《Survive Together》


 An Unconsenting Convention P1

    In a dark, dusty room the consciousness of four individuals is regained. Each of them confused and perhaps scared. They are unable to move their limbs and find themselves bound to a metal chair around a matching table. The air smells sterile, not unlike a hospital.


    The strangers look around frantically forcing their eyes to recognize anything of familiarity but to no avail. The room was too dark to make out, and the spotlight overhead the few didn''t make any of the faces less foreign. The cold metal pressed against their wrists only unnerved them more as old paint chips and rust dug ever so slightly in their skin.


    After the longest, and tensest minute of these stranger''s lives took place they could hear the humm of a speaker come to life. At first, all that was heard was a whining static. The sound made the strangers want to cover their ears on instinct however, they were clearly unable to do this. Eventually, through the scratchy, irritating noise a deep, and automated voice was soon heard through the speaker.


    "Ah! It''s so lovely to finally have guests again! Well, I presume ''guests'' is not an especially agreeable term, well not for you, I suppose it will have to do." The voice over the speaker started, rather enthusiastically.


    "It has been a rather long time, hasn''t it? Considering what happened with the last batch, poor sods..." The voice trailed off briefly though quickly returning with another burst of excitement.


    "You folks have had a rough past few hours, whether you remember it or not, you must be tired so allow me to aid you on your new quest. I''m sure one of the first things you will notice about your new settings is that you are surrounded by some folk you don''t recognize. There''s no precise reason for this other than I thought it''d be entertaining to watch people so different struggle to work together." The voice seemed to mock its guests.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. One of the strangers, a tough man appearing to be in his 40''s, growled out of frustration at the mocking tone. Since they had awoken the others in the group seemed to recognize this man''s frustration. He was quite large and was struggling against his restraints this entire time. A petite, blond woman who was also being held captive was almost convinced that he''d break free at any moment.


    "Mr. Ruth if you are done seething I''d really appreciate silence while I''m speaking." The voice continued.


    "When guests come to my home they are typically required to play a game. In this game four lovely people are tasked with the simple mission to leave my house. They can use any method they see fit. You may destroy walls if you very well choose however, this game isn''t without its rules. Rule number 1; if one of you were to perish before exiting this home, then you all perish. 2; you must all leave together if you wish to return to your regular lives. This means that if three of you were to find the exit then the three would return home, but the last of you would remain here forever. I''m sure there are a few more I''m just not quite sure what they are currently." The voice added that last point a bit more nonchalantly than the guests would have liked.

 An Unconsenting Convention P2

    "Now before I let you little mice run wild, I believe introductions are in order!" As he says this the tiny spotlight lighting up the small, square table that the guests were sat around then moves shining slightly to the west directly onto the man called ''Mr. Ruth'' by the voice earlier.


    Mr. Ruth was a large man, who seems to be around 6''4" with an even muscle to fat ratio that only enhanced his intimidating frame. He had light chestnut hair that seemed well trimmed that met with a shaggy, dark beard defining his wide jawline. His skin, while quite fair, showed a texture that suggested years spent under the sun. His eyes showed a long life full of unfinished battles as he glared into the distance. Intimidation seems to come naturally to him.


    "42-year-old, Veteran Jack Corringon Ruth! Spent over 29 years with the United States marines just to later resent that time convincing himself that it was all a scam! What a legend! Currently spends his time in seclusion due to the fact that he''s too much of a coward to admit that he sucks at talking, and uses God as an out for everything." The voice taunted Jack with feigning amusment.


    "NEXT!" The voice yelled.


    The spotlight then pointed itself at the 3 o''clock position shining itself at the woman sat on the left-hand side of Jack. This woman had long, black hair cascading down her shoulders and a terrified expression on her face. Her large brown eyes were complimented by freckles on her beige skin. Slight bags under her eyes and plump figure showed the type of stress she might encounter on a daily bases.


    "31-year-old, mother of two, and registered nurse Amy Elyse Gonzales! Spends most of her time struggling balancing work and home. She seems to be the model mother on the outside, but between us, she sucks at it. She lets her feelings dictate everything she does despite spending so much time and money on education." Amy''s face seemed to reflect guilt while the voice berated her loudly over the speaker. It was as if she believed everything it was saying as fact while the others questioned the voice''s credibility.


    The spotlight then turned to a younger man. His dark olive skin showed clear signs of some southern Asian origins. His dark hair was shaved on just the sides while the top of his hair remained a maintainable length. If looking close enough one could see a small tattoo on his neck of some sort of script in fancy black ink. He wore think brimmed black glasses.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "27-year-old, IT guy, and ''fuckboy'' Cameron Young Wilson! This is the type of guy that would invite you out for drinks and then forget you at the bar. Was quite the whiz kid when he was a lad, but then grew up to have a mediocre profession and disappoint his parents! My kind of guy!" The voice was saying words that suggested a negative character but was saying it in such a tone to suggest favorability. Cameron seemed put off by this, and behind his kind eyes, one could possibly see frustration.


    The spotlight then turned on the young blond woman and last guest in the room. Her pale skin contrasted aggressively with her sloppy, dark eyeliner that seems to have been applied days ago. She had a clear complexion framed by a messy bob that left strands around her eyes. She was fairly scrawny and her eyes expression made it seem like she was indifferent to the situation.


    "Last and possibly least we have 23-year-old Vannesa Maddilyn June! This little lady is a huge downer and is guaranteed to ruin anyone''s mood! She grew up wanting to be an artist just to serve ungrateful patrons at grungy restaurant barely making minimum wage. On her time off she likes to wallow in self-pity for the poor life choices she made all on her own." The voice cheered in the snarkiest and most venomous way. Its tone didn''t seem any more unwelcoming than it did in the other introductions, but the words seemed to be very carefully chosen.


    "I won''t keep you any longer, so without further ado; you may call me Topaz. Let the games begin!"


    The sound of digitized applause rang from the speaker sounding not too unlike the ones heard on sitcoms of the ''90s. An alarm went off for a split second as the room lit up an angry red then returned to its usual darkness. Metal screams erupted as the locks unhinged themselves on the chairs.


    "Oh, and don''t forget the rules! It may just keep you from an untimely demise, and that''d make for a pretty poor performance."