Don't Let Them Choose You, Participant 259

Maya's POV

“Who the hell put this in my bag?” I drop a black card on the cafeteria table.

Chloe stops scrolling through her phone to look at me. “What?”

“This.” I stretch it out to her.

She looks at the card, and the smile on her face disappears. “Where did you get that?”

“Inside my bag.”

“Your bag?”

“Yes, Chloe. My bag.”

She reaches for it, but I pull it away in an attempt to tear the card off.

“Read it.” She looks at me. “Maya… Just read it."

I turn the card over to see a name and three lines written under the name in the middle:

‘NERISSA IVY.

FOLLOW HER FOR 48 HOURS. FIND OUT WHAT SHE IS HIDING AND TAKE THE KEY AROUND HER NECK.’

“That’s it?” I ask as I burst into laughter.

“Maya, don't do that.”

“I shouldn't do what?” I lean back in my chair. “It's a Hunt card, Chloe. And not a death threat.”

“Don't take this lightly.”

“I've played this game before ...”

“But you've never ignored a card before; there's a difference.”

“So?”

“I heard people who ignore a card don't always get another chance.”

“Who told you that?” I lock my eyes with hers.

She looks around the cafeteria before lowering her voice. “No one. I overheard someone saying that, actually.

“Then why are you suddenly scared over something that was made up?” I raise the card again, reading out the name, “Nerissa Ivy."

“Do you know her?” Chloe asks.

“No, it doesn't even ring a bell.”

“Then why did they choose you?”

“Maybe because I'm getting good at this.”

“This isn't funny.”

“I know.” I slip the card into my jacket. “That’s why I'm not doing it.”

She grabs my wrist. “Maya… I'm being serious…”

“So am I. I'm not participating in this stupid hunting game anymore.”

She releases my wrist slowly. “You might regret doing this.”

I pull myself up and pick up my bag. “Tell whoever that sent it that I'm busy.”

“Maya!”

I walk away before she can say anything else.

I don't care about The Hunt, at least not today. I've played it enough times to know how it works: Someone gives you a name. You complete a ridiculous little challenge, you get points, and then you move up the rankings.

That's all it is, and that's what has been occurring after a quest so far.

My phone vibrates in my pocket as I step into the hallway. I check the screen to see a text:

``THE QUEST HAS BEGUN.``

I delete the message, muttering, "Annoying," before putting my phone away.

For the next few hours, I don't think about the card; at least, I try not to.

~

By three in the afternoon, I'm alone in the library with my laptop open, but I haven't written a single word.

My phone vibrates on the table suddenly; I hiss as the frustration hits more. I ignore it … but then it vibrates again.

I sigh and pick it up to see another text:

``40 HOURS REMAINING.``

I stare at the message. “Seriously?”

I type a reply:

``Find someone else for your stupid game.``

But I end up pressing the back button before I can send it. “Why bother sending this?"

Just as I put my phone down, a chair moves across from me, forcing me to look up to see a boy that wasn't there before, sitting and staring at me.

“Can I help you?” I call out.

He doesn't say anything; he just keeps looking at me.

I close my laptop. “Do you need something?”

I watch him pull himself up from his seat before he starts to walk away. He stops when he reaches the library entrance while still looking straight at me.

I grab my bag and push my chair back. “Okay… enough of this.”

I walk towards him to lash out at him, but by the time I reach the hallway … I find it empty.

I look to the left… Nothing. I look to the right but still nothing; no one is in sight.

“Great.” I pull out my phone and call Chloe.

She answers on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Where are you?”

“My dorm. Why?”

“I think someone is following me.”

“What? Where …”

“But I don't know who he is.”

“Did you see his face?”

“Yes.”

“How does he look?"

“He is tall… he has dark hair and he was wearing a dark jacket.”

There's a silence at the other end of the line for several seconds.

“Chloe, are you there?” I call out.

“Go back to the library, right now!”

“Why?”

“Just go back!"

“What's going on?”

“I don't know. Just listen to me and go back inside, Maya!"

“Then why are you acting like you do?”

“Can you just listen to me for once!? Just go back for now … please.”

I turn around, and the hallway is still empty. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“Maya…”

Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me.

“Chloe?” My heart nearly jumps out of my chest.

“I'm here.”

“Did you hear that? Someone's coming.” I whisper.

“Don’t listen to anything right now; just go back inside!”

Just as I turn around slowly, the footsteps stop… but I see no one except for an object that is lying on the floor a few feet away…

A black card.

I walk towards it. And there … is my name written across the front: ‘MAYA BENNETT.’

My stomach tightens as I call out, “Chloe…”

“What?”

“I found another black card.”

“Do not touch it; move faraway from it.”

But it's already too late, and I've picked it up and turned it over.

There's one sentence at the back:

“YOU HAVE 32 HOURS TO COMPLETE YOUR QUEST."

I stare at it for a minute before bursting into laughter. “They're really taking this seriously.”

“Maya, don't tear it.”

I look at the card, then I tear it in half. “Done.”

“Maya!”

I tear it again into more pieces. “There. Problem solved.” Then I drop the pieces into the nearest bin.

After tearing up the card, I walk back towards my dorm.

My phone vibrates again, and I don't bother to check it. But then, it vibrates again and again.

I finally pull it out to see two new messages on the screen.

11:07 P.M. — QUEST CANCELLATION TRIGGERED.

11:08 P.M. — HUNTER ELIMINATED.

My fingers go cold as I read the messages again.

Eliminated?

I quickly open the Hunt app, but my name is no longer there, nor is my profile except that there's a new message:

‘MAYA BENNETT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE HUNT.’

“Removed?” I stare at the screen.

At that moment, someone laughs behind me.

I turn around, but there's nobody. But then, my phone vibrates again before a photograph appears on the screen.

It's a picture of me standing in this exact hallway, except that it was taken from behind. I check the time stamp of the photograph to discover it was taken less than a minute ago.

Under it is one message:

``YOU SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED THE QUEST.``

I stop breathing, just as another message appears:

``NOW WE'LL COMPLETE IT FOR YOU.``