“Ok little homie stick with me and you might come out of this alive.” The big bald dude told me. He was a average fat cholo type of mother fucker. He had a black plaid shirt and a khaki shorts with some old school chucks. “You ever used one of these?” He asked me while shoving a 22 handgun into my hands.

I shaked my head no as I felt the light piece of fire arm in my hand. “Ok well here you have fifteen shots squeeze them out three at a time. Save three for yourself incase we lose.” He said in all cold calm voice as we waited for the door to open.

“Hey little man do you smoke?” A tall black male named Jarome offered me a cigarette. “No, but it’s never too late to start.” I took it and sparked it, might as well I doubt I will die from cancer considering. Taking a small drag I saw I wasn’t the only nervous one in the group. Two white guys probably twins shoved each other around trying to get some space in this tight corridor all of us were squeezed into.

The lights in the corridor turned off and we felt the ground move. We’re moving up to the ceiling. Just as we thought the doors jammed and we will be crushed they creeked open. It has happned before. The sound of cheering and jeering rang out from the crowd. Only getting louder and louder as we came to the sandy arena. Great my first fight and I get the pit just my luck.

Oh I forgot…you don’t know what’s going on do you? Well I’m sure your expecting a huge story filled with explosions bullets flying and car chases. Well you shouldn’t my story isn’t that creative, maybe you should hear what Charlie said got him sent to the Arena. Well Charlie doesn’t talk much before a battle.

Charlie is the cholo mugger who kind of took me under his wing. My name is Jack Bulkins. I’m a typical teenager I work at a fast food chain restaurant line cook. You know that guy you see who looks you in the eye before he spits on your burger? Yeah that’s me. I’m six foot tall even, light weight more bone then muscle really.

I tried out for the basketball team but I’m so clumsy I ended up somehow fouling myself and ended up with a black eye. The coach told me I have a better chance walking the gauntlet and surviving then being on his team. Who was I fooling I’m no athlete. I’m not even smart enough to be considered a nerd. Ok ok maybe I’m being a bit harsh on myself but I wouldn’t be embellishing too much if I said I was a complete waste of space.

Pualina she is the saving grace to my life. She was the prettiest girl in school. Standing at only four feet three inches tall she was at the prefect hight. Blond hair and perky breast but her smokey blue eyes is what made her stick out so much was she out of my league? Sure was. Did she even know I existed? Not a clue.

To tell you the truth she bumped into me a few times but kept on moving. I wasn’t even worth the effort to insult. Oh well I won’t change my mind about her I’m still in love with her. That’s when I saw her drunk at a party being hassled by Tucker her boyfriend I wasn’t going to let her take it.

I seen Tucker grab Pualina by her arm when she was getting chatted up by some college stud. I had a few cans of light beer in me. So when I saw her struggle to break her arm free from his grip I did what everyone else did. Nothing.

Well that’s not completely true I got up but sat back down. Tucker wasn’t alone he had his football linebackers with him. Its not like he was smacking her around but still… I went to act like I was getting another beer and made my way to the back of the party. Just in time to see Tucker take Paulina into the ally by his car.

I peeked over into the ally and saw them getting into it. Paulina saying something like. “Oh I can’t talk to another man…but you can get sucked off by Becky under the bleachers every away game?” Tucker didn’t deny anything he just back handed her twice.

I seen enough. I threw my beer in the direction of Tucker, but I guess he saw the glint of the can in his car window and ducked. The beer can ended up hitting Paulina right in the face. I busted threw into the ally and saw Paulina holding her nose and her hands covered in blood.

“Aye jerk. Did you throw that can at my girl?” Tucker asked as he made his way to me. “I…no. I..” I was obviously speechless due to my rage. With my fist balled up I swung my right fist and hit Tucker right in the jaw.

Tucker didn’t even flinch he took that right hook like a champ. I started to feel like I might have bitten more then I could chew. With a quick body blow I was on the ground coughing. Well I blew it so much for being the hero.

On the bright side Paulina now knows who I am. I’m the jerk who busted her face with a beer can. Oh God can life get any worse? Tucker took his girl into the car and drove off. I was left curled up in the ally crying manly tears of pain.

A few days passed I was really hoping to get my shit together before school started on Monday. True to my luck I didn’t. My boss gave me two dubble shifts back to back on Saturday and Sunday. I was completely tired by Monday and wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen.

The day was generic. Class, walking in the hall before the next class, and repeat until lunch. At lunch Paulina was sitting in her usual table along with the other popular girls in school. As I passed by them they stoped whispering and all shot me the dirtiest glare. If looks could kill I would’ve died three times over.

I pushed pass them and sat with my “friends”. Really they are the other loners and out casts that just group up during lunch only cuz no other table would have us. There was Irving the smelly kid who seems to not have ever mastered the shower or learned how to use deodorant. Blake the above average nerdy kid who was so nerdy even the nerds picked on him, and Chelsea. She was you typical goth. Heavy make up scary hair color and leather clothes with huge steel toe boots.

My little group of misfits. Sure they didn’t talk to me or even acknowledge my existence but I knew we had a unspoken bond. “Hey I heard you beamed Paulina with a frozen beer last Friday night.” Chelsea told me which scared the crap out of me. I never heard her speak…ever I even thought she was a mute but here she was gossiping about me.

“No I didn’t.” I replied back trying to enjoy my two week old pizza slice from the cafeteria. “Too bad here I thought you was some sort of bad ass.” She scoffed at me. The others mumbled there agreement with my lack of bad ass-erty. “Well it wasn’t frozen, but I did hit her with a beer half empty though.” I said trying to save what little respect I had from my friends.

They all stopped eating and looked at me. “Whoa dude…your a dead man.” Irving said to me. Chelsea looked at me with concern in her eyes. Blake then just started to guffaw. “What do you mean?” I asked when I noticed the whole football team coming at me.

They surrounded the table and Blake immediately stopped guffawing. Chelsea grabbed my face and gave me a huge sloppy wet kiss. “Don’t shit yourself when you die.” Was the last words I heard before I was carried off into the boys bathroom.

Tucker was waiting pacing back and forth. Like a tiger waiting for his meal. I was starting to worry less about the fact weird Chelsea was my first kiss not counting my cousin when I was ten years old and we pretend married each other. I was now more worried about having to fight Tucker again. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen but I knew that whatever was going to happen I wasn’t going to like it. Tucker told everyone to leave him and me alone. I wasn’t sure if having witnesses around was better or worse for me.

Tucker grabbed me by my shirt and pushed me on the wall. “Listen punk you disrespected my girl and worse off you disrespected me. I can’t let that happen if I want to make captain of the football team. So naturally you have to die.” With that he shoved me to the ground and got on top of me and wailed on my face.

I wasn’t sure how many punches he got on me but it was enough. I turned myself over and ended up pushing Tuckers skull into a sink. The loud cracking sound didn’t sound to well. Tucker’s body a slumped off mine and blood was pooling up next to his skull.

I slowly got up and saw Tucker wasn’t moving. The principle and another teacher came into the bathroom and saw me all bruised up and sitting next to a limp probably dead Tucker. I didn’t hear what they said to me too clearly but next thing I know is I’m in a squad car.

The trial was fast justice is quick now a days. I plead not guilty but with ten guys all on the football team saying I challenged Tucker to a fight. Even Paulina said I’m a animal who throws beer cans at people for no reason besides watching them bleed. As soon as her smokey blue eyes began to tear up the judge ate it all up. Well I don’t have to spell it out do I? The judge sentenced me to the Arena.

The Arena is a new system of justice in our country. No more over packed jails. No more federal government money feeding and housing criminals. Nope instead let’s put these vicious killers into a ever changing arena. Lets put some live cameras some advertising and watch them kill each other for our entertainment. Fun for the whole family.

Hell I’ll admit to watching it a few times. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I be in the Arena myself. Well that’s how I ended up here stuck with a bunch of low lives with my life depending on a old gun that could jam on me blood thirsty killers literally trying to kill me.

I seen enough episodes of the Arena to know they have five different stages. Desert, jungle, crater, metro, and a unique stage. The unique stage was a gauntlet stage filled with traps deadly animals and starving cannibals. Luckily this wasn’t a unique stage. It was a desert stage that ment hot sand little cover and lots of open air.

The Arena was completely automated. The people banging on the glass around the stage was real at one time. That was until the prisoners shot out the glass and started to kill the spectators since then live audiences were banned. Now the crowds watch in a separate building and there actions are reflected on holograms around the arena.

The arid dry air started to blow around us. Thank God they decided to imitate a sand storm. If they didn’t it be a mad dash to the rocky side of the field. Each prisoner wore a different color jumpsuit so you know who to kill. Our color was yellow we just might make it out alive. Charlie pulled me along to the left heading to the rocky side.

I thank him for his help, but I don’t have shoes so I was busy cursing at the rock trying to insert themselves into my feet. My shoes were stolen by some large asshole on my first day here. Charlie managed to convince him I’m not worth the effort to beat up so he just took my shoes. Charlie was my cellie he and I shared a cell and that’s all.

“No gay shit or nothing or I’ll kill you right now understand homie?” Was the first words he told me and I agreed. Since then we been looking out for one another well mostly him making sure I don’t get my ass beat in by some jerk wad. Today our numbers were picked out for the hunt lucky me I might get out of this faster then I though…in a body bag.

Charlie has been around for a while six months that’s a long time almost record worthy. His last cellie tried to escape threw the glass using his head as a battering ram. Needless to say he didn’t make it out.

Shit the other team entered. How did I know? We started to get shot at. The longer you live the better weapons and perks you get. Me I got some piece of shit gun that probably jam on me. Charlie had a dubble barrel shot gun, 9mm with two clips and a long cleaver.

The rules are simple don’t die. Try to kill at least one person. Last team with the most survivors wins. Simple enough right? Oh yeah and watch out for booby traps and stashed weapons.

Charlie and me were safely behind a large rock trying to see where the other guys are. Jerome was busy choking out some ratty looking guy wearing a black jumpsuit. Nice one down four more to go.

I was looking at something that stuck out to me. A large box shaped object half buried in the sand a few yards away. A stash? No way my luck isn’t that great. Charlie told me to move as he grabbed my collar and dragged me more towards the walls.

One of the twins saw the box and ran for it. As soon as he opened it a large explosion rattled the walls. Lucky for him it wasn’t trapped. Seems his brother has a few grenades and decided to chuck them at a guy.

Body parts rained all around us. Then the sand storm stopped. Charlie was face to face with some Amazonian looking chick. A tall woman easily under six feet tall and bronze skin. Her hair was tied up into a bun and her face was a little scared.

With one powerful blow to the body Charlie was on his knees. I was frozen by her looks and sheer terror. Charlie manage to grab her legs and take her down. “Shoot the bitch fool!” He yelled at me I snapped out of it and ran up behind him aimed my gun at her face. I didn’t want her to suffer so I pulled the trigger.

Nothing happned. The gun jammed on me I squeezed the trigger two more times to make sure. “Shit. My gun is broke.” I squeaked out while she started to punch Charlie in the head. So I did what anyone would do. I stomped on her chest a few times.

The Amazon woman grabbed my leg pulling me on top of her. With my gun still in my hand I slammed the gun on her forehead twice. She was out cold. Charlie got up grabbed his shot gun and got ready to kill the chick.

“Charlie behind us!” I yelled out and Charlie turned around and saw Jarome getting his ass beat by some skinny asian dude. With one shot the asian dude was dropped. Just then the buzzer sounded. Large amounts of knock out gas was pumped into the Arena.

We all woke up in our cells. Charlie was had a not pinned to his shirt. “No kills 2 wounded 7,000 credits.” I checked my body to see what I was given. My note said. “No kills 1 wounded 239 credits.” I was shocked. “What the fuck I owned that bitch and all I get is 239 credits.” Charlie laughed, “Thems the break kid the longer you stay the more ya get payed.”

“Invest in a gun that works kid and you’ll be alright.” Charlie laughed as he tore up the note and began to chew it up. “Get rid of the note before they come.”

I wasn’t too hungry for post its but when in Rome. I chewed up the note and stashed the pin up into my mattress just like Charlie did. Soon the same jerk who took my shoes came in our cell. “Hey punks what ya win for me?” The bastard said with a ugly smile spread across his uglier face.

“1,500 credit man ask the chief to pass it on.” Charlie said. “The kid? What you make for me son?” He asked me.

Ok some background on the huge ugly bastard in front of me. His name is Pual Dinkerman. Yeah I know right. Well don’t let the name fool you he is the longest surviving hunter in all the arena. Five years and going strong still he gets a cut from every person who steps foot on the arena.

“I only got twenty credit you can have it.” I said meekly as I stared at the ground. “Twenty? What you do shit yourself?” He laughed at a rude obnoxious level. “It’s ok kid I’ll expect at least triple next time so kill a person next time you up above.” With that he stomped his way out of our cell and headed down the block. Shit next time I’ll make sure not to freeze up.

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