The Old Ventriloquist

The month of November is designated as a whole month of preparation for the games.

Within the duration of the month, going to the library after eating breakfast became my daily activity. Though the main reason is my love for reading and the peace and quiet, Amelka being there is also another one. I felt closer to her even though we'd only exchanged a couple of words. Though, I'm not sure if she feels the same.

What day is it anyway? I thought to myself as I woke up lying in my comfortable bed. Our way of living is unarguably weird. It's like we are VIPs who have everything handed to us.

Waking up in a comfortable bed then, being called for breakfast with the food being so great till dinner as if they're prepared by world-class chefs. It's easy to forget the main reason we're here in the first place. Who even kept track of the days?

Another fact that I seem to have forgotten is the kinds of people I am living with. Which I was reminded of not long ago.

Considering that I am in such a place, it was a normal morning. Like today, I woke up in a comfortable bed from a refreshing slumber, as I wash my face I heard the typical morning announcement of Genjo Tazawa.

"Gather on the first floor"

I was still not sure if it was his recorded voice or not.

As to how the typical morning goes in this place, I've been scanned by the glass door before it opened. Amelka has also just gone out of her room. But she directly went towards the elevator without looking at me, as she always does.

While standing in front of my door with my thoughts somewhere else, someone bumped onto me from the room next to mine.

"Sorry."

It was the huge guy from before who has an old martial artist-like haircut. I was startled by intimidation but he apologized with a smile on his face. Still, his smile made it more terrifying. After that, he went directly to the elevator.

On the first floor, I met with Finnley as we normally do. We lined up for the food and then went to a vacant seat.

Though I really didn't mind, I was still curious as to what day it is so I thought of asking Finnley.

"Finn, do you keep track of the date?"

Finnley swallowed the food in his mouth and then drink from his glass of water, "Yeah, it's the twelfth. Why?"

There were no clocks nor calendars to tell the date or time.

"I'm just curious since I'm not aware."

It was only the second week since Finnley and I knew each other yet it felt like we'd been friends for years. We have been speaking with each other about a lot of stuff and most of it is also personal.

I told him about how I was orphaned back in my home country and work my ass off to study and work abroad. He also told me stories about himself. How he was known as the smart "Finnley Wells" at the top of his class before and had a loving family despite how poor they were. And how his family was taken advantage of by the rich.

Everything up to now was how normally our day goes by.

Then, a group of people who were seating at the table next to ours was having a conversation and laughing aloud. Someone at another table stood up and probably became irritated by the loud laughter.

He wore circular glasses, has long straight black hair, and a body even thinner than Toby's. Though he was taller.

The thin guy went towards the group and said something to the nearest guy who has a crew cut and arms full of tattoos. I did not manage to hear what he said.

The guy flipped out. He took the fork on his plate and tried to stab the thin guy in the stomach. Before even landing his attempt, his head was cut off by the collar on his neck.

I was still not used to seeing those kinds of stuff and decided to avert my eyes. A thought came to my head as I remembered how the big guy from earlier bumped into me and left unscathed. Intent must've had something to do with how someone behind the collars decide whether they would execute the prisoner.

As if everything played out as he expected, the thin guy had a contented smile. Soaking in the blood of the deceased, he removed his eyeglass and then reached out to the corpse's shirt to wipe the blood off.

"Stupid."

He then stood up and walked away from the corpse. I saw him continue his meal as if he didn't just do something retching.

After a short pause, the dead guy's "friends" started to laugh.

An old man from the corpse's group decided to stand up and went towards the corpse. His left eye looked different and he has a face with noticeable wrinkles, I also think he was just as tall as I am.

What happened next has been imbued in my head.

The old man who's probably in his sixties decided to lift his buddy's head and act as if he was a ventriloquist.

"Oh, are you okay buddy?"

The old man said while gripping the hair of the severed head with his left hand. He even made it look at him. It made me want to throw up a lot of times, though I managed not to by thinking of "happy" thoughts. The blood dripping off its neck made it harder to stop vomiting on the spot.

Everyone in the old man's group was laughing as he made the head answer by shaking it side to side.

He then decided to touch its lip and move it as he said something,

"I don't feel good... I can't feel my body!"

Bursts of laughter could be heard not only from the old man's group but also from some who is sitting at other tables.

But I also saw a few who has their eyes averted and some who didn't manage to stop themselves from puking as they saw the blood dripping from the head the old man was playing with.

"Monsters," Finnley said.

It was clear how Finnley was disgusted as I saw his nose became crinkled the whole time. His sweating was also visible like mine.

What's more concerning was most of the guards in the area were also laughing at the old man's "joke". They took their time before one of them started to walk toward the corpse.

The old man's comedy didn't stop there. He reached for his left eye and removed it from its socket. I realized that it was an artificial eye. But I didn't expect what he did next.

After wiping his artificial eye in his clothes, the old man placed it in the mouth of the head he is holding.

"Let me try yours if it fits."

The old man reached for the head's left eye and attempted to remove it from its socket. Even though I was just looking back and forth out of curiosity, I could somehow feel the pain, and was covering my left eye.

"Hey, old man, enough with that."

The old man paused, he let go of the eyeball that is already dangling off its socket and gently placed the head down. He smiled at the guard as he walked towards his seat.

As the guards were in the process of cleaning the body, the old man suddenly stood up.

"Oh sir, I forgot my eye."

Most people were again having a good laugh. Especially the ones near the old man and the guards who were cleaning up.

One of the guards reached for the artificial eye in the severed head's mouth and threw it to the old man.

Catching it with both his hands, the old man placed it back into his left eye socket,

"Thank you, sir," the old man said with a sarcastic smile.

Like how it was done before, the guards placed the body in a bag, placed the bag on an automatic wheelchair like those in ambulances, and then dragged it somewhere in the building.

What a show, I couldn't even dare to eat a spoonful of the delicious soup I had in front of me. As I could not stop thinking about what just happened, I could now feel everything that I have eaten wanting to come out of my mouth.

I asked Finnley to also bring my dishes with him after eating as I rushed towards the toilet. There, I puked for a while. Is that the curry I had for dinner? I thought while looking at the vomit which urged me to puke more.

Waiting outside of the comfort room is Finnley, he has a bottled water in his hand. As Finnley saw me, he handed me the bottled water,

"Drink up," he said.

"Thanks."

I reached for the bottled water and then gulped it down.

"You should hurry up in the library," Finnley said.

After drinking and putting back the cap on the bottle I replied, "What do you mean? Do you wanna come with me?"

Finnley smiled, "No, I saw your wife went already. I don't want to disturb you two."

I had a nervous cough, "What wife?" I said.

Finnley chuckled, "Hm. Anyway, you go to the library every day, right? I want to go to the gym. Maybe I'll visit the library later."

It was nice being with someone to have a normal conversation with. Somehow, it makes me forget the disgusting things I have seen not long ago.

On my way to the library, I saw Toby seating at the table close to the entrance. We saw each other. As soon as he saw me he already has his typical smile on his face. He was reading a book.

Soon as I entered the library he went towards me.

"Gray, do you visit the library often?"

I always managed to avoid Toby, seems like I have failed today.

"Yeah, you?" I said.

Toby looked up, "That's strange. I haven't seen you here before even though I go here every day," he said.

Well, I tried my best to avoid you, is what I thought.

Toby decided to follow and sat beside me at the table where Amelka always sits. Amelka didn't seem to mind and is focused on reading.

"Gray, look at this book."

He handed me the book he was reading. It was already opened on a certain page.

"Hopeful Homicide: Back From Hell."

The book is about the previous winners of the Hopeful Homicides. At least it was who they were before having changed everything about them including their names, faces, and memories.

The page Toby opened is about the winner of the first Hopeful Homicide.

Rowan Magsino. He is and will always be the youngest winner of the death games. At the age of eighteen, he managed to win the first death game and became the sole survivor. He was brutal, manipulative, and was called a Psychopath.

"I miss this guy," Toby said aloud, "Do you know him, Gray?"

I handed back the book to Toby, "Yeah, I read about him somewhere."

Toby received the book and stared at me, "How old are you?" he said.

"I'm twenty-seven, why?"

Toby made some clicking noises with his mouth all of a sudden. Amelka seems to be irritated by the sound Toby makes as she kept on peeking, though her face remained emotionless.

Toby suddenly stopped, "You know, Rowan is the same age now."

"I guess? Anyway, why do you keep talking about him? Do you know him?"

Toby closed his book and stood up, "He is a hero to me, I hope I could meet him someday," he said.

After saying his final remarks Toby returned his book then walked out of the library.

"What a strange guy." I said aloud.

Amelka heard what I said and looked at me for a while before gazing back at her book.