Chapter Sixty-Seven Sixty Seconds
I’m My Own High School Rival: Rika’s Arc: Of Fate and Future.
“Well,” she said, pushing the green door open while blocking the exit with her arm. “I’ve said what I wanted, Cross. Do you have anything for me?”
I wanted to laugh at the question because she couldn’t be any taller than 5'5, yet she was stronger, faster, and more deadly than me at 5'9. I shifted my weight, thumbing the handle of my knife.
I could stab her in the neck, but— I only had a kitchen knife; it was better than nothing.
“You can try to kill me here, Cross,” she said. “The one-minute rule still applies, so I won’t fight back, but I won’t stand still.”
She pushed her hair out of her face, still holding me with her eyes and smiling.
I traced the outline of the open door with my eyes. The old frame felt larger than any I’d seen, like it was ready to swallow me.
“Once you cross…” she giggled, earning my glare, “the game starts. You’ve got thirty seconds before I decide for you, starting now,” she said, dropping the arm that blocked the doorway.
Die here or on the run…
"Unless you’re feeling lucky," she said, raising her head high, exposing her throat.
"I guess not. Well, Cross–"
Without hesitation, I ran into the hallway, surveying the corridor. The room was at the end of the corridor, and—
“One… two… three…”
I turned as she reached six.
I darted down the hallway, the only available way.
****
More time… Why couldn’t she give me more time?!
I raced around the corner, nearly running into the cracked beige wall.
How long has it been?
“Ten… eleven... twelve…”
The air burned my lungs as I passed door after green-decorated door.
A few of the hallway lights flickered.
The sound of steel scraping rock etched its refrain into my ear…
Is she breaking the rules?
“Twenty… twenty-one… twenty-two…”
My blood ran cold as I turned, but she wasn’t there…
I blinked, expecting her to appear…
“Twenty-three… twenty-four… twenty-five,” she counted, voice echoing in my head; each number louder.
I found a stairwell, colliding with the wall as I tried to slow my pace, and ran down, but my legs felt like limp noodles.
Something hard was in my pocket, and it jammed into my thigh.
I couldn’t tell if she was counting or if it was in my head. Each step felt like my legs would give out.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the phone Kami gave me…
Why didn’t she…
A loud crash came from the fifth floor, and my heart ran before I could.
I squeezed the flip phone. My eyes watered, and my hands shook as I raised my fist before a green door… with colorfully artsy drawings of flowers and writing that read
This isn’t the end of our journey, just the next step.
My hand hovered next to the door.
Who am I if I knock?
A knot formed in my stomach.
I… don’t even know him, and I’ve already considered—
Something that sounded like footsteps emanated.
Tears streamed down my cheeks.
I knocked once and felt sick.
Twice, and my heart skipped a beat.
A third knock, and I felt dizzy, yet no one answered.
Move legs!
I tore down the hallway.
I want to live, I want to l—
“Hello…” a voice rang out, causing my heart to stop. “Hey! Did you knock?!”
I stopped full sprint, almost tripping.
Shut up, shut up, shut up and go back inside…
I turned around to shout, lungs burning, but she was already there.
The killer lifted her hand into the air, and it hovered over his head.
The man at the door watched me run down the hall.
I couldn't find words.
She took him by his hair, exposing his neck.
I clenched my teeth, but they rattled too much.
Her warm smile was gone now.
I was crying… for someone I didn’t know.
She pulled his head back; her knife kissed his throat…
I stopped running. I was too late, so I pulled at my hair.
She pushed him to the floor.
But the man wrapped his hands around his throat, kicking and contorting.
But she only watched me, not him.
I turned and started running again, but I didn’t hear her footsteps.
Just the sound of him, choking.
***
I made my way down a flight of crumbling stairs, faint echoes of choking looping in my ears.
I stepped, and a large piece of the grey rock broke off, falling into the dark.
I squeezed my fist and remembered that I was still holding the flip phone Kami had given me. Flipping it open, I noticed that her contacts and messages had been deleted…
Shrewd beast.
I dialed it from memory… the one thing I could trust, shoved it into my pocket, and continued running.
Sakura…
***
I stumbled onto the third floor and ran.
Footsteps…
My lungs ignited again.
I turned the corner as the elevator door opened.
My heart fluttered and then sank as a boy and his father stepped into the hall like an arena.
“Dad… look. His skin,” said the child, pointing at me.
“Daiki!” he yelled. “I’m sorry… he’s only eight.”
I… didn’t knock, so they’re safe—
A blur of white blew past me.
My legs moved; I grabbed the knife from my waist.
“Goodbye… Kami,” I whispered, as I chased after her.
The man pushed the small child back.
“Run, Daiki!” he screamed, causing my skin to crawl.
She’s too fast.
She grabbed him by the hair; she bent his neck to the side. Her blade raised.
Breathless, I closed in, knife ready—
Pain erupted from my face as something slammed into my jaw, sending me crashing into the wall behind the man.
I was… on the floor?
“You can wait your turn, Cross,” she said, body half turned, glaring down at me.
I tried to get up… but I was too weak.
She turned back to him.
He sprayed something into her eyes…
“Hell!” she yelped, wiping her eyes.
I crawled toward her, belly dragging.
Her blade dug into him. The second was faster. The third only tore clothing.
“I’m sorry… please stop… Please!”
I gritted my teeth, driving my knife through her foot, through bone.
She dropped him and grabbed me by the shirt.
“Fine, Cross, you can die next!” She lifted me up, and I twisted out of my shirt.
I felt her knife slip beneath my ribs, and gritted my teeth.
I fell to the floor.
A hiss split the air, and white mist sent her reeling back; the father had sprayed her again.
“Get up!” The father’s hand reached down and grabbed me, hoisting me.
“Why are you helping me?” I asked, holding my wound.
“Shut up and run!” he shouted with a shaky voice.
She was still wiping her face.
I could kill her right now and this—
He pulled me, and I ran with him.
“Daiki!” he cried out, tears streaming down his face.
They're just normal people.