Alea Ludo

It had begun.

The games set into motion. Everyone understood the guidelines and rules of the competition. All of us waited in the main lobby for the first match to begin. The two players selected to participate first were Frederick Lukas and Klara McClain. Luck wasn't in their favor. I couldn't even imagine what kind of game they were going to play.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. No one knew what to do or how to proceed with the situation. No one knew what to expect from the games. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait that long as a familiar, haughty voice intruded into our eardrums thanks to the intercoms in the ceiling.

"Attention players! The first game will begin shortly! Please direct your attention to the screen or feel free to look through the glass window!" Caius said.

Following his instructions, everyone gathered around the television screen or the window. Klara and Frederick stood in the game room on opposite corners. A light flashed from the floor then all the panels changed into that of a board game. The section Frederick stood on turned blue while Klara's turned red. The scene mirrored that of the game wheel.

"Both players have already offered up their GP. The game will begin after I explain the rules." Caius said.

"Well then, get on with it," Melanie ordered.

"I doubt that he can hear you," Wyatt told her.

"The point of this game is for the players, Klara and Frederick, to reach the home goal in the center of the room. The first one to reach the target will be declared the winner." Caius explained.

"So, reach the goal, and you win. It certainly sounds easy enough," said Wyatt. However, the dubious expression on his face revealed more than he was willing to say aloud.

"Right now, both players are in their respective areas, which I shall refer to as the player's yard. To move from the player yard to the starting area, the players must roll the die that has been provided to them. It has to land on a six or else you will not be able to move until your next turn."

Klara and Frederick looked to the die in their hands.

"Fortunate enough for me, playing games that involve dice are my specialty. So, no hard feelings when I win?" Frederick shamelessly admitted, tossing the die into the air then catching it in a swift motion. Then, he showed it triumphantly to Klara, who seemed wholly disinterested in well…everything.

"Once a player can move to the starting area, their next roll of the die will determine the number of spaces they can move along the paths presented to them. Each player will race clockwise on their paths until they reach their respective goals with a precise roll."

"Sounds simple enough. Is there anything else we need to know before we begin?"

"Of course. To make the game more enjoyable, random spaces on the floor have been rigged with little traps. Should someone manage to land on one of them during the game, well, they will be in for a surprise depending on the trap."

"Certainly, nothing life-threatening, right?"

"Also, should an occasion arise that a player rolls a six when they are making their journey across the board, they will earn themselves another turn. However, if on the third roll the player still lands on a six, then that third turn will be skipped, and the rotation between turns will commence as usual."

"Ha! As if someone can roll three sixes in a row! It's impossible unless they're cheating!" The blatant response had come from Melanie.

"Is it even possible to cheat at a game like this?" asked Darius as he brought his hand up to his chin. "This game seems like it will rely purely on luck and chance."

"Guess we will have to wait and see," Nicholas responded.

"All of the rules have been explained to the players! Now it is time for the Ludo game to commence!" Caius announced.

"Since I'm a gentleman, I'll let you have the first roll, Klara," Frederick said, gesturing for her to make her move with a wave of his hand.

Klara accepted the proposal without hesitation. With a light toss, her die rolled on the player yard. It landed on the number three.

"Oh! What a shame! The first roll of the game is a three! Klara is unable to leave the player yard! The next roll goes to Frederick!" Caius announced.

"Better luck next time, Klara." Although Frederick's words seemed sincere, the arrogance in his eyes was visible. Anyone with half a brain could tell that man was full of shit. He rolled his die then smiled triumphantly once it landed on a six. And with that, he stepped out from his yard and onto the starting area.

"What tremendous luck! Frederick's first roll landed on a six! He has made his way to the starting area! And since it landed on a six, it is his turn once more!"

"Lucky me," Frederick picked up his die then rolled once again. Like before, it landed on a six. He took the die before proceeding to move six spaces forward before stopping. "My turn again. Wonder what kind of roll I will get this time." His attempts to feign ignorance annoyed the hell out of me and possibly Klara. Once again, he threw a six. However, as the rules stated, he was unable to move from his spot. Thus, the turn was skipped back over to Klara.

"Well, I'll be damned. The son of a bitch managed to get four sixes in a row. Lucky bastard." Melanie nonchalantly said as if accepting the situation.

"Luck and chance. This game is about luck and chance…right?" Darius nervously looked around for confirmation from the other players. I didn't know what he was so worked up about.

Luck? I didn't believe in that. The concept of luck was nothing more than a farce, an illusion to misguide people. The fact that people believe that some external force out there in the universe works for or against them is complete bullshit. People use luck as an excuse to explain their successes or failures instead of seeking a valid explanation for their situation.

Now chance, on the other hand, was an entirely different issue. Chance—it just happens. Sometimes some things cannot be avoided or prepared for. Like Frederick for instance. He rolled a six, four times in a row. The probability of that happening is one in one thousand two hundred and ninety-six.

Not impossible to achieve.

Do it long enough; one is bound to get a streak like that. Frederick did mention that games involving dice were his specialty. So, it didn't come off as much of a surprise when he managed to pull it off. However, like everyone else, I too felt suspicious of the man. I didn't know if it was out of spite or jealousy, but something felt off about how things progressed.

Klara eventually made her second roll. It landed on a five. Thus, she had to remain in her yard once again.

Frederick made his move. Once again, his die rolls all landed on six. He made it about twenty-five percent through the board. That pattern continued three more times until Klara finally managed to roll a six and make it to the starting area.

"Okay, so is anyone else feeling suspicious about Frederick's constant stroke of luck?" Iris looked away from the window then faced the other players with a pout.

"Ever since his second turn." Replied almost everyone in the room.

"It's rigged…" Melanie made herself comfortable on the sofa. She stared aimlessly at the ceiling, having lost interest in the game. "No one's that lucky. I don't know what he did, but that die he's using is loaded."

"And he's already made it about halfway through the board. A few more lucky rolls like that and he'll overlap Klara," mentioned Henrika.

"That's not such a bad thing, right?" asked Elena, "I mean, none of them seem to be in any danger at all. No one has set off any of the traps that Caius mentioned earlier."

"She's right. So, regardless of who wins this game, no one will get harmed." Iris shrugged her shoulders.

"Do not be so sure of that," said Nicholas, his gaze remained on the television screen. "this game has yet to conclude. Until it is over, we should not make such baseless assumptions."

"After much strife, Klara has finally made it onto the board! It is her turn once more!" commentated Caius.

Klara rolled her die. It landed on four. She picked up the die then proceeded up four spaces.

"Congrats on making it on the board. I thought you'd never make it with the stroke of luck that you had." Frederick said. His condescending words fell on deaf ears, however. Klara didn't even bother to turn around and face him to give him a response—not that she would in the first place.

With no further words exchanged between them, Frederick once again rolled a six, three times in a row. It wasn't until his second roll that he lapped Klara and sent her back to her player yard, starting the process all over again. Once it became Klara's turn again, she only managed to roll a five.

The next turn moved to Frederick. As usual, he threw three sixes. However, after his second turn, he stepped on a space that contained a trap. The area beneath him flashed red before he got electrocuted. Afterward, he dropped to the floor, breathing heavily.

"Ouch! That was shocking!" Caius joked. "Frederick has accidentally triggered one of the many traps on the board! Try and be careful down there, players!"

"An electrocution trap? Are you kidding me?" exclaimed Darius.

"Guess Frederick isn't as lucky as we thought he was," Salomon mentioned.

"Did you see the look on his face when he got electrocuted? The son of a bitch didn't see that coming at all!" Melanie fell off the sofa then proceeded to laugh her a.s.s off.

"Frederick is lucky that electrocution didn't kill him," said Wyatt.

After Frederick recovered from the electrocution, Klara made her move. She rolled her die and watched as it landed on a six. She stepped out into her starting area then went again.

Five.

She moved up five spaces then stopped. Like Frederick, she landed on a spot that activated another trap on the board. The panel she stepped on suddenly sunk into the floor, throwing her off balance. A section of the wall beside her opened, allowing a pendulum ax to swing out towards her. Surprisingly, that woman possessed good reflexes.

She acted quickly and jumped out of the way of the pendulum. It swung back and forth a few times, contacting nothing but air until it eventually returned to the wall. Afterward, Klara returned to her spot, albeit cautiously.

"That was a close call for Klara! Had she moved a second too late, that would have been her life!" Caius stated.

"Glad to see that you made it out okay, Klara," said Frederick. "We should try and be more careful with our die rolls."

His words felt hollow. The audio didn't match the visuals.

Frederick proceeded with his turn then rolled the die. All sixes. He soon landed on the arrow leading to the home goal. It was nearly over. Once it reached his turn again, the game would be over. That fact was evident by the arrogant smirk on his face.

Klara rolled her die, and it landed on a four. She made her move then stopped. No trap activated that time.

"It's been fun playing this game, Klara. You tried your best. But, hey, there's always next time." Frederick rolled the die then smirked at the sight of it miraculously landing on a six. He proceeded forward. He only had to roll one more time to reach the goal. He tossed the die once more.

Six.

Just when he took that triumphant step forward, Caius' voice stopped him.

"Sorry, Frederick, but I am afraid that you cannot move to the home goal just yet."

"What? Why not?" Frederick called out to him.

"Remember what I said at the beginning of the game? You cannot reach the home goal unless you make a precise roll." he explained, "As of now, you are one step away from the goal. So, all you must do is roll a one, then you win."

"But, that's impossible! I…" Frederick paused. For once in the entire game, his face turned pale. He had come to the immediate conclusion that it would never happen. Not with his luck.

"Odd. Why is it impossible?" asked Elena as she looked to everyone for an answer.

"Isn't it obvious, Funbags?" Melanie responded. "Stains' got a loaded die. It won't land on anything other than six."

"So, that means that Frederick won't be able to win. No matter how hard he tries, the victor will eventually be Klara." Zoey stated.

"Guess his luck has run out," Salomon concluded.

With that, the game proceeded as usual. Frederick and Klara rotated between turns with the same outcome. Frederick was unable to move from his spot while Klara slowly circ.u.mnavigated around the board. Sure, she acted more traps here and there, but she eventually reached the space before the goal.

There the two of them stood. Face to face. Inches away from one another. Frederick showed definite anxiety, perhaps even fear. He was as pale as a ghost. Sweat slithered down his face. His body trembled.

It was his turn again. He reluctantly rolled.

Six.

He went again.

Six.

He went once more.

Another six.

The man dropped down on all fours in complete defeat. No matter what he tried, the die refused to land on anything other than a six. When Klara raised her arm to proceed with her turn, the man desperately called out to her.

"Wait! Klara! Please, listen to me!" He pleaded. Klara stopped and looked at him with her usual stare of indifference. "I know that you are aware that this game was rigged. But, you can't roll that die! Please! My very life is on the line here! If you win, then I'll die!"

Throughout his statement, he pathetically choked on his words as tears and snot ran down his face and soiled the floor. He lowered his head to the young woman, pleading for her not to make her next move that could potentially end his life. It all made sense. Frederick gambled all his points in the first game. If he lost, then he'd be killed afterward. His predicament meant nothing to me. He made the foolish mistake to gamble all his points in the first place.

He got no sympathy from me.

"Look at him, crying like a little bitch. He needs to grow a pair." Melanie criticized him.

"I feel sorry for him. He'll die if Klara reaches the goal." Elena stated.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do?" Iris asked.

Wyatt shook his head then responded with a stern, "No."

"For reasons unknown, Frederick has a loaded die. No matter what he rolls, it will only land on a six. Klara will eventually fall on a one and end the game. And if not, we will be here, watching a never-ending stalemate between the two of them." Zoey followed up.

"The man can beg and plead all he wants. The game will end soon." Henrika said.

"Please! Don't make your next roll! Give me some time to figure something out! I don't want to die! Not like this!" Frederick continued with his pathetic attempts to sway Klara. "I...I have a family, remember?! I can't die here! I have to go and see them! You can't do this!"

However, his pleas fell on deaf ears. Without hesitation, Klara made her roll. It miraculously landed on a one. She stepped forward and reached the home goal, thus concluding the game. Almost immediately, sections of the ceiling split apart, and confetti rained down in the room followed up by the sound of celebratory blow horns and victory music.

"This marks the end of the Ludo game! The winner is Klara McClain! Congratulations young lady!" Caius cheered. The door on Klara's side of the room opened. "You are now free to leave the game room!"

Klara immediately turned around and made her way toward the exit. Not even giving Frederick a second glance as she prepared to leave him to his fate.

"Wait…wait a second…where do you think you're going, you bitch!" Frederick stood to his feet then rushed the young woman with his fist raised.

Klara quickly turned around then used the man's momentum against him. She grabbed onto his wrist and collar then flipped him over her shoulder. He hit the ground hard and stayed there as Klara left the room as if nothing happened.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Caius?! She just used physical violence against me! Kill her! Kill her right now!" Frederick demanded.

"Wait! No! That's not fair! Klara was just defending herself!" Elena cried.

"Frederick! That sc.u.mbag!" Iris exclaimed.

"There is no cause to be alarmed," Nicholas stated.

"What are you waiting for, Caius?! F.u.c.k.i.n.g kill that woman!" Frederick demanded. His face turned crimson red. Veins of frustration protruded on his forehead.

"Have you forgotten the rules, Frederick? Physical violence is allowed inside of the game room. I will not kill Klara. You, however, will not be so fortunate." Caius menacingly told him.

"What?!" He exclaimed.

"Since you are out of GP, you are no longer considered a player. Therefore, you will be punished. It is time for my favorite part of the game. The Punishment Round."

"Punishment round?"

"Correct! Now that you have lost all your points, there is no need to keep you around. And since we cannot just let you go, it is time for your execution."

"Execution?!"

"Execution? Is Caius going to kill him?" Darius shuddered at the very notion.

"I don't want to see this! I don't want to see this!" Elena covered her ears and turned away from the television screen. Iris immediately consoled the young woman by holding her close.

"This is gonna be exciting. I wonder what Caius is gonna do to that idiot." Melanie walked over to the window. She then pressed her face against it and stared intensely at the stunned Frederick.

"How unfortunate. He went all in and came out short." Salomon closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"I hope you are all ready for this! It is time to reveal the wheel of punishment!" Caius appeared on the television screen for everyone to see. He stood next to another roulette wheel. The panels on the wheel displayed stick figures being killed in multiple, gruesome ways.

"I don't like the looks of that thing," Darius said, slowly backing away from the television.

"This wheel will determine the way the losers get exterminated! Let us see how former player Frederick Lukas shall meet his end!" He grabbed the lever and then spun the wheel with all his might. It eventually stopped, and the needle landed on the panel showing a stick figure being shot by multiple guns.

"I don't like the looks of that picture." Iris' face went pale as she placed her hand over her mouth in disgust.

"Oh, wonderful! One of my favorites! Former player Frederick Lukas is sentenced to death by firing squad!" Caius clapped his hands together and jumped up and down in a joyous manner.

"Firing squad?" Henrika exclaimed.

"Oh yeah! Let the death begin! Shoot him full of holes and let him bleed!" Melanie cheered enthusiastically.

"This is absurd. There is no way that Caius would be so daring as to do something like that." Wyatt disregarded the idea of the execution going underway.

"Firing squad? Are you kidding me? Let me out of here! This game was f.u.c.k.i.n.g rigged!" Frederick declared as he ran over one of the doors, trying to force it down with all his might. "This wasn't supposed to happen! I was guaranteed victory! I was lied to! The f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard lied to me!"

"Let the execution begin!" Caius announced.

Several panels from the walls came off and many gun barrels poked out from them. Frederick looked around and continued with his meaningless struggle. One of the guns fired off round and hit Frederick in the shoulder. He exclaimed loudly in pain but continued to struggle.

He hobbled away from the door, trying to find a spot in the room to hide from the guns. During his desperate attempt, two more bullets found their ways into his arms. It wasn't until the fourth shot went through his leg did the man finally collapse to the floor.

"God damn it! Stop! F.u.c.k.i.n.g stop! It hurts! It f.u.c.k.i.n.g hurts!" He desperately bellowed in excruciating pain. He slowly began to crawl towards the large glass window. He saw us, watching down on him. He reached his arm out towards us, his face pleading for us to save him from the execution. "Someone...anyone...save me...please! I don't...wanna die...like this!"

Eventually, the poor bastard got overwhelmed in a hailstorm of bullets. After about a minute of constant gunfire, it all finally stopped. Everyone looked at the television screen in complete silence, waiting for the smoke to clear, wanting verification of Frederick's status. Once the smoke had cleared, Frederick was gone.

All that was left was an unrecognizable, grotesque figure hollowed out and riddled with bullet holes. Blood pooled from every open wound, drenching him and the floor in a deep shade of crimson.

And just like that, only eleven players remained in the competition.