Chapter Five: The Game Continues
Officer Reynolds sat through the whole video in a morbid silence. He had watched many of these games before of course, but only ever on recorded film, never live. The feeling of helplessness he felt just watching the two girls suffer and knowing there was nothing he could do to help made him feel sick right down to the pits of his stomach. He wanted to put a bullet through Michelle's head right there and then but he knew the only way to save his sister was to play the game her way for the time being.
Michelle was first to break the silence.
"Such a shame," she began, voice filled with a mock disappointment, "I guess they just lacked that will to win. Don't you agree inspector?"
"How can you do that to innocent people?" replied Reynolds coldly.
"I didn't 'do' anything Inspector, I was here watching with you. If they had truly wanted to walk out of there unchanged, they could have."
"You're a monster." Reynolds' voice had become nothing more than an emotionless monotone. "Kidnapping these poor girls to play your sick games. You know they won't win, its almost impossible."
"Not everybody loses Officer, those who want it most will not lose."
"You're wrong. You make games that people cannot win, nobody wants to end up like that."
"I beg to differ Officer," smiled Michelle, "The losing girls embrace their new lives, no longer bound by heavy thoughts and pressures to be upstanding women of the community. A life of sex and giggles comes as a comfort, not a curse." She paused for a moment before adding, "Just ask your wife."
Reynolds felt his blood turn to lava at the mention of his wife. Red mist fully descended, he reached for his gun and aimed it straight a Michelle's head.
"Don't you dare mention my wife again!" He screamed, face beetroot with rage and finger curled around the trigger. "I should just shoot you right now and end this whole charade."
"We both know why you won't shoot me officer," Michelle didn't even seem to flinch as she smiled back at Reynolds, "Kill me and it's game over for everyone else. You wouldn't want that on your conscience now, would you?"
Reynolds hand began to shake as he tried to hold his shot at her before he finally yielded defeat and lowered his aim.
"That's better officer," Michelle was beginning to sound like a mother addressing a small child, "Now let's just sit down quietly and continue with the game."
Reynolds was trying to think of a way to fight, but was out of options. All his bluffs had failed, there was still no word from the tech team about the victims' location and there was only just over three hours left to save his sister. Until he could come up with something else, he had no other option but to play to her rules. Without saying a word he sat back down and as if on cue, screen three maximised once more and a new game began.
Chapter six: Sucks to be You
Monica and Jessica came to at around the same time. The last thing either of them remembered was having yet another huge fight in the park behind campus and now here they were, prisoners trapped in a narrow corridor.
The girls, like those from the previous game, were bound facing away from each other. This time though instead of being on all fours they were positioned on their knees with hands cuffed behind their backs around a pole that ran from floor to roof. Each girls' calves were strapped down in order to make it impossible to do anything but kneel and stare at the blank screens each had in front of them.
As the grogginess lifted from them, both girls quickly realised they were in the company of the other and, more scarily, they began to realise their predicament.
"Monica?" Jessica was first to speak, "Is that you? Where are we? What is this place?"
"Yeah it's me Jess, and I don't know where we are. Last thing I knew we were in the park."
"Same here. What the fuck is this place?"
"I don't know, but we've got to find a way to get out of here."
"How are we supposed to do that? I don't know if you have noticed but I for one am strapped to the spot!"
"Don't you dare start getting fucking bitchy with me Jess. I'm just trying to think positively. For all I know it's your fault we are in this mess."
"Well that's just typical of you isn't it Mon? Always blame someone else, never yourself."
"Oh I see, so it was all my fault that you told everyone I had slept with my Dad."
"Well you shouldn't have said made up that lie about me having a foursome with Mike, Brad and Steve should have you?"
"You stole my boyfriend! You expected me to just taking that lying down? Do you not know me at all Jess."
"You still haven't gotten over that! It was nearly a year ago for fucks sake. Why can't you just accept that..."
Jessica cut herself off mid sentence, distracted by the Barbie doll head which appeared on the screen in front of her. Monica will to argue also fast dissipated as she slowly came to realise the significance of the figure on the screen. They were fucked.
"Hello Monica, Hello Jessica." began the low mechanical voice. "I want to play a game."
Those were the six words that ripped through the heart of any kidnappee who heard them, the six words that confirmed only one thing: they were victims of the Barbiemaker. Aware of their fate, they also knew there was only one way to give themselves the best chance of survival, stay quiet and listen to everything the doll had to say. They had to win the game.
