#golivia

Chaewon received the box with a pink bow wrapped around it. She opened it to find a black tuxedo with a bow, pair of shoes, and socks. Along with new under clothes.

She went into the bathroom and slowly peeled her clothes off of her sticky, bloody body. The shirt was basically glued to her gash letting out a small yelp as she peeled it off. She leaned over the sink as the water ran, breathing ragged while looking into the dirty mirror. She then saw a figure walk in behind her, the sound of the door closing caused her to look back.

Hyeju and Chaewon made eye contact before Hyeju broke it staring down at Chaewon's wound. "Why aren't you wrapping it with something!" Hyeju shouted running to Chaewon's side. She ripped her shirt into pieces and tied pieces of it above the wound tightly. Chaewon hissed at the contact not used to getting wounds like these.

"why are you helping me?" The sudden question caught Hyeju off guard. She just stared at Chaewon before shaking her head and walking into a stall to change into her outfit.

Chaewon stood confused at number 465 and the acts of kindness. She could've murdered Chaewon right then and there in the bathroom leaving less competition, but she didn't. She could've let her bleed out and die right before her eyes, but instead she saved her.

When everyone changed into the outfit they were escorted out the room eventually, after passing all of the pastel stairs that used to be filled with 456 people but were not only carrying 3, they made it to the semi-empty room. It contained a triangle shaped table with three chairs and a plate of food in front of each space.

Chaewon hesitantly took a seat where her number was placed cautiously eyeing any and everything around her. The games have taken a toll on her mental, physical and emotional health. She jumps at the smallest noises, lost about 20 pounds and gets about 2 hours of sleep each night too afraid to sleep any longer.

"Congratulations for making it this far we have prepared a meal for you..." Once Hyeju heard the word meal she turned everything out and dug in immediately scarfing down the food forgetting to chew half the time. In her peripheral vision, she saw Chaewon poking at her food probably looking for any poisons of any kind. Chaewon eventually gave in taking a few bites until her plate was cleared before chugging the water down with it.

As the tables were cleared off everything was gon except for the knife that was used to cut the steak with. They were all escorted back to the room for the night until the next game that would take place the next morning.

Chaewon sat up in the bed trying to keep her eyes open as she weakly stared into the distance at the other players. Blood was still leaking from her wound, but at this rate she was expecting to die.

She never thought she would have made it as far as she already did. The idea of winning the games and returning home to her little brother and having enough money to join her older sister in the states sounded like a dream come true. That dream was so close yet so far because the idea of winning was only a dream, she didn't know if she could tell the difference between her dreams and reality anymore.

Chaewon jumped up at the sound of movent realizing that she had dozed off. She slapped her cheeks to keep herself awake looking across the room seeing Hyeju staring between her and player 218. Something didn't feel right.

As the night went on, it got strangely quiet. No sounds of rustling on the bed, the air was stiff and it struck fear inside of Chaewon. It was getting harder and harder for her to keep her eyes open wanting to pass out from the pain and lack of sleep. She couldn't do it anymore.

Hyeju watched as Chaewon dropped her knife on the ground as her hand came to a rest falling into a deep sleep. Player 218 must've thought they were both asleep as Hyeju watched how quickly he got up out of the bed and darted towards Chaewon with the knife in his hand.

Hyeju didn't think twice before she ran after him throwing her knife into his back causing him to scream. Chaewon's eye's shot open from the noise shaking in her bed as she saw player 218 lie dead in front of her while Hyeju stood towards above him panting hard.

"ju..." Chaewon whispered too scared to move from her spot on the half made bed. "Is-is he d-dead?"

"yes." Hyeju replied firmly, "he tried to kill you when you dozed off." Both girls paused and watched as the circle men marched into the room and put him in a box. The light on the piggy bank turned on and the money price raised before the tube filled more money into the giant bank.

The speakers then announced, "number 218 eliminated."

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Music played on the speakers, Hyeju rubbed the sleep out of her eyes finally feeling a little relaxed knowing she eliminated all of the threats. Chaewon refused to fall asleep but eventually her body caved and she ended up slouched over while sitting up.

"the next final game will begin in 5 minutes" the woman stated.

The circle men came in and handed each player a small water bottle and an apple. Chaewon felt safe with Hyeju scooting closer to the girl while they both hungrily ate the fruit. "Here" Chaewon looked over and saw that Hyeju was handing her her apple.

"what?" Chaewon asked looking down at the fruit. "Take it. You need it more than I do" Hyeju stated.

"no, no I'm okay you eat it" Chaewon vigorously shook her head.

"the next game is about to begin" the woman called. Three circles, two squares and one triangle guy stood at the door ready to escort Chaewon and Hyeju to the next game.

They walked on the isolated pastel stairs once again before making their way to a narrow dark hallway with many hallways connected.

"before we begin you have to pick defense or offense. We will decide who picks first by flipping a coin" triangle spoke.

"I pick heads" Chaewon chirped leaving Hyeju with tails. He flipped the coin and it landed on heads.

"your pick number 067" he said. They had about 2 minutes to pick leaving Chaewon and Hyeju 2 minutes to think about what game they were playing.

"I think I know what we're playing." Hyeju's eyes widened at the thought of the old childhood game they used to play nearly everyday on the playground. It left kids with ripped clothes, wounds, and destroyed friendships. She remembered how some kids' parents would ban them from playing the game as one kid broke a bone while being chased on offense. Hyeju was just about to tell Chaewon to pick offense when she said;

"I pick defense!" Those three words left Hyeju speechless not knowing if Chaewon actually knew what they were playing.

"Ch-chae" hyeju stuttered.

They were suddenly pushed into the next room and the sight of the squid drawn on the sand like they did when they were kids sent vile piling into Hyeju's mouth.

'I can't die today' Hyeju thought, 'but I can't let Chaewon die either.'

They watched as the man shot the gun to signify that the final game has begun. Hyeju loosely held the steak knife in her hands. She looked down checking if her shoes were tied tightly before standing in the starting circle. She closely watched Chaewon before hopping down the line on one foot until she got to the next circle. Hyeju didn’t want to fight with Chaewon she didn’t have anything to live for if she won unlike Chaewon. “Chaewon don’t go soft on me. Play to win” Hyeju said. As Hyeju went to cross the middle Chaewon just stood hesitantly not wanting to block the woman who saved her not once but twice.

“Chaewon play the game! Push me out so you can win!” Hyeju screamed. Rain started to fall from the synthetic sky, “I have nothing else to lose! If I win ill still lose because what will I be winning for?” A mixture of tears and rain poured down Hyeju’s face.

“but I can’t ill be guilty” Chaewon then started sobbing. Hyeju then walked closer to the sobbing girl and held her face in her hands. “Chae what’re you gonna do when you leave?” Hyeju asked softly.

Chaewon hiccuped, “Get my little brother, buy a plane ticket to the states so we can go live with our sister and buy us all a home. Then go to college so I can get a better job” Hyeju’s heart felt like it couldn’t get any bigger wanting to just hold Chaewon in her arms and tell her that everything will be okay. “Chaewon promise me something” rain poured between the two. Their faces so close that they were sharing air, “when you win you’ll go get my little sister from the shelter. Her name is Son Jihan and she is 13 years old. Promise me you’ll go get her?” A tear then ran down the younger girl’s cheek.

“I promise” Chaewon cried. Hyeju caressed her cheek once more before walking away to step out of the “squid”.

Chaewon burst into tears as she knew exactly what she was doing, “Hyeju no please stop!” but once Hyeju stepped out she turned around to face Chaewon before smiling, “it’s okay” she whispered right as a bullet shot straight through her head. Her body fell to the ground limply and so did Chaewon.

“NO!” she sobbed crawling over to Hyeju’s dead body. Her vision blurry by her tears and the rain not knowing what she was looking at. “Ju ju” she sniffled.

“Congratulations player 067 you won the game” the woman spoke once again. Chaewon immediately threw up at the sound feeling like a murderer.

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Chaewon’s first stop when she got out was her promise she made to Hyeju. “Are you Jihan?” she asked the slim girl with long dark brown hair similar to her sister's. “yes”

“your sister sent me for you, im Chaewon” Chaewon introduced herself. She got the papers finalized and she immediately went home with Jihan, packed their bags, grabbed her brother and they all caught the next flight to New York City where Chaewon’s older sister lived.

‘Park residence’ the sign read. Jackson ran up to the door hand in hand with Jihan and knocked loudly. Jackson might be a few years younger than Jihan but they get along as I they were actual siblings. A tall blonde answered the door, her eyes started watering and before anyone said anything Chaewon spoke, “Unnie”

Roseanne Park was their older sister. She ran away from home a few years before their parents died in a car accident leaving her two younger siblings alone for years. Guilt constantly ate her up inside not wanting to see them face to face think they’d hate her, but it was quite the opposite.

“Rosie!” Jackson squealed and jumped into her arms, “who’s this?” Rosie asked pointing to Jihan.

“It’s the newest addition to our family. My friend’s sister who is now our sister” Chaewon perked up. Rosie didn’t mind the extra sibling she was just happy that they were all together as a family again. After long weeks of Chaewon explaining where she got the money and extra kid from Roseanne refused to let Chaewon out of her sight upset by the fact that she nearly died more than once just for them.

“Im so sorry baby” Rosie wrapped her arms around Chaewon's body leaving her in a close hug. She couldn't imagine going and doing what her little sister did and the pain of raising your dead friend's little sister.