My car smashes into a building, and immediately, the screen flashes with 'game over.' I glare at the wall, throwing my phone on the floor. 

"Damn it!" I shout at nothing in particular. 

"Are you okay?" Someone asks, entering my room. 

I turn, my eyes meeting Ashlynn's. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I pick up my phone, checking it for scratches. 

"It's almost been a week since the last murder. We should talk." She sits down beside me. 

"Uh, sure." 

"Are Kody and Caspian causing any trouble?" 

"Well, that's not straightforward at all," I mumble, still upset over failing that level again. 

"I'm not here to have a casual chat. I want to get out of here, Raiden." She gives me a look. I know better than to mess with her. 

"I haven't spoken to them in a while..." I admit. 

"What have you been doing with your life?!" 

"I could ask you the same thing." 

"I've been working on solving this! Please tell me you haven't been sitting here playing that game nonstop." 

"I haven't been sitting here playing the game nonstop." 

"Are you lying?"

"Yup." 

She sighs, calming herself down. 

"Ashlynn, I know you're worried about this, but, assuming this might be our last month or even week or even day of life, I'm just trying to finish a few things before I potentially get killed," I say

"Don't you have someone to return to? A family that would miss you if you never returned?" She asks. 

"Not particularly," I reply quickly, without thinking. 

"You don't have anyone that would miss you? I find that hard to believe." She looks down at a braided string bracelet around my wrist. 

I pull my sleeve down over it. "Well... I do have a sister..." I say sheepishly. 

"I knew it. You don't want to leave her alone, do you?" 

"Well,  we live alone. I take care of her. I'm not there anymore. I don't know if she'll even be there if I make it out alive."

"Of course she'll be there. She'll live for you, and you'll live for her." 

I smile a little. "Has anyone told you how great you are at giving pep talks?" 

"No, I don't give many, though." She smiles a little back. 

"Well, you're good at it," I reply. 

"Don't get used to it." She pauses, and her expression returns to its regular seriousness. "We have work to do." 

It's easy to tell that she's hiding something. I decide against prying. "Yeah, I guess we do..." 

"I'll keep looking for clues. You will go talk to Kody and Caspian." Her bossiness returning as we spoke. 

"Yeah, okay, I'll do it." 

She smiles. "Okay, good. I'll come check back with you later." 

"Okay," I smile back awkwardly. 

She gets up and leaves the room, making sure not to make a sound. I watch her leave. 

I wait a moment after she's gone. I know better than to follow her out. Standing up, I watch as the lights go out. The only light in my room comes from the faint glow of my phone screen. 

"Ooh-kay then..." I say to myself, opting to find my way to the corner of the room. At least that way, I don't have to watch my back. "Is someone here?" I call into the darkness as my hand finds the place where the walls meet. 

Nobody replies. Silencing my breathing, I wait. 

Soon, I can see a faint green light through the cracks in the door. Lumbering footsteps fill the silence. I can't take my eyes off the door. I can feel true fear for the first time in a long time. The footsteps stop, and the light floods in through the cracks. Everything is basked in a slight green glow, including my shaking hands. I wait a moment longer before the footsteps return, and the light slowly disappears. After the footsteps fade away, the regular fluorescent lighting returns. 

I take a few deep breaths before running to the door. I look down the hallway for any traces of life. The wall a few feet down has a burned mark on it. I begin to feel dizzy and end up puking into the nearest trash can. The lack of substance reminds me to eat something soon. 

I stand up straight and turn back to the room I was in. I'm not going in there again. 

Either due to the fact that I just threw up everything I'd eaten recently or survival instincts, I decide that I need food that very moment. I close the door to the room and walk towards the group. 

Upon my arrival, I glance around at everyone there. Kody and Caspian aren't with the others. 

"Raiden, good to see you," Asher says. He looks exhausted. His naturally tan skin already turning evidently paler. 

"You too, I guess," I reply. 

"Are you joining the group?" He asks with a hopeful look in his dark brown eyes. 

"No. I'm looking for food," I say, watching the hope fade into disappointment. 

"I'll take him to the food. Cecelia might be there anyway." James' girlfriend's sister says. 

"Thanks, Jaqueline." Asher looks slightly grateful. 

"Since when do you leave your sister, James' Girlfriend's Sister?" I ask. 

"It's Jaqueline." She replies with an annoyed expression. 

"I know." 

She sighs. "I left Cecelia and James alone earlier, but when I went back to talk to them, neither one was there." 

"Oh." 

She leads the way to the food. "Have you gone this whole time without eating?" 

"I brought food from home," I say, following her. 

She nods. 

It isn't long before we reach the food room. A guy sits next to the table eating an orange peel. A girl sits next to him. She pulls a mask up over her mouth. 

"Sebastian, have you seen Cecelia or James?" Jaqueline asks. The guy slowly opens one of his eyes. He looks at her with one eye open for a moment before shaking his head. 

"Sorry, no." His tone is surprisingly soft. 

"Mia?" Jaqueline asks, turning to face the girl with the mask. 

The girl shakes her head. "I haven't seen them..." She says almost too quietly to hear. 

Jaqueline looks slightly disappointed, but she doesn't show it much. She takes something off the food table and places it in her pocket. "I'll look somewhere else." She says before leaving. 

I watch her go and then turn to the food myself. I grab a few bags of chips and some water bottles. 

Sebastian keeps one eye open and staring at me. I couldn't help but feel slightly creeped out. Not to mention, the guy has yellow eyes. That's not normal. 

I turn to leave. Mia and Sebastian watch me until I'm out of their sightline. Trying to watch Sebastian and Mia, I fail to pay attention to where I'm going. Before I know it, I've tripped over someone. I fall but get up quickly. 

"Raiden? What are you doing?" Someone asks as I turn to meet Kody's gaze.