As I opened my eyes, I found myself on the Isle of Wight, alongside four girls from Wellington High School who had bullied me. They had taken over the only house on the island, waiting for me to throw myself into the sea. But only I knew that the only way to escape was to use the rules to eliminate the others. “Day one: anyone who doesn’t have a shower today will be the first to be eliminated.” “Let the game begin.” This was the note I just found in a message in a bottle. I stared at the note, lost in thought. Today, we five were deposited on this island. The only silver lining was the two-storey cottage, which, of course, was commandeered by Chloe and her gang. Even after taking over, her sidekick, Sophie, came up to me, pretending to be sweet, and said, “Sorry, there are only four rooms. You might want to look for other buildings on the island.” I couldn’t tell if she was serious or just taunting me. But this island was barren; apart from the cottage, there was nowhere else to go. Staying here would mean starving to death, freezing, or possibly being swept away by the waves. But I knew they were hoping I’d just throw myself into the sea. I was seriously considering it when my legs dipped into the icy water, and I felt something cold brush against me. It was the message in a bottle I mentioned earlier— Its appearance felt oddly timed, and I couldn’t help but glance at that cottage. At that moment, the girls who had tormented me were likely inside, laughing. Back in school, Chloe had led her group in surrounding me, wrinkling her nose and fanning the air in front of her. “Ugh, you smell so bad! Why don’t you wash?” “Such a poor smell, how can you get rid of it?” Then they dragged me into the toilet under the pretense of washing away the poor smell, dousing me with two buckets of cold water. The cold was bone-chilling. My legs were shaking, and soon, Chloe came over and slapped me across the face twice. If I went to borrow their bathroom, wouldn’t it be… I could already imagine the humiliating taunts they’d hurl at me. Standing at the edge of the island, I watched the sunset paint the horizon, finally gathering my courage to walk to the cottage door.
The door swung open to reveal Emily, who looked surprised to see me. “What? There’s no room for you here!” She laughed and was about to close the door when I stuck my hand in the frame. “Can I have a shower?” A strange expression crossed Emily’s face. I recognised that familiar smirk in her eyes. Then she turned and shouted towards the interior, presumably to Chloe and the others, “Look who wants to have a shower!” The room fell silent for a moment before erupting with laughter like thunder. I stood outside, feeling the breeze snake around my exposed skin. I should’ve seen this coming… Just as I was about to turn and leave, Chloe’s voice came from behind the door: “Let her in!” “That poor smell definitely needs a wash.” The door swung wide open, and I entered, greeted by Emily’s mocking gaze. “You can use the public bathroom at the corner upstairs,” Jessica pointed out. I nodded and hurried up the stairs. The laughter from downstairs didn’t stop; I could vaguely hear their remarks. “Make sure you clean yourself well before you set off.” A chill ran down my spine… What did the elimination entail? Would it mean “setting off”? I felt a surge of vengeful satisfaction. After a quick wash, I didn’t dare linger. I rushed downstairs, and the four of them seemed puzzled by my haste. Jessica blocked the staircase, frowning as she scrutinised me from top to bottom. “Can’t you even wash properly? You’re down so quickly.” “Should’ve said, we could’ve helped you wash,” Emily chimed in with a laugh. “Enough.” I was shocked that this stopping remark came from Chloe. “You go to the island’s edge and see if any boats pass by. Maybe you can get in touch.” So they wanted me to help. I nodded, keeping my head down as I left the cottage. As the door closed behind me, my heart raced. If the rules were real, when would the elimination take place?
I sat at the island’s edge as darkness fell. The sea looked like a vast black hole under the night sky. I shivered, wondering if I might pass out from the cold. In the distance, I heard a shout: “Lucy!” I turned to see Chloe and the others running towards me, but Jessica was nowhere to be seen. Just as I felt a pang of curiosity. Chloe and her group reached me, and she raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. I felt a ringing in my ears. “Jessica is dead; you did this, didn’t you?!” A strange sensation surged within me at the news. I covered my face and looked up. “What happened to her?” Sophie, likely shaken by the recent events, lost her usual bravado in front of me. “She said she was going for a shower and didn’t come out for ages. When we checked on her, she was already dead.” “She was the last one to wash?” “Yes.” A fire ignited in my chest. The rules were real.
“Because Jessica said today that you wouldn’t wash, you killed her!” Chloe yelled. Her accusation reminded me that Jessica had been the first to act when they doused me with water in the toilet. Feigning deep thought, I replied, “I didn’t have the means to kill her.” “But I heard some islands can be quite cursed.” The sea breeze whipped fiercely, and I noticed the fear flashing in their eyes. I lowered my head at the right moment. “Since she’s dead, it’s fine for me to stay in her room, right?” They opened their mouths, seemingly in disbelief that I dared to occupy a room where someone had just died. Before they could respond, I turned and walked back into the cottage. I dragged Jessica’s body outside in front of them. Jessica showed no signs of having been beaten, her complexion was not discoloured; she looked as though she had simply dropped dead. “Maybe she just stayed up too late?” I said it casually, not knowing if they’d believe me. After dragging Jessica outside, I returned to the cottage, my stomach growling audibly. “Is there anything to eat?” Emily looked somewhat reluctant, but now that Jessica was dead, we had become allies of fate. She pointed to the snacks on the coffee table. “That’s all there is.” The coffee table held only half-eaten snacks; did the cottage not even have basic staples? I nibbled on some, lost in thought.
The next day, while they were still asleep, I made my way to the island’s edge. Following yesterday’s routine, I submerged my legs in the sea, and upon feeling the message in a bottle, I quickly picked it up. “Day two: food supplies are hidden in the forest.” “Day two: no eliminations.” I looked at the dense trees behind the cottage, nervous about encountering unknown creatures. But eyeing the demands on the note, I steeled myself. I didn’t run into any beasts, so I easily retrieved a pack of noodles and a box of eggs to take back to the cottage. Chloe was stunned, her eyes wide. “Where did you get that?” “From the island’s edge; someone left it there.” Jealousy flashed in their eyes as I placed the items in the fridge. As I closed the fridge door, I remarked, “If you want to eat, you’ll have to cook it yourselves.” Noodles and eggs. That’s another story. One day, I brought noodles with eggs for lunch, and they laughed at me for bringing “poor food,” then, in front of everyone, they dumped my meal into the bin. Emily stood nearby, arms crossed, and joked, “Eating bin scraps is the same as what you made. Why don’t you try it?” That day in the cafeteria, my humiliation was exposed before the entire school. I wondered if they remembered that day about the noodles and eggs. But thinking of them now having to eat what they once derided as “bin scraps” brought a sense of satisfaction.
In the following days, I took advantage of their sleeping hours to sneak outside. Unfortunately, the messages in the bottles had not contained any elimination for several days. As I watched my noodles dwindle, I’d return to the supply area, picking up another pack and lying about having found it at the island’s edge. Days passed like this. In this isolated environment, Chloe and the others’ attitude towards me softened somewhat. I sometimes wondered if the bullies I once knew were the same people standing before me now. Until one day, as usual, I ventured into the forest. But that day was different. Branches behind me rustled as if something had brushed against them. I turned cautiously, spotting the branches swaying; perhaps it was a small animal. Thinking nothing of it, I walked towards the supply hut. Inside, there were many supplies, yet I only took the eggs and noodles. As I walked out with my loot, I was suddenly enveloped by three dark figures. It was Chloe and her two friends. A wave of fear surged through me. If they had been following me the whole time, they must have seen me at the island’s edge retrieving the message in the bottle. Chloe’s face twisted with rage, as though she could devour me whole. Emily pushed me to the ground as I stumbled. Chloe crouched down and locked eyes with me. “So this is the food you’ve been getting from the island?” She raised her hand and slapped me across the face again. “You’re trying to hog all the food, aren’t you?” Another slap landed on my other cheek. “I knew it; you’re not so generous after all.” With that, Chloe’s hand found my throat, gripping it tightly. As I struggled for breath, my legs kicked out helplessly. She had never changed; she was always the one who bullied me. This predicament only temporarily tied us together; we would never be friends. Just before I could fully suffocate, Chloe let go. I knew she was still afraid of killing someone. Once I could breathe again, I held my neck and gasped for air. “I was just afraid everyone would eat all the food at once.” I forced myself to sit up, still uncomfortable. “Honestly, that’s how it is.”
Emily supported Chloe, her eyes cold as they gazed at me. “Then let me ask you, how did you find this place?” “When you locked me outside, I had to find somewhere to stay.” “You looked for a place to stay in the forest?” I shrugged, “The island’s not that big; I almost considered diving into the sea.” As soon as I said this, I realised I might have gone too far. The three of them had bullied me for a long time, and I was just making a joke, but they might have genuinely hoped for something darker. I stepped back slightly. Sophie, who hadn’t spoken until now, took a step forward, her expression devoid of emotion. Just as I thought she would side with Chloe, Sophie shook her head at her. “Everyone is on this island; let’s not complicate things.” Chloe shot me an angry glare, unwillingly turning to leave. Emily followed behind, grabbing four or five instant meals from the fridge before joining Chloe. Back at the cottage, they had heated the meals, and the aroma of rice filled the air. I clasped my stomach, realising I hadn’t eaten yet. Seeing my actions, Chloe raised an eyebrow, reverting to her old domineering self. “Lucy, you’re not eating anything today; this is your punishment.” “Survive today, and I’ll forgive you. How about that?” Emily wore a smirk, clearly having fanned the flames in Chloe’s mind. Suddenly, I felt a surge of rebellion, disregarding their objections and marched straight to the fridge, grabbing a meal. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” Emily placed her hand on the meal, trying to snatch it from me. In the tussle, the meal ended up on the floor, rice scattering and sticking to the ground. “Have you lost it?” Emily huffed, stamping her foot and crushing the rice. Chloe watched our scuffle with narrowed eyes. “If you want to eat, you can get down on the floor and clean it up.” She raised her hand and slammed my head down onto the floor. I shot my head up, feeling a sense of defiance for the first time. But looking at Chloe and Emily with their arms crossed, and glancing at Sophie in the distance, I realised I was outnumbered. What was it if I didn’t eat for a day? I wouldn’t starve to death. I bolted outside, unable to suppress the anger swelling within me. At that moment, it felt like a switch had flipped in my mind—I thought of a place. I reached the island’s edge, the sea calm and serene. There were still no signs of any boats. I knelt by the shore, reaching into the water, hoping to salvage something. When my fingers brushed against a familiar cold object, I felt elated. “Day six: the last person to eat will be eliminated.” Seeing the familiar elimination made my heart soar with joy.
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