1 The Game

Your family is in debt!

It's a pity the money will only be given to you!

Your mom died because of you!

Your mom is beaten!

I hope you die!

The words kept coming back to my mind. I want to die, it makes no sense for me to live again. I looked down, ready to jump off the bridge.

Hopefully next time if life is not bitter, I will not suffer again.

I was about to jump when suddenly someone grabbed my back causing me to back away and stay away from what I was planning.

"What is it?!" I asked irritably. "Why did you stop me?! Are you holding my life?!" I shouted in front of him.

A tall man, who was wearing a robe, a glasses and a hat. He has a fair skin, his nose was piercing, his eyes were puffy and his lips were like as red tomatoes.

"You know, you're handsome. You look like a Grim Reaper, but if you were a grim reaper you should have let me die so you don't have to deal with any of my problems." I told him and it was also the reason to make him laugh.

"What are you laughing at there. You're wasting my time I'm really going to kill myself." I annoyingly said, I noticed that my body was no longer moving.

"Let's play." He said. It was the last word I heard in my world and everything became like an earthquake that caused me to feel dizzy.

I opened my eyes, I saw many beds and the surrounding style was old-fashioned. Many women also talk, some stares at me, some are crying, and some reads a book. I got out of bed. There is a woman coming towards my place.

"How are you feeling?" The woman asked. "Are you in good condition?" She asked again. I wonder at her questions.

"Huh? What happened? And where am I? What kind of place is this?" I asked her.

"I know you have a lot of questions." She said. "I'm Yurika." She introduced herself instead of replying to my questions. She lend a hand to me to shook our hands."You're in Hell." She said causing me to laugh.

"I'm probably in Hell because I committed suicide." I told her.

"You did not commit suicide, you were taken in here because you were also one of the candidates in the game of the demons." She said to me causing me to cough in death.

I was shaking. I remember what happened.

"Let's play." The man in the coat said.

"Shit." I said out of nowhere.

"This game is holding your soul. You must save yourself." Yurika told me of what the game would be.

"So ... this game is like a survival game?" I asked her.

"Yes." She said and stood up. "Come on, we'll take you to our own room."I got up and went with her.

"What is your name?" She asked.

"Heleana." I said.

"Your name is as beautiful as yours." She said causing me to smile.

"Thank you ... but honestly, you were the first person to told me that." I said with a mix emotions for being happy and sad.

"Which one?" She asked.

"That I'm beautiful." I said and smiled.

"Everything that God created is really beautiful." She said and then she covered her mouth because she coughed up blood.

"Yurika!" I shouted and approached her. I heard whispers around us.

We are going to die.

She said the name of God.

Hudas punished her.

What are we going to do?

An old woman approached us, and her disciples took Yurika.

"Will Yurika's condition will be good?" I asked the old woman.

"If she apologizes." The woman said.

"To whom?" I asked in astonishment.

"Who else do you think." The old woman muttered, I was speechless. She was probably referring to Hudas. After that, we were delivered to our own designated room.

6

I have a bad feeling in this. I looked at the next number.

8

Why is the number 7 isn't here? Why did they go straight to the number of eight?

I saw an assistant.

"Ah, excuse me." I said and the woman looked at me. Is this really how sharp they looked at us?

"What can I do for you?" She asked immediately.

"Why is the number seven is nowhere to be found?" I asked. I was shocked of the woman's reaction and she also left immediately in front of me without replying to question. Why are there still people who serves here that is so strange and doesn't know how to accommodate the people who is struggling in this kind of place?

Moving on, I looked at my key. There is a number six written on it. I entered the room. It was dark and lifeless.

I lay down on my bed and looked at the ceiling. There is a drawing above my ceiling. I suddenly heard a knock on my door. I don't know if I will open it or not but It knocked again thrice, and then it became four, then five, then six.

I got up and went to the front door. I suddenly felt scared and didn't know what to do.

"Manang? Is that you?" I asked. I heard nothing but myself. "Yurika?"I asked again.

It knocked so hard that I couldn't count how many knocks he/she did. I hid under the bed and blinked at the fear I was feeling.

I felt someone pull me. I cried out in fear.

"Are you okay?" The maid asked. "You were called out in your room earlier but there is no responses."The maid said with care.

I opened my eyes. "Someone knocked on my door, someone knocked on my door." I stammered.

"That's me. Come on and follow me, everyone is already waiting for you. You are going to have a dinner. It's already six o'clock in the evening. "She told me.

I stood up and adjusted myself. The maid was about to leave but I immediately grabbed her hand.

"Wait." I said. "How many knocks did you perform in my room?" I asked in astonishment.

"Three times." She replied causing my mind to be confused.

"Can you show me how you knock?" I asked her again which caused her a reaction of a sudden surprised. She obeyed my order and performed her knocks.

Toktoktok

"That's how I knock." She said.

"Ah, thank you." That's all I told her. I tested her to know if it was really her or something was really wrong happening around me or in this place. I think the demon already played with me even the game is still not starting.

"Come on Ms. Heleana, let's go to the dining area. The dinner is already served." The maid said. I followed her since I'm a newbie here in this big palace.