it appears so doesn’t it." Kiriyama still had his gun trained at me. Numi told him to put it down, he complied.
"< Are you coming with me, Numi? >" Kiriyama asked before he left into the woods. "< No... sorry. >"
I could see the depression in his eyes; this sadness changed to full on hatred when he looked at me. It was now the three of us again.
"Arse hole." I said as he fled into the woods.
We stopped for a moment, I was feeling exhausted. A trio jumped us as we rested, stole our weapons and held us at gunpoint. A girl and two boys. Numi tried to reason with them but it was no use. They demanded to know who Kiyoko was and why her and myself were dressed differently to the rest of the light grey uniformed ones.
They taunted Numi nastily; it appeared this clique had bullied her previously.
The boy pointed my shotgun at my head. "< So, British... why you here, huh!? >"
"Mate, I haven’t killed anyone all day... you should lay off. Besides, the safety catch is on, go on pull the trigger, you dumb ass. Better still, maybe you should give me the gun."
He stared at me confusion.
"The safety catch is on... it won’t fire." He exploded in rage. "< Shut up! I’ll kill you!" >" I shook my head smugly, "No you won’t. The damn safety catch is on. It won’t fucking fire... and your mothers slut." I pointed to one of the girls. "She said your dick’s small and that she caught you with your thumb up your arse."
"< WHAT ARE YOU SAYING! >" He shouted in anger and confusion.
Numi, in an outburst explained I didn’t speak Japanese.
"I thought it was damn obvious." I concluded to the angst ridden teen. I jumped the boy, stealing his pistol that he had shoved in the top of his trousers, Kiyoko hit the girl. The other boy made a move on me; I retaliated by pistol whipping him with the other boy’s gun. I cocked it and fired only for it not to be loaded.
The boy who had my shotgun was winded, his friend was sprawled on the floor and Kiyoko had the girl at knifepoint. He got up and aimed the shotgun at me and pulled the trigger.
There was no rocketing boom of the gun; my bodily organs were still intact.
"The safety catch is on." I repeated as I forced the weapon out of his hands. I removed the catch and cocked it. He froze in fear and that’s when I noticed that he had wet himself. I laughed then I stopped for a moment and watched as the other boy regained consciousness.
I told Numi to tell them that I knew a way off the island and that they were welcome to join us if they pulled their weight and not try to screw us over. I told them that if they chose to fight with us and then fled then I would not hesitate to kill them. Numi was apprehensive; after all they had bullied her at school. Kiyoko on the other hand found it all really amusing.
The two boys accepted but the girl refused then one of the boys also refused leading to them all declining my offer. I had Numi tell them that they should run as fast as they could out of here. In fear they fled but I noticed something, Numi slowly raised her gun, it was now loaded she had the trio in her sights. Kiyoko smiled but I felt rather sick.
She was about to shoot when all of a sudden they all started groping at their own throats and at their necklaces. They all started darting in different directions in hysteria. And then in perfect unison they all exploded, their throats were nothing but red mass of exposed muscle and tissue, they all collapsed as the familiar hollow sound of the after mass echoed in the woodlands as three more corpses were added to the list.
The harsh voice of the evil Takahashi burst from the tannoys, his voice was directed to us.
"< Play the game! >" He shouted. Numi translated it for me and that’s when I too realised that Takahashi had killed them because we didn’t.
End of part two of three.