Chapter 4

Chapter 4
“Wake up. Everyone, please wake up!” Ash Nair was almost hysterical as she tried to get her classmates to wake up.


Only a few moments ago, she had stirred from her oblivious slumber, expecting to find herself still in the bus after falling asleep unexpectedly. But to her dismay, she found herself in a dilapidated room, with broken windows and rotting wooden tables and chairs scattered around in the classroom-sized space.


All around her lay her classmates, the students of 5S, SMK The Star. All of them were out cold. What had happened? She didn’t know. The frantic girl only hoped that everyone was alive and okay.


Gradually, the others got up groggily, some rubbing the sleep from their eyes, some still reluctant to wake up but a few others sat straight up, alert to an unknown danger and wary of anything.


It didn’t take very long for the others to realise that they weren’t in a comfortable air-conditioned bus any more. In fact, they were sleeping on a dust-covered floor that might just have other undesirable things on it.


“What’s going on?”


“Where are we?”


“What happened?”


“Am I still asleep?”


The sound of a door squeaking open silenced the anxious chatters that were rising from the teenagers. A bald man strode into the room, followed by a couple of burly-looking guys that looked a little too much like thugs to be comfortable, wearing clothes that were all in black and having shades on.


“Who are you?” hissed Farid, surprising every one of his classmates in the room.
The bald man ignored the usually quiet boy and instead started to address the crowd, most of which had already gotten up from their more prone positions.


“Welcome, one and all,” he started, sounding and behaving as if he was speaking in front of a camera or before a crowd of adoring fans. “And congratulations. Let me introduce myself. My name is Kyle, I am a director. You have all been chosen to star in my special Battle Royale movie. It’s very simple, really. I wish to create a realistic survival movie in which teenagers, to wit, you will kill each other in order to survive and escape.”


At this, a collective gasp came from the 39 people present. What did he say? Kill each other?


“Settle down, settle down. Let me finish. Now there are a few rules you will have to follow for the duration of filming. Are we clear on this?” The question came as a surprise. Was he seriously asking them so that they could have a say or was he just posing a rhetorical question as a mind game?


“What if we refuse to comply?” Celine piped up, her voice steady and confident for some reason.


Kyle shrugged. “You die.” No one else said anything.


“Crystal clear, then. Firstly, to escape, only one can live. A little like the Hunger Games, no?” A raised eyebrow. No one responded. “Every one of you will be given a bracelet to wear, a tracker, obviously. It sends life signals, location and voice recordings to us. You might want to take note that the bracelet can cause an explosion that will kill the wearer and anyone else within three metres of him or her. It can be detonated by remote control” Kyle raised a sleek black rectangle that had a number panel and an ominous-looking red button on it. “Or if someone tampers with it.” He smiled devilishly, causing a number of the girls to shiver.


“Each of you will be given a weapon or a specific item besides a basic survival pack. Inside the pack will be some food, water, a simple map and the said weapon or item. You have approximately 72 hours – or three days, give or take- to complete this ‘game’. If time is up and more than one of you is still alive, boom goes the bracelets.


“There will be all kinds of things on the island – you’re on an uncharted island, by the way, so don’t try escaping unless you find being eaten by sharks entertaining. There is medicine, food, water, ammunition and all kinds of kit that you may find useful. Granted, they are all hidden, but I trust you resourceful kids will be able to find some of them. You are free to use anything and everything that you can find on this island, including this building. Though I don’t see how an abandoned school might help you out.


“Now, killing by any means necessary is highly recommended. After all, if none of you die by the time this is supposed to be over, all of you will. If any of you trying to escape or team up to rebel against us operators, you will be executed on the spot, without question. However, there is something good to this. The winner of this little ‘game’ will be allowed to escape and be granted one wish. I am done.”


Once again, frantic whispers arose from the students of 5S. They were being held captive by a madman and were being forced to play a very lethal game.


For the next half hour, each and every one of the teenagers was forced to put on a thin metal bracelet which could very well kill them if something happened. Once on, there seemed to be no line at all, making it look like a perfect circle around everyone’s wrists. Apparently, no one would be taking it off any time soon.


After that, they were given their weapons or items. There was no picking or bartering though, and it seemed they were given with no particular specifications. Everyone got what they got by their own luck and not by design.


“Good luck to you all and let the games begin.” That was the last thing Kyle said before ducking out the door, closely followed by his two thugs.


“This is ridiculous, it must be a joke,” announced Felix Culas. Not all of the others agreed with his sentiments but only a few spoke out.


“Sounds serious enough,” Natashya said.


“Please, it’s probably just an elaborate prank Ms Ann-Marie is playing on us.” Kelly sounded really confident.


“Can we just get out of here first? It’s kind of creepy.” Kaveeta pleaded, holding her Uzi submachine-gun awkwardly.


Soon enough, they had gotten out of the weather-beaten school building and into a small clearing filled with greenery. Insects chirped all around, but other than that, there was an eerie silence.
“What should we do now?” Amelia Wong asked once everyone was gathered loosely in the clearing.
“Maybe we should split up and go our own ways,” suggested Shixin, looking calm as ever. But what was that glint in her eyes? That almost hopeful sparkle?
“I don’t believe this. How can you guys think this is actually real?” Felix’s reiteration was loud and had a playful air to it.


The boy grabbed Ru Yin’s (who was standing nearby) Browning Hi-Power and aimed it at Ashvin’s head. Without any hesitation, Felix pulled the trigger. An explosive bang rang out and Ashvin fell backwards to the ground, never expecting that Felix would really shoot him.


Everyone was shocked, but not all of them were rendered motionless.


Felix’s hand shook, but not enough to drop the gun in his hands. Looking pale, he turned tail and ran into the dense foliage, leaving Shen and Ru Yin, who was now without a weapon.


The others? Slowly, they fled too. Many of them shocked that Felix had actually killed their class president. Everyone knew that it wasn’t a joke now.