CHAPTER SIX
( FEELINGS )

    THERE WAS A story that Ayson's mother told her about many times when she was a child. It was Shakespeare, she understood now, but at the time the girl knew it as a fairytale— one that went wrong and made her think harder about her future. It made her believe that sometimes love didn't work out, or that not all problems could be solved by it; and that there was a certain possibility someone along the line wouldn't receive the happily ever after they deserved. In fair Verona, Romeo and Juliet were only meant to be together six feet underground.

Ayson never really thought about love, or even liking someone in a while, considering her life had been going at a steady fast pace, and never seemed to slow down for anything. Or anyone, for that matter. Boys hadn't been a focus for the teen in the last couple years because things like that didn't matter. She was subject to high school, which devoured every second of her spare time that wasn't dedicated to family. So boys weren't a big problem; at least the way she considered it. Maybe in college she would've had the chance to meet someone, and be fortunate enough to spend the rest of her life with them. But today, as her whole life has been trampling through her mind quite quickly, she's realized that she'll never be able to find that someone.

Or maybe she always has and she just hadn't noticed at the time. But either way, she's stuck in a game that she'll never win. Even if she was able to dig her way up out of this hole, how would she be able to live with herself? With Elizabeth getting her teeth ripped out in a chair just ahead of the remaining three, Ayson feels her heart sinking even lower in her chest. Not only is she doomed to die, but she's also doomed to never love someone.

"We'll never get out of here," she murmurs to Aidan, her hands clutching his collar and her face buried in his shoulder.

"Don't say that," he shakes his head, tilting her chin up so that his eyes can meet hers. "Everything will be fine. I'll make sure you get out of here untouched, okay? There's nothing to worry about."

"You can't protect me from my game, Aidan." The raven-haired girl states with confidence. "There's no way out of this."

Elizabeth launches out of the chair, free from the trap, before falling to the floor. She gags for a moment, rolling onto her stomach so the blood from her mouth can drain from her throat and onto the concrete floor. The lasers in front of the others are gone in an instant, and Ayson moves forward with her flannel. She flips Elizabeth back onto her back, before bracing her injured leg and tying it at the top of her thigh.

"I can't get up," Elizabeth cries, shaking her head and wiping at the blood on her face. "You might as well leave me, I'll die anyway."

"Hey, look at me," Ayson grips her hand, urging Elizabeth to meet her eyes. "We're going to get through this, and you'll be fine. I promise, we'll all get out of here somehow."

The woman chokes, coughing as blood splatters against Ayson's shoulder. The girl winces, watching as Elizabeth heaves our more painful breaths.

"I—I can't," Elizabeth gasps, sobbing as she places a hand to her own chest. "I—"

She was suddenly still. But then her eyes rolled, and her body began to shake violently. "Oh gosh, she's seizing!" Ayson places her hands under the woman's head for support, closing her eyes as Elizabeth thrashes around on the floor. It was obvious to the girl that there was nothing that could be done. The three of them could only stare as she writhed, and wait for it to be over.

Only seconds later, her body went completely stiff on the floor. The mere sight of another dead body made her want to gag— and even worse, cry; because this was her future. Ayson had the same fate waiting for her, as well as Aidan and Joel. Now, all she could do was move on, and wait for her game.

Oh, what fun that would be— to die a slow and painful death.

"Come on, sweetheart," Aidan hauls Ayson to her feet, covering Elizabeth's top half with his leather jacket. "We should get going."

Joel was already ahead of the two; he had entered the next room without an ounce of hesitation. He seemed fearless, but on the inside he just knew that the next game was waiting for him. It would be his game. So he drifts off, perching himself on the floor with no intention on grabbing the 'play me' tape that hangs from the ceiling. Instead, he studies the next room closely as Ayson and Aidan stay in the previous room.

"I'm so scared, I feel like my heart is going to explode," she manages, rubbing her fingers through her tangled hair. "None of us are going to make it out of here, and that terrifies me."

"Don't think about dying, think about getting out," he tells her, placing his hands on either side of her face to gain her full attention. "Think about something else. Look— let's sit down and talk for a few minutes, and slow everything down. Tell me about your life, your family, friends— anything."

Aidan crouches down to the floor, far away from Elizabeth's body, and pulls Ayson with him. He stares at the mortified girl expectantly, ready for her to change the subject. "Go on, I'm waiting."

"I'm an only child," she sighs, wiping away the tears that escaped from her eyes, "and my parents aren't home all that often. My mother is a listing agent for the state, and my father's a lawyer. I don't have very many friends— mostly because I choose not to be social. Something happened to me a while back, and it really hit home . . . I decided to close everyone off and be independent for a while."

"What about your hobbies?" He raises an eyebrow. "Do you play any sports?"

"No," Ayson chuckles, her heart growing lighter with every second she's near him. "I read, mostly. Fictional characters are always more appealing than actual people. There's something about telling stories and passing them on that always gets me excited about a new book during a library visit.

"And I don't bother with much physical activity, but I do go for early jogs in the morning. It helps keep my mind off of things, and the scenery around the park is amazing. If I were a painter, or an artist of any kind, I'd definitely go sit at the park for hours on end and paint until my hands give out. I'm sure if you've ever been there, you'd understand what I mean."

"I remember when I was little, my parents used to take me there in the fall and we would collect leaves for my mother's scrapbook. And then for winter, we'd make snowmen— my father was the best at making them. It seems so silly now, but I'd give anything to go back and do it all over again. I wouldn't change a thing."

Aidan would never tell her, but he enjoyed listening to Ayson talk fondly about things she took a liking to. Her voice was naturally calming— and the way her face lit up when she talked about the park, gosh, it was unlike anything he had ever seen. Not only was she distracting him from the situation at hand, but she was whole-heartedly dragging him in.

And suddenly, he was studying her features— full lips, a sculpted jawline, pearly white teeth that graced his presence every time she smiled, and honey-colored eyes that could make anyone melt. Somehow, he was falling for a girl that he barely knew. And he vowed to himself, in that moment, that he would do anything to get her out of there. After everything was over, he would get to know her better, take her to the park to collect leaves in autumn, and help her build snowmen when it snowed . . . he smiles to himself at the thought.

If only she would have made it that far.

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