CHAPTER III – Collecting The ‘Participants’

It was the end of the game. The Rosevalley Barracudas defeated the Portcrawl Piranhas by a long margin. After one final celebration, the Rosevalley Cheerleaders Group went to their locker rooms.

"Goddammit, why does Greg always acts like such a prick!?" Jessica threw her pompons to the ground.

"He’s just teasing you, forget about it, you know how he is…" Ashley started patting her on the back. She knew Jessica was the ring leader of the group, and when she wasn’t happy, the whole group wasn’t going to be happy.

"Yeah, yeah, I know… Gosh, I just wish he stopped pretending to flirt with the other girls. I am the one he is supposed to wink at, not other bitches!"

Jessica Denice was your typical spoiled 18 years old brat. Her father, Thomas Denice, was the CEO of the town’s building construction company, with several deals made with shopping centers, schools, and banks of the town. He had the mayor in his pocket, and whatever he wanted, he obtained it. Traits that were also passed down to her daughter. The tall brunette exerted her dominance over the school’s social groups.

"I swear to God, if I see one girl making a move on him, I will destroyer her!"

"Come on, they would have to be pretty stupid, Jess." Madison said, while opening her locker.

Madison Simpson and Ashley Marsh were Jessica’s second-in-commands. They followed her around like dogs, and made sure nobody double crossed her when she wasn’t around. Madison was African American with blue eyes, a rare combination that almost made Jessica jealous sometimes. Ashley was blond with a pony tail, and liked to wear tons of makeup, too much in fact.

Meanwhile, the rest of the girls were starting to take of their clothes, until one of them noticed something strange. Anne-Marie Regan appeared in front of the group, arms crossed, smug grin on her face.

"Howdy bitches!"

The group went silent. Jessica, Madison and Ashley, who were still discussing, turned their attention to the petite brunette.

"What. The. Fuck. Did you. Just say?" Jessica was in shock. No one has ever had the audacity to show her disrespect in such a way.

"What are you doing here, nerd!?" Madison asked furiously. "And who are you calling bitches!?"

"Well, duh! I am! Bitches…"

Jessica was starting to approach Annie, ready to smack that smug expression out of her face. Madison and Ashley were following suit. The rest of the group was preparing to witness a beating, some still in shock of what happened, others trying to hide their laughter. Everyone had their attention focused on Annie. Which was exactly what Elsa wanted, as she appeared behind the group, removing the large towel that was hiding the shrinking machine, and pressed a button.

A weird buzzing sound emanated from the machine. Some of the girls turned around to, wondering what was that sound. But it was too late. A flash of green light illuminated the locker room. And then, a blackout.

…

"Damn, dude, that was a hell of a touchdown!" Kyle congratulated his quarterback, Greg Saverino, while putting on his clothes. The team already finished their shower and were preparing to leave the locker room.

"You bet your ass it was!" Greg was tying his shoes. "But you know what else I am going to touchdown tonight?

"Bow chika wow wow!" said Robert, while doing a sexy dance.

"Yeah booy!" Replied Kyle

Robert Lyu and Kyle Freeman were Greg’s best friend. They’ve all know each other since childhood, and were inseparable since then. Robert was Asian, 5.9 feet tall and the team’s kicker. Kyle was tailback, had brown hair and was 6.2 feet tall, 1 inch taller than the blonde-haired Greg.

"By the way, everybody!" Greg climbed on a seat. "As you know, next Saturday is going to be the birthday of yours truly." Everyone in the room started cheering. "Yeah, I know, I know. Anyways guys, remember to bring girls to the party. Oh, and try to persuade them to bring their friends with them. Remember, the more, the merrier."

"Yeah, and don’t forget the booze!" Robert screamed, fist in the air.

"Yeah, don’t forget the… What the…" Greg stopped talking, as he realized two girls just entered the locker room. And they were carrying a shopping cart with them, with some kind of machine in it.

"Oh, good. You boys are all lumped together. I won’t need a distraction for this one." Elsa said, as she pressed a button. The same familiar buzzing sound was heard.

"Hey, what are you…" Kyle was interrupted, as a green flash illuminated the room, knocking everyone out.

…

"Greg! Greg! Wake up Greg!" Greg started opening his eyes. He was laying on the ground, light-headed, and the only thing he was seeing was Jessica’s face and behind her, a black roof.

"Wha… where… what’s going on…" As he looked around, noticing many other people, either sitting on the floor, walking around confused or comforting each other. One person was beating one of the walls, screaming for help. Wait, those weren’t random people. Those were his teammates. Kyle, Rob and the rest of the guys were there. And the girls… Those were the girls from the cheerleader group, still dressed in their uniform.

"Jessica? What happened?"

"I don’t know Greg! I don’t know! We were in the locker room, and then there was a green flash, and then we woke up here, and we don’t know how to get out, and everyone is freaking out, and I’m scared, and…"

"Babe! Jess! Calm down!" Jessica was visibly freaking out, tears were rolling on her face, a sense of desperation and fear was clearly visible from her. Greg started hugging her.

"Fuck man! Those glass walls are thick!" Kyle was tired of beating them. He almost tried to run and tackle one of them but Rob changed is mind.

"Look man, it’s not going to work, you’re just going to break your shoulder."

Meanwhile, Madison and two other girls, Samantha and Chelsey, were trying to calm Ashley, who was having a breakdown.

"THEY KIDNAPPED US!!!! THEY’RE GOING TO CUT OUR FINGERS!!! AND SEND THEM TO OUR PARENTS!!!" Her heavy mascara was rolling down her face, almost like she was crying oil. Sam and Chelsey spoke some reassuring words to her.

"They are not going to do anything Ashley, calm down please!"

"Yeah, Ashley, calm down, we need to focus!"

Madison, on the other hand, grew tired of the screaming, and gave her a good slap in the face. "Goddammit, chill the fuck out! My heads hurts!"

As Greg stood up, he looked around. They were in some sort of room. But not like any other room. It was huge. Almost the size of a Football field. The ceiling above them was very far away. Easily 6 stories tall. It almost seemed like a huge cathedral, but without the organ, seats, pillars, and everything else that makes a cathedral. Just a flat black floor and glass walls. But they seemed covered in something, a white sheet. Must have been a hell of a sheet to cover everything.

"This building is huge. There’s no way we are in the middle of nowhere." Greg said.

"I know, it looks like some kind of huge warehouse." Jessica said, as she was holding Greg’s arm tightly. Having her boyfriend close to her was calming her down. "I swear to God, the people who did this will pay! My father will bury them in cement!"

Kyle and Rob were approaching Greg.

"Hey man, glad to see you’re ok."

"Does any of you know how we ended up here? Remember anything? Kyle? Rob?"

"Sorry man, you’re the last person who asked this, nobody remembers anything. Just that we were in the locker room, and two girls showed up."

"Not just two girls! Elsa and Anne-Marie! They showed up in OUR locker room too" Jessica was freaking out again.

"Wait, who?" Kyle asked.

"You mean those two nerds? What do they have to do with this?" Rob inquired.

"Wait, you’re right…" Greg had a sudden realization. "I was looking at them when they showed up. The girls… I think they were them!"

Jessica turned towards Greg. "See? See? I knew it! I knew they were the ones behind this! I knew it!"

"But they’re just two girls. How could they…"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The ground shook, while I loud, distant sound was heard.

"What the…" The group of teens did not have time to process what happened, as a second wave of quakes was heard.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The quakes were intensifying, as if something huge was approaching. Terror was starting to build up around the group teenagers. Some were hugging each other, while others were backing away.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

It was getting louder and louder. Some of the girls fell on the ground, out of fear.

*BOOOOOOOOM, BOOOOOOOOM, *

Then it suddenly stopped. But something was off. Loud, booming voices were heard.

"LET’S SEE THIS THEN!" The white sheet that covered the glass-walled warehouse was lifted all the sudden, with a jarring, unrealistic speed. A flash of light illuminated the room and everybody covered their eyes, as they were adjusting to the ambient light. And so they did. But nothing could prepare them for what they were about to see.

Two gigantic faces appeared on the glass walls. Girl faces. A blond with long straight hair and green eyes, and a brunette with short curly hair and glasses. Elsa Phillis and Anne-Marie Regan.

"WELL, WELL! LOOKS LIKE OUR ‘PARTICIPANTS’ ARE IN GOOD HEALTH AND READY TO GO!"