Starting Place for Boy #33

[Cactus]

If there was one thing that Cole Hudson hated, it was arrogance. It was the very reason that he despised the student body at his high school, and the very reason that many of them hated him. Cole himself was not much of an arrogant lad, but his form of retaliation against the arrogant leadership of the student body had been a series of scathing criticisms as to how the present leadership was ruining the school. He had recieved quite a few beatings because of the articles, but he kept writing, knowing that one day, he would be able to pay back, with interest, those who wronged him.

Today was that day.

Upon awakening, Cole had gone over the events of the past few hours in his head. To say that Cole was worried would be completely wrong. To say that he was almost enjoying the opportunity to end the lives of several of his classmates was probably an accurate description for it. Upon his awakening on the outside of the makeshift hospital, Cole had surveyed his surroundings. At present, there was not a soul in sight. As he emptied his bag, he was strangely pleased at the weapon that his captors had given him.

It would now be time to wreak havoc amongst those that have wronged me, for I am the Game. I am the living embodiement of Triple H. I am the real deal. I am the Game, and the Game will end you.

It had all become so clear to him now. Cole Hudson was meant to kill. The sledgehammer, like that of WWE wrestler Triple H, would put him in a position of power. It would help him repay those who had wronged him. It was a part of him now. The day of reckoning would come for all those who stood in his path.

But...

But Cole pulled himself back to reality. These were his classmates. Some of whom he actually kind of liked. He felt that to lose his grip on his sanity would be his undoing.

Cole shivered. It would be a dark night to come, indeed.

[Cactus]

Cole watched the exchange between Hawley and the other group from a concealed bush outside of the hospital. This was surely the real deal. Seeing Hawley shoot at the other three was a slight shock to his system, but simply confirmed what he had been thinking the entire time: nobody was getting out of here alive. Hefting the sledgehammer in his hand, Cole couldn't suppress the thoughts moving through his mind.

It's time to play the game.

But it wasn't right. Killing...wasn't right.

It's what you've had inside of your head for some time now, Cole. Play the game. You are the game.

No...

You are superior, and you will win. You will kill anyone who stands in your way...

Cole shook his head and drove the voice away. The sledgehammer, it had some form of power over him, or so it seemed. But regardless, he was going to need it if he had a chance in hell in this game. A chance in hell against all of those who had bullied him, put him into garbage cans, lockers...

Cole blinked a few times. He couldn't control the voice that was driving every single instinct that he had to run into the hospital and bludgeon Hawley Faust to death, but he could choose not to listen. Hawley had not done anything to him specifically, but if he looked closely, he could see the faces of those who had...

No.

He shuddered again. It was probably best that he leave this place, before he did something that he regretted. As he scampered off into the forest, Cole had to wonder to himself:

Would he really regret it?

((Continued in: Run, Xian! Run!))