Mansion in the Forest

Day 1

"What does it mean? What game? Are we in a game?" Siena asked panicking while looking everywhere. She has panic attacks as per Iris said earlier while they were all waiting for the others to arrive, but they didn't until now, but Siena also used to be a black belter, which is totally confusing Lexi as to why she has panic attack. The girl went through something bad so she had such a disorder and Iris never told them anything about that.

'She doesn't need to tell them everything anyway.' Lexi thought.

"We're here because of that, right?" Jisu said calmly and all of them agreed. Though at some point, Lexi can see that Jisu is scared but still trying to act cool. She chuckled at that thought and moved closer to her friend. "Better watch the guy closely." Jisu whispered to Lexi and jolt her head to Blake, who's still tied on the corner, his eyes are burning in anger while glaring at Lexi dangerously.

"I know, but will you be alright?" Lexi asked, not bother at all to Blake's presence. She knew the guy couldn't do anything as long as he's tied tightly.

"Yeah of course, worry about yourself and your girlfriend, you weak." Jisu scoffed playfully.

"Nah, I'd rather to worry about a girl who always has books in her hands than a girl who's holding a gun." Lexi said and they both chuckled.

"I heard that." Jazen sneered, which caused the two to laugh louder.

"How can y'all still laugh in this situation?" Siena asked a bit frustrated. She's now gripping Iris's arm tightly.

"Just relax, we still don't know what's about to happen, we should stay calm rather than panicking." Jisu said.

"She's righ—." Lexi's word abruptly stopped when she saw someone running fast on their way. The rest of the girls looked at her then followed her gaze, only to get surprised to see a giant monster storming towards them. "Oh s**t!" She blurted out and grabbed Jazen's hand quickly. "Run!" She yelled and all of them run as fast as they could.

Lexi and Jazen entered a secluded room, they squeezed themselves just to fit it inside, both panting and catching their breaths, heart beating rapidly. They could hear heavy footsteps outside, the monster's footsteps to be specific.

"What the hell was that?" Lexi asked whispery, holding the knob tightly just in case someone tried to open it. Meanwhile Jazen, enjoying the closeness of each's skin and taking advantage at their situation. She shut her eyes to savour the moment as Lexi really didn't want to cling more at Jazen, but this time, she couldn't notice it because she's more focus on the person she left outside.

Jisu.

"Damn, I forgot Jisu." Lexi hissed and tried to open the door but Jazen stopped her from doing so.

"Are you crazy?" She asked after she gets back to her senses. "There are monsters behind that door!"

"Lower your voice, they might hear us." Lexi shushed frustratedly.

"Then don't open that door!"

"I forgot Jisu! I have to go back!"

"Then you'll let yourself get eaten by those monsters?! No way, Lexi! I didn't joined here just to let you die!"

Lexi was taken aback by that, she looked down to meet Jazen's angry but worried eyes. "Why are you here anyway? Did you follow me?"

"I did not, I joined here on my own so I could save my parent's company from bankruptcy."

"Is that all? You sacrificed your safety because of that? That's not even your job to do!" Lexi whispered hardly.

"They arranged a marriage to me with their business partner's son, do you think I would let them ruin our relationship just because they're loosing their company?!" Jazen said back, she's getting more frustrated as Lexi, because she doesn't have any plan to tell it to her girlfriend, but things got more complicated since they met inside the mansion without informing each other. "I can't afford to marry anyone but you, Lexi, I waited for you for three years, and now that we've been together, I'm not gonna throw our relationship away just because of my parents!"

"You're one hell crazy bitch." Lexi shook her head in disbelief.

"I know, now let us wait till it's safe to go out."

____

Jisu ran upstairs, skipping two steps at the time until she reaches the long dark hallway, her eyes looking around to find a place where she can hide. She tried to open one door but unfortunately, it was locked. Then she heard a growl behind her, she didn't dare to look back and continue her run. She reached the dead end of the hallway and still couldn't find a place to hide, the monster still approaching her, 15 steps approximately from her.

"Help!" She yelled but no one seems to hear her. She tried kicking the door on her right but to no avail, it wouldn't budge at all. She finally turned around and see the monster, standing five feet away from her, growling low on its throat. "Oh god, please, Lexi help me!" She yelled again when the monster take step forward. When it seems that no one was gonna help her, she shut her eyes tightly and just wait for her end, until she was forcefully pulled inside a room, her body fell on the floor at the same time the door was shut closed hardly.

"Pew! That was close!" A girl's voice said. Jisu's gaze darted up and saw Chantelle, panting hardly while clutching her chest.

"Thank you." She said sincerely as she sat up wearily.

"You're lucky I heard you crying." Chantelle teased, offering her hand to help the girl to stand on her feet.

"I wasn't even crying, I was just yelling Lexi's name." Jisu retaliate to defend herself as she reached for the other hand and heaved up from the floor. "Why are you alone?" She asked when she didn't see the other participants.

"We got chased and I got separated with the boys."

"Are they still alive?"

"I don't know, I heard Lei screaming like a whole ass gay, I think he got caught." Chantelle shrugged, she made sure that the door was securely locked before she walks toward the bed and sat down. "If they're dead, then it's better, the less the people, the bigger rewards that I'll get."

"You're sick." Jisu said in disdained.

"Am I?" There was a mocking tone in Chantelle's voice, her left eyebrow raised intimidatingly but Jisu didn't show that she's having the bad feeling about the girl. "I just hated those boys for trying to assault me."

"Yeah?" Jisu asked uninterested, because she don't know if the girl is telling her the truth, or just making up a story so her personality wouldn't come out as a greedy b***h for money. "We're all watching you from the monitor."

"Oh really? So you've seen how they tried to r**e me."

"No, we can see that you guys are just walking in the hallway."

"We did." Chantelle said with a sad smile. "Until Hans convinced Denver and Lei to kill me so they could beat another competitor for the money prize."

"That's not what we saw." Jisu insists, even though she could see the sincerity in Chantelle's eyes and she almost got convinced to believe her, but the only thing what's stopping her is the CCTV.

"You weren't there when they attacked me. I just got lucky when Hans was suddenly lifted up from me, then that's when we saw the monster. He got bit and I think he deserves that."

Jisu fell in silent, to be honest, she's not sure anymore wether to believe or not, after all, the CCTV shown that they suddenly stopped and Hans turned around to face Chantelle, that's all she saw before the monster appeared and everyone run after that. And one more thing, if she killed the three boys, wouldn't she let her die earlier instead of saving her?

"I'm sorry." Jisu said after a few seconds of being silent. "I just don't know who to trust and who are not."

Chantelle chuckled dryly as she looked up to meet Jisu's apologetic eyes. "It's okay, I don't care wether you believe or not."

"No, really, I'm sorry."

"Where's your friends?" Chantelle asked to drop their topic as she's still uncomfortable to what happened earlier.

"I don't know, we got separated as well."

"Do you think they're still alive?"

"Of course, Lexi isn't ordinary, as well as Jazen, Siena and Iris both know how to handle themselves too."

Chantelle furrowed her brows, she looked at Jisu amusedly. "What do you mean Lexi isn't ordinary? Is she a vampire? A werewolf? An angel? Demon?"

"None of the above." Jisu chuckled. She glanced at the door before walking around room and settled herself on the old chair at the corner, near the broken and mossy windows, where she could see nothing outside but misty surroundings and shadows of trees covering the whole place. "She's a sword woman."

"A what?" Chantelle asked, as if she didn't heard it the first time.

"You know, the one who's good at using swords." Jisu explained, she even re-enact an imaginary sword, slashing the air.

"Wow, that frail body isn't useless at all." Chantelle chuckled, but immediately stopped and looked at Jisu. "How about the other three? Are they good at anything?"

"Siena is a black belter in taekwondo while Iris is her master, Jazen is a professional marksman."

"How about you?" Curiousity grew at Chantelle about Jisu's ability, because first of all, Jisu looks like a nerd, wearing a hoodie and a track pants, thick eyeglass and sneakers.

"I'm a bad girl."

"Excuse me, you're a what?" Chantelle laugh the word's out.

"I'm a bad girl." Jisu repeated. "Bad at everything." She added and Chantelle couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. She burst out into loud laughter, which caused Jisu to stand quickly and reached the girl's mouth to cover it with her hands. "Hush!"

"I'm s-sorry." Chantelle said after she removed Jisu's hand, still giggling. "You're not bad at everything, you have good sense of humour."

"Seriously, how can I save myself with this talent? Can I make those monsters laugh and then I will survive?" Jisu said sarcastically.

"Then why are you here? Aren't you aware that there'll be possible danger here?"

Jisu heaved a deep breath and exhales, she retreat back to sit and lean her back onto the headboard of the bed. "Actually, I don't know why I'm here, I just wanted to have money to avenge the death of my parents."

"Let me guess, there's a rich wicked person who hired someone to kill your parents, then the hired killer barge into your house and shot your parents then they left like nothing happened." Chantelle said, as if she was sure that what's really happen, she seems not assuming because she was sure as hell.

"The first part is right, but the hired killer didn't barge inside our house, instead, he drove a car and hit my parent's car."

"Ahh, I assumed lightly, though most of the killer are like that."

"Aren't the too common scenario is, the killer will wait for their target to come put from their house and shower them with bullets then run away?"

"I don't know, I'm not a hired killer." Chantelle said, they both looked into each other for a moment, then both laugh loudly, but immediately covered their mouth when they heard growls behind the door, the shadow that can see at the c***k under the door, moves as if it were walking back and forth to find where the laughter was coming from.

"The monsters are dumb." Jisu commented while they are both watching the shadow keeps moving.

"They're not. It's just that all of the rooms in this mansion are seems have something, I mean, once we are inside, they couldn't see us nor they couldn't see the doors." Chantelle said while her eyes roaming around the room. "I guess we're safe here."

______

It's been two hours since Lexi and Jazen hides in a narrow space, in a place where cleaning equipments are the only things around them, they quite numb for standing and not moving at their spot so they could avoid making any sounds. Lexi let Jazen to have at least a nap while the latter's head layed in her chest and all her weight is on Lexi and she used the wall to support their bodies so they wouldn't fall by leaning back, one foot pressed on the wall while the other served to balance.

Through the c***k of the door, Lexi could see the light, a morning light to be specific, but she didn't know if it's already safe to come out, so she decided to wait for another hours. She could still hear growling and heavy footsteps, as if the monsters were all pacing back and forth in the whole living room until the lights suddenly covered with darkness.

Lexi tried to peer at the c***k to see what's going on outside, but her heart skipped a beat when she met with red eye, peeking through the c***k, looking at her. Her body froze, her knees weakened at the thought that the monster already found them.

Her arms moved to wake Jazen, she tapped the latter's back lightly. "W-wake up." In a shaky voice, Lexi said.

"Hmm?"

"W-wake up babe."

"Why?" Jazen asked, her eyes were still close.

"You h-have to."

Jazen's eyebrows knitted upon hearing Lexi's trembling voice along with her body, she shot her eyes open and met the red eye on the c***k of the door. She gasped silently and tried to move, but Lexi stopped her from doing so by holding her firmly between her arms.

"He found us." Jazen whispered.

The girls looked down at the knob when they heard it slowly twisting, Jazen prepared herself, she pulled out her gun and grip it tightly, ready to fire. While Lexi gulped thickly, she didn't know what she's going to do aside from praying.

They waited, both ready to do an action, but minute had passed, nothing happened, when they looked back to see the eye, it was gone, and lights came back. Heavy footsteps scattered around the whole mansion, the monsters are running and seems going back to their hiding spot.

Lexi and Jazen wait for another minutes till they couldn't hear anything anymore but the singing birds outside the mansion, gushing of winds hitting the trees, different kind of forest animals and the sound of footsteps above them.

"Are they gone?" Jazen asked but Lexi still couldn't find her voice to speak. The red eye she saw peeking at the c***k terrified her too much that her nerves almost breakdown and she almost collapse.

"Lexi? Jazen? Jisu?" Siena's loud voice echoed through the whole mansion.

"They're alive." Lexi sigh in relief and her body visibly relax against Jazen's. She finally twisted the knob and they both stepped out.

"Thank god!" Siena exclaimed upon seeing the couple. "Where's Jisu?" She asked when she didn't saw the other girl.

Lexi began to panic, she thought that Jisu is with the other girls but it seems that she's not. She let go Jazen's hand and started to search for her friend.

"Jisu!" She yelled while opening all the doors she sees in her way. "Jisu!"

Jisu got awakened by the muffled voice, she blink her eyes to wash the sleep away and stretched her arms. She didn't notice that she fell asleep, as well as Chantelle on her side.

"Jisu where are you?!"

The voice coming from the hallway made Jisu to jumped off of the bed and ran to the door. "Lexi I'm here!" She yelled.

Lexi looked back when she heard Jisu's voice and felt the relief. "Jisu!" She yelled worriedly and run back to her friend. She engulfed Jisu tightly and released a shaky breath. "Oh my god, I'm sorry for leaving you!"

"Nah it's okay. I'm fine anyway."

"I'm really s-sorry." Lexi said, trying to hold her tears but she failed miserably, her frail body shook against Jisu's. "I'm really sorry."

"Hush now Lexi, I'm really fine and I'm glad that you're safe." Jisu said to calm her friend while rubbing Lexi's back. "Where's Jazen?"

"She's downstairs with Iris and Siena." Lexi said between her sobs. "We should get out of here." She added after she wiped her tears.

"Wait, I'll wake up Chantelle." Jisu said before she ran back inside and wake the sleeping Blonde. "Hey, wake up, we're leaving here."

Chantelle blink her eyes and slowly sat up. She looked up to Jisu with furrowed brows. "Why?"

"What do you mean why? Don't you see the monster last night?"

"I saw them, but why are we leaving?"

Jisu looked at the Blonde perplexed, her brows knitted into one line. "Do you want to die?" She asked.

"No, I want to win and get the money."

"To win? How?"

"I don't know, but I'm not leaving this place without the money." Chantelle said as she rolled out on the other side of the bed and stood up.

"We have to leave now! Forget about the money and save yourself!"

"Are you deaf? I said I'm not leaving without the money!" Chantelle groaned irritatedly and faced the girl. "If you want to go, then leave, I don't care, I'll get more money if you leave so go."

"I'm not gonna leave—."

"Jisu?" Lexi peeked in to see what's going on inside the room and which caused her to interrupt Jisu. "Is everything okay here?"

"Oh you're alive, lucky you. Now bring this friend of yours and leave me alone." Chantelle said, rolling her eyes and walked out of the room.

"What happened?" Lexi asked when Chantelle was far away from their earshot.

"She don't want to go." Jisu sighs.

"Why?"

"I don't know, she's crazy."

"Jisu, Lexi! Come down here, you need to see this!" Jazen called from the living room, since the mansion in dead silent, they could hear the girl clearly.

The two girls get down and they are too terrified to see Francis's body, some parts of his body were scattered on the floor and the sofa where his body laid was covered with blood before the monsters attacked them. Lexi whipped her head to the corner where they left Blake, but the guy wasn't no longer there. The ropes are all cut out using a sharp tools.

"Where's Blake?" Lexi asked. The other girls looked at the chair but sees no one there.

"You think the monster ate him?" Siena asked.

"He deserves it." Iris said.

"No one deserve to die, I hope he manage to escape." Lexi said, earning a weird look from the other girls.

"The guy wants you dead and you wished him to be alive, what a bullshit." Jazen scoffed.

"He's just mad and thought that we killed his best friend, it's normal for him to act like that."

"I don't think he's still alive." Jisu chimes in while examining the ropes, there are blood on it.

"Help! Please help us!" Everyone looked up to see Denver and Lei, running downstairs while carrying wounded Hans. The first thing Chantelle did is steal the gun in Jazen's hand and pointed it at the three boys, which caused everyone to stop.

"Hey, that's my gun!" Jazen sneered.

"I'll just borrow three bullets." Chantelle said and was about to pull the trigger but Jisu moved quickly and pushed Chantelle's hands, the gunshot echoed but it didn't hit no one but the ceiling.

"You're really crazy!" Jisu hissed and used her strength to get the gun.

"I told you, they tried to r**e me!" Everyone gasped except Jisu upon hearing Chantelle.

"Look, we're very sorry about that, we were just making fun of you and—." Lei's words were interrupted when he suddenly fell on the floor after Iris punched his face, and which caused Denver to fell as well along with wounded Hans.

"How dare you to do that!" Iris groaned and kick Lei in his stomach.

"Hey hey, everybody calm down." Lexi said and pulled Iris away from the boys. "Let's deal with it later, we have to leave this place for now."

"We can't, all the doors are locked outside, even windows are all locked." Siena said.

"So you mean we're all gonna stay here?" Denver asked horrifically.

"I don't know, we should look and let's find a way out." Lexi said.

"Let me kill them first before I leave." Chantelle said, glaring tat the boys.

"Stop it, let the law punish them." Jisu tried to convinced the Blonde but the latter just rolled her eyes.

"I'd rather to stay in jail than being here." Lei whispered but loud enough to be heard while standing on his feet.

"Let's—." Lexi's words were interrupted when they heard a loud bang upstairs, they all froze, thinking that the monsters came back.

The monitor create a sounds to get their attention, they all looked at it and read what's written on the screen.

"Day 1 completed. 11 survivors, 1 terminated."

"11?" Jisu asked confusedly, she started counting every heads, excluding Francis's because he's headless, and including the missing Blake, with the total of 10 person. "There are only 10 and one dead body here."

"So you mean there's another one?" Lexi asked, they all looked up when they heard another loud bang, not sure if it's coming from the second floor or from another floor.

The monitor turned off, then it turned on right away, revealing the last participants, kicking the door and trying to get out in a room.

"Is that Trevor?!" Jazen exclaimed when they saw the man.

"He is, now what is he doing here?!" Jisu commented, snapping her head to Lexi, who seems too shocked to see her best friend upstairs. "He's the 11th person."

"Damn it!" Lexi blurted out and run upstairs, leaving everyone behind. "I'm so going to kill you, Trevor!" Lexi hissed while following the banging on the forth floor of the mansion.

_________