"Fffuck!" Adrian spun faster than a gust of wind. His hand shot up, clasping over the other person's mouth before his brain could process anything.
His uniform groped his skin as sweat oozed through his pores. He locked eyes with the person beside him, and finally, his brain caught up.
It was a girl. Or rather, a boy that made other girls look manly. He had long, white hair tied to a ponytail behind his back. His snowy skin was smooth like silk, and his eyes were a pair of ethereal red.
The boy moved his lips, and his palm burned at the ticklish touch. It was like he held marshmallows rather than skin.
He took his trembling hand back and stared at his classmate, who shifted in place.
"A-Anderson? W-whe-since wh-"
Anderson lowered his head and rubbed his fingertips. "I've been here… before you," his words barely reached him.
Adrian felt blood rush to his ears, when the other boy raised his head and poked his arm. It felt itchy.
"Since we've touched each other now… let's stay together," Anderson said and turned away, not daring to meet Adrian's eyes. "Either way, if one of us is the Seeker, one of us will be eliminated no matter what, right?"
Adrian's thoughts halted. A chill seeped into his spine. If earlier he felt butterflies in his heart, now he felt ice course through his veins. "You…" he gritted his teeth.
"You better not be the seeker."
Anderson looked away from Adrian's glare.
'This little… how did I not see him before?!'
In truth, Anderson got under his nerves. The latter liked other men, and although he didn't hate him for that, he didn't like him either. What irked him the most was the boy's appearance.
Anderson never failed to make him shudder every time they met eyes.
He shifted further from the albino boy, though Anderson dragged himself a bit closer. "Don't worry," a giggle warmed the air.
Adrian couldn't help but turn to look at Anderson. The boy's smile was devoid of tension, but before their eyes could meet, he swiftly looked away.
"I'm not the seeker. I won't bite," Anderson grinned and stared at the back of Adrian's head. He licked his canine teeth, but in the end, the other boy didn't look his way.
The silence cooled the atmosphere. Adrian clicked his tongue and looked at his wrist, "Let's wait, there's only a bit until the fifth minute."
Most of them had watches. As for those who didn't, everyone carried a cellphone. Although there was no reception in this place, the clock application still worked.
Only dozens of seconds remained before the first elimination.
Their breaths sounded louder, even though both of them breathed slowly. Adrian's ears twitched when he heard teeth clattering. Then, he heard fabric rustle, followed by the rubbing of skin.
"Who have you met so f-far?"
Adrian tried not to turn. He bit his tongue, and his mouth moved against his will. "El…Elizabeth. And as you saw, Adam."
"Yeah?" Anderson took a deep breath.
Adrian's eyes swept back and forth in the room, until he turned slightly to look next to him. At the corner of his vision, Anderson wiped his eyes, his smile upside down.
His heart twisted. "Don't, don't worry. It'll be okay," he pursed his lips, his words unsure.
"Mmn."
He heard the boy sniffle.
"..." He looked back at his watch.
[01:04:50]
[01:04:51]
[01:04:52]
[01:04:53]
[01:04:54]
Anderson hugged his knees. "Hey…"
[01:04:55]
"Can I…" He clenched his fists.
[01:04:56]
"Can I trust you?"
[01:04:57]
"..."
Adrian spared him a glance and nodded, slowly.
[01:04:58]
"Yeah."
[01:04:59]
The boy threw himself in his arms. He blinked a few times, when muffled sobs reached his ears.
"W-we, we—"
"We survived," Adrian patted the poor boy on the back of his head.
"We survived."
Now, the game had fifty-five more minutes to go.
"Let's go," Adrian stood up and held Anderson's hand. He froze for a second, but said nothing. After all, didn't they used to do this all the time?
"Neither of us got eliminated. We're both innocent, right?"
"Mmn," Anderson followed with his head down, though his lips quivered upward.
Adrian pushed the door open, only to freeze.
Right outside the door was a gravestone.
[Here lies Adam Santos, Eliminated at 01:05]
The Seeker can see through the Watcher's eyes.
.
.
.
Two boys sat on a bench in the garden. Anderson swung his feet, watching the grass sway beneath him. Next to him, Adrian's gaze was absent, his thoughts afloat.
"If neither of us is the seeker, then who eliminated Adam? I didn't hear… footsteps…" His eyes widened.
'Can the Seeker mark people through the Watcher?' His brows knitted. The clown explained the rules of the game as they fell, but it was impossible to focus and listen.
At least, for him.
'No, what if… what if the Seeker learned Adam was there because of the Watcher?!'
He looked toward Anderson, who heard none of his mumblings. 'Is he the Watcher?'
"Anderson," Adrian shot up from the bench. "Let's split up."
"Eh?" The boy's head snapped up. "Why? No, no way! Let's stay together!" For the first time ever, he heard the flower boy raise his voice.
"Adam couldn't even leave the hallway before he was eliminated. Neither of us got near him, so neither of us is the seeker. But, what if you're the watcher?!" Adrian yelled, his words carrying blame.
Anderson's eyes widened, his entire body trembling. "Then what about you?! What if YOU'RE the watcher? What then, huh? You're just… abandoning me like this? How cruel…"
Adrian turned away with a frown on his face. "Then, if I'm the watcher, isn't it good that we split up? Who knows, maybe you've already been marked," he sneered.
They just left the classrooms, and the garden was too open. He turned to face the south. Before he went, he shot Anderson a cold gaze.
"Don't you dare follow me."
"You…" Anderson stood still, his eyes glued to Adrian's back.
Meanwhile, in Room C-1, a boy with purple hair stared blankly at the notebook in his hands.
"A notebook that lists who's been marked…" He fixed his eyeglasses as he read the introduction written on the cover.
"Once it's opened, the notebook won't work for ten minutes…"
He peeked at the closed doors, then took a deep breath. Carefully, he pinched the cover and turned it open.
"A diary?" He glanced at his silver watch.
[1:07]
{January 1… Everyone's been acting strange lately. It's like they're hiding from something, but I don't know what…}
{January 3… Me and Adam have always been close, but today…}
{January 5… I'm worried, did something happen at his house?}
{January 7… I'm desperate... Anderson won't talk to me…}
{January 7: Damn it, Anderson, why are you still here?! It hasn't noticed, start running! HURRY! RUN!!!}
Jeffrey's blood ran cold. He shot to his feet and nearly stubbed his toe on one of the chairs. "Anderson!"
He bolted out of the classroom and barged straight into Room C-3. "Anderson! It's me, come out! I've—I-IT'S URGENT!"
No response. "Tch," he ran to Room C-2.
"ANDERSON!"
He knew Anderson was in one of the classrooms. After all, they fell from the ceiling and landed next to each other. Both agreed to be safe and stay in separate classrooms.
"Damn it!" He slammed the door shut. "Where is he… Anderson, he wouldn't go in spooky places, he must be in the garden!" His eyes lit up and he bolted out of the hallway.
Before he hid in Room C-1, he checked the garden for a moment before he backed out.
He glanced at his watch.
The game started at 1:00
It was now 1:08.
Two minutes.
Yet, just as he looked away, the hands of time played a cruel joke.
1:09.
Breathing heavily, he forced his legs to run faster. Faster, and even faster!
The classroom hallway was agonizingly long and when he made it out, he saw someone sitting on a bench beneath the gigantic tree.
"ANDERSON!!!" He yelled as loud as he could, but then he noticed the timer on the digital board beside the tree.
{13:10: Hide and Seek}
The person, along with the bench, fell through the ground. A tombstone replaced them.