19. Everly
19
Everly
We managed to leave the cabin without incident, slipping out into the darkness as quietly as we could. For an hour, we walked through the forest, moving steadily toward the closest open safe zone, hoping we’d get there soon enough to snatch some much-needed hours of sleep before daybreak.
According to Nikki’s mental calculations, the safe zone was around an hour and a half northeast of the previous zone. Faster if we ran, but we already knew that was a bad idea.
An hour and a half didn’t sound like much, but out here in the island’s rough wilderness, it felt like forever. Every crunch of leaves underfoot, every faint rustle in the distance, every shadow in the moonlight… it all felt like a threat waiting to pounce. My nerves were stretched so tight they felt ready to snap, and every step seemed to amplify the weight of the danger surrounding us.
And then there was him .
I couldn’t shake the feeling that Rhett was close. I didn’t know if it was my paranoia messing with me or if he was really following us, staying just out of sight. The thought of him hunting me lingered in my mind, twisting into something I didn’t know how to deal with, and I kept looking over my shoulder, torn between fear and... something else. Something I didn’t have time to unpack right now.
There was a sudden crackling sound in my earbud. I expected it to be an announcement, declaring another player dead, but instead a familiar deep voice filtered into my ear.
Rhett.
“It’s me. I’m on a private channel. I can’t do this for more than a few seconds because they’ll notice the interference, so listen to me carefully, because I won’t be able to contact you like this again,” he said. “I’ve been tracking you, and I see you’re currently heading northeast. Don’t go that way. Turn back. Find another safe zone. I repeat: stop heading northeast.”
With that, his voice cut off, and I froze mid-step, heart hammering in my chest. My instincts were right. Rhett had been tracking me all night. But instead of attacking me, he was warning me.
Why? And why was he trying to stop me from going northeast? What was waiting for us there apart from the safe zone?
My stomach churned with confusion as I considered it all. Was Rhett luring me into a trap by convincing me to head in a different direction, or was he genuinely helping me out because some deep-down part of him cared about me?
Or… was he helping me avoid real trouble with another hunter in the north, just so he could capture me for himself later as part of some sick, twisted game he felt like playing?
The logical part of my brain leaned toward him having bad intentions, but the more I allowed his words to echo in my mind, the more I realized that there had been something in his tone—a quiet urgency that didn’t feel like manipulation. It felt more like concern. Or did I imagine that? Was my brain trying to humanize a monster because I simply couldn’t imagine being one myself?
My mind kept racing, tangled in doubt and panic. Nothing about this made sense. Rhett was supposed to be the enemy, but he’d just let me know that he hadn’t killed me when he had the chance to while tracking me. Hell, he’d probably had multiple chances, and he hadn’t taken a single one.
“Everly?” Nikki’s voice pulled me back, her brows furrowing as she realized I’d stopped. “What’s wrong?”
Everything was wrong.
But I couldn’t tell her, or the others, what I’d just heard. It would only add to their suspicion that I was a mole, because no one else here was getting private warnings from hunters.
I had to say something, though. Anything.
“Um… are you sure we’re going the right way?” I asked.
She nodded and showed me her compass, glinting under the moonlight. “Directly northeast. See?”
“Yeah. Sorry.” I shook my head. “I’m just so tired. My brain isn’t working.”
“I hear you.” She grimaced and turned back to face the path we were carving through the woods. “We need sleep. Badly.”
I took a deep breath and started walking again, mind still spinning over Rhett’s bizarre warning. I was starting to think he enjoyed messing with my head; obtained a sick pleasure from pushing me to question myself and doubt everything.
That would explain why he’d helped me back at Hollingsworth while simultaneously tormenting me. It was a way to manipulate me and keep me under control from all the fear and confusion he provoked in me. In a nutshell: a very effective terror campaign.
My best bet? Ignore him and keep heading to the safe zone.
Ten minutes later, an arrow whizzed through the trees, landing on a trunk just ahead of the group with a sharp thunk . My heart leapt into my throat as I stared at it. Its shaft was still quivering; a stark reminder of just how close we’d come to being hit.
“We need to run!” Nikki said in an urgent whisper, glancing at the rest of us over her shoulder. “Come on!”
Jade reached up, wrenched the arrow out of the tree, and took off into the shadows without a word.
“Dammit!” Nikki hissed, moving after him. “I didn’t say split up! We need to stay together!”
The rest of us followed her, our steps quick but careful, the weight of impending danger pressing down on our shoulders. Nikki finally motioned for us to get down when we came across a thick group of shrubs.
“We can hide behind here for now,” she whispered, scanning the forest around us with sharp, calculating eyes. “Whoever fired that arrow is still close.”
I crouched low, my heart thumping so loudly that I honestly worried it might give us away. The others shifted uneasily, and Nikki held up a hand, signaling for us to stay completely still.
Through the tangled branches, I thought I saw movement—a shadow gliding silently between the trees. My stomach clenched. Was it a hunter? Another player searching for the safe zone? Or was Rhett still out there, watching, waiting?
Nikki’s eyes narrowed. “Stay low,” she murmured. “Don’t make a sound.”
Every second stretched unbearably as we huddled behind the shrubs for what felt like forever, barely even breathing. My legs ached from crouching for so long, but I didn’t dare move.
Finally, Nikki let out a sigh of relief. “I think he’s gone. He must’ve given up and moved on.”
“Thank god,” Kanako muttered. “My legs are killing me.”
Cheryl turned to look at Jade, forehead creasing. “Why did you grab the arrow?” she asked. “It’s not a good weapon without a bow.”
“Better than nothing,” he replied. “But that’s not why I took it. I saw something. Something I guess the rest of you missed.”
“What?”
He lifted the arrow to show us. A piece of paper was wrapped tightly around the shaft, secured with black tape. Carefully, he peeled it away, his hands trembling slightly as he unfolded it.
A singular word was written on the paper in block letters.
STOP.
A chill ran down my spine as I stared at it. It had to be another message from Rhett.
I groaned internally, mind reeling. I knew I couldn’t admit that he’d contacted me earlier without the group suspecting I was a mole and potentially exiling me from their presence, but still… I had to say something to warn them about his twisted little game.
“Do you think it’s some sort of trap?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Someone trying to trick us into turning back so they can catch us?”
Nikki frowned, her gaze darting around the dark forest. “Of course that’s what it is,” she replied. “The only people out here with bows and arrows are hunters, and they aren’t on our side, are they?”
“What if another player found a weapons cache?” Chris asked, brows rising. “They could be warning us that we’re going the wrong way.”
“If it’s another player, why wouldn’t they just reveal themselves and tell us in person?” Cheryl said. “Why would they fire an arrow over our heads and scare the shit out of us?”
“Oh. Right.” Chris scrubbed his hand over his face. “Fuck, I’m really not thinking straight.”
“Let’s just keep going,” Nikki said, slowly rising to her feet. She jabbed a thumb toward the right. “This way.”
After another few minutes of careful, quiet navigation through the forest, we stumbled onto the edge of a large clearing. The moonlight filtered through the sparse trees, casting long, eerie shadows over the open space.
“Is this the clearing you saw when you were a kid?” Nikki asked, looking at me with raised brows.
I shook my head. “It can’t be. It’s the wrong shape, and it seems a lot bigger too.”
“Damn.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes before scanning the trees on the other side of the clearing. “All right, everyone. We should cross over.”
“But it’s an open area,” Ava said anxiously. “Won’t that make us vulnerable?”
“It will, but we don’t really have a choice. The safe zone is directly on the other side of this clearing, and as you can see, it’s fucking massive,” Nikki replied, gesturing to the shadowy expanse of land. “If we try to go all the way around it, we’ll be adding an extra twenty minutes onto our journey. Maybe even more. Also, it wouldn’t surprise me if the hunters have left traps all around it, because they’ll be expecting people to avoid open spaces as much as possible, right?”
Ava glanced nervously at the tree line toward our right, her lips pressing into a thin line. “But what if someone’s watching us right now? Waiting for us to step out?”
“That’s always a possibility,” Nikki said, her voice steady. “But staying here guarantees nothing. So I say we cross the clearing, moving fast and staying low. Single file. No noise. And watch out for tripwires.”
I could see Ava’s hesitation, but she eventually nodded, clutching the straps of her backpack like a lifeline.
“We’ll be fine,” I added softly, hoping to reassure her.
In truth, I had no idea if we’d be fine.
Nikki had a good point about potential traps around the edges of the clearing, because the hunters would almost certainly anticipate people’s natural instinct to keep out of open areas and go around them instead. However, I could see Ava’s point too. For all we knew, there could be a sniper sitting somewhere on the edge of the clearing, patiently waiting for players to step right into it.
Nikki motioned for us to follow her. “I’ll lead. Chris, you bring up the rear. Everyone else, keep your eyes sharp. If you see or hear anything, stop and get down immediately . The rest of us will follow suit.”
“Okay. Just give me a minute,” Chris muttered. “I need to mentally prepare myself for this shit.”
“Fine.” Nikki dipped her chin in a curt nod. “One minute and we go. Everyone clear on that?”
“Yup,” Jade said. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the clearing again. “I really hope these bastards aren’t using landmines.”
“Why would they use landmines?” Kanako asked. “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of hunting us?”
“Not exactly.” He grimaced. “If you step on a mine, it won’t necessarily kill you. It could just blow off a foot, or even a whole leg. And you can’t exactly move fast after that, can you?”
“Guys. Stop . This kind of talk will only make us panic, and we have to remember, that’s what they want,” Nikki said hotly. “They want us to lose control. To make mistakes. We can’t give them that satisfaction. So try to think positive thoughts, okay? We’ve got this.”
Everyone murmured their reluctant agreement, and one by one, we started crossing the moonlit clearing. The vast openness made me feel unbearably exposed, like there was a neon target pinned on my back. I was just waiting for something to happen, waiting for a shot to ring out and a bullet to lodge in my chest.
A sudden gust of wind rustled the sparse grass, and I swore I saw a shadow shift in the distance. My breath hitched, but I forced myself to keep moving as Nikki’s words flashed in my head. Try to think positive thoughts.
She was right. I had to stop freaking myself out. No more thoughts of bullets in human targets. Nice things only.
I tried to make myself think about my favorite comfort meal, but Rhett’s irritatingly-handsome face floated into my mind instead. Goosebumps immediately cropped up on my arms, and I swallowed hard, trying my best to force the mental image away. That man was like a damn trapdoor; one thought of him and I’d lose my footing and fall.
Wait.
I stopped in my tracks, mind whirling. I’d never thought about trapdoors before, not even in a metaphorical sense. So why did that specific word suddenly pop into my head right now? It was like something inside me was warning me. Like my instincts were picking up on something I couldn’t yet see.
Nikki’s earlier words of advice floated into my head. Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.
"Stop," I whispered urgently, my voice tight. “Now.”
The others froze and crouched in their spots immediately, exchanging confused glances.
"What’s wrong?" Cheryl whispered, her voice laced with concern. “Did you see something?”
At first, I didn’t know what to say. I still had no idea why I’d felt the sudden urge to make everyone stop. Then it hit me.
The ground felt different here. It wasn’t the solid, firm earth we’d been walking on for the past hour. Instead, there was a very slight—almost imperceptible—bounce with every step, like the ground was hollow only inches beneath our feet. Like we could take one wrong step and cave right through.
Just like a fucking trapdoor.
“There’s something wrong with the ground,” I said, shaking my head. “It feels weird whenever I take a step. Like it’s thin. Too thin. I think it’s been hollowed out.”
“I noticed the ground too,” Jade said, his voice low. “I thought maybe it used to be a swamp, or something like that. So the ground is springy from the residual moisture.”
“Or it could be one of those tunnels you mentioned,” Ava interjected, eyes widening with excitement. “Right beneath our feet!”
“I don’t think it’s that,” I said, voice laced with trepidation. “A properly-engineered tunnel would be deeper underground, wouldn’t it? Not just an inch or two. And it would probably have a reinforced steel or concrete top covered by the earth, so we wouldn’t feel anything different when we walk over it. It would just feel like regular solid ground.”
“Oh, shit,” Nikki whispered, catching onto my train of thought. “This could be a giant pit trap.”
I swallowed thickly and nodded. “That’s what I’m worried about,” I said. “When we first started the game, they told us there would be false safe zones. Places that may appear to offer protection but come with unforeseen risks."
“But couldn’t Jade’s theory be right?” Kanako said. “This could just be an old swamp with a bit of leftover moisture that makes the ground feel bouncy. Nothing to freak out over.”
Before anyone could reply, Nikki reached back and grabbed the arrow out of Jade’s hand. Then she leaned forward and jabbed it down into the earth about a foot ahead of her. It went in fast, like it hadn’t met much resistance.
She pulled the arrow back out and held it up for us to see. The tip was coated with dirt, but the rest was clean, confirming that the ground beneath our feet was mostly hollow.
“Everly’s right,” she said. “They’ve hollowed out everything beneath the first few inches. We’re probably walking on fucking mesh right now. Very thin mesh that could snap at any second.”
“Shit!” Kanako’s voice had risen an octave. “What do we do?”
Cheryl lifted a palm. “Stay calm. Don’t move.”
“I really should’ve seen this coming,” Nikki said. Panic was creeping into her voice. “So much for my fucking survival skills, huh?”
“It’s okay. Nothing’s actually happened yet, and we’re all fine,” I said in the most soothing tone I could muster up. “I think we should go back the way we came, because we know it’s safe in those parts.”
“So we just walk backwards?” Jade asked. “Retrace our steps as closely as possible?”
“No.” Cheryl’s hand was still in the air. “The parts we already stepped on might’ve weakened now, just from having our weight on them for so long.”
“What do you think we should do, then?” I asked.
She frowned, scanning the clearing around us. “The closest edge is to our left, so I think we should head that way,” she said. “Then, once we get to the edge, we can figure out our next move. I’m thinking we should forget about this safe zone and try to get to one of the other ones instead. But we can discuss that properly later.”
My heart was pounding so fast it felt like it might explode. All I could think was: Rhett wasn’t lying.
He’d genuinely tried to help me escape this trap tonight, which begged the question— why ? Did he actually want to save me from this place, or was it like I suspected earlier, with him guiding me away from the danger in the north only to capture me for himself later?
If the latter was the case… how much longer would he toy with me? Until I finally broke?
Cheryl cleared her throat and continued. “Is everyone okay with going to the left?”
The rest of the group muttered their assent, their voices low and strained, tension thick in the air. We all knew that one wrong move could be our last. Cheryl motioned for us to follow her, and we began to walk left, stepping as slowly and carefully as possible.
Just as we approached the tree line, I heard a soft, sickening crack from somewhere behind me. I whipped my head over my shoulder to look at Chris, who was still at the back of the group. His foot had slipped, just a fraction of an inch, and before anyone could react, the ground beneath him gave way.
He dropped like a stone, and a sharp scream tore from his throat as he plummeted down into a hidden pit.
“Chris!” Ava screamed, falling to her feet. She peered over the edge of the trap. “Oh, shit! He’s on a fucking spike!”
Chris groaned. “It went right through my leg. I’m stuck.”
“See if you can grab my arm,” Ava said, reaching down into the dark pit. “I think I can pull you off the spike. Guys, can you help me?”
“No, Ava, stop!” Nikki hissed, her voice low but urgent. “We can’t do that.”
“Why?”
Nikki opened her mouth to respond, but Cheryl answered for her. “Rule number three. We can’t slow down for anyone,” she murmured. “We all agreed to it.”
“But there’s no one here! We can get him out!”
“Now that someone’s triggered the trap, a hunter will probably show up to finish the job. It could happen any minute now,” Nikki said, peering at the tree line with wide eyes. “If we’re still here when that happens… we’re all dead too.”
Ava shook her head, still staring down at Chris, her expression stricken. “We can’t just leave him here to die!”
“You can,” he called up to her, voice gruff with pain but firm. “They’re right. It’s what we agreed on. You have to save yourselves.”
Ava wildly shook her head. “No, I’m not going!” she said. “Just let me try! Give me one minute!”
“You’ll only get yourself killed,” Chris said. The edge on his voice told me that his pain was getting worse. “You need to go. All of you. Now .”
“Ava, come on,” I said. Tears were stinging my eyes, but I blinked them back, knowing Nikki’s rule existed for a reason. The longer we stayed in this situation, the closer we got to becoming targets ourselves. “We really have to go.”
“No!”
“Look, if it helps you feel a little less guilty… I lied earlier,” Chris said. “On the beach.”
Ava’s face contorted with confusion. “What?”
“I did kill my parents,” he said. His voice had turned preternaturally calm and smooth. “They threatened to cut me off and change my inheritance, so I shot them before they could sign all the paperwork and burned it so no one would ever see it. I really thought I’d get away with it, too. But I was wrong.”
Ava recoiled, snatching her hand out of the pit like it had been burned. Then her face crumpled, and she turned away and stepped into the woods without another word. One by one, the rest of us muttered our goodbyes to Chris before turning to follow Ava.
As we walked, the air around us felt heavier, thick with the weight of the horrible decision we’d just made. I wanted to stop and look back, but I had to fight that urge, because I knew we couldn’t afford to waste a single second.
Less than a minute later, a shot rang out, and I knew a hunter had shown up to finish the job, just like Nikki predicted.
My earbud crackled a couple of minutes later, followed by a familiar smug voice. “Player 23, eliminated by Hunter 18.”
I swallowed hard and pressed on through the dense underbrush, trying to stay as quiet as a mouse. Even though I was doing my best to ignore the guilt and regret knotting in my stomach, I still couldn’t help but wonder—did Chris really kill his parents? Or was he just saying that to make Ava feel better about leaving him behind, thus saving her from the same fate as him? Was he a hero or a villain?
I would never know the answer to any of those questions. But I did know one thing for sure.
In a place like this… everyone would turn into a villain eventually.