The Killing School Life

The Reaping of the 125th Hunger Games draws nearer and nearer.

The Districts grow more and more nervous.

Some prepare to volunteer; others pray not to be chosen.

Nonetheless, they are all anxious.

These fifteen are no different.

They make their way to the Reaping...

...but never reach it.



 Welcome to the Killing School Life 

Fifteen candidates for the Hunger Games from all across Panem mysteriously disappeared before the Reaping. Perhaps they decided to rebel by not attending, perhaps they lost their way and wandered off somewhere else... or perhaps they were forcefully taken, stolen, kidnapped, and locked away in a despairing prison with no hope of escaping.

They awaken to find themselves trapped inside a school. Windows and doors leading to the outside world were barricaded with steel, and cameras were lurking in every corner to monitor their every movement.

They found a scrap of paper with words hastily scribbled on it as if a four-year-old had written it. On it was a simple message telling them to go to the gymnasium. Someone is waiting...

The Rules

 * 1) You may submit one student. You may now submit up to two students. Incomplete students will not be accepted.
 * 2) Students may be of any gender or District, but a variety is preferred.
 * 3) Students must be aged between sixteen and eighteen.
 * 4) Students must have an uncropped Lunaii in .png format.
 * 5) In the comment, include your student's ultimate talent.
 * 6) A talent is anything the student is exceptionally good at.
 * 7) It can range from talents such as artist, singer, anthropologist, martial artist, photographer or detective to weirder other talents like gambler, hope, luckster, undertaker, hall monitor or despair.
 * 8) These are just examples--a talent can be anything similar to these.
 * 9) In addition to a talent, students must be relatively important people in Panem.
 * 10) For example, a famous celebrity, the child of a mayor, someone coming from a line of victors or any other important person.
 * 11) The more active you are, the higher chance your student has of getting away with murder graduating.
 * 12) To prove you read this, add in your comment, "Smile at hope in the name of despair."
 * 13) If your student's backstory is over two thousand words, attach a condensed version somewhere.
 * 14) Enjoy the killing school life, and embrace despair!

Daily Life
“Why are we here?” A blonde girl snapped, obviously irritated.

A tall boy crossed his arms. “Tch. I was going to volunteer, but then this happened.”

“Alright, joke’s over,” one of the girls said. “Whoever brought us here, come out. We’ll all be punished for being late to the reaping, you know!”

The fifteen of them continued bickering amongst each other, all equally confused about their situation.

“We all arrived here the same way, right?” A particularly pale girl spoke up. The others turned to her. “I mean, we were all headed to the reaping, and then we suddenly lost consciousness and woke up in this school.”

“Sounds about right.” A light-haired boy nodded.

“Well, what are we supposed to do now?” A brunette sighed.

“It seems the most logical thing to do right now is to follow that paper’s instructions,” suggested a girl with an icy tone.

“And walk right into a trap?” A boy with scars on his face scoffed. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

“Do you have any better ideas?” The cold girl retorted.

“We might as well head to the gymnasium and see what the matter is,” a dark-haired girl commented.

Multiple voices roared against that, and chaos ensued once more. It was getting a little annoying at this point, in my opinion. They continued arguing with one another until the unanimous decision to go to the gymnasium finally came.

The fifteen made their way through the long halls of the building until they came across a large, red door that was way too fancy for a door leading to a school gymnasium.

“This is definitely the wrong place!”

“The map led us here, though.”

“Ugh, can we just get in already?”

They barged in through the grand doors to be greeted by… a perfectly normal gymnasium. There was a basketball court surrounded by benches for spectators. The only weird objects were the six basketballs in the middle of the court and the stage at the far end of the room with an empty speaker’s stand.

“What now?” One of them asked.

Someone rolled his eyes. “I told you this was a trap.”

“Maybe we’re in the wrong room,” a girl suggested.

“Actually, you’re in the right room, and fret not! This is no trap.”

Everyone froze immediately, then turned their heads around to see where that high-pitched and almost comical voice came from.

The speakers blared with that same voice once more. “Mic testing, mic testing!”

“Who conducts a mic test after you already saw it worked?” The blond boy rolled his eyes.

“Ah, please bear with me!” That voice spoke once more, giggling at what it said for no apparent reason.

“What’s so funny?” Someone growled.

“Turn to the stage, please!” The voice requested. “I can’t bear the suspense any longer!”

Without further ado, they all turned to the stage. They were anxious in anticipation of what was about to happen next. From behind the stand popped out—

“A… stuffed teddy bear?” The pale girl cocked her head to one side.

The stuffed toy stood up, triggering everyone to jump back and even cause some to scream.

“It—It moved!” Someone shrieked.

“We can see that.”

“Is this how you address your headmaster?” The black-and-white bear would’ve looked offended had its face not been sewn into a smile. It shook its head. “My, my, I’m so hurt that my dear students have no manners!”

“Alright, cut the crap. I’ve had enough of this nonsense,” snapped the blond boy. “Who’s controlling this toy? I’ll snap your neck!”

“But I’m no toy!” The toy exclaimed. “I’m Monokuma!”

“Mono-what now?”

“Clean your ears of wax, Mr Torres!” The bear shouted. “I said I’m Monokuma! Your headmaster!”

The Torres guy stammered. “It—It knows my name?”

“Okay, this joke has gone too far!” A blonde girl declared, grey eyes thundering.

“Education is no joke, Ms DeVexia!” Monokuma tutted. DeVexia’s eyes flashed dangerously at the mention of her name.

Monokuma regrettably shook his head. “Ah, this is so disheartening. I thought my students would have introduced themselves to each other by now. Oh, well! You do that on your own time. Right now, I’ve got a beary important announcement to make.”

“Oh, my God, I just understood why he was making those bear puns.”

The stuffed bear jumped off the stage and walked towards the students. It would’ve been intimidating had it not been barely one foot tall.

“Listen up!” Monokuma announced. “I’ll keep this to the point: you’ve been gathered here as a social experiment. Now, don’t make your faces so sour—I thought you all would’ve been more grateful, considering you’re being protected from joining the Hunger Games. Your school life begins now, so make sure to make friends and be yourself!”

“Make friends? Be ourselves?” One girl narrowed her eyes at Monokuma.

“Precisely, Ms Liang!” Monokuma twirled around to meet her confused gaze.

Liang blinked. “I wasn’t—”

“There is no deadline to this school life!” Monokuma continued. “There’s no need to rush with anything. You can live as freely as possible within the confines of this school.”

It took a moment for the realisation to hit each one of them.

“You mean,” started the pale girl, “we’re trapped in this school forever?”

Monokuma pondered this for a moment. “Well, if you want to leave, there is one way…”

“What is it?”

“Tell us now!”

Multiple voices shot up, asking for this secret method.

“It’s quite simple, really.” The bear grinned, but in its red eye was a malicious glint. “All you need to do is one simple thing.”

Everyone was shaking in anticipation.

“Kill someone.”

''Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.''

As the clock lazily snapped its fingers, a blanket of silence suffocated the gym. The students all cowered in paranoia. Some shrilled like a banshee. Others morphed into sullen statues of flesh. All warily rotated their heads and eyed each other with suspicion. Nobody could bring their voices to the world, until at last the dark-haired girl spoke:

“So you take us out of the hunger games, just to force us into hosting a private, smaller version of them?”

“Well, not quite. But yeah, close enough Miss Plutus.” Unlike the others who had been named and shamed, Plutus shrugged it off. Her eyelids refused to budge a millimeter, only closing to moisturize the surface.

“What do you mean, close enough?” A brown-haired boy spoke.

“I’m glad you asked, Mr Harvi-”

“Pardon my interruption, but I’d rather you referred to me informally.”

“Pardon my peculiarly articulate mannerisms of speech, but as the headmaster, I shall refer to everyone however I desire to. Now then! With that, it’s time to explain what I meant.”

“About time.” The unnamed blonde boy mumbled, quietly so that Monokuma wouldn’t sass him up. At the same time, the bear waddled to the stand, though it dwarfed him like a giant. Had they not heard him work the microphone, the students would’ve believed the bear had no way to get up there. After leaping on top of the stand, Monokuma began his miniature speech:

“Listen up! These killing games are far more different to the hunger games you’re all used to. Rather than relying on your physical strength, you will need to use your brains and plotting a lot more. Now now careers, don’t get mad. Those of you who aren’t utterly useless in the head will have no problem.” A couple of the students rolled their eyes. “In a nutshell, if you kill someone and get away with it, you will be freed from this school to enjoy the harmonious life out there. If not, well…”

“Well what? Spit it out!” The boy with scars growled.

“I was just getting there Mr. Sharpclaw! Sheesh, can’t you be polite like Mr. Harvick? Anyway, if you get caught in the act, you yourself shall be punished.” The other students began to sweat porous buckets: There was a sort of emphasis on punishment which made them question the severity of it.

“So… does this mean more than one of us can leave, just by getting away with the murder?”

“Nope! Sorry I didn’t throw it in before, please bear with me.”

“If you have to make puns, don’t use the same one twice.”

“... As I was saying before Miss Anthropini interrupted,” The aforementioned girl shot a death glare at Monokuma. “If you get away with the murder, you and you alone will leave the school. Everyone else dies.” Silence. The bear awaited some sort of comment to roast, but for once there was nothing to say: Everyone was stupidly afraid. “Ah, but I know what you’re wondering: What other sick tricks will this bastard pull out of his non-existent sleeve?”

“No, no we weren’t.” The icy girl coked her head slightly. “But since you are willing to share more with us… go ahead.”

“Thank you for the bluntness Miss Azarling.” She widened her eyes. Whether or not it was genuine surprise, only she knew. “Along with the adrenaline-rushing fear of deception, betrayal and death, there are also rules you all have to abide by. There’s several of them, but you may not remember them all. That’s why I have a most genious device which will help you remember! Let me just fetch them.” Monokuma nipped round behind the stand, randomly muttering to himself. Many items flew from behind there, including a half-eaten doughnut, a rubber band ball and a magazine with an… interesting cover of a nude woman. At last, a pile of fifteen E-Handbooks edged out from behind, shuffling until they were in plain sight. Monokuma began to pant heavily as they leant against the books.

“Boy… whew… so… here they are. Make sure to grab your own book and not someone else’s. If you need any more information, just call for me. I have ears and eyes everywhere. Good day, goodbye and happy killing!” And as swiftly as he had arrived, Monokuma vanished behind the stand. A boy with long hair casually strolled up to the podium, finding no trace of the bear.

“He’s gone.” He announced in a monotone voice, causing the other students to sigh in relief.

“So… what now?” A silky-haired girl questioned. Should we buy a single word of his?”

“Pfft. This must be a joke. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” A blonde haired girl scoffed.

“But w-what if it isn’t? I-I mean, it could get us killed for all we kn-know.” A raven-haired girl trailed her eyes off into the distance. Most of the guests grew restless, some debating the idea of the scheme. Everything escalated, until at last, a dirty-blonde haired girl found her voice:

“Everybody shut up for one second! We aren’t going to solve this crisis by arguing it out. We need cooperation, teamwork, trust! For the sake of freedom and my ears, please… Just calm down.” The words seemed to soothe the others: Grimaces were banished, glares faded like mist and heart rates dropped like a trapdoor.

“She’s right. Squabbling like clucking chickens will get us nowhere. Don’t mind what that Monokuma thing told us. Right now, we have to do some homework of our own.” Everyone chattered in unrefuted agreement at the blonde-haired boy. “We might as well start with getting to know each other's’ names. That way, we’ll be able to identify each other quickly.”

“Definitely!”

“May as well.”

“I have no problem with it.”

“Alright, cool.” The boy gave a small smile. “We should stand in a circle: That way, we’re less likely to miss someone out.” Everyone shuffled gently into position, some still staring at others with doubt.

“Anybody want to start? I will if nobody else wants to.” No response. “Alright. I’m Lysander Gale, and I hope we can all get along.” He gestured to his left to one of the people already mentioned by Monokuma, hair swaying as he did so.

“Harry Torres. As long as you don’t bother me with your bullshit, I think we should be fine.” Harry scoffed as he crossed his arms. A smirk played on his face.

“My name is Ambrosia Plutus. A pleasure to meet you all.” Though “Ambrosia’s” mouth smiled, her eyes did not: Something which was hidden under her straightened fringe.

“Marissa Anthropini. I’d rather if you called me Mara though.” She fiddled with her glove-covered hands, shading everyone away from her beastly form.

“Hello everyone, I’m Ami Liang. Feel free to let me know if you want to hang out.” Unlike the fake persona of Ambrosia, her eyes seemed to twinkle with delight. This did not, on the other hand, allow her to avoid the potential prejudice of appearing snobbish.

Several seconds passed before the next person stirred from her daydream.

“Oh, sorry! I’m Brianna Burrs.” As she flushed in embarrassment, some of the others chuckled at her nature. None of it was intended to be mockery, instead uniting most of the room together.

“... Nova Deimos.” Her lips glued themselves together.

“Genevieve Azarling. I have a feeling that some of you may recognise me from my films, but please don’t make me return to those times.” She stared down at her feet, missing the reddened cheeks of Lysander and the goofy grin of the platinum blonde-haired girls.

“I’m Michiko Arakawa.” Michiko adjusted a strand of her silky hair behind her ear. Two seconds later, it released itself free from its cage.

“Hey, I’m Dariella Barbary.” She offered a subtle wink, flicking her fringe away from her face.

“My name’s DeVexia. Brooke DeVexia, as that stupid bear said.” Her fists clenched tightly together, a rough tone enhancing her voice.

“Marcella Brynlee.” The last of the girls sighed as she got her introduction over with.

“Anthony Sharpclaw.” The scarred boy grunted. He shifted his cap slightly, though it made little difference to his overall demeanour.

“I-I’m Solavirum Opregte.” A gloomy expression belittled his sorrowful face.

“Hello everyone, I’m Jekovah Harvick.” The sole brown-haired boy took a few deep breaths, shaking his head as he did so, rounding up everyone who had been kidnapped.

“So that’s everyone introduced… now shall we get the tablet things?” Brianna enquired.

“Yes, we should.” Anthony gruffly answered. Just as he spun around to fetch them, one was swiftly placed in his hands. A look of surprise spread on his face, just as the other person nodded: Nova. He glanced around to see Ambrosia also handing out the E-handbooks. Each person immediately switched it on, with some swapping the ones they received for those they actually owned. At Lysander’s suggestion, everyone waited until they had their own E-handbook before they read on.

Harry briefly glanced over everyone as the commotion died down. Once it did, he piped up:

“Alright, let’s see what that fucking overgrown teddy wants us to do!”

Monokuma Theater

''Meanwhile, velvety red drapes gracefully slid across the scene. A black silhouetted audience took their places, some staring at the neon pink sign above: ‘Monobear Theater’. The curtains took their leave, revealing a red wall and none other than Monokuma himself.''

''“Why hello everyone!” He greeted cheerfully, raising his paw in the air and waving it. “Now I know what you’re wondering, ‘Oh wonderful fabulous Monokuma, what is this grace you have blessed us with?’” Monokuma began to chortle. “I’m glad you indirectly and involuntarily asked! This is the Monobear Theater, also known as the Monokuma theatre. It is hosted by, you guessed it! John Cena! But seriously, I’m the host and if you suggested John Cena, I’d be tempted to summon the spears of Gungnir against you!” Appearing dejected, Monokuma regained his composure. Under his breath he mumbled something about wanting to meet his hero. “What is the purpose of this, you may ask? Why that’s easy! It’s here to do jack shit! I get to say what’s on my mind with my melodious voice, and you can be despairingly annoyed for my amusement! Upupupu.”''

''Monokuma raised his paws to his face. “Oh, but you wanted to see what the rules are? Tough! You’ll have to wait for the next installment from the taco or wolf. Knowing their excruciating despair, they’ve probably changed their identity to escape the pleasure of writing about me.” He huffed out his chest a little. For a moment, he seemed to be out of energy. Then, out of nowhere, he raised his arms defiantly. "Well guess what! They won't be escaping any time soon! Not on my watch!" The audience cheered as the screen faded to black, Monokuma taking a bow and catching a few bouquets.''

Thus began the first day of this new eternity where teenagers from all over Panem came together to this school. They were now shielded from the brutality of the Hunger Games. Naturally, they hated it.

The first day was spent trying to find an exit out of the school. The fifteen of them split up into groups to search the school and find any way out. After their exploration, they agreed to meet back up at the cafeteria for a discussion.

“Alright, team, what have we found?” Lysander asked, sitting down at the table.

“Jekovah, Nova and I looked at every window or easy-to-break-through way out of the school,” Michiko explained, her voice smooth and cold like ice. “Every single one was barricaded—the windows, especially, had steel plates drilled onto them. It’s impossible to remove.”

Michiko’s group seemed quiet. Jekovah looked uncomfortable, seeing as every attempt to have a casual chat with either Michiko or Nova had failed.

Dariella started, “We checked the front entrance of the school—”

“You mean,” Harry interrupted, annoyed, “Solavirum and I checked the front entrance of the school. You sat around and did nothing, Dariella.” Solavirum neither agreed nor disagreed. Dariella rolled her eyes. Harry then continued, “The front entrance is locked and sturdy. There’s no way past it, and believe me, we tried busting it down.”

You mean I tried busting it down, considering you didn’t do much yourself, Solavirum wanted to say, but he spoke no word.

Ami cleared her throat. Her spritely voice caught everyone’s attention as she began, “I was exploring the school with Brianna and Ambrosia—” she gestured to her teammates, “—and it seems every room has a camera in it. Not to mention, the hallways all have cameras that follow you when you move. I think it’s Monokuma’s way of keeping an eye on us, but are so many cameras really necessary?”

“It does feel like an invasion of privacy.” Brianna grimaced.

The girl who called herself Ambrosia nodded. “Even the dorms have cameras pointed straight at the beds. I don’t think anyone would feel comfortable sleeping on them.”

“The kitchens apparently get restocked on food every day,” said Marissa. Anthony nodded behind her while Genevieve remained silent. “No starving, it seems.”

“Mm,” Lysander mused. “Well, Marcella, Brooke and I found out that the stairs have been blocked off. It seems we can only explore the first floor.”

“I wonder why that is,” Marcella pondered. Brooke crossed her arms.

Jekovah bit his lip and uttered the words everyone was thinking but dared not to say. “So, it seems there really is no way out of this school.”

Silence.

The words hung in the air and brought in an uncomfortable atmosphere. It wasn’t until a few moments later that Nova decided to break the silence.

“I mean, there is one way out,” Nova suggested. As everyone turned to her, anxious and excited, she suddenly regretted speaking up. Nonetheless, she continued. “We all heard what that bear said, right? The only way out is to kill someone.”

The silence returned, and everyone felt the tension in the air. Some people shifted uncomfortably while others looked down at the floor.

“What?” Harry snapped. “Are you trying to threaten us, Deimos?”

“I believe she is simply warning us.” It was Michiko who spoke up. “We live in Panem. We’ve seen the Hunger Games. Killing is not a novel idea to any of us.”

“What are you getting at?” Lysander tilted his head.

“What I’m saying,” the icy girl continued, “is that some of us here have already begun making plans to murder someone.”

“If you’re thinking I planned to kill one of you,” said Nova, “then that’s not it. I just wanted to say be careful, because someone is.”

Silence hung in the air once more. Everyone was becoming nervous. The tension was almost agonising. Doubt began to fill up the hearts of the students as they had already begun suspecting each other.

“In that case,” Brianna piped up, “I’d like to suggest a plan.”

The others turned to her. She continued, “How about we make a rule of our own? No one leaves their dorms when it’s night-time, starting from 10:00 p.m. and ending at 7:00 a.m. If we do this, we can all rest easy and sleep at night as no one should be out at that time.”

“I’m fine with that,” said Jekovah. Collective agreement and chatter spread through the room as everyone reached a unanimous agreement.

“I’d also like to suggest,” Ami offered, “that we all meet up here at this cafeteria everyday at 8:00 a.m. That way, we can always keep track of who shows up and who doesn’t, and if someone doesn’t show up…”

Then they’d know who died.

“Uh, anyway!” Ami shook her head. “I’m sure we’ll eventually find another way out of this place. All of us. Don’t worry—no one’s going to die.”

Her words gave new hope to the doubtful students, reassuring the fifteen of them as they began leaving the cafeteria and going on with their own business. It truly seemed after that that their harmony would not be ruined. Maybe they really will find a way out. Maybe no one will have to die.

But you and I both know that’s not true, don’t we?

Thus, their first evening within the school had commenced. By now, the vast majority of students had abandoned their efforts to find a way out. Though it was nearly 10:00pm, almost everyone had strayed away from their dormitories in order to fulfill their desired actions. Socialising, exploring, erm, “doing their business”. Maybe even plotting. Nonetheless, everyone shared one thing in common: Paranoia kept snapping at them like a rabid dog.

A lone student roamed around the hallways. Eyes darting side to side like a minnow, Marcella Brynlee analysed every inch of her surroundings. Unsatisfied with her findings, she had acted upon her desired to scour the area. All she could focus on was the blocked off stairs: What was the point of installing them if they were inhibited? And where did they lead to? Shaking her head, Marcella probed further. Her fingers nimbly felt around every nook and cranny. Nothing there. Nope. Negative. Drearily disappointed, she considered giving up and going to bed. Her sullen eyes drooped down and a hesitant yawn pervaded the silent air. Would she uncover their secret? That depended on the twist of fate. Whether everything was just a prank. Whether there really was a way out. Whether the trial would offer boring hope or blissful despair. If there even is a trial, which you know fully well is guaranteed.

Faint footsteps fumbled against the floor.

Anticipating an attack, Marcella swiftly spun around and threw up her fist...

...Into the hand of Harry Torres.

“Harry?” She spoke, shadowing her surprise. “Wh-what are you doing sneaking around like-like that?”

“Relax, relax.” He chuckled lightly. “Just a few murders here and there, you know.”

“Your sarcasm is highly unappreciated.” Marcella mumbled.

“Oh, my apologies then. Right, got it,” Running his hand through his hair, Harry continued.”In reality, I was just wandering around in case anybody, y’know…” The sentence required no completion: Monokuma’s message was set in stone. “But enough about me, what are you doing loitering around here?”

“I was just double-checking the stairs, in case there was a secret way to open them.” She shook her head. “No luck so far.” All Harry could do was nod in response.

“Well, you might want to give up on your wild goose chase. Not only will Monocougar-”

“Monokuma.”

“Monokuma, Monocougar, Mono-whatever. At least people know who I’m referring too.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, there’s no point checking those stairs. I doubt Monodouchebag will give us anything hopeful.”

“You never know… everyone has to slip up at one point. As disturbingly intricate as the architecture is, there is a larger chance of errors being made. Until we get out of this place, I’m not giving up on escape.” At this, Harry scoffed.

“Good luck with that.” He said. “And I thought you District Three erudites were intelligent.” Marcella’s back flinched, but regained its composure.

“What, just because we work with technology? You District One dwellers really are as dumb as I suspected.”

“Excuse me?” Harry spoke, voice sharper than a blade. “You do know who you are talking to, right?”

“Yes I do. Harry Torres” The blonde headed boy rolled his eyes.

“Then you know I could easily kill you right here, right now, right?”

“Yes, but does that matter when the point is to avoid being caught? The way you’re raising your voice would give it away in an instant.”

“My what?” Without even noticing, Harry had indeed raised his voice. “One of these days, Marcella, you’ll regret backchatting me like this.”

“Noted. You know, I really hoped we could avoid any tension between us. Or anyone for that matter.” She sighed. “But how can I hope to get along with a bully?”

“A bully? That’s too far! All I was saying is how naive you are.”

“Naivety and intelligence are two different contexts. And let’s not forget the threat. I’d have punched you by now had it not been for our circumstances.” Harry’s fingers itched.

“Well then… on that note, I’d better get going. It will be bedtime soon. I wish you the worst of luck on your search.”

“And I hope the bedbugs bite.” Rolling their eyes at each other, Harry began to backtrack the route he had taken. Marcella began her fruitless pursuit again, when the mother of all screams pierced her eardrums. ‘Harry?’ Upon instinct, she desperately glanced around her surroundings in search of a hiding spot. In the end, she sprinted to a nearby cupboard and squeezed herself into in. Loose sheets of papyrus and books dug into her back, but the comfort was still preferable to all the bins she hid in.

It was funny how far the past was willing to go to haunt her: Anyone could hunt her within Monokuma’s headquarters; Just like the peacekeepers whilst they scoured the area for Marcella’s family and siblings. Just like the person who had probably killed Harry. Raspy breaths escaped her lips and she forced her lungs to freeze. The living statue tensed her hands, ready to prise free from her rock solid state.

“Marcella? Where the hell are you?” Marcella let off a small gasp of relief: Harry hadn’t died after all. But then… what did he see? Nonetheless, she called out to him:

“I’m in here.” One kick later, and she was out. In all honesty, she was amused that he had come wailing for her help after their escapade. Although she was tempted to make mockery of his antics, she held it back and decided against it.

“Thank god. Listen, I saw something REALLY atrocious! Come on!” Before she could even protest, Harry had grabbed her wrist and dragged her along like she was a wagon. Her feet skidded across the floor. A grimace played upon her face. Eventually, it all halted. Anxious and afraid, Marcella opened the gateway for her bright blue orbs.

Only to be met with a moth.

“Harry? Are you kidding me?”

“N-No I’m serious! That abomination is-it’s-”

“It’s a moth.” A gentle flap of her hand, and the bug flew away. “Nothing to be afraid of.”

“Y-yeah. I, er, thought somebody was about to kill me when I saw it. Yes, it looked just like a throwing knife.” Harry sighed.

“Even though it’s far too small to be one.” Marcella said. “Never thought I’d see someone so gruff be scared of something so… ordinary.”

“S-scared? What, me? No way!” Harry scoffed, swiftly regaining his composure. “Why, if anything, I’m-” Before he could continue, a ding dug into his ears like a bell. And again. And again. And again. Four dings. Marcella and him eyed each other with suspicion, before a voice piped up: “Ahem! May I have your attention please? The time is now 10:00 P.M. The cafeteria is now off-limits, and the door will be locked momentarily. And with that, I wish you all a good night. Sweet dreams... “ And with that, the sound faded like a forgotten memory.

Marcella and Harry stared at each other, slightly bewildered. “That’s odd. One minute, he’s egging us on to kill each other and the next, he’s like your average everyday grandma.” Harry slightly chuckles at his comment, but Marcella stares at him unamused.

“Well, whatever his beef is, it’s still time to go to bed.” She rolls her eyes. “I would keep on looking, but I don’t want to ignore Brianna’s proposal.” “Yeah. I’ll see you around, unfortunately.” “Unfortunately indeed… Well bye.” The duo parted, leaving behind fragments of irritation that they could not bear to hold onto.

Monokuma Theatre

''The curtains slid away from each side like two magnets repelling each other. The audience were still seatd contently in their seats, with none paying attention to the neon sign. All eyes were on the head bear: Monokuma.''

''“Hello again, my fellow despair-induced chums!” Monokuma raises his paw, flopping it around like a fish in the sea. “I want you to participate in something. And trust me, it will be despair-inducing. Think of one thing everybody likes!” He pauses for a bit, as if expecting a response. “Alright. What might you have thought of? Family? Friends? Pets? Pizza? I swear if you don’t like pizza…” Monokuma’s shoulders droop briefly. Then they spike up, a new vigour filling his body. ''

''“You’re all wrong! Admit it! Deep down, we’re all selfish pricks. And because everyone is a selfish prick, I was thinking about birthdays!” Monokuma dances around, a party hat having been dropped from the ceiling onto his head. “Boy, don’t we all love receiving presents of things we’ve received. The parties, the happiness, the annoying family reunion… yeah. Mostly good times right? But you’re also blissfully ignorant that you’re only one year closer to your death.” The stuffed bear chortles, hands on his ribcage. “And you ‘t know what else is worse? Let’s say some idiot messed everything up… Burnt the house down, stole the gifts, pissed everyone off… what’s worse? Or are they as equally as bad? I don’t care.” He drops his head down. “I… I just want you all to realise that not everything can be a big super happy fun fun game forever! Unless you get stuck on that one level in the Simpsons Game... But enough about games, there's a killing one which is more interesting than a family trying to save their hometown.” Once more, the audience cheers as the curtains shield Monokuma from plain view.''

“Gooooooood morning! It is now 7:00 a.m. Rise and shine! Let’s make today into the beary best day it can be.”

The P.A. announcement sounded in everyone’s room. Being woken up by a poor recording of a homicidal teddy bear wasn’t the most ideal way to wake up, but it made everyone leave their beds. Each of the fifteen went through their personal morning rituals before remembering Ami’s suggestion. Consequently, by 8:00 a.m. they were all gathered at the cafeteria.

…or I’d like to say they were, but let’s be honest—most of these teenagers weren’t very punctual.

By 8:00 a.m., the ones who had gathered at the cafeteria were Ami herself, Jekovah, Solavirum and Michiko. While the former two were engaged in small talk, the latter two did not utter a word. Michiko looked normal, but ready stab her cereal at any given moment.

Showing up about ten minutes later were Brianna, Mara, Brooke, Ambrosia, Lysander, Genevieve and Marcella. “Morning!” Lysander greeted with a suave voice, swiftly seating himself at the large table where the others were.

“Ah. Hello, everyone,” said Ami politely.

Brooke looked at the table while seating herself. “Everyone isn’t here,” she noted.

Mara nodded. “I thought I’d be late, but I’m guessing the four who aren’t here yet are the late ones.”

“Maybe they’ve forgotten about our agreement?” Jekovah suggested.

Ambrosia looked slightly different today. Dressed more colourfully, there was a wilder look in her eyes than usual. “I bet they’re just late, but I can’t blame them. Early to rise and early to bed, makes someone healthy but socially dead!”

Genevieve shot her a look. Brianna tilted her head. “Something wrong today, Ambrosia?”

Ambrosia shook her head and grinned. “Just feeling more energetic today.”

Marcella shrugged. “In any case, I don’t think there’s a need to worry. The rest will show up eventually… I hope.”

The more extroverted of the bunch resumed conversation while the silent types continued with breakfast, until finally the other four showed up fashionably late.

“Sorry I’m late,” called out Harry as he strolled into the cafeteria, though his voice showed no hints of apology.

Next came in Nova, who merely took a glance at the others before sitting down at the table.

Dariella walked in casually, raising an eyebrow at the others. “Oh? I didn’t know everyone would actually go through with arriving at 8:00 a.m. sharp.”

“I’m here, I’m here,” said Anthony, sitting down at the table.

“And that’s everyone,” Ami observed. “Great! Although, I did expect more of you to be on time… but that’s alright.”

“What’s the agenda for today?” Lysander asked jokingly.

“Actually,” Brianna spoke up, “I do have a plan… sort of.”

The others turned to her.

“I was looking through the E-handbook and everyone’s profiles there,” she explained. “It’s all pretty standard stuff. Height, weight, blood type… and birthdays!”

“Your point is?” Harry rolled his eyes.

“I was getting to that.” Brianna narrowed her eyes at Harry. “Anyway, I noticed that Dariella’s birthday is in two days!”

Michiko, who was looking through her E-handbook, nodded. “Yes,” she said indifferently.

A smile tugged at Dariella’s lips. “It is in two days. I’m glad someone noticed.”

“Planning a party, are we, Bree?” Ambrosia commented. “Better hope no one gets murdered in it. It’d be a real moodkiller!”

Jekovah looked at Ambrosia for a moment, but said nothing.

Ami quickly spoke so everyone would move past Ambrosia’s horrid pun. “So, Brianna, what were you planning? A party sounds fun.”

Brianna shrugged. “I was planning a party, but I’m not sure how to hold it in this place. Anything in mind, Dariella?”

Dariella thought about this for a moment before replying. “I don’t really have a preference. Surprise me.”

“How about a pool party?” Jekovah suggested.

“So much for a surprise,” Genevieve muttered under her breath.

Dariella grinned. “I like the sound of that.”

Although not particularly invested in the conversation, Nova spoke up. “I think the pool is down the hallway across from the gymnasium.”

“Sounds good,” Solavirum commented quietly.

“Well?” Ami looked at Dariella. “What do you think?”

“Pool party it is!” Dariella exclaimed.

The rest of the morning was spent away in pleasant chatter, especially since Monokuma didn’t appear even once. Where was that bear? That’s not important.

After morning when the fifteen of them dispersed from the cafeteria, Brianna, Ambrosia (who seemed to be back to normal) and Jekovah decided to check out the pool.

Upon entering the pool area, Jekovah mused, “It’s quite large.”

“Seems unnaturally deep for a pool, though,” Brianna noted cautiously. “Well, there are plenty of lifejackets around.

“Although it’s nice to explore,” said Ambrosia, “why are we specifically looking for the pool again?”

“Dariella’s birthday, remember?” Brianna reminded her.

Ambrosia pondered this for a second, before pleasantly replying with, “Of course. It must’ve momentarily slipped my mind.”

Jekovah observed Ambrosia’s behaviour once more, but said nothing. “Anyway,” he said, “those are the changing rooms… that shed over there probably holds miscellaneous pool supplies… the pool seems to be clean, but who—”

“Allow me to answer your question, Mr Harvick!”

Come on, it’s not a chapter if Monokuma doesn’t show up once.

Jekovah blinked. “I didn’t even finish my question…”

Monokuma shook his head. “Nonsense! You were totally about to ask, ‘But which marvelously talented and devilishly handsome bear could be maintaining the pool everyday?’ I’ve got an answer for you: it’s me!”

Brianna tilted her head to the side. “Uh, do you always follow everyone around?”

“Why do you think there are cameras everywhere?” Monokuma asked. “Oh! Right! I forgot to mention: am I invited to Dariella’s party? Am I? Am I? Of course I am, aren’t I!”

“I mean no offence to you, but Dariella would probably prefer her birthday to be bear-free,” said Ambrosia neutrally.

Monokuma looked heartbroken. “Aww… and here I was, already preparing a grand present for her… only to discover I’m not even invited to her party… how embearassing…” On that note, he promptly disappeared.

Brianna blinked. “How does he even get into rooms so quickly, and where does he disappear?”

“I think we best not question his… peculiarities,” said Jekovah.

“In any case, this is a good venue for the party,” commented Ambrosia. “Should we leave now?”

Brianna nodded. “Alright, then. This’ll be a great party!”

The three of them bounded off out of the pool area, going back to their personal activities. Everyone was in a festive mood, excited for the party.

I don’t mean to be a spoilsport, but all good things must come to an end. And they will.