MOTHER. I couldn't shake that familiar feeling, but it wasn't her. It couldn't be. No.

Jookie straightened up, hand going to his ear, listening. Probably talking to the producers. He glanced at me and then the next card and then back at me again.

Crumbling it up, he tossed it behind him. "Let's move on..." he said, shuffling through the rest of the cards.

What? I expected more harsh questions about my stay at the psych ward, but he stopped. Why?

"Next question," Jookie said, looking down at his new card. He let out a small laugh. "What do you say to the people who ship you with Gmie?"

I snorted. "Eat a dick. Next question."

"While we're talking about Gmie," Jookie said, placing the cards besides him. "She mentioned a couple of days ago about you being a spy, which sent viewers into a frenzy. Everyone wants to know, are you a spy for the game?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I work for the people who are literally putting all my personal business out there for everyone see. Yeah, I'd totally work for them."

"Well, you did win the first challenge, and you did find out Tiran's secret."

"That doesn't make me a spy though," I said, rubbing my hand on the hem of my dress. "I'm just really observant, and I think differently than most people. I work on instinct, and I see the small details that most people ignore. And I don't jump to conclusions."

"So what about the people who are saying you're too close to me?" Jookie asked, sidling closer to me. "That you're cozying up to me to get special privileges."

"The people who think that are fucking stupid," I said, scratching my dress. "Why the hell would I want special privileges? I don't even request things. My room is literally a white empty box." I looked at him. "Plus, I think you have more integrity than to let your dick ruin your job. Fucking a contestant probably wouldn't sit well with the producers, right?"

He gave me a teasing smirk. "Maybe. But that contestant might be worth the risk." A delightful laugh left his lips when I rolled my eyes at him.

"Since you're clearly denying that you're a spy, do you think there is one?" he asked, going back on topic. "Or do you think it's just a stupid rumor?"

I nibbled on my lip. "I don't know. It would make sense to have one. To make sure the game ran smoothly."

"Any idea on who it could be?"

"No. It could be anyone, really." That unknown question burned in my mind.

Jookie switched to the next card. "Another thing that had viewers buzzing was that third masked figure with Gmie. Everyone wants to know who it was."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Of course, but do you?"

"It had to be someone in her clique," I said with a shrug. "Aries or Chi."

He licked his lips. "But what if I were to tell you that it was neither of them?"

My mind raced with possibilities, but I shut it down. "That would mean that it could've been any of the contestants. But how do I know you're not just fucking with me again?"

"You don't." He shrugged. "Take it or leave it." He flipped to the next question. "How do you feel about Layla?"

"I want her dead."

Jookie hiccupped back a laugh. "You do know she might be watching, right?"

"So?" I cocked my head. "She fucked me over. I could be dead soon because she didn't want to take one small bite."

"Well, it was human meat," Jookie said.

"I don't give a shit — I did it. Even fucking Chi did it."

"I think a lot of people would've probably done the same thing." Jookie snorted. "Who wants to eat human meat?"

"Are you taking her side?" I asked.

"I'm just being objective."

"No, you're pissing me off."

"I think I do that a lot," he said before going to his next question. "Lots of viewers want to know what you're going to do about Gmie and her clique. What if they try to jump you again?"

"I'll be ready this time," I said. "And if she tries again, she better kill me this time because I'd love to do to her what I did to Tiran's body." I smiled into the camera. "I've never cut open a live person before, and I really wanna do it."

"That might be able to be arranged," Jookie said before letting out a cackling laugh that annoyed me. "Next question—"

I snatched the microphone off the sofa. "You know what Jookie, what about you?"

He jerked back. "What about me?"

"You're our host, right?" I stood up, letting my heels clack against the floor. "Don't you think the viewers want to know more about you too? Right, viewers?"

The screen fluttered with comments, mostly everyone agreeing with me.

I clapped while walking in front of Jookie. "See? Everyone loves you. Come on, people. Send in some questions for Jookie."

"You can't do this," Jookie said, eyes slitting.

Ignoring him, I bent over, looking through the comments. "Hmmm... let's start off easy. Where are you from?"

Fingers balled, Jookie looked at the ceiling. "I don't have to answer that."

"Aww don't be such a sourpuss," I said, going through more comments. "Here's one, I dare Jookie to cut his hair. Oh, I like this."

Jookie whirled his head around. "What? It does not say that."

"Does too." My lips formed into a devilish smile. "I think we should give the viewers what they want, huh? Producers," I said, looking into the cameras. "Clippers, please."

Jookie smirked. "They're not gonna listen to you."

Right when he said that, the curtains opened, and Bae sauntered through with some clippers in her hand.

She gave Jookie an apologetic look and glared at me. "They said to bring this out."

I snatched it. "Thank you."

Jookie stayed silent with a finger pressed to his ear. A minute later, he glowered at me. "I have to let you cut my hair."

A loud buzzing sound filtered the air when I pressed the button, an accomplished smile on my face. "Don't worry. I once worked the counter at a pet store before."

"That doesn't make me feel much better," he said through clenched teeth.

I walked around the sofa, standing behind him. "Yeah, well you shouldn't be such a dick sometimes." Looking forward, I waved to the cameramen. "Come closer. Let the viewers see this masterpiece I'm about to create."

Jookie tightened his lips. "If you fuck up my hair...," he muttered.

"My poor Jookie...." I pouted, patting his shoulder. "Why aren't you laughing now?"

"Because this isn't funny."

"Oh, it is." I held the clippers over his head. "You know what though. Remember when we decided it was a draw? I think I won now." When I said that, I slide the clippers through the side of his scalp, hair drifting to the floor.

His eyes widened as his fingers touched the dead hair. "Oh fuck."

The comments started pouring in, and I kept laughing and answering minor questions while making fun of Jookie the whole time and mowing down his long hair.

Every strand that I cut off fueled my happiness while making him more pissed.

Even though he did deserve it, I didn't fuck up his hair. Tim used to make me cut hair sometimes. He was too cheap to go to a barber, so he taught me how to do it.

I still could've made him bald, but I'd feel somewhat bad later on because I understood. I loved my hair too, so I ended up buzzing off the sides and back into a low cut while shortening the length and leaving some volume on top.

He actually looked really... good.

"Done," I said, turning the clippers off.

He swiped his hand through his locks. "Doesn't feel bad." He then turned to the camera with a fake smile. "Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that little haircut session because we seem to have run out of time. Let's thank Betinia—"

Right after he said those words, the audience cackled all at once. That familiar cackle. Then the lights blinked on in the audience, revealing hundreds of people. All of them wearing my mother's mask.

It felt like millions of bugs crawled up my esophagus. The clippers dropped from my hand as I watched all the figures stand at once and just laugh at me.

Since there was so many of them, the laughs were deafening.

I shuddered, feeling myself diminish some more. Those simple laughs made so many toxic memories and feeling shoot through my mind that I couldn't take it.

And before it could overwhelm me, that familiar light pummeled up my chest, wanting to re-emerge and take over again. But the blackness didn't want to retreat. I didn't want to go back. I liked being free, so I fought back.

That when the internal battle began.

I panted, breath catching in my lungs when I saw one of the figures walk toward me. It was her — the one I met before.

Yes, they were all identical, but my gut told me it was her. The one who was outside my door screaming that it was my fault.

The figure glided down the audience bleachers and toward the stage. It moved so elegantly.

Jookie got up from the couch, eyeing both of us.

"Tini," it whispered.

How did she know? "Stay away from me," I said, backing away, almost stumbling.

"So big and bad," the figure said before laughing. "Still afraid of me? Of what you'll become?"

"Never," I said, feeling my chest start to cave in. I couldn't breathe as my own darkness started choking me. The light tried to help, but the darkness latched on like a snake bite.

Let me in. No. I don't want to go back down. You have too. You can't face her. That's why you have me. But I don't want to be you. I want to be me. You're not even fully out. This was supposed to be temporary. So? You're not strong enough. You can't do this on your own. You won't survive. Shut up. You know I'm telling the truth.

But still...

The masked figure continued to move forward, cackling with every movement. "Daughter..."

"You're not her." My hands shielded my ears as all of the figures began to laugh at me like I was nothing but a pathetic, stupid girl. I gasped, the blackness clogging my senses and I dropped to the floor, heat flushing my skin.

Let me in. Please....

Okay. Okay.

I stopped fighting, letting the blackness consume while the bright light shifted though, battling it. Waves of electrifying agony wove up my scalp and into my heart, shocking my entire body until everything went numb.

The masked figure towered over my frozen body. "My poor hunny-bunny." A gloved hand touched my cheek, reminding me of when my mom used to tuck me in at night. Her touch... it felt like her.

"Mom...?" I whispered, tears dripping down my cheeks, but I never got an answer because I blacked out.

♟♙♟