An Easy Game

12 people stood on the flanks of the cobblestones. Each on their own marble altar. All except one stood on their grave. The one who would walk, maybe hobble, or possibly stumble out of the door and embrace the natural light that the sun gave, bask in its warmth, and smile to its delight. Each one hoped that they would be the one and only person who would walk out alive.

As the stone altars lowered, Catalina’s heart started off to the pace of the marching band, the beats becoming faster and faster, her heart almost shattering as the once sturdy wall of determination finally broke through, and Catalina thought. Was this decision wrong? Head swivelling. Can I still run? It was too late as darkness gradually ascended, and only then did the flame remain sitting grandly on its gold chalice.

The crackle drowned out the grating of the altar as it closed its mouth above her, keeping her and others much like her prisoner for the duration that time could only tell.

The golden, glowing, rapturous inferno blazed gleefully through the time as the plumes of red, orange, and yellow danced and swayed to their own tune. The resounding thud of the grating altar being closed echoed around the dozen caves, which sat cross-legged next to one another, knee to knee, wall to wall, each containing one volunteer. A volunteer who had taken up a death wish for the sake of respect and honor in the eyes of society

This game. Game? This was too harsh to be called a game. This Competition? This competition was one of elimination, as the 12 people who volunteered were given only meager necessities for their time there. And the difficulty did not rest there, as other troubles were hidden and could pounce upon the unaware victim at any moment. The winner was finally let out when everyone else was dead.

Catalina then made her way into the dry and dusty cave and looked around. It was better to try than to die there alone.

The torch illuminated a globe of space around it, but none more. Around the halo of illumination were 3 beakers each filled with a clear liquid, a pot of oil, and 2 loaves of barley bread, starchy and salty as a bite of the dead sea.

Due to the fact that the caves were so close to one another, you could hear the grunts of several people as they tried to pry their way out. Catalina laughed. She must be going crazy. As if they could get out, the doors were made of marble, and the best one could do was heave and end up with red welts up their arms. And so, Catalina sat in front of the three beakers and tried; it was better than to die alone.

She brought her nose close to the brim of one of the beakers, closer, closer, almost a hair's breadth away from her mouth. And she recoiled in disgust, spitting and trying to get the awful smell and taste out of her nose. VINAGRE!?..VINEGAR!? The strong, sour scent that emanated from the beaker was, no doubt, the smell of vinegar. A normal human would just wrinkle their nose and push it away, but Catalina’s instincts told her to run. Revolted by the liquid, within the proximity of the light, she dragged the vinegar jar to the furthest corner away from her.

And once again, she was back to the task. Catalina then sniffed the other two beakers, but there was no result. They both smelled like... nothing? Grabbing a crumb of bread, she dropped it in both beakers; in one, it completely vanished, and in the other, it swelled and sank slowly to the bottom of the tumbler. Aha! It looks like her natural philosophy classes paid off after all. The final was agua. It was aqua pura. Was Water. Cupping her hands, Catalina dipped them in and drank. She drank her fill, like a winner cherished their trophy.

Her full-out grin turned into a wince as she heard the screams as her companions gulped the toxic, clear mirage that held the complete image, smell, and taste of the world’s lifeline.

Almost seductive, the fire beckoned; a little closer, it called. Beckoned believed that its warmth could ward away the fear, the grief, and, more importantly, the pain of the difficult task that many faced. The blaze radiated across the floor of the crypt, bounding auras across Catalina’s face. The wisps of smoke that drifted up smelt like the incense from a long-lost garden where fairies hid amongst the groves and nymphs grazed the rippling water of the glistening pool of azurite. She extended her hand out further, reaching for the oil candil.

Catalina laughed in its face. Hah! You can’t trick me like that! While pouring a minimal amount of the accelerant onto the dying flame. Sobering again, she pulled a hunk of bread from the loaf and ate, the harshness and saltiness stinging her mouth. And curled in, cold, only to bask amidst the glowing flame, and closed her eyes and dreamt.

A girl who stood strong and steadfast is now confident and strong.

As fierce as a hawk

As sharp as steel

Stealthier than the snow leopard she was

Stalking its prey

Eyes blazing

Now in the eyes

And in prayers

And in the hope ‘

Of the city

Every day, one would go out, a corpse removed from its dead place, no longer worthy of a name. And every day, Catalina would sit in front of the flame and stare at it intensely, waiting for the time to pass as she waited for the judges to understand that it was an easy game for her. Yes, game for her. But there is competition for others.

Across the cobblestones, a flash went past, yet it didn’t miss the eyes of Catalina. Unbeknownst to anyone, Catalina’s eyes became animalistic, turning the color of jade, no longer the murky green. Hunger could wait for so long. A sly smirk filled her face. A cat pounced well intently on its prey, and the predator gave a mute roar.

Now came the day that 11 died, but one came out alive.

As she hauled herself up, giving the pretense of utter exhaustion and weariness, Catalina, a girl, now only stood upon the cobblestones, no longer the dozen that had once begun there. on her own altar. The one who didn’t stand on their grave. Catalina gave a dazzling grin to the crown, which cheered. Whoops and yells filled the square as she left and walked down the aisle that the crowd had created for the first-ever champion. Everyone missed the glinting canine as the sharpened tooth glistened in the evening light. As the crowd moved with her, no one bothered to peer into the crypt to see the mangled corpse of a rat on the floor. There was a lethal hunter—Champion—on the loose. Wonder who..? Only time could tell.