8-Only 5 remain...

          Before the bald guy took his candy, a woman came inside to clean up Janneth’s mess.

          I took this time to analyze Janneth’s strategy. She did what she said: she took an element none of us heard of… and she knew around how much is the lethal dose of that metal. Not only that, but first she waited for, what was it… 3 or 4 minutes BEFORE she started acting. And then, after a few minutes of rolling on the floor she vomited. It was all executed perfectly! It looked… so realistic! She is definitely going to win this one…

          The only thing I fear is that she has more tricks up her sleeves…

          “Chlorine. I heard there’s chlorine in water, s-so it shouldn’t be dangerous, r-right?”, the bald guy said as he took candy number 17. After he ate it he sweated for a bit, but looked okay. I guess this proved that Linda didn’t lie to me. Looks like everything, or at least most of the numbers below 56 should be safe.

          It was turn for that girl who looked high.

          “I can do this. I can do this. Just a bit more. I can do this.”, she whispered to herself, “Just a bit more. Just a bit more.”, she took candy number 42[1] and ate it without hesitation. She showed no reaction whatsoever. That seemed weird to me at first, but then I noticed it.

          Her gaze. She… She wasn’t even looking at the table! She was looking at some empty space.

          “Um…”, I waved in front of her eyes.

          No reaction.

          “Just a bit more… Just a bit more…”, she kept repeating to herself.

          “Sir, it’s your turn.”, a guard warned me.

          “R-Right!”, I said as I took candy number 1; Hydrogen; not only because of Linda’s instructions, but also because I remembered that one, as well as a few other elements, from high school.

          Others I remembered were number 2; Helium, number 8; Oxygen, 10; Neon, 20; Calcium, 53; Iodine and a few more. This knowledge from high school, which I always thought I would never use, was now a huuuuge help, because knowing exactly what I’m putting inside my body; rather then just knowing that that something that I’m consuming won’t kill me, calms me down a bit.

          It was Josh’s turn…

                    JOSH’S POV:

         I was nervous.

          That girl... Janneth, I think her name is... That scene she made really got me shivering.

          But I have to get through this... Not just get through this, but also win!

          I have to win.

          And to do that I gotta stay calm and think straight!

          I took a few deep breaths and I decided to go with candy number 3. I mean... 3 is a lucky number, right?

          Just as I was about to take number three someone grabbed my hand.

          I turned my head and saw Ken. He looked scared and was sweating.

          „Lithium“, he whispered.

          „What?“, I asked.

          „Lithium. I just remembered number 3 was Lithium. It’s poi-“

          „HEY!! Talking to the person whose turn it is is forbidden! This is a warning. One more mistake and you’re disqualified.“, said one of the guards to Ken.

          Poison? Lithium... Where did I hear that... Oh yeah! Batteries! They make Lithium batteries, right?

          I took number 7[2] instead. Seven is a lucky number. R-Right?

          I took a glance at Ken while I was taking it. He slightly nodded. He... wouldn’t trick me... right?

          No.

          No, why would he? If he wanted to eliminate me, he wouldn’t risk being disqualified for my sake! I swallowed the candy. Thanks God I met Ken that day...

          Alright... 7 more rounds!

          KEN’S POV:

          Holy fucking shit, that was close!

          I got a warning… darn… at least I saved Josh this time… But… But why? Why is one of the elements that are ‘safe’ actually the poisonous Lithium??

          Then again… I guess Linda was in a rush while writing me the rules of the first game… I guess she missed the one poisonous element there is…

          But nevermind that… The guard warned me. He said if I make one more mistake I’m disqualified… But they didn’t say there are any limitations to what we are allowed to do. I mean, Janneth faked her death and vomited on the floor! That is allowed and talking to the person whose turn it is isn’t allowed…

          Hmmm… There might be hidden limitations and rules that only the guards and the creators of the games know…

          Yeeeeeaaahh, that’s probably it. I mean, for sure Linda’s father won’t tell her every single rule, especially if she doesn’t seem interested in watching the games in the first place!

          The important thing now is to stay focused. The game has just started!

          It was that Moustache-Man’s turn.

          The guy seemed concentrated. He thought for a bit then took candy number 12. “Magnesium”, he said. He looked very calm actually. I don’t know anything about this guy, for all I know he might also be a returning player!

          Axel was sweating. He looked at me, then took number 2. “I think this is Helium, or something. Don’t they put this thing into balloons? Then, when you inhale it, you sound funny and all? Isn’t this that element?”, he was procrastinating. I understood him, I mean when you’re not sure in this game, it could mean life and death…

          And by that, the first round of this game has ended.

          The next two rounds weren’t really that intense nor interesting. Janneth knew what she was doing, the buff, bald guy took elements with low numbers, just like I did. Josh took numbers that were next to the numbers I chose, the Moustache-Man looked like he also knew what he was doing, so did Axel, tho he was way more nervous than moustache guy… Also, he took a glance at me every round when it was his turn.

          The only one who took numbers at random in every round was that addict girl. She kept whispering to herself things like: ‘just a bit more…’, and ‘only a few turns and I’ll buy it…’ or ‘just one dose…’.

          She even took candy number 94. This candy was… different, to say the least. When she picked it up there was a bit of powder on her hand. She talked to herself before swallowing it, but, while she was talking, I’m sure she inhaled quite a bit of that powder[3].

          Anyway… Here’s what the table[4] looked like after the third round[5]:

          It was the start of round 4…

          Janneth’s turn: she takes candy number 6[6].

          The buff guy was in a bit of a panic. I guess he wanted to take that one. He hesitated for quite a while before taking candy number 13[7].

          Then it was the addict’s turn…

          “Just… one dose… Just one…”, she repeated to herself while she was putting the candy inside her mouth.

          She swallowed it and we continued… Or…

          We wanted to continue…

          You see, a few minutes have passed, and, just as I took a candy (39[8]), the girl let out a gasp. I slowly turned my head to her and I saw… She…

          Her face showed so much pain. I-I-I cannot describe it, but it was similar to a face you make when something hits you in the chest and you can’t breathe for a few moments.

          “It… it burns!”, she yelled, as she grabbed her stomach. ”Morphine! Give me a dose of morphine!!”, she screamed as she went to one of the guards.

          The guard pushed her. She held her stomach with both hands now. She started crying. “Please - ”, she begged the guard, as he stood there emotionless.

          Then I looked at what number she took.

          80.

          Number 80.

          Mercury.

          “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”-Janneth started laughing hysterically, “I can’t believe someone was dumb enough to take Mercury!! It’s hilarious! AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!”

          This woma-NO! This… This-This-This MONSTER!

          How could this woman be so… so heartless!

          This girl was dying on the floor right before her eyes, and she LAUGHS?!!

          I looked back at the girl on the floor. She stopped moving. Guards checked her pulse… She still had it, but… they said she will hardly make it, due to her breathing being inconsistent and her medical history.

          “W-What do you mean?”, I asked.

          “She has lung cancer, due to smoking all kinds of things. She’ll probably die in an hour or two.”, the guard answered. “Heh… That’s what you losers get!”, he added.

          The crowd was cheering like crazy on the TV. They were full of this unnerving joy…

          My heart was beating rapidly, and it just wouldn’t stop. I looked at Josh. He was just as terrified as I was. Last time it was an act… but this time…

          This time someone really died…

          These were no games…

          This was hell…

          „Ammy Swift was poisoned and is in critical condition, therefor she cannot participate in the games anymore and is disqualified. 6 players remain. “, said the announcer.

          After the guards moved the unconscious girl from the room we continued. Josh took number 38[9], ‘cause it was next to the candy I took on my turn. The Moustache-Man took 27[10] and Axel took 18[11].

          Round 5:

          Janneth took 21[12]. This meant that elements 17-24 were all gone!

          It was baldie’s turn. He was totally crushed after that girl died. His eyes were filled with fear.

          A few minutes have passed, and- “If you don’t take a candy in the next 60 second you’re disqualified”, said the guard that was closest to him.

          “I-I don’t…”, he started, “UGH!! I don’t wanna die like this!!”, he said as he put candy number 40[13] in his mouth. Immediately after he swallowed it, he put fingers in his mouth.

          “H-HEY!”, said that same guard from earlier, as he went to stop him.

          “YOU CAN’T DO THAT!!”, he yelled, while pulling the baldie’s arm. “Too late”, said the baldie, then he commited all over the guard.

          “EEEEWWWWW!!”, said Janneth, even tho she did the same exact thing in round 1…

          „Dwayne Wilson broke one of the hidden rules, therefor, he’s disqualified. 5 players remain. “, we heard from the speakers.

          „WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S DISQUALIFIED? THIS BITCH RIGHT HERE DID THE SAME EXACT THING, YET SHE’S STILL IN THE GAME!!“, Axel yelled at the guards as he hit the table with his fist and got up and pointed at Janneth with his other hand.

          „Axel, you’ve been warned now, since you also violated one of the hidden rules just now!“, the guard behind Axel whispered to him.

          „THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? WHAT HIDDEN RULE??“, he turned around and pushed the guard.

          „Hehehe...“, the guard just laughed in response...

          „YOU FILTHY POOR LOSERS!! LOOK AT YOU! You’re here playing these stupid life-threatening games for some spare change that you will immediatly spend on gambling, drugs and alcohol!! The very thing that made you play these games in the first place! You make me sick!“, said the guard. He was a middle-aged man, taller and more muscular than the rest of the guards. He had small moustache and he hadn’t shaved in two or three days...

          Also, he had this large scar that went from next to his left eye, all the way down to his neck.

          The crowd went wild.

          They must be at the edge of their seats now...

          Oh, God, do I hate this place...