CHAPTER 2

Chapter 2: Train to the Center

Artemis,

I sighed as I look to my boyfriend one last time. He gave me a thumbs up and showed a very bright smile. That brought smile on my plum lips as I board this magnetic levitating train. This is a model of a subway from the twenty first century that has been modified.

Before fully turning my back to the crowd, I waved my left hand as a sign of farewell. Even though I am not that tall, my head don’t have a chance to hit the doorway, I still lowered my head as I enter the train.

I walked pass the aisle of vacant chairs while looking at the numbers on top of them. Looking at a piece of paper that I am holding on my right hand, I searched for my seat.

“Number twenty two.” I whispered to myself as I looked up and finally reaching my seat. Luckily, I am seated beside a window so the whole travel time won’t be boring because I get to see the beautiful sceneries of Maharlika.

I groped the window blind and set it aside, out of my way revealing a view from outside. While looking outside, I was shocked when someone suddenly tapped my shoulder so I immediately looked to his way. Puzzled, I asked him what he wants then he smiled.

“Nothing, I just want to inform you that we’ll be sitting together.” He answered and finally seating on the vacant seat on my left. I looked at him with disgust before asking him again. 

“Aren’t you supposed to sit on there?” I pointed the left aisle where the guys like him supposedly be seating. He shook his head so I looked more puzzled. “She said, we could switch places.” He answered and an idea popped in my head.

“Alright, then I suppose I could do it too.” I stood up but even before even stepping one leg out of here where I am seated the train suddenly vibrated. 

“Please be seated as we head to the Center.”

“Ops, seems like you didn’t make it.” 

I frowned before seating back to my sit. Seems I’m going to bear his presence, the game hasn’t even officially started his already doing his gimmick!

This damned curly red head guy!

I annoyingly slammed my back to my seat and turned to my right and looked outside. “Don’t you know that you look astonishingly cute when you’re angry?” my ears almost bled from what I heard.

I Looked at him and gave him a cold stare.

“My boyfriend’s been telling me that for the past years so I know.” I said and rolled my eyes to my right and once again watched the beautiful scenery of the farm fields here in Edge Six where we’re all from.

I heard him chuckled but I ought not to give him attention anymore. “I liked you first, he just have the guts to confess first.” 

I’m not looking at him but I am listening.

“Funny isn’t it, that I am telling you this when we’re heading to participate on a game that will surely kill us.” He said again, his voice seems lost its boastful tone and was replaced by a sad, regretful one.

“Not that I care, I’m done living my life as a lonely farmer, I have no more family left so no one would be doomed if I die.” He said again, I suddenly felt guilty on giving him an attitude awhile back. Honestly, he’s a friend, an ex-friend to be exact.

He always come at exactly four in the dawn to drop off his fresh produce such as eggs, milk and even freshly picked vegetables. We were close because of that not until one day when he suddenly passed by my house.

At first, I thought he was just delivering a request from the neighboring houses but the days following that wasn’t even better. He completely ignored me, never delivered any produce again so I decided to drop him off.

I wasn’t reliant on Jose’s family produce that time but when Elio started ignoring me, I turned my loyalty to the Winslet family. That’s when Jose and I started to get to know each other.

“You’ve gone mad.” I said breaking my silence and that completely caught him off guard. His devilish smile faded off as he turned his head to my direction.

“What?” he asked, as if he didn’t get what I’ve said. “You’re the one who ignored me for a year and a half and now you’re suddenly confessing? Clearly, you’ve gone mad!” I said, further elaborating my point. He gave me a faint smile and looked away.

“Truly.” He said, agreeing to what I’ve said. “If you’re planning a suicide, please don’t get me involve. I’ll play my part fair and square and if you end up dying, I won’t care.” I said and looked straight in front. He chuckled again.

“I know, just let me feel your love.” He said so I looked at him with one brow lifted. “You’ve gone mad.” I commented. He’s clearly planning a suicide!

If he does this even before the start of the game, it would be hard for him to deny his feelings inside the game and if that happens, the Mayans will take notice and surely after, they’ll throw him away making me one of the winners.

It would benefit me but I could feel that my win would be a bit unsatisfying because in the first place, my partner had already concedes defeat.

“Don’t you like that? You and Jose will receive a certificate of birth. A paper that allows the both of you to conceive one child?” he asked after a long minute of silence and only the sonic sounds of magnets are heard.

“It would be great!” I said, ending our strange conversation and stared to the window beside me. I stared outside as we passed other edges. We are now in Edge Three which a mile away from the center.

Compared to the Edge where I came from, in here, building could be seen and different technological advances. It’s not that our Edge is poor but rather we choose to be living simple than to be surrounded by thinsg so monochromic that it pains my eyes.

“We are now entering Center, the capital of our country, Maharlika.”

An announcement echoed that it my blood suddenly rushed because of shock. I was so indulged with the view outside that I completely ignored my surroundings. I was brought back to the reality as I see the tallest building ever built.

Multiple trains also pulled up in front of this very high building, only Mayans lives here in the Center that’s why there’s only three condominium building where they rest and the remaining hectares of land are occupied by multiple arenas.

Including the Micro Society, the place where Date a Liar takes place.

Our train rested on a plain steel platform as the doors slowly opens and the seatbelt separates and disappeared in plain sight.

We walked down the aisle as we abandon the train. Winds blew my black not so long hair after I stepped outside for the first time after almost two hours inside the train.

We gathered in circles, divided by the Edge we came from then a guy wearing a suit appeared in front of us. He’s old and has beard all over his face.

“Welcome to the Center, Liars!” he shouted. Liars, that’s what we’re called, the participants of this stupid game.