Skylar was thrown to the side and Timothy was dragged in the middle. It was all up to her. She glanced at Timothy, who was in full confidence, smiling wearily at her, then she glanced at the board. Six letters of one word. What should she do? Start from the alphabets ascending order or start from the vowels. Both have the same first letter.

"Let's bet!" Blaze announced. "Place your money in if you think they're gonna lose!"

Many people around one specific table placed their money at the centre of the table. Nearly all of them were in on it.

Beth approached Blaze, giving him all his attention on her, and whispered, "I bet they'll win." She paused for a moment, allowing Blaze to think then continued, "But I bet she will get hurt."

"I'll make it happen for free, babe." Blaze said, accepting her ten dollars. "Alright, let's start! Make it quick, I don't like to wait-"

"'A'" Skylar said immediately.

"Ooh!" Blaze exclaimed. He marked the letter 'A' on the board and crossed it.

Skylar had made a mistake, she was more anxious about Timothy getting hurt than winning.

"That's what happens when you give an attitude." Blaze said. He took out his knife and approached Timothy slowly, who was now faltered in confidence and was trembling. Blaze ripped his sleeve up and delicately pointed the sharp tip of his knife on Timothy's arm. "Do you want me to go quick or shall we do this nice and slow?" He whispered sinisterly.

"No! Do it quickly! Hurry up!" Skylar yelled, Blaze glared her way and simultaneously slashed through Timothy's skin; he screamed in agony. Blaze didn't put any care in what he was doing, if he did it slowly, the cut wouldn't have been so deep.

"Next letter!" Blaze yelled, elevating the pressure in Skylar.

Skylar lowered her head in shame, avoiding the thick dripping of blood smacking the floor slowly. Each sound-triggered her, every brain cell spinning causing her so much confusion that she couldn't think straight. Images passed by, it was the same thing over again; mind games.

"Hurry up! I'd like to get this over quickly!" Blaze shouted aggressively.

Skylar looked up, catching a glimpse of Timothy's wounded arm while blocking out the harsh bloody memories in her mind, she looked at the board, six letters remained and she had five chances left.

"Please... Skylar. Think carefully." Said Timothy wearily.

Skylar decided to choose the second letter of the vowels, there must be a vowel in that word.

"'E'" Said Skylar.

"Whatever you say, Sky." Blaze wrote and crossed the letter, he approached back with the knife.

"NO! Please! He doesn't deserve this. Do it to me instead! I'm used to the pain!" Skylar screamed. Blaze froze and gaped at Skylar, surprised, but sliced Timothy's other arm casually.

Timothy groaned.

"I'm so sorry, Tim." She said softly, tears burned her tired eyes as they built up and she sobbed.

"Next letter!" Blaze demanded more aggressively. "I don't have all day!" Skylar dismissed him, she wished for it to be over. They're fighting again, the thought echoed. The image of a knife penetrating in and out of the body disturbed her.

"Stop it..." She cried. "Please."

"Quit your crying! He's not fucking dying and I haven't even touched you yet! Finish the game and you can go home, bitch!" Blaze bellowed.

Skylar composed herself, she sniffed while the tears kept coming.

"It's OK, Skylar. I'm fine." He revealed an ugly smile, a smile so untrue and weak, she stared at him. "You can do it." He said.

But she couldn't. What if Blaze tricked the whole thing? What if he used a word with no vowels in it? What if it wasn't a word at all? The guilt built up rapidly inside her as she heard his sweet white lies, but what was worse was that she believed in them.

"'I'" She said, if this was wrong then she would have only three choices left and they would hurt Timothy so much more until it damaged her.

Blaze was disappointed and Skylar feared she knew why. Blaze turned to the board and filled the word,

'__ __ I __ __ __'

"Next." He said.

Skylar had got her hopes up when she saw him fill out the word with the letter. But now she had to guess a letter from twenty-four consonants when she had three chances left. How was she going to complete the word? As long as she continues to get it right. However, what word has an 'I' in the middle of the word. Her mind was racing as she thought of any potential words. Names perhaps?

"Got an idea what the word is?" Blaze said.

"The same with every new kid?" A boy playing cards at the table said out.

Everyone in the room knew what the word was, all except Timothy and Skylar. Skylar thought of a letter and said, "'T'?" uncertainly.

Blaze filled the word again.

'__ __ I T __ __'

Then it became clear. What was one of the first words she heard from this school when she first arrived? It was so easy. It was the same word they used in this game of Sliceman on new beginners.

"You have three chances. Next." Blaze said curtly.

Skylar wiped her dried up tears on her shoulder and continued.

"'S'" She said, confidently. Timothy had also realised what the word was. Blaze filled out the gap. "'N'" and he filled it again. "'C'" She said, and unwillingly, Blaze filled the gap. "'H'" She said finally, completing the word.

'S N I T C H'

"Good. Hand over the money boys." Blaze smiled and the boys groaned in disappointment and handed the pile of cash over to Blaze.

"I told you," Beth said, quietly.

"Yeah, but she didn't get hurt." Blaze said while Beth opened her hand out for her money back.

"I didn't mean physically. Look at her." She said and Blaze abided. "She's damaged on the inside. I told you so."

He returned the ten dollars to her.

"I told you, you can do it! Didn't I say?" Timothy cheered.

"Yeah. Now, will you let us go?" Skylar commanded.

"Not yet." Blaze strode towards her, both of his hands in his pocket, one holding on to the knife. "You see, why do you think the word is always 'snitch' when we play with newcomers? Because she likes to crash the party."

"No," Skylar said in disbelief, shaking her head repeatedly, turning her head this way and that.

"Yes." Blaze nodded, overpowering her with his cocky smirk.

On cue, Jade opened the door and walked gracefully in, wearing revealing tops and shorts. Her body was the industrial perfect body for a woman: a curved body, big breasts with clear cleavage and thick thighs. The high heels, long hair and confident girl had arrived and she made everyone know it.

"Hi, Skylar," Jade said, sweetly. Blaze held his hand out and Jade slammed money on to it.

"What are you doing?" Blaze said, "I never invited you. But I knew you'd come anyway."

"Bethany told me. She's fun, by the way. Sexy too." Jade winked at her.

"I don't give a fuck what you were doing. Why are you here? Don't tell me you haven't found a new secret."

"Oh, I've got plenty of secrets to snitch about, I don't need her's. But what I do want is you, Blaze. I've got some issues that I'm sure you'll love to get done."

"How many times do I have to tell you? No fucking way." He cast an eye at Beth, bent close to Jade's ear and whispered, "We're done. If your boyfriend isn't fucking with you it isn't my problem. Get someone else to do your shit. I'm done with you and if you think you could fuck my girl-"

"We didn't. Yet." Jade interrupted.

"-friend, then it's not gonna work." He said, ignoring what Jade had said.

"But I'm not here for that. You gave me Skylar and I'm thankful for that. Unfortunately, though, you didn't place her as Sliceman?"

"Smart-ass over there was acting cocky, so we punished him physically and her mentally. You love mind manipulation. Well, here you go. Do whatever you want to her now. I don't give a shit." He stepped back, allowing Jade to take the stage.

"Oh, but you know I don't like getting my hands dirty. Skylar is such a good girl." Jade said, her voice was soft and sweet as it had always been.

"I disagree. Say, Skylar?" Blaze called to her, "would you hurt someone who would try to hurt you?"

The answer came quickly to her mind, but to reveal it would be her worst decision to make. It would reveal too much of what she was trying to conceal. Skylar was full of thought that she didn't make out the next line Blaze had said, "Let's find out." She was so distracted by what she was thinking, of all the times she had hurt people. People she knew, her old friends and them...

The restraints loosened from her arms and her gaze fell upon Blaze's, who had lifted her chin. He half-smiled at her, but had gotten his knife out and caressed it on her cheek.

"What do you think you're doing?" Skylar asked.

"Waking the beast inside you." He replied softly.

The sharp blade of the knife slowly poked into her skin, she couldn't feel it burst open at first but when the warm liquid dripped down her cold cheeks, she felt the sting of a sharp wound dug precisely inside. The cold metal blade rested in her wound until Blaze slashed it out, his breath induced fear within her, he was dangerous by the way he looked at her. He found it comical how the wound formed and blood poured down her face.

They stared at each other's eyes; Skylar was finding it difficult, as everything was blurry. A sting alarmed her and she hissed, a tear slid over the wound. It was a minor injury but the pain was gravitating to her core. His thumb caressed her, just as delicately as the blade did, Blaze wiped her tears then stood up.

"Happy now?" Blaze said to Jade, who was ever more impressed.

"You handled that so well, Sky. Such a good girl." Jade said.

Skylar suppressed her rage, but her blood was boiling, her face was burning and she could feel it with every drop of blood spilt. She was out of bounds. She was free. She could do whatever the fuck she wanted.

"I wouldn't count on it," Skylar murmured as she stood up and walked closer and closer to Jade, almost until they were an inch away. "Wanna see Sky be a bad girl?- "You're an awful, despicable girl!"- It won't be so hard for me to try," Their hands balled into fists- "I wish I never gave birth to you!"- "It's time for you..." Skylar said, "to get what you fucking deserve!"

She punched Jade firmly at the side of her 'model perfect' face. The screams of profanities echoed in her head. She knew how to punch, she learnt very well. Jade fell on the floor. Skylar felt pity for her so she swung her head round to Blaze, who looked like he was suppressing a laugh.

"What are you gonna do to me? Kill me?" He said.

Skylar had to clear her mind, but in doing so, she found it so difficult. Her eyes glared harshly at him, her balled fists firm and she nodded slightly. Before she could do anything to him or even if she could, she wouldn't have been able to because the door was flung open.

"Skylar!" Rhyder shoved himself from a crowd of people trying to push him back out but he led the way strongly along with Karla and Cassia who came after him.

"Who the fuck was in charge of security?" Blaze yelled at the crowd and began punching and kicking them, avoiding the situation with Rhyder.

Rhyder jumped over Jade and grabbed Skylar. "Are you alright?" He gasped softly, taking notice of Skylar's wound.

"Oh no. What did they do to you?" Karla asked and she came to Skylar's aid. Both of them were so concerned and worried about Skylar that all of her anger flew out of the window.

Jade had gotten to her feet.

"What are you doing here?" Rhyder asked her.

"What do you think?" She replied curtly, eyeing Skylar with that same level of envy in her green eyes. She gave her boyfriend one last look and turned away.

The gang was running out of the room once Blaze had started throwing his anger at them.

"Who did this to you?" Rhyder asked her while Cassia and Karla freed Timothy.

"Him." She pointed.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Rhyder yelled it seemed like all his fears were buried beneath his raging fire of anger.

"What!" Blaze bellowed, his ears were red and he was breathless, if Rhyder's anger was a raging fire, Blaze's would be hellfire. "Jade fucking told me to do it! Why do you have a fucking problem with it, huh?" He screamed.

His anger had sparked to something Skylar could not understand. Why wasn't he acting cocky or proud like when he was hurting her? He had only just kicked out the entire gang just for allowing three people to enter.

"You haven't changed. You're still being Jade's bitch, huh?" Rhyder said calmly. "You're a fucking mess!"

Rhyder grabbed Skylar's hand gently and led her past Blaze, hitting his shoulder as he did so.

"I don't deny that..." Skylar heard him mutter but exited the room with her friends.