"In the center of the arena, you will find four guns, each loaded with one bullet. That's one gun for each of you. For the final test, you must kill your partner.."

Thea's stomach plunged. 

"What?! No way!" Harry shouted angrily.

"The two remaining people will win the game. They will be allowed to keep their life and live for as long as they wish. The other two, will of course, be dead."  The 'automated' voice said as-a-matter-of-factly. 

"I don't want to!" Thea screamed, "none of us do!"

"Play the game, Thea. People are paying to watch, don't disappoint them." The 'automated' voice scolded sternly. 

Paying to watch?! Thea thought to herself.

"Thea," Dan whispered in her ear, "I want you to live. Take the gun and shoot me."

"No!" Thea blurted out, too loudly. 

"Well I'm not killing you. I could never do that." He muttered, and took her by the hand, leading her to the center of the arena.

Thea could hear the footsteps of Harry and Denise trailing behind them, but she was too afraid to do anything. 

When they reached the center, Dan bent down and picked up one of the four guns and thrust it into Thea's palm. Thea reluctantly grasped it between her sweaty fingers. 

"I can't do this.." She whispered as Dan let go of her hand. 

"You have to." He replied, and stepped back.

Out of the corner of her eye, Thea saw Harry and Denise having a similar conversation. The hand that Denise was holding the gun in was trembling, and her whole body was shaking.

"I can't handle this.." She whispered, holding back an exasperated sob. 

"Just do it quickly. Look away if you have to." Harry said, moving back so that she could shoot him.

Denise swallowed hard, her throat dry, her lips chapped. 

Thea turned so that she couldn't see them. 

"Get it over and done with, Thea. Give the people what they want and perhaps you'll have a chance at living a normal life." Dan said.

Thea inhaled, biting back all of the things she wanted to say, and raised the gun.

Her finger touched the trigger, but she couldn't bring herself to pull it. "I won't do it!" she cried out, "I could never live with myself if I killed somebody." 

Thea could feel all eyes on her. "Dan, I want you to shoot me. I can't kill you, or anyone."

"I refuse to shoot you, Thea." Dan said.

"Then we have a stalemate," Thea announced, "maybe nobody dies. Denise, put down the gun. Nobody will die in the tenth test." 

"Do as I say, or the consequences will be worse than death." The 'automated' voice hissed.

"No! We won't!" Dan yelled.

"Fine. Send in the beast. Let it rip them limb by limb while they are still alive."

One of the hatches opened and the creature came through, its leathery skin glinting in the firelight. 

It snarled and bared its teeth, and began to circle us.

"Use.. the gun.." Dan whispered through gritted teeth.

Thea turned and pointed the gun at the beast, and aimed as well as she could. 

She pulled the trigger, and a bullet exploded from the barrel.

But the bullet didn't hit the beast.

Thea had missed.

The creature looked over at her, its eyes blazing. 

And then it lunged forward, ready to kill..