Trap or new life. Part three.

"You see these lines here? You must not go beyond them. You will run until I tell you to stop. And you will run for a very long time. Today you will not eat or sleep. You are going to prove to me what you can do. If any of you get tired or fall down or complain, I'll just kill them with this dagger," Bannard said, raising up a dagger with a red stone on the hilt.

Pointing to the whole field, which was too big, Bannard walked quickly toward the center, and at that very moment a guy dressed like the rest of them appeared out of nowhere. Blond, with neat facial features and elongated hair, this guy didn't look at anyone. In his hand he carried a chair, which he placed beside Bannard. Noticing that Bannard put his arm around his waist and kissed his neck in front of everyone, then pushed him away from him, everyone looked at each other and only Arlo was brave enough to let out a loud sound of displeasure in the form of mocking laughter.

"Are you kidding me?" Zale asked in a whisper, shoving his friend. "Stay still. Better think about how you're going to survive today."

Without raising his eyes, the blond guy stopped right in front of Arlo and stood up straight.

Everyone was standing in three rows and Arlo wanted to see everyone's faces. Not at all worried about running, he wanted to see who he was going to have to live with in the near future.

It seemed to him that all these people were just ordinary people who were just as scared as he was. Girls, guys, all of them stood upright and looked at Bannard. Each of them was clearly thinking about home, about their family, but they had no right to talk about it here.

Noticing that they were forcing themselves to become like a stone that didn't care about anything, Arlo took a deep breath.

Now, he was getting scared. After all, he knew he wouldn't even be able to run half this field.

"Arlo, are you okay? Arlo?" Zale continued to ask the question, standing behind him. "What do we do? Arlo?"

"Be quiet. I know. I'll just run."

"Your heart can't take it."

"Quiet."

Noticing what Blake was looking at them, Arlo smiled and at that very moment Bannard whistled and at that moment everyone began to run.

The people in front ran forward. There were ten of them and they were all quickly far away. Then it was the turn of the second row and ten people ran forward as well. Then the third row and a total of thirty people began to run, including Arlo, who found enough strength to keep up with the others.

"Arlo," Zale whispered his name once he was beside him. "Are you all right?"

"Stop asking."

"I had a friend once, too," the blond guy suddenly said, continuing to run ahead of Arlo.

Waiting for the story to continue, Arlo and Zale ran silently, looking at his silky hair.

"But it was Bannard who killed him. Forget your friendship if you don't want either of you killed."

"What are you, his boyfriend?" Arlo questioned.

"I'm his toy," the blond said, laughing nervously. "My name is Kylian. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Arlo, and this is Zale."

"You yourself say it's dangerous to be friends, but you yourself get to know us," Zale said.

"Who says we became friends just from learning each other's names?"

"I take it you've been here a long time. So why are you with us? Weren't you supposed to go with the other team?"

"Bannard said so. I thought I'd finally get away from him. But no, he decided I'd be here until the end. It looks like I'll either meet my end on the mountain or I'll have to please him for a long time to come."

"If I were you, I'd run away from him. How can you stand him? I mean, he's a pervert."

"What else am I supposed to do? Nobody's gonna stand up for anybody here."

"And you're still his plaything?" Zale asked, thinking more about how two men do it, for he had not known any other form of love before except between a guy and a girl and the technique of that love was unknown to him.

"Yes, but not so often now. Only four times a week he comes to me."

"What? Four times a week? And that's not that often?"

"It used to happen all seven days a week. Believe me, Bannard isn't human. He's not human at all. He's an insatiable monster. I still don't understand how I'm still alive after everything he's done to me."

"Hey you there, are you going to run or not? Are you guys dancing in there?!" Bannard shouted, suddenly being beside them. "Run faster! You're the very last ones!"

Trying not to look at him, Arlo felt such hatred for him that he quickly managed to run forward, only now noticing that they were actually running behind everyone else.

"Kylian, you can take it easy. If you're tired, get some rest. I'll need you tonight," Bannard said, slapping him on his private area behind.

By then, Arlo continued to run as fast as he could. He was not yet tired or in pain. He was just thinking about Kylian, about Bannard, about his life, about this place, and about this gloomy forest that looked as if death itself lived there.

Crooked trees that tangled with each other, a strange stench as if something was rotten, a strange rustling, though there were no leaves on the branches, and a strange mist that moved between the trees and it all stretched far away.

The sky itself was covered with the usual thick fog. The ground beneath his feet was soft and sticky with dirt, probably sweat and blood. With each step forward, Arlo wished he could wash his entire body. He hated stepping on this ground, he hated that Bannard was looking at him right now, for he could feel his gaze and when he found himself facing him, he saw his eyes directed at him.

Bannard was sitting in the middle of the field, looking at everyone with a smirk. In his hands he continued to clutch his dagger, which glittered with a silvery light, as if it wished it would soon be inside someone's flesh.

"You're different from everyone else," Kylian suddenly said, not afraid to get next to Arlo. He was the same height as Arlo, and the guy looked quite energetic and even strong. Noticing the ring on his index finger, Arlo felt his heart begin to ache.

"What do you mean?"

"Usually, everyone who comes here, it's like they're already dead. But you're alive."

"I'm not so sure about that," Arlo said, feeling his strength gradually running out. But he kept running, slowing down, hoping that Bannard wouldn't notice. Now, he tried to look at him to quicken his pace when he looked in his direction.

"I feel like you're different. I feel like you can be trusted. You know, people like you do happen in this place. And it's great luck to have the only human and virtuous person on the team."

"You don't know me."

"I'd like to think I know you. I've hardly ever met a good human. You won't believe it, but I am in great need of such a human."

Without saying anything because he just couldn't talk anymore, Arlo could now think only of stopping, falling to the floor, and not getting up for the next three hours. He dreamed of lying right down on that ground. But he couldn't do it.

"I don't want to put you in danger, but I can see that you're a good person and I'd like to at least communicate with you sometimes. After all, I feel that a little longer and I'll just go crazy among these monsters. Especially Bannard, he drives me crazy."

Unable to answer, Arlo tried to breathe, but taking a breath proved painful, and he coughed.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"You've become so pale. Are you tired?"

"No."

Unable to run anymore, Arlo knew that a little longer he would just fall. Feeling the choking, the clenching feeling in his throat, the rapid tachycardia and the urge to cough, he knew he was going to die today. At that moment, instead of the forest, he saw his grandfather's face, which was smiling. That calm face with kind eyes appeared so clearly before him that he thought he was dying.

Suddenly, through the pain, the lack of air in his lungs, Arlo felt such peace that he no longer cared.

"Grandpa," he whispered, finding the last of his strength to run some more.

Way was smiling before his eyes, but then his face turned into a black cloud and then that cloud turned into Kylian's face, which was in front of him.

"Arlo, what's wrong with you? Arlo."

Unable even to answer, Arlo looked at his feet and was surprised that he was still running. He was running fast even through the pain. Then, he rejoiced, thinking that perhaps he had strength.

Managing to take a breath, he quickened his stride and found himself among the others.

Never before had he run so long. But for a few seconds he felt so free in his body that he let himself think he was a healthy guy like everyone else.

Coughing, he lost his fleeting strength, which turned into a long cough.

Seeing Zale next to him, who grabbed his arm, Arlo was able to push him away from himself, saying, "Don't touch me."

"Your face is turning blue. Is it hard for you to breathe?"

"None of your business."

"You need to rest," Kylian said, expressing so much compassion in his green eyes that Arlo was surprised at such a show of kindness.

"Do you want him killed?"

"If he keeps running, he will surely die. What is to be done? Bannard, that insatiable monster. I'm going to distract him now. I'll take him into the woods and while he's there you can rest."

"If you want to kill him, then say so directly. Why pretend like you want to help?" Zale shouted, continuing to run.

"Just trust me."

"There are people around and he's going to lie right on the ground?"

"They're not looking. They're thinking to themselves," Kylian said, suddenly turning and heading toward Bannard.

As he slowed his pace, Arlo saw Kylian leaning over Bannard's ear and whispering something to him. Then he noticed him touch his intimate spot and Bannard rose sharply to his feet.

Holding his hand, Kylian took quick steps toward the woods. Once among the trees, Kylian forced Bannard to stand with his back to the field, pinning him against a tree. Arlo could even see him kneeling and looking at him, nodding his head. Next, his head hid behind the thighs of Bannard, who lifted his head up from the pleasure that Kylian was beginning to give him.

Falling to the ground, Arlo felt his whole body just break into pieces.

"Don't lie here. Come here."

Pulling him a little farther away from everyone else, to where a few rocks lay, Zale leaned over his friend like a mountain.

"Are you okay? You okay?"

"Watch Bannard. Tell me when he turns in our direction."

"Why did this guy decide to help? There's obviously some hidden agenda. They want to kill us."

Trying to come to his senses quickly, Arlo only thought about his breathing. He lay there and tried to relax his body as quickly as possible. After all, it had helped him before to lie down and rest and get his strength back. Trying not to think about the pain in his heart, he thought more about the fact that Bannard had shamelessly gone after Kylian and allowed him to please him in front of everyone. The more he thought about it, the less he thought about his condition.

"And what is this guy doing?" Zale asked, trying to see Kylian. "He's doing it with his mouth, to him? That's disgusting."

"That's enough. If it wasn't for him, I'd definitely be dead by now."

"Be silent. Rest."

Closing his eyes, Arlo felt himself falling asleep.

"If I fall asleep, wake me up."

"What? No. Don't sleep."

"Look at Bannard."

"That's disgusting."

"Are they still there?"

"Yes."

Hearing the quick footsteps of the other people, Arlo opened his eyes and noticed that no one was looking at him. Everyone really did keep running, thinking only of surviving. After all, it was one of the rules, not to think about anyone when you have to survive.

"What a good rule," Arlo muttered and felt himself sink into sleep.